What I’m Watching: Casual

Casual: Season 2, Episode 3 “Such Good Friends” (B+)

After she really embarrassed herself by trying to reconnect with an old friend and butting into her life, it’s fair that Valerie would tread a bit more carefully with her latest friend crush. She really is navigating it like dating, unsure about making too strong an impression and seeming needy. Meeting at the bar with Alex and the crew that he put together and then getting invited over to meet her crew was a fun moment, and it’s also nice to see that she’s coming on in such a lukewarm way that she’s not inundating Valerie with energy. Alex is in better shape than he was a few episodes ago, but he’s still not ready to let Snooger be turned into something that’s more manipulative than how he designed it to be. The notion of failing because their matches are too accurate and no one breaks up so that they can use the service again is crazy, and he’s right to recognize that. I am intrigued by Vincent Kartheiser’s character and his outlook, and I hope we’ll see him again. Alex had fun chipping away at the perfect lives of the parents in Laura’s new study group, and he nearly ruined the whole thing. Maybe this is exactly what Laura needs even if it’s filled with people who don’t like giving their kids too much positive affirmation for fear of warping their expectations and shaping their lives in an overly positive way. We’ll see how that progresses, since I can’t imagine it will last long in its current state.