What I'm Watching: Samantha Who?

Samantha Who: Season 2, Episode 5 "Help!" (B-)

I was glad to see Mary-Kate Olsen as a guest star here since she was extremely impressive on "Weeds" last year. Her role as advertised in the previews looked pretty terrific, and Sam slapping her was especially entertaining-looking because the post-amnesia Sam really is a kind soul and to see her get so fed up with someone, in this case someone truly obnoxious, is amusing. Unfortunately, Olsen's guest turn is remarkably short-lived and makes for a quick chuckle but nothing lasting. That's the impression I'm getting from this show. It seems like a comedy that shouldn't be tied down to a traditional sitcom week-by-week format, focusing instead on the recurring idea of Sam regaining her memory. Instead, it's pretty contrived and each week is so independent from the next that it's hard to keep each week straight and piece them together. I'd like to see a major tightening of this show's story arcs really soon.