What I’m Watching: The Kominsky Method

The Kominsky Method: Season 1, Episode 7 “Chapter 7: A String is Attached” (B+)

The dynamic between Sandy and Norman is probably the best reason to watch this show, and that’s definitely what made this episode so great. In one of his regular conversations with his deceased wife, Norman accepted the idea of giving the money to Sandy as a gift but immediately argued that he should purposely say that there were no strings attached just to mess with him. No strings is indeed the biggest string of them all, but that strategy backfired for him when Sandy was far too proud to accept it. His plan to pay back $1000 per year would likely have exceeded his life (though the 102-year-old Kirk Douglas, actor Michael’s real-life father, makes the case that he has great genes), and I liked the IRS agent’s response to his sob story about his accountant dying, very straightforwardly asking why he didn’t just find a new accountant. Mindy taking the money straight to the IRS was a good move, though I was worried she was going to get into an accident on the way due to how her aggressive driving was being portrayed. Margaret’s superb monologue felt a bit random, though I guess it’s worthwhile to remember that Sandy does occasionally spend some time as an acting teacher. His Bluetooth mistake didn’t help matters too much, and I think the relationship with Lisa is really over, though the fact that she called his daughter to pick him up suggests that she’s invested with the family enough that she may one day change her tune.