By Katie Monigan
Although crude at times, the sharp jokes and undeniably entertaining chemistry between its two main characters will likely keep “2 Broke Girls” on the air for at least a few weeks.
“2 Broke Girl’s” premise suffers from being a bit contrived, but it is entertaining nonethelessIf anything, it’s a bit classic. Caroline (Beth Behrs) is a former trust-fund-kid forced to become a waitress alongside career waitress (Kat Dennings). There are nearly endless humorous possibilities in the contrast between the girls’ lives. Whether or not it is difficult to accept initially, the basic plot works, and it’s sure to work all season too.
Unfortunately, some plot points were unbelievably predictable. In one scene, for example, Caroline, says she plans to stay with a friend, but is found later sleeping on the subway. Sometimes, however, coming out of left field can do wonders for the show. Apparently, the seemingly shallow Caroline character is actually a Wharton grad and quickly draws up details for a cupcake business between the girls, including a detailed savings plan based on current earnings.
The beauty of the Max and Caroline’s dynamic is that although on the surface it may seem otherwise, they’re both very intelligent. It makes for witty jokes, but also allows the writers to go a little deeper with the characters. What looked initially like the girl version of “Two and a Half Men” without a kid appears to be looking for a bit of an emotional connection in addition to the humor.
It will be interesting to see how other characters play into the girls’ dynamic – Max dumps her live in boyfriend which makes room for Caroline to move in permanently, which no one will deny is the plan, but it also means that for now there are no romantic possibilities in the immediate future. The brutally honest cashier Earl, the asian stereotype diner owner, and the overly-flirtatious chef are likely to make frequent appearances, but if the pilot is any indication, “2 Broke Girls” will subsist almost entirely on the girls’ dynamic. The supporting characters were barely there at all.
The humor is at times very crude – the first few minutes consist of jokes about prostitutes, semen stains, and at one point Max says a customer’s snapping in her face “dries up my vagina.” Judging by the past success of vulgar sex jokes in “Two and a Half Men,” there are plenty of viewers who enjoy that sort of humor, but it may be off-putting for viewers who were hoping for a more relatable show. This series will be funny because of its ridiculousness, not for its applicability to viewers’ lives.
One final twist will be the oddly un-modern settings and costumes that are seen on shows like “Two and a Half Men” and “Big Bang Theory.” “2 Broke Girls” appears to be trying to separate itself not only with its novel combination of intelligent characters with mostly sex humor, but also with a strange un-reality of mustard colored uniforms and dark rooms reminiscent of some other decade.
Nonetheless, the pilot was certainly funny. At this point, things could go a whole variety of ways.
Katie Monigan is a contributing writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com
Washington Square News will be covering 2 Broke Girl’s inaugural first season as part of our new web TV Special Feature. Check back on the blog every Tuesday at noon for recaps, analysis, and critiques of this new show.
