What I’m Watching: The Great Indoors

The Great Indoors: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Explorers’ Club” (B+)

While most of this show takes place in an office, a big part of it has to do with the larger-than-life stories that its characters tell about their time spent in nature. Roland’s invitation to speak introduced our millennial employees - and us as viewers - to a world in which Jack is the Clark, constantly trying to fit in and subject to endless barbs about his appearance, character, and so much more. Fortunately, Joel McHale is great at assuming a certain role, and seeing him get awkward and desperate is entertaining. Roland was also more than capable of dishing out his own insults directed at Mather, the haughty president of the Chicago Adventure Society played by Barry Bostwick. Roland’s incredible story about how his friend Arturo died was torpedoed by Mather’s attempt to discredit him, and what we saw after that was not great. Roland wasn’t down for long however, as his graphic tale of hollowing out birds to sleep in them and dying from explosive diarrhea helped to vindicate him, and even inspired the millennials to write an article to clear his name, actually putting in effort for once. Emma serving as a mentor to someone because she felt like she already had so much insight to offer at age twenty-six, and naturally the younger person would accomplish enough to make her think that she was becoming obsolete. Eddie thinking everyone was planning a surprise for his birthday was plenty uncomfortable, but at least they eventually did something so he didn’t feel totally unvalued.