What I’m Watching: Powerless

Powerless: Season 1, Episode 6 “I’ma Friend You” (B+)

It’s been a few weeks since this show last aired, and I’m very happy to have it back. My fondness for it has grown it since it started, and I know consider it to be one of the more enjoyable and clever comedies on the air. I love Emily’s spunk and the way that it so irritates those around her, leading the trio of Teddy, Ron, and Wendy to use “Emily” as a verb again, talking down to her far more than when Teddy tried the same thing and got mocked for his failure to have it catch on. Befriending Jackie was a tall order since she so hates human interaction and banal conversation, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone prying into her personal life. Emily just didn’t let up though, getting into her Uber car and going to her daughter’s school to be nice, and somehow it worked, ending with a very quick hug and a high five from Jackie after she took the sexist hot dog guy down a peg. The three suspects did a good job resisting Van’s efforts to separate them, trying to intimidate them with the terrifying lighting in conference room B that they quickly got over as soon as they were able to swivel their chairs. I don’t think I’ve heaped enough praise on Alan Tudyk, who had a blast chewing scenery in this installment as he hunted for the culprit who had used his toilet, who turned out to be no one as well as just about everyone, as revealed by the mistaken-for-Hispanic janitor Peter in the closing moments of the episode.