What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate (Last Episode)

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 13 “Bake Off” (B+)

I can’t describe how much it dismays me that this show has been cancelled and pulled from the air. In the past, shows have come to an end because of overwhelmingly negative reviews or because networks have opted not to renew midseason entries. In this case, however, it’s one fall show that got picked up for episodes beyond its initial thirteen-episode order, and less productive ratings doomed it to a premature cancellation. It’s also much superior to “The Mindy Project,” which hasn’t been subject to the same fate, which makes its departure all the more lamentable. This episode especially feels ready to send the show in a whole bunch of new directions, as Ben’s Rail Mall idea finally takes off and Kate enters into what looks like a wonderful new relationship. It’s fun to see Sarah Burns in a role so different from the one she plays on “Enlightened” here as Stephanie, who decided on a whim to come with Ben and Tommy only to realize that she might have made a mistake – and the house doesn’t even have a fax machine. I would have loved to see more of Ben and Vera’s unhealthy relationship and what actually happens to Rail Mall, and maybe the two remaining episodes will eventually air and fill that in for us. Will’s return was appropriately unsatisfying, and I like that Kate managed to find some romance that could fit with her craziness in Lance. BJ training Maddie to be British was terrific, and it was nice to see her think of Maddie and turn down the opportunity to get the commercial by herself. Why this show has to go I’ll never be able to comprehend.

Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Dakota Johnson as Kate

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 12 “Girl Problems” (B+)

It’s hard to describe the level of awkwardness that Kate possesses when she is trying to seem cool. I was thrilled when Tommy ran into Brittany Snow’s Lila walking her dog, and I’m excited to see her become a part of the regular plotline. Kate’s overenthusiastic attempts to befriend her were unfortunate enough, and blabbing about Tommy having been in love with her for ten years really sealed the deal. AS always, however, this show is immensely charming, and having Kate hide behind the mailman with Tommy deemed too tall to do the same was sweet, and I hope that Lila sticks around for a while. She’s certainly a more endearing fit than Ben’s new sexual partner, Vera, who is portrayed by Melinda McGraw, who had a superb role on the second season of “Mad Men” as promiscuous housewife Bobbie Barrett. Ben does love lofts, though, and so maybe Rail Mail will have to take a backseat to the electronic version that she pitched which maintains few to none of his original ideas. I like that BJ interfered and posed as a Southerner to try to protect Ben, and it’s fun to see her actually care about something and invest time and energy in trying to get it accomplished, a rare occurrence. Hearing about her dog is very disconcerting, given that we see just how irresponsible she is in every other aspect of her life, which doesn’t bode well for the poor, possibly fictional pet with a truly odd, unusual background.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 11 “B-Squad” (B+)

It seemed obvious to me from the start that Maddie had flunked her gifted test purposely to avoid the unnecessary pressure and separation of being in the class, but, as usual, this show took a fairly simple concept and made it work quite well without being too obvious or expected. Kate’s reaction to the news that Maddie didn’t get into the class was amusing, clearly confusing her teacher, and I like seeing her academic spirit in action, not always quite as logical or presentable as she’d like it to be. Coupling that with Ben’s new job and his fury about the Bunk Bed Pizza idea taking off was terrific. It was fun to see David Hornsby, star of CBS’ short-lived and underrated “How to Be a Gentleman,” here as Matt Swan, the friend who allegedly stole but ultimately paid for Ben’s magnificent idea. Another great guest star was Jane Seymour, who was the perfect choice to play BJ’s mother, who found ridiculous ways to insult her and even managed to flirt with Buddy like crazy. Above all, the fact that she was attracted to Buddy means that she approves of something that BJ does. I enjoyed the fighting that occurred between first Ben and Kate and then later in the flashback to BJ’s faked news broadcast about peeling with the distinction of co-pilot and co-anchor. Tommy’s Paolo was pretty hilarious as well, and it’s always a hoot to see these characters try hard to be something or someone they’re not.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Trip” (B+)

The relationship between Kate and Will was almost too good to be true, and there had to be something bigger than a guitar face to throw a wrench in their happiness sooner or later. It’s not actually surprising that Kate’s overbearing family and friends would be the thing to come in between them, and it’s just a shame that Will felt the need to be so honest, or that he was so put off by their excessive presence in the first place. Prior to that revelation, he continued to be the Nicest Guy Ever by happily accepting the companionship of Ben and Maddie on his romantic camping trip with Kate, even convincing Ben of his good intentions. I enjoyed watching Ben try to teach Maddie how to use a saw, much to Kate’s horror, and seeing how he reacted to the news that Will had family money. BJ teaching Maddie how to speak to servants was pretty hilarious, and I liked her involvement in Tommy’s love life as well. He and Kate may not be destined to be together, but I’m pretty sure that the three women that BJ tried to set him up with were not the answer. After Ben’s unfortunate run-in with the bats, it was fun to see both Tommy and BJ show up claiming to be his emergency contact. Best of all, they got to meet a new romantic interest for Tommy, in the form of the lovely Brittany Snow. I’m eager to see how that relationship pans out.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 9 “Guitar Face” (B+)

It’s no surprise that the neurotic Kate is constantly looking for qualities in her boyfriend to end the relationship, and it didn’t take long for Will’s rather lamentable trait to manifest itself. Fortunately, he’s a nice guy, and despite her best efforts to sabotage the relationship, they managed to work it out and offer a cringe-worthy but endearing concert performance together. BJ’s efforts to get involved and help Kate out of her relationship so that she could focus all attention back on herself led to a familiar but still amusing group therapy plotline that worked best because of BJ’s attitude and her failure to tell her fellow group members that Kate was not in fact her ex-spouse but rather her best friend. Ben’s attempts to get himself back in Tommy’s favor after losing his job were entertaining, and I really do like the dynamic that they have. Most of all, I love their inventions and the way that they so enthusiastically and preposterously pitch them. I’d love see Rail Mall actually take flight, for lack of a more transportation-accurate term, and, if not, to hear the many other failed brilliant ideas conceived of by this duo. Resorting to fishing golf balls out of the pond on the golf course to sell back at a premium to their owners was too easy, and Ben is capable of a more complicated project. His solution to Maddie’s refusal to drink milk, for instance, was fantastic but fatally flawed, much to his and Kate’s horror.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate (Thanksgiving Episode #2)

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 8 “Reunion” (B+)

It’s no surprise that this hometown show would feature a Thanksgiving high school reunion which would directly involve Ben, Kate, and Tommy. Kate’s long-standing anger at her role competitor who nicknamed her “Junk Face” was entertaining, as was Will’s enthusiasm for having her compete, abruptly suggesting a sing-off as if it was the logical solution to any problem. Tommy’s grand entrance on roller skates was perfectly timed to create another “Junk Face” situation that was funny but didn’t take too much focus from the rest of the episode. That was devoted to the sham marriage between Ben and BJ, which makes sense on a lot of levels. Ben’s concern at her finding out and subsequent overwhelming desire to tell her was amusing, and I like that it all came out because BJ felt the need to call Kate a sister, prompting her to suspect that something was up. Ben’s reaction to BJ’s matter-of-fact explanation that it wasn’t actually a green card marriage was priceless, and BJ does a marvelous job of revealing life-altering facts like her Texas birthplace in completely casual ways. Maddie had a fun role in the events of the episode as well, most memorably in her suggestion to Tommy that he lose the afro. I enjoyed his deep concern with making a big entrance, something that I might have expected Ben to be equally invested in if he weren’t already so popular and he had less on his mind than revealing to his sister that he was married to her best friend.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 7 “Career Day” (B+)

Here we have an instance of several plotlines that were generally uninventive and recognizable that worked quite well thanks to the efforts of the cast. Career day is a phenomenon that seems to occur more in the cinematic universe than it does in real life, inspiring characters to consider drastic life changes in order to impress young children. I’m always amused by Ben and Tommy’s business ideas, and I liked the quick summary of failed previous inventions. Their door-to-door wine idea wasn’t bad, but it seems that the sex game played by one couple got in the way of that a bit. Ben’s end-of-episode classroom talk was actually somewhat moving for its first half and then quickly went downhill after that. Despite Ben’s efforts to sniff him out, Will actually seems to be a pretty nice guy, and it’s fun to see him express almost as much awkwardness as Kate during their date. It’s hard to top her, however, as evidenced by her greeting to him when he came into her house: “Hi, I’m Will.” BJ’s passionate investigation into why the bar employees were being rude to her led to a predictable explanation – calling them by the wrong names – but it was extremely funny as a result of her inability to care or correctly acknowledge them upon learning the truth. I’m more than a bit concerned for Maddie’s well-being, since BJ seems to supervise her a lot, but it was well worth it to hear Maddie tell her that she threatened a fellow classmate and have BJ go ahead and implement her advice in her own situation right away.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate (Halloween Episode #5)

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 6 “Scaredy Kate” (B+)

I think I’ve decided who my favorite character is on this show, and it’s Kate. Her intellectual spirit, which demonstrates itself in the costumes she creates, like the death of print journalism and Babe Ruth Bader Ginsberg, is charming, and she isn’t capable of simply putting in a little more effort in a given situation. She is someone who always goes way too big, as evidenced by her aggressive kissing of Steve, well likened by her to putting spicy mustard all over herself and acting like a BLT. Her latest obsession, trying to scare Ben, was met with much failure but ultimately succeeded in the fake blood in her mouth. I noticed Geoff Stults as a random neighbor early in the episode, and it was great to see him as a kindred spirit and potential new boyfriend for Kate, though I’d rather “The Finder” still be on the air. It’s good to see him rebounding on the same network in just a few months. BJ getting disturbed by the sight of slutty adult princesses provided an amusing impetus for her to have to be nice to Maddie and try to legitimize her annual theft of foreign beauty cream. Tommy accidentally eating the pot candy was most fun because of Ben’s willingness to meet him where he was, and I enjoyed the way that they both made fools of themselves together and then actually bonded when Tommy finally revealed his resentment about Ben leaving and then coming back, expecting everything to be the same as when he left.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 5 “Emergency Kit” (B+)

I’m very pleased about just how bountiful the relationship between Ben and Kate in terms of supplying comedic plotlines. This is actually the show’s most natural episode yet, as Kate’s need to always be prepared triggered, as usual, Ben’s need to show his sister that she’s not always right. Staging a major drill for which she was entirely prepared was amusing, and I’m loving the dialogue that accompanies Ben’s theories and Kate’s retorts, or vice versa, more and more each time. Ben’s claim to know how yogurt is made, which was promptly refuted by Kate, was the funniest of all his wild assertions. Tommy being in the middle of their competition is especially entertaining since he finds ways to legitimize being on both sides. I very much enjoyed his delivery of his sudden urge to eat a granola bar and his unfortunate faked realization that it had been made in a facility that processes nuts. The two love interest guest stars of the episode, Lindsay Sloane, who costarred with Lucy Punch in “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” and Rob Corddry, were both great, and I liked that BJ had links with both of them. The health inspector routine and the bottle of glass shards were amusing and horrifying tactics that made the hilarious relationship between BJ and Buddy even more fantastic. Kate’s tame reaction to BJ’s excitement about being with him and BJ’s unintentional acceptance of her advice not to sleep with him were equally fun, shaping these characters into more developed personalities.

What I’m Watching: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 4 “21st Birthday” (B+)

It’s fun to have a show where characters are permitted to ramble on uncomfortably for as long as they like. I’ve become extremely comfortable with what to expect from this show, and as a result, this was a great half-hour. After channeling Kate’s desires in episode three, this installment turned to Ben’s notion of what Kate enjoyed, specifically related to her birthday celebrations. Inviting Kate’s crazy partier friend set BJ off, and it was a blast to see BJ team up with Ben so that she could avoid being at the boring party and having to watch her best friend have a good time with Molly. Their trip to Darcy’s house was amusing and at times nonsensical, and I particularly enjoyed BJ’s run-on speech followed by awkward making out with Ben and the subsequent shot of Ben hauling the tree out of her car at home. This show is often loud and unsubtle with its comedy, and it’s nice to see something like a silent image of Maddie rubbing a balloon on BJ’s hair to mess it up, with Ben and BJ blankly staring, powerless to stop it from happening. Tommy’s fury at Molly for not paying him back his fifteen dollars was a wonderful catalyst for his confession of love to Kate, and it was hilarious to see him squirm as she refused to finish her sentence about how she felt about him. His panic after her whispered comment about her feelings was funny as well, and I’m sure little will come of that imagined relationship other than some great comedic moments.

Take Three: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Fox Hunt” (B+)

This show isn’t terrific, but it sure is fun. Its dialogue is quick and entertaining, and its characters are extremely entertaining. Kate’s obsession with beating her older brother at an old game their parents used to have them play was great, and I loved BJ’s realization that their parents were just making them shop for groceries. BJ as a character is highly exaggerated but really quite funny, thanks to Lucy Punch’s dedication to making her as wild and ridiculous as possible. The same goes for Echo Kellum’s Tommy, who serves as a perfect wingman for each of the other characters at different times. Ben’s misconception that the loser had to do the other’s homework, of which Kate had none, was very amusing. The competitive energy that Ben and Kate both possess is wonderful, and it’s a delight to see them engage so frantically in their pursuits of victory. They’re capable of dramatic moments as well, namely Kate’s apology to Ben for telling him that he never finishes anything. I’d not sure that combining a waterbed with a recliner is entirely necessary since the latter is usually comfortable enough on its own, but I do like the maniacal independent mind that Ben possesses when it comes to wacky new inventions. For this show, it’s not crucial to be firmly grounded in reality, like Ben calling Maddie’s school to tell them that Kate was coming to pick her up to distract her from the contest, but it’s nice to have a reality check every once in a while.

Round Two: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate: Season 1, Episode 2 “Bad Cop/Bad Cop” (B+)

With its second installment, this show proves that it’s capable of making the concept of two grown-up siblings work to its advantage. Its greatest asset is the fact that Kate has a personality, and it comes with lots of excessive blubbering in the face of an intimidating situation. Trying hard to keep her actual address a secret from the parents and administrators at Maddie’s school was an entertaining endeavor, and I loved that the whole gang was in on it, including Tommy’s poor parents, who had to abandon their own home so that Kate could pretend that it was her residence. BJ earns points for her quick thinking and spinning of a tragic tale involving the death of Tommy’s identical twin brother to explain the presence of many photographs of Tommy in the child’s bedroom. As usual, Alan Ruck did deadpan to perfection, barely uttering a word as Kate went on for what felt like hours and Ben did little else but spot-on impressions. The dialogue on this show is very fast-paced, but unlike, say, CBS’ “Partners” or “2 Broke Girls,” it doesn’t feel forced here, perhaps due to the absence of a laugh track. There’s plenty of hilarious material, and the entire cast works hard to deliver it as exceptionally as possible. It’s not a perfect show by any means, but it’s highly entertaining and a terrific entry in the new Tuesday night FOX comedy block, which I’d argue is much funnier than Must-See TV Thursdays on NBC has been in a while.

Pilot Review: Ben and Kate

Ben and Kate (FOX)
Premiered September 25 at 8:30pm

In the case of some shows, it’s evident that the pilot isn’t entirely representative of the show as a whole. Ben won’t get to protect his sister from a cheating scumbag and Kate won’t get to help her brother crash the love of his life’s wedding again; that’s just for the pilot. Instead, it’s better seen as an introduction to the characters, two generally endearing and likeable siblings. What’s most surprising is that Nat Faxon, most recognizable as a member of the zany Broken Lizard comedy troupe, is actually great as Ben, who is painted as enthusiastic and passionate but not excessively stupid or mean. Judging people by the quality of their high-fives is entertaining, and he’s not meant to be taken entirely seriously. Kate, on the other hand, is sincere and sweet, and unlike another blonde lead actress on a new comedy this fall, she actually has a personality. In the supporting cast, Lucy Punch stands out for her commitment to comedy, training Kate in keeping attention on her mouth in the midst of a date. Their sibling bond is especially wonderful, and positioning Ben as dependable in the right moment is important so that the show doesn’t repeat the same formula each week, in which he makes a big mess that she needs to clean up. This is a much more pleasant version of the exceedingly cartoonish and overdone “new normal” on the new NBC show, and I’d much rather spend time watching these appropriately wacky characters get themselves into and out of trouble, all the while having each other’s backs.

How will it work as a series? We’ll have to wait until episode two to know for sure, since Ben’s arrival was a new occurrence in this installment. I suspect, however, that he’ll find a more permanent way to stick around, which will create regular shenanigans and opportunity for familiar bonding and support. While it’s not as edgy as its other comedies, this is just the kind of comedy that belongs on FOX.
How long will it last? While it’s hard to compete against “Glee,” which used to have this timeslot, the pilot performed decently with the ratings. FOX seems invested in creating a comedy block with “New Girl” as the anchor, so, packaged with “The Mindy Project,” this seems like a worthwhile investment at least for the remainder of the season, and likely beyond that if its quality endures.

Pilot grade: B+