What I’m Watching: Better Off Ted

Better Off Ted: Season 2, Episode 3 “Battle of the Bulbs” (B)

This was an episode that tried hard and sort of came through in the end, certainly funny but definitely a little odd. Putting Andrea and Ted together on the same project in a work context was fun, especially since, as Andrea pointed out, they’ve never really had the opportunity to actually work together. Watching Ted get his idea stomped on when he refused to hear Andrea out was a little bit satisfying, though the best part of the whole plotline was Veronica mentoring Andrea on how to be intimidating and not to back down even if her idea was stupid. And like all of the products manufactured by Veridian Dynamics, there’s always some unanticipated malicious side effect that threatens to shut down the whole project. The incorporation of Lem’s mom into the main storyline didn’t feel quite as welcome or effective, and was more of a distraction than a compelling plot arc. It did give Phil something fun to do and served as a good way to incorporate him, but for the most part it didn’t work too well. The random reappearance of Maz Jobrani as the occasionally hilarious but sometimes just crude Dr. Bhamba was entertaining, however I do have one bone to pick with his presence on the show. As I speculated in my review of the show’s first season finale this summer, didn’t he take the blame for a huge scandal and get fired by Veridian a long time ago?