by Katie Monigan
2 Broke Girls has developed a plot predictability problem – while not being the most versed viewer of TV comedies, I hadn’t expected my hopes that the show would explore Max’s past as it had Caroline’s to be fulfilled so soon. I never thought it would occur in the very next episode, “And the 90’s Horse Party,” giving us little time to reflect solely on the revelations of last week.
There is good news though. The plot’s predictability did not detract from the show’s entertainment factor in any major way. So while we learned that Max actually went to college in hopes of becoming a children’s book illustrator, and how horrifically sad her 16th birthday was, it was never serious enough to throw the show’s tone completely off. The rest of “Party” was also so funny that it was difficult to notice how conventional the serious moments were.
While there are a lot of expected moments happening, a number of scenes each week come entirely out of nowhere and are, as a result, incredibly amusing. The writers are truly original in their comedic situations, and it’s a refreshing change of pace from other shows. While Max and Caroline, after realizing they’re too broke to see a show (inside a Laundromat) for $75 despite how badly Max wants to attend, are walking Chestnut, a drunk hipster asks if he can ride the horse. When Max jokingly says “Yeah, for a hundred dollars” the hipster agrees and says he just needs to go to the ATM. Walking a horse through the streets of Brooklyn is already a completely absurd situation, but the conversation with the hipster was unexpected. As he throws Max’s sarcasm back at her in a positive way, it only adds to the humor of this great scene. These well-staged moments are becoming a positive characteristic of “2 Broke Girls,” and I hope they’re here to stay.
This was also a big week for Han, the Asian diner owner who speaks stereotypically broken English. He has decided he wants to be “hip,” and spends the entire episode, from the flash mob in the first scene to the party in the final scene where he dons a “Talk To The Han” t-shirt, trying to make himself more appealing so he can, as Max says frequently, “Get laid.” Han’s fruitless efforts are a source of several jokes throughout the episode, until they his luck turns around in the last scene. Again, the shock factor of a short, chubby, awkward, middle-aged man making out with a 20-something hipster is so unlikely that it becomes hilarious.
Th plot remained a bit derivative in “Party” – events are so straightforward that someone who jumps in mid-show could still follow along. While that might make the show seem shallow to some, it does translate to a very accessible show that can be enjoyed at any moment during its run. More importantly, it’s a comedy, and the writers are doing a great job of incorporating character development with a small dose of emotional connection into their undeniably funny show, predictability be damned.
Katie Monigan is a contributing writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com.
