Round Two: Breaking In

Breaking In: Season 1, Episode 2 “Tis Better to Have Loved and Flossed” (B-)

I’m still not sure exactly what to make of this show. At times it feels like it’s very on, and at others it’s considerably and distractingly more irreverent. The show’s heist-like scenes tend to be its strongest, especially when they don’t encounter much surprise resistance in their escapades. The show doesn’t run quite as smoothly all the time as it’s prone to stream of consciousness narrative interruptions that get it distracted from the main plot. Fortunately, Cash is much less obnoxious and loud than he was in the pilot, and he doesn’t seem quite as intent on causing Cameron stress. I thought that the Alyssa Milano plotline worked exceptionally well, and it definitely caught me by surprise, but not in an overly “gotcha” kind of way. It was well worked into the episode’s primary plot without seeming like it was too important. The reveal that Cameron was the leak was a lot of fun, and it’s amusing to see just how much Oz is actually aware of, mostly thanks to his rather invasive watercooler cam. Oz is another aspect of the show that’s improved a decent amount since the pilot, thanks mostly, and this may seem strange, due to Christian Slater’s hairstyle. He seems much more relaxed and buoyant, and his telepathic presentation at the beginning of the episode was amusing. I’m also continually thrilled by the all-too-brief appearances of Michael Rosenbaum as Melanie’s boyfriend Dutch. While I’m of course rooting for Cameron to get the girl, I’d hate to see him no longer on the show.