What I’m Watching: Bored to Death

Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Case of the Lonely White Dove” (B+)

This episode is far more case-centric than the past two installments, but it still works just as well. Having Olivia Thirlby back is a wonderful thing, and the fact that Suzanne falls for Jonathan’s good-intentioned charms is pretty terrific. Their double date to Brighton Beach was going well, at least for Jonathan and Suzanne, until his case gets in the way of things. The reaction of the two women to the confession of his detective work isn’t anything to write home about, but it certainly makes for an amusing, entertaining scene. The overarching theme of yearned-for love in this episode is great, especially due to how it doesn’t quite pan out. Jonathan is really going up against people far bigger, stronger, and more powerful than he, and that’s what makes it so much fun. It’s not as if Jonathan’s detective agency is really at risk of failure or bankruptcy, and if his two-for-two perfect case record is disrupted by the Russian not actually getting the girl, it doesn’t really matter. What is important, however, is that his clients are happy, and even if he has an army of angry skateboarders or Russian mobsters chasing after him, he’s still pleasing the people who hired him. George’s dabbling into bisexuality was a pretty wacky subplot, but Ted Danson makes it work, and it was all really worth it due to the identity of the eventual escort he hires: Romany Malco, who played Conrad on “Weeds.” His laidback attitude and willingness to just live freely is fun, and the fact that he ends up just watching a movie with George and Joanthan makes it even more amusing.