What I’m Watching: Married

Married: Season 2, Episode 10 “1997” (C+)

This show is feeling less and less genuine as it progresses, and it’s a shame. I expected an episode called 1997 to feature a bit more of a flashback than just Russ and Lina visiting their old college and Lina searching hopelessly for a nude painting of her. Part of the problem was that she was the only one who was able to remember that she was a student who posed for her professor, the glory of the gardens on top of the faculty housing, and that she and Russ had their first kiss up there. Russ doesn’t spend any time yearning for his glory days, and it feels like he’s just there to tag along. Fred Melamed was the perfect actor to play the professor who tried so valiantly to invent other people who might have been Lina, which only made his every wrong guess more unfortunate since it showed how little he actually remembered anything about her. Her joy at being caught in the act of attempting suicide was slightly endearing, but it couldn’t save the episode. Russ’ enthusiasm at getting ahold of shrooms also felt out of place, and it was no surprise that it didn’t end up happening. AJ’s relationship with Abby, on the other hand, is progressing at a very slow pace but managing to be involving and sweet along the way. AJ writing a children’s book about addiction does seem far-fetched, but if anyone can do it, he can. Eventually he’ll break his celibacy, and it seems like the process getting there is doing him some good.