What I’m Watching: Life in Pieces

Life in Pieces: Season 2, Episode 10 “Musical Motel Property Bingo” (B+)

Overall, this episode was actually pretty funny. I’m most impressed by the commitment to the creation of a “Silence of the Lambs” musical that preserves all of the creepiness from the fantastic movie and how that was somehow woven into this relatively family-friendly show. Heather was right to suspect that there was something afoot when Samantha didn’t get the role despite her singing talents when it went to the daughter of a big donor instead, but hearing her terrible accent for just a second confirmed the director’s choice. I like that she brought Jen along as her lawyer under the pretense that they were having lunch, which of course resulted in Jen not eating at all. I wasn’t too fond of the second segment, which brought us back to the unnecessary Joan-teacher plotline, and the most enjoyable part of it was seeing the three siblings act like kids, particularly with Heather making Matt the driver so that she could reset the rules of shotgun. Clementine and Tyler are a pretty dumb couple, and getting a drawing of a duck as a representation of what they could afford was hilarious. When Tim is the one who tells you that you have no clue what you’re talking about, you know there’s a problem. I wonder how long this backyard home is going to last if it’s even meant to be taken seriously. Family bingo was a fun diversion, and I love that Tim managed to win even after a late start. Though the Shorts are great characters, I think I do like the three outsiders the best.