What I’m Watching: The Big C

The Big C: Season 1, Episode 5 “Blue-Eyed Iris” (B+)

It’s a shame that this show is getting more interesting just as Monday night is getting way too crowded with no less than five new shows premiering (two of which are decent). In any case, I may now have to rethink giving up on this show since there’s plenty to say about it. For one thing, the addition of Idris Elba, recently seen as Charles Miner on “The Office,” as the school handyman who offers Cathy a chance to re-experience her sexuality and who prompts Andrea to try and get in shape is definitely a positive force. The increased spotlight on Sean is fantastic, and his interactions with Marlene were just as hilarious as his suited attempts to make a stand for what he believes in. Cathy watching porn while her students are taking a test does seem like a bit of a stretch, but this kind of behavior has come to be expected from the distinctive woman seeking to get a new lease on life. I enjoyed the fact that Paul was most dismayed by the fact that Cathy watched porn with her son when she never watched it with him rather than that he was watching porn or that she was joining him in the act. Paul asking about whether he looked like Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean” with his new eye patch accessory was a pretty ridiculous moment very typical of the character. Good news for fans of this show – earlier this week, it was renewed for a second season.