Round Two: The Chair

The Chair: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Faculty Party” (B+)

There’s clearly a lot to be explored on this show, and it seems like a shame that this is only going to be six episodes. That’s doubly true given the lack of urgency from our two primary protagonists, who spend almost an entire episode without realizing – or caring, in Bill’s case – that they didn’t have their phones with them. I’m not sure what the necessity of that Nazi salute was, but now Bill’s become a meme, and there’s not much he’ll be able to do to save face at this point. That they were debating the optics of entering into a romantic relationship moments earlier only further complicates things, particularly because someone saw them wrestling on the couch earlier and might report that as an indication of Ji-Yoon’s questionable judgment. She did pretty well when forced to deliver a toast while under the influence, and she certainly set Yaz up for success, even if Dean Larson promptly condescended to her by mispronouncing her name. I knew I recognized her from somewhere, and that’s because actress Nana Mensah was the creative force between “Queen of Glory,” a Tribeca standout in which she also starred. While Ji-Yoon’s daughter scarring the babysitter was perhaps a runner-up, the most memorable scene of the episode was Joan getting herself into hot water by eviscerating the woman whose job it was to decide whether her Title IX case had any merit, which I have to imagine will result in a flat and unambiguous no, and maybe even lead to a new case against her.