What I’m Watching: Better With You

Better With You: Season 1, Episode 7 “Better with Road Joel” (B+)

A division along gender lines isn’t something we’ve seen on this show before, and it’s a fun gimmick for an episode. Pairing the boys with the boys and the girls with the girl was entertaining and worked very well. Ben’s desperate search for Casey’s approval and friendship is amusing as always, and throwing Joel into the mix definitely shakes things up. This episode also was the first (I believe) that didn’t start with the traditional three couples solving a problem in different ways and instead saved that for the end. Perhaps that means the show is really getting its legs and emphasizing its specific characters rather than the character tropes themselves? I’d cite is a positive evolution of an already decently good show. This episode marked the second time that I laughed out loud for an extended period of time, and that was thanks to Ben’s reaction to Maddie detailing that she thought she was having an online affair and that she hadn’t really done much to investigate. All I need is one or two scenes with Ben getting flustered and I’m set. His post-shower conversation flashback that accidentally occurred in front of Joel and Vicky was funny as well. I’m not quite sure what to make of Casey’s mom, played by Valerie Mahaffey, recently seen as Alma Hodge on “Desperate Housewives.” She didn’t contribute much to the show, but seeing Vicky step in to defend her daughter and threaten her with awful grandmother names was fun, as was Mia’s own desperate search for an in-law’s approval.