Emmy Episodes: Catastrophe

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. This year, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Catastrophe: Season 1, Episode 1 (B+)
Nominated for Best Writing for a Comedy Series

I can’t pinpoint when I heard about this show, but it was definitely long enough after its premiere for me to feel like there was an urgency for me to catch up on it. I’ve heard only good things, though, and the Emmy writing nomination for this show’s pilot was just the impetus I needed to finally sit down and watch it. I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen so far. There’s a remarkable simplicity to this show that allows it to take relatively ordinary events, at least as far as television tropes are concerned, and just roll with them. Sharon casually calling Rob to tell him that he’s pregnant because they had sex a hundred times in one weekend could have been met with some sort of shock, denial, or resistance, but instead Rob just flew out there to essentially move in with her and start their lives together. Their interactions are very entertaining, and I especially enjoyed their dinner party adventure which was filled with Rob making awkward comments about the food being so delicious. Both stars are great, and the way that they play off each other is very fun, with Rob seemingly unfazed by Sharon’s constant biting sarcasm. I love that her last name is Morris and his is Norris, and it’s just that kind of humor that should make this show great. I recognize that I have plenty to catch up on, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen right now, but it surely will soon, particularly in light of the recent news that this show has been picked up through season four.