What I’m Watching: Outmatched (Series Finale)

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 10 “Royal Rumble” (C)

This show hasn’t officially been cancelled, but given that it’s now aired all of its filmed episodes and most well-regarded series are going to be experiencing production delays due to the current situation, I can’t imagine anyone is going to be clamoring for this show to return. As it’s gone on, it’s felt increasingly choreographed, and the three older children looking on and then walking over to their newly-approved potential guardians was one such moment that just felt painfully scripted and staged. I’ve noted multiple times that the incorporation of Rita and Irwin into the storyline has been one of the most clunky and least effective elements of this show, and having them as the assumed guardians who had never been asked was only moderately entertaining, mainly because it was so obvious from the start that it was going to lead to them wanting to do it. Mike and Kay lying to their youngest daughter about her birthday seemed just plain odd – and unsustainable, given that it’s not hard to check and theoretically would have come up – but it led to a revelation that supports the inkling that this show, like this character, is actually much smarter than it seems. Leila being a secret genius who just pretends to be dumb so that she can do as she pleases is an interesting twist, though one that comes far too late in a show that hasn’t shown much intelligence to be taken too seriously. I like what Maggie Lawson and Jason Biggs were doing on this show, and I look forward to seeing what they do next in a project that isn’t this.

Season grade: B-
Season MVP: Maggie Lawson as Kay

What I’m Watching: Outmatched (Penultimate Episode)

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 9 “Black Mold” (C-)

Technically, this show hasn’t been cancelled yet, but with just one filmed episode left, there’s practically no way that anyone would choose to bring this series back for more episodes, even this initially enthusiastic viewer. This episode crossed a new line in terms of absurdity, and it’s hard to find anything of quality buried within it. Nicole hacking into the casino’s reservations system to get her parents a suite felt like a bad idea to begin with, leading to this narrative devolving into Mike getting into bed with an older couple that he didn’t realize had been let into their room. Kay could definitely have avoided getting dragged into a work thing by Rita, and you’d think she would have some concept of the fact that she was widely regarded as a cooler. Things were definitely going much worse back at home where Brian was put in charge before he immediately deferred to a mutinous and terrifying Nicole, and their efforts to tranquilize the younger two children didn’t work at all. Everything got much stupider when Irwin came over and fell down the stairs that had been eaten by the black mold and the kids left him for dead, terrified that a childnapper had broken into the house when it was really just Mike trying not to be noticed. I’d like to hope for something slightly more satisfying and endearing in the show’s final airing – this show had some potential to be entertaining enough but hasn’t really delivered on that.

What I’m Watching: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 8 “Couple’s Friends” (C)

This episode was a real callback to “American Pie,” bringing back actress Alyson Hannigan, more recently well-known for her work on “How I Met Your Mother,” and an unrecognizable Eddie Kaye Thomas as a couple that Kay and Mike set their sights on who would probably have been better friends for whenever their children somehow manage to grow up to become adults. Their responses to everything Kay and Mike suggested were entertaining, if considerably over-the-top, and getting them drunk had extremely negative consequences that showed they should really stick with the friends they have, even if they don’t always invite them to every party they throw. Mike’s concern with being the “wrong Mike” was funny, and I give a lot of credit to Jason Biggs and Maggie Lawson for how they work with often lackluster material to give it their all. Overall, I think this episode demonstrated why stunt casting often demonstrates a show having run out of ideas, though that tends to be more apparent years into a once-great series when it’s struggling to maintain some of its quality that’s clearly been lost. This show was never superb, though I feel like in the current climate it’s brainless and harmless enough that it’s worth spending twenty minutes each week laughing a few times and rolling my eyes at the rest of the episode. With just two filmed episodes left, it’s all but guaranteed that this show won’t get more than that, so I may as well ride it out and enjoy what’s been made.

What I’m Watching: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 7 “Failing” (C)

This show is getting less and less intelligent as it goes on, and I’m not exactly sure why I’m still watching it. It’s really representative of exactly the type of sitcom that comes along all too often and represents a lack of effort when it comes to inventive storytelling or new ideas. Nicole has been the most featured child thus far, somewhat able to function in society even if she gets a bit too attached to certain notions, like needing to be ripped apart by dogs because she only beat her brother by three hundred points in an illogical game they invented. Having her enter a beauty pageant to show that she’s missing a social component of her intelligence wasn’t a bad idea, but this show’s execution of it left plenty to be desired. Repeatedly suggesting that the reason it was being turned into something for humans was because it wasn’t suitable for dogs wasn’t funny after the first time it was uttered, and Rita being the judge who was obviously being bribed was yet another instance of the clunky integration of Rita and Irwin into this show. Somehow, it all worked out, with Nicole failing at trying to fail, and therefore getting to understand some of what Kay and Mike have been trying to teach her. Brian tends to let his emotions get the best of him, with Marc nearly crippling him after beating him in chess, and it was sweet that he realized he could enjoy time with his less intelligence-obsessed sister without having to beat anyone.

What I’m Watching: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 6 “Bullying” (C+)

It’s entirely clear now that this show isn’t aiming for anything approaching believability, creating adult characters who couldn’t possibly be real to go with the precocious geniuses that Kay and Mike are somehow raising. Dr. Walker, played by Neil Casey, who has been making appearances on “Avenue 5” and “Silicon Valley,” was so over-the-top that it would be hard to imagine anyone not making fun of him for the way he talked and assumed that others wouldn’t find his behavior more than a bit strange. He didn’t make Kay stooping to apologize to him easy, and Leila ended up being the one to express just how horrible he was to him and voiding the sentiment she was trying so hard to convey. I knew that I recognized the teacher who Marc was bullying from somewhere but couldn’t place him, and that’s because he played another teacher, Mr. Castellotti, who interacted with Andrea on “I’m Sorry.” I enjoyed the fact that this episode delved into Kay’s past as someone who enjoyed pulling pranks on weaker classmates in high school, including her own husband, who now finds her earlier behavior considerably more charming than many of her other victims. As usual, the strongest moments on this show are the subtler ones that reveal how excited Mike is for his kids to respond to human interaction and how disappointed he is when they utterly fail to do so, like when Brian just pushed his fist bump attempt down. Brian and Nicole fighting over who got to give the other a bath was definitely weird, and not in a good or funny way.

What I’m Watching: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 5 “Dating” (C+)

This show doesn’t seem long for this world, but I’m enjoying it to a degree even if its quality is not terribly impressive. The integration of best friends Rita and Irwin is particularly clunky, as evidenced by Irwin’s apparent abduction of the hot brainless guy Doug, who was in his trunk and never mentioned again. A whole lot more on this show is hard to believe, but that felt like a serious stretch. The fact that Nicole fell for such an airhead wasn’t entirely convincing, although she may have thought that his sincere stupidity was merely him being ironic because of how intelligent he secretly was. Kay got excited that she was able to provide some real guidance to her daughter on avoiding her mistakes, but got typically wrapped up in the thrill of Nicole finally thinking she was cool for having ever appealed to Doug, diluting her message considerably. Marc not understanding why Nicole wanted to do things to make herself look nice around people she was attracted to let to an unfortunate misreading of the situation by Mike, before he suddenly declared himself as now being able to “get” art. Why his fascination with a painting was immediately interpreted as an unnatural obsession by the security guard that his other son had severely injured when he was showing off his badge is just one of those comedy things, exaggerated for effect just like Kay’s contemplation of the replacement painting that she found to be momentarily attractive, drawing a stern condemnation from the suddenly superior Mike.

What I’m Watching: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 4 “Bad Guy” (B-)

This show definitely isn’t too concerned with being sophisticated, but the plotlines it features do continue to be entertaining. It’s not at all surprising that Brian and Nicole would come to the conclusion that they didn’t need their parents since they were far more intelligent than them, though their lack of life experience was their undoing since they were never actually prepared to be on their own in the first place. Kay being tired of always having to be the bad guy was relatable and funny, and she finally got the chance to come to the rescue and be the good guy when she told the kids that they didn’t have to move out after Mike, for once, was the bad guy. Offering his approval just to get a hug wasn’t a particularly glorious moment, and they seemed pretty angry about it when he refused to let them go as he delivered the bad news. Kay was perhaps a bit too direct when dealing with her own problem at school, taking down Kourtney, played by Helen Hong, recognizable from her role as Tracy from HR on “Silicon Valley,” by telling her the reasons no one liked her. Fortunately, that didn’t seem to have too many repercussions, at least not any that she wasn’t prepared to deal with in her headstrong way. Mike’s obsession with Kay helping to figure out what kind of bird he is probably most accurately defines this show’s maturity level in addition to highlighting its often questionable irreverence.

Take Three: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 3 “Grandparents” (B-)

I’m not sure that the addition of new characters who also can’t relate to these young geniuses was necessary, but it was helpful because it showed how what they did and continue to do shapes the parenting skills of Mike and Kay. Tony Danza, last seen in regular TV roles on “There’s Johnny” and “The Good Cop,” and Caroline Aaron, known for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” were good choices to play over-the-top grandparents, whose arrival immediately changed the dynamic in the house. Jay bringing frozen meat from Florida in his carry-on luggage was a decent rival for Sylvia’s inability to talk to Kay about anything other than Mike. The lessons ultimately learned about why they do those things – and why Jay didn’t want Mike to play soccer – were worthwhile, and the road there was decently entertaining if not full of heavy laughter. Brian’s inflating vest was pretty hilarious, especially when Mike and Jay went out driving look for him and Mike initially thought that some idiot had left his raft by the side of the road. Nicole experienced quite the makeover after Sylvia got to her, and hearing her talk with a strong accent she didn’t know she possessed was humorous. Marc was so focused on death that no one really got to him, while Leila best internalized her grandparents’ relationship dynamic, agreeing that a beer tastes better when a woman delivers it, a reverse psychology move on Sylvia’s part to get her husband to remain completely dependent on her.

Round Two: Outmatched

Outmatched: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Talk” (B)

I could tell when I watched the pilot of this show that it wasn’t going to be terribly sophisticated, but that’s part of the appeal. It’s rare to find network sitcoms that are actually enjoyable these days, and, when they’re funny enough, they’re harmless and refreshing compared to the most sophisticated concept series that are more plentiful at the moment. I don’t have strong affinity for Jason Biggs but enjoyed his work on “Orange is the New Black,” and I’ve been a big fan of Maggie Lawson’s since “Psych” and have been disappointed that none of her follow-up projects have lasted. The two of them are indeed giving this show their best effort, expressing their inability to cope with three of their children being infinitely more intelligent than them. Of course, the best thing to highlight in this case is the lack of street-smarts and life experience possessed by their little geniuses. Having their children respond by asking them what they wanted to know when they tried to have the sex talk was hilarious, and I love that their scientific descriptions ended up getting into their heads and knocking off their rhythm. Kay’s determination to start breaking bad didn’t last long, and they managed to get their groove back while their two oldest kids panicked about 3-D-printed mouths to practice kissing on and their general social incompetence. I don’t expect to watch this show too long, but for now, it’s not a bad way to spend half an hour.

Pilot Review: Outmatched

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

What I’m Watching: The Gifted

The Gifted: Season 2, Episode 4 “outMatched” (C+)

This will be my last episode of this show. I actually considered turning it off a few times during this hour but figured I may as well watch until the end just in case it actually surprised me. It did not. I thought that our mutant friends might finally reach out to Jace, their one ally who can actually understand them, but instead, it was the Purifiers, whose far more aggressive and violent methods don’t jive with his far gentler personality (including his texts of “pls”). Lines like “How am I supposed to hack without eyes, genius?” did not wow me, and what we saw here was Caitlin going into full-on torture mode to get back to her innocent Andy, who everyone except for her is well aware has decidedly switched sides. Taking out Lauren was a crucial line that he has now crossed, and the only reason he was able to win was classic Dark Side mentality, which is that the person who doesn’t care about the other’s well-being is always going to prevail, at least at first. Proudstar barely flinched after getting riddled with bullets, and he should use that invincibility to the team’s advantage more often. Reed also appears to have waited a bit too long to talk about his powers, which he’s eager to merely suppress rather than try to hone so that he can wield them with purpose. The mystery person they took might change the game, but I’ve lost interest. I wanted more from this show, but it’s time to tune out.