Round Two: Bent

Bent: Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4 “HD & A-Game” (B-)

It’s weird to think of this show in the usual terms I use to look at installments, since this is only the second batch of episodes but next week will mark the final hour of this show’s first season order. It’s hard to get attached with such a limited sampling, but I think the bigger issue is that, entertaining as this show may be, it’s not very tethered to reality, incorporating irreverent elements like the group’s impossible lack of productivity and the relationship between Alex and Pete. It is enjoyable to see Ben upstaged by Pete when he plans a surprise birthday party for her as they’re knocking the door down about to have sex for the first time, and I like the dynamic between Ben and Pete, agreeing that her room is not optimal for seduction and then fighting later, essentially over Alex. Leaving his crew in the car while he ran into the wedding to drop something off and ended up having to play Alex’s date because everyone though that her absent boyfriend meant she was single was amusing as well, mainly because of how Clem and Vlad started saying that Gary’s back fat was looking like a T-bone steak. Gary’s obsession with Screwsie is a bit creepy, but her indulging him and startling him is decently fun. I’m enjoying the dynamic between James and Screwsie, but I’m not as sold on their supervision of Frankie, which involves allowing her to skip school and come with them to a drum circle populated by eclectic artists and homeless people.