Emmy Episodes: Baskets

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. For the third year in a row, 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.

Baskets: Season 3, Episode 6 “Thanksgiving” (B)

Every year when I watch this show, I always think that there is something to it. It’s unapologetically strange, and the fact that Louie Anderson plays a woman is just something that happens. Anderson won this award on his first try two years ago and then lost to Alec Baldwin last year. He continues to be excellent even if his casting is bizarre and unexplained, and this episode provides quite the platform for him. Evidently much has transpired since I last checked into this show with the rodeo, and I honestly can’t remember what Christine’s involvement used to be. She still maintains connections to the people in her life even if she’s not with them for Thanksgiving, and video-chatting with those far away was one of her most poignant moments. I love that she called the police on Chip’s French clown friends thinking that they were there to try to sell her something. She instantly lapped up all of the attention, before experiencing a moment of sadness when she saw her late mother on the video. Ending with a celebratory trip to Arby’s was really sweet, and it’s hard not to feel sympathetic for Christine and to see how much she enjoyed introducing these people to something held dear. I enjoyed Chip showing up to Martha’s house when she clearly didn’t remember him and his comment about her needing to be more welcoming, hardly something I’ve ever found her to be in my limited experience with her on this show.