What I’m Watching: Life in Pieces

Life in Pieces: Season 1, Episode 12 “Flight Bite Wing-Man Bonnie” (B-)

One of the reasons this show is entertaining is that, like “Modern Family” before it, it often does a good job of capturing what real families go through. On this show, the experiences and situations are usually more exaggerated than might typically actually happen, but it’s still easy to see a resemblance to everyday life. Heather and Tim yearning to have friends was made infinitely more exciting by their newfound professional football player pal. While Sophia tends to be mature beyond her years, in this case she had to report that their son bit her without adding the crucial fact that it was part of a game and not some hostile action, costing her needy parents their newfound friendship. Greg’s fear of flying was extreme to say the least, and so was the pampered treatment that Jen got on the plane, somehow able to go standby on a flight in first class presumably without paying any extra. I’ve never actually sat in first class, but apparently flight attendants know your last names and address you loudly by that in a way that blows your cover when you’re trying to go incognito and not be spotted by your husband. I don’t feel that Martin Mull adds anything to this show, and having Joan send him back into the fray to try to meet a nice woman was a mostly painful experience to watch. Brenda Song’s appearance as Bonnie was entertaining, and it’s a good thing Matt opted to revise his “dude” comment and profess his love for Colleen in a very romantic way instead of being swayed by his ex.