What I’m Watching: The Detour

The Detour: Season 1, Episode 5 “The B and B” (B)

This was a sillier episode but an entertaining one nonetheless. Staying at a bed and breakfast in the south was a recipe for absurdity, but this show made it work pretty well for the length of the episode. I recognized Dr. Rob, played by Tom Armandes, though I always think he’s John Terry, who was Christian Shephard on “Lost.” Dr. Rob was a truly gracious host whose only real problem is that he’s trying to impress his Russian fiancée while mourning his late wife and he thinks that fighting a bear is the way to do it. Let’s disregard the final moment of the episode, which suggests a negative view of Southern culture that’s better less unaddressed. I liked how Nate and Robin went to war trying to show how they were enjoying being treated well by their hosts, as Robin felt elegant and ladylike and Nate was all for the aggressive flirting that Oksana wanted to do with him, starting with undressing her and drinking vodka within seconds of making her acquaintance. Robin chastising Nate for his habits that are literally the most annoying was a great true moment, and I like that they managed to agree that settling for mediocrity is the way to go. Regardless of how Jared found ways to occupy his time during his stay, the best part of him being confined in that room is that he couldn’t understand that the kid he kept seeing pop up on the screen was actually him being recorded.