What I’m Watching: Better Off Ted

Better Off Ted: Season 2, Episode 4 “It’s Nothing Business, It’s Just Personal” (B)

Veronica is really at her best when she’s being her usual cold self, and having her fall under someone else’s spell hardly seems sensible. I really didn’t care for the first episode to feature her magician boyfriend Mordor, and bringing him back made for a few quick laughs but ultimately proved more distracting than anything else. Seeing Ted boxed up in the smallest office imaginable where he literally has devote time to getting into his chair and behind his desk is fun, and watching him sputter about as he tries to harmlessly meddle in other people’s affairs is somewhat satisfying. Linda and Ted working together is once again a good thing, and it’s refreshing to know that neither of them quite knows exactly what they’re talking about, and it’s a good thing that they have each other to get things done as a not-quite-operative team. However dazed she was, Veronica’s explanation of the company’s strategy for motivation was hilarious. Manipulating its employees is one of the things Veridian Dynamics does best, and this is certainly one of those cases. The rationale behind changing something, even if there’s no reason for it, as a motivating factor is quite brilliant, and it’s humorous to see how it works on lab rats Lem and Phil. It helps that the two of them are so funny together and that the red coat really stands out. Watching them keep guessing what the coat means and Phil dreadfully proclaim that he worked so hard not to get the coat they had deemed a punishment was a great way to wrap up that plotline.