Take Three: Hello Ladies

Hello Ladies: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Date” (B+)

This was inarguably this show’s most awkward installment yet, and I’ll have to reconsider my assessment from the pilot that Stuart is a nicer guy than most British sitcom characters. He doesn’t set out to offend people, but he’s so damn selfish that he can’t be bothered to consider how anyone else might react to a situation unless it directly affects him. I couldn’t figure out where I recognized Annie from, and it turns out she played Cathy, the employee who tried to come between Jim and Pam on “The Office” but didn’t end up doing much in the end. She was much more charming here as the flirtatious barista who still said yes to Stuart when he asked her out and destroyed a whole lot of merchandise in the process. His banter with the waiter was most amusing because of the waiter’s inability to comprehend that him being a jerk was meant to be part of the charade, and that he shouldn’t offer something just as expensive as an alternative option. Mini-golf was going well, and it’s a shame that he had to let his curiosity and jealousy get the better of him. Though he managed to miraculously talk his way out of getting caught snooping at Annie’s house, his night ended the same way it always does, with him getting cursed out for his rudeness. Jenny Slate of “House of Lies” and “Parks and Recreation” was another great guest star in Jessica’s embarrassing quest for tampon stardom, and I also liked Wade’s disconnected but well-intentioned side plotline involving his immense fear of dying without anyone knowing, highlighted by the gratitude he expressed when rescue finally came.