What I’m Watching: Life in Pieces

Life in Pieces: Season 3, Episode 20 “Lingerie Cookbook Gamble Surrogate” (C+)

Here we had four installments all set to excess mode, with just one of them managing to be worthwhile and entertaining. John turning the babysitting he thought he’d never again have to do by having kids and turning them into babysitters into a money-making opportunity probably didn’t educate Samantha on the meaning of being grounded the way her parents would have wanted, but it did allow her to feel better about missing the party. And sure, it wasn’t exactly ethical for John to bend circumstances to his advantage by calling the cops to break up the party, but he’s never been one to follow or even acknowledge the rules. Jen trying to prove her cooking chops to Joan, who rightfully pointed out that the grabs she got (an unnecessary joke) probably weren’t considered kosher, was a long roundabout exercise. Tim and Tyler going to the lingerie store was a bad idea from the start, and Heather should have realized how hapless they would be, especially considering the number of specification questions that Tim got asked when he made the simple request for what he needed. Colleen is over-the-top enough on most occasions that having her sister do literally everything possible to circumvent their wishes for healthy eating and living felt overwhelming. This show is off this week and then back next week for a double-decker finale, with its fourth season fate still up in the air. While it’s mildly enjoyable, it’s hardly one of the shows I’d go to bat for at this point to come back for another season.