Round Two: Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits: Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4 “The Benefit of the Unspoken Dynamic” & “The Benefit of Forgetting” (C)

I had suggested in my pilot review last week that I wouldn’t be watching any more of this show, but there’s something about a certain night of the week being devoid of any other shows that makes a busy week still feel empty, and therefore a reason to watch an hour of a so-so comedy presents itself. Also, I know that technically episodes three and four don’t count as “round two,” though when they’re aired together and meant to be digested together, I think it’s fine. Unfortunately, neither of these installments inspires much confidence in the future of this show. Two characters, Fitz and Riley, are almost completely wasted, with little function or purpose. Fitz playing the All-Knowing Black Man is nothing original, and devoting an entire episode to him being oblivious about his lesbian mom turning straight is a waste of time. This show insists on going big when it totally doesn’t have to, and it’s endlessly frustrating. Riley is a character totally devoid of personality, and knowing drug dealers and trying to date a guy who likes to milk himself doesn’t give her any depth. Ben running into a girl with a convenient amnesiac condition decreases the credibility even more. The purpose of a sitcom is that the characters go through trials and tribulations of everyday life, not absurdly constructed scenarios that are trying way too hard to be sensational and crazy. I wish that this show was more exciting, but it just doesn’t possess much originality or appeal.