What I’m Watching: Better With You

Better With You: Season 1, Episode 12 “Better with a Cat” (B+)

With an unexpected pregnancy as one of the pilot’s kickoff events, determining who might be the official caretaker for the baby if the event that Casey and Mia could not was an inevitable plotline. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks to the scenes of Mia’s childhood, and it was fun to see Vicky and Joel made up to look like they were much younger. Maddie and Ben are, as usual, rather over-the-top, but it’s very amusing so it works, especially with the lone donut joke that’s repeated at the end with Joel. The “what they heard” gimmick was entertaining as well, and my favorite part was Ben getting up and saying “I’m talking now, so no need to listen” in Vicky’s remembered version of events. I’m really a fan of Casey’s one-liners, and I like how he responded “is that a challenge” to being questioned about what he can’t turn into fake boobs and what he can’t get pregnant. His perfectly-delivered “I’m not the best judge of what’s weird” is entirely fitting. Mia had a funny line as well, recalling her somewhat strange childhood: “you mean it’s not bad luck to have your name written on a birthday cake?” The banter between Maddie and Ben was humorous as always: “I’m a lawyer so I have a photographic memory” / “I work at a hotel so I’m really good at ice skating.” Ben’s emphasis on working at a hotel rather than a motel was great, and I’m continually impressed by that running joke’s ability to be funny episode after episode.