I’m looking forward to the awkwardness that will most likely occur between Michael and Gob. Gob is my current favorite on the show… it’s actually hard to explain what makes him funny. He’s probably the most out of touch character, very little of him is grounded in reality. And yet, Will Arnet manages to coax a tremendous amount of laughs out of a simple character.

The “never nude” thing still cracks me up. It’s such a good idea. Little things like that are what make this show funny. I like the conflict, the awkward moments, and the banter, but the real gold of this show is in little things like the “never nude” concept.

I don’t think Michael and Marta will, ultimately, work out. They may have a hot few episodes, but it won’t last; it can’t last. I suppose that’s one of those things I’ll have to chalk up to “we’ll see.” Rate: 3/5

“No, I was just saying your name as you were leaving…” Ha! I’m probably not supposed to write “ha!” but really, that’s the only thing that suits. This is one of the better episodes so far. Everyone has a new task, they’re all off getting into trouble, with the pretense of doing “good” for the family, it’s really what the entire show is based on: lost rich people who can’t even perform the simplest of tasks. Very good. Also, I think Gob, despite all odds, is becoming my favorite character. On paper, he seems like the goofy choice… a magician? Too campy, it will never work. But Will Arnet is pulling it off. He combines this cranky, sleazy aura into this inept illusionist. Crafty.

“Dad, I know you got married in college but that was like your sophomore year. You had all of freshman year to…” “Alright, that’s enough honesty.”

I think I’m going to give this episode a perfect 5/5. It was clever, well written, well acted, and c’mon, Carl Weathers? Hard to top that. Also, I’ve noticed, that at the end of each episode, after turning all the characters into monsters for 20 minutes, the last few are spent humanizing them, making them flesh. Lucille stands up for the family, accusing the publicist of being a self-serving social climber; George Michael comes clean to his father about the Milford school. Each episode concludes with a little flash of normality… I suppose, in some way, it keeps the circus in order. Well done. Rate: 5/5

This episode is really funny so far. I’ve been trying to put my finger on something about Michael for a while now, I think it’s getting a little clearer. He’s the ringleader. The action of the story more or less revolves around him, and all of the really good laughs come as we follow him through his personal “family circus.” He’s “normal” in comparison to the failures around him and his “really?” faces and looks of disbelief only help us laugh even harder at these people.

Buster is so awkward… He looks like a weasel with glasses. And that banana stand does not look like a “big yellow joint,” but that song is amazing. Just laughed out loud when Michael comes back to Gob to complain about his son’s lying and Gob is smoking (“It’s cold out here”). Amazing. Moments like that are why this show is funny.

“And that’s why… you don’t teach lessons to your son.” The one-armed lesson teacher is such a good idea. How do you come up with something like that?

I really liked this episode, the timing was really on, sharp. The relationship between parents and their kids can always be a source of comedy, especially when you have such an obviously varied approach. One pushes too hard, the other not enough… it reminds us that the tricky part, as with most things in life, is finding the balance between two poles, two drastic opposites. Rate:4/5

Michael tries to alter his “good boy” image by stealing things from the company and, also, by attempting to stab his brother in the back. Or, better yet, to reveal his brother’s true nature to his girlfriend. Of course this backfires, Michael is who Michael is, and he can never really be that type of person.

The best part about this episode was Tobias and the leather store. The writers just go to town with that character, and David Cross eats it up. He really plays it perfectly. Also, George Michael’s crush is getting a little old, they need to either have something happen between him and Maybe (which they surely can’t do… or can they?) or they need to move on. It’s funny, but one dimensional. It seems like Maybe’s only purpose on the show is to be his awkward crush (and to try to be noticed, an emblem of Lindsy and Tobias’s bad parenting). They need to give her more to do, something else to latch onto.

The whole scene where Gob is explaining to Michael about how the magic trick works, about “the legs”, was the best scene in this episode. So funny, great writing. Other than that, it was pretty mundane. Rate: 2/5

I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard to come up with brand new things to say based on 20 minutes of television. Some of it is just exposition, just filling in the blanks in the story. This is a comedy, and there are limits to what is going to take place. The plot is second to the laughs, therefore, not much is actually going to “happen.” I can keep writing about the parts that I find funny and some memorable lines, but it’s somewhat tiresome. Sorry, airing out.

This was a commonplace episode. I hope Michael doesn’t stay concussed for very long, I’ve never liked “memory loss” episodes in television. It always feels like a silly device, a poorly used trick. That said, Gob is getting more and more funny, and not just his lines, but his physical acting as well. The part where he throws the life-preserver over the side of the yaht was the funniest part of this episode. Rate: 3/5

This was a good episode. I like the development of Michael and Lindsy’s relationship, it’s new and makes Lindsy a more likable character. The whole “Never-Nude” business is absolutely incredible, ingenious writing. “I thought he just liked cut-offs.” The prospect of Maybe and Lucille becoming close is frightening and perfect.

Not too many one-liners in this episode, but a good look at some new characters. The Lawyers, I imagine, will be around for at least a few episodes. They are both good characters and should it add more to the show. Rate: 3/5

This episode has the line of the show so far. “Prison is like a carnival… without the half-person on the skateboard that grabbed your knee to steady himself.” That’s, without question, one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a while.

The therapy scene was boring. They need to do more with Tobias than just the “acting” shtick. It’s going to run out soon. Maybe then can flip it on its head, like, give him a role and have him be obviously awful, but everyone seems to love him. We all love a good laugh at acting’s expense.

Lastly, they do a really good job with Michael’s relationship with his son. It’s corny and trite but it works. This is due both to the writing and the delivery. Michael and George Michael are both very well played. It runs the potential of flopping, but they make it work well. Rate: 4/5

Anyway, that being said, the writing is still very clever, witty and playful.

I also wanted to mention the voice over narration. It works tremendously well with this show. I spoke of economy in my last post (the show’s ability to pack in information), and much of this is due to the narration. The voice over is able to divulge information that is not readily available to viewers and would take plenty of time to “play out.” For example: the narrator can just say “Michael was confused” rather than having Michael’s confusion played out on screen by placing him in the confusing situation. They save plenty of time that way, and keep the show moving at a pleasant pace. Rate: 2/5

I’m impressed with the economy of the show. They only have around 22 minutes per episode and they manage to cram a lot in each one. They do this by not stretching the limits excessively far. For example, this past episode featured only a few major characters. Tobias Funke was never on screen, when, in the previous two episodes, he was a major player. George Michael and Maybe had a few lines each, but were more or less sidelined. It’s economic, smart and makes for great television. Rate: 3/5

Will Arnet’s character is starting to get really funny. He might prove to be the best character on the show. I don’t think Michael will end up with Marta, but the awards show will awaken him, push him to explore options.

Also, Was that Liza Minnelli?

Michael Cera’s character is somewhat afraid of his precocious cousin, but is invariably drawn to her, so much so that he tries out for the school play, of which she is already a part. That obviously makes Tobias uncomfortable because now everyone in his family is acting except him, the self-proclaimed actor. He petitions to direct the play, and is granted the role. I see some more crying in the shower very soon! He is by far one of the better characters on the show. He’s funny, awkward, and completely a mess. I don’t really like his wife, Lindsy Bluth Funke, so far she has just been a living emblem of the family’s money mismanagement, and somewhat annoying. The mother of the family, on the other hand, is remarkably good. She’s well played, and well written for.

There was a line towards the end of this episode that really stood out to me. Jason Bateman’s character and his son are finally making “corn balls” together and George Michael says something really corny to his father. His father answers “That’s a little corn ball”. He is both referring to the actually corn ball his son is making, as well as the statement he has just made. It’s this type of double meaning that makes the show funny. So far, they have done this better than almost any other show I’ve seen. Rate: 4/5