What I’m Watching: Life in Pieces

Life in Pieces: Season 4, Episode 9 “Four Short Fairy Tales” (C+)

Sometimes this show is a lot more simplistic than it needs to be, and I don’t mean that in a good way at all. Jen’s segment was the best example, featuring truly idiotic colleagues who wanted to work hard to impress their hapless boss by childishly taking credit for Jen’s work. Sarah Baker, a memorable performer from “Louie” and “The Kominsky Method,” was particularly wasted, while Andy Buckley from “The Office” was cast in exactly the role I would have expected, unable to remember the baby’s name literally seconds after Jen said it. It was moderately entertaining to see Jen try so hard to make people like her, but otherwise I was not amused. On the note of unfortunate casting, I’ve never understood why Martin Starr, who has been so much funnier on the likes of “Silicon Valley” and “Party Down,” plays the creepy exterminator, and his scene with Joan about not wanting to retire didn’t make his character’s existence all that much more worthwhile. John failing to realize that he was the one who didn’t teach his sons how to build things felt far from believable, even if he’s not usually one to pick up on cues from anyone around him. Blowing down Greg and Matt’s playhouse with a leafblower was a humorous sight, but that was about it. Tim buying himself a toupee was the best of this week’s bits, both because it shed some light on a past time when the family had to follow the same rules when Heather went through her romper phase and because Tim thought he had the perfect plan only to realize that his photo showed a very different side of him.