What I’m Watching: Better With You

Better With You: Season 1, Episode 6 “Better with Halloween” (B+)

I very much enjoyed the various threads in this episode, and I also liked how the Halloween factor was only going on in the background. While other shows devote entire episodes to celebrating holidays (which sometimes do work), this show chooses to make it a despicable time simply because Maddie’s birthday coincides with it on the calendar. Fortunately, that was only briefly mentioned throughout the episode, leaving more time to focus on funnier matters. Ben not remembering what Maddie wanted until the moment after he gave her the jewelry was great, and his efforts, coupled with the unhelpful assistance of both Joel and Vicky, were truly entertaining. I liked how Joel sent both Ben and Mia to the emergency jewelry place, and both their apologetic ploys worked. Casey’s stupidity continues to be hilarious, with the two standout moments in this episode being his lack of knowledge about karats and the way he asked Mia how she thought he made his money. Even if I’m still not clear on why Casey was so embarrassed about what was in his box, this show tends to get away, in my opinion, with thin plot points by managing to milk funny moments out of generally ordinary situations. I was also thrilled to see "Better Off Ted" star Jonathan Slavin, who played Phil, in a funny guest spot as Maddie's worshiping underling and Ben's new enemy Glen. Good news for fans of this show (hopefully there are some out there besides me!): last week, ABC ordered a full season of the show, along with “No Ordinary Family.” I do worry that this show might not be truly sustainable, but I’m definitely game for a full season.