S1E10: Okay, so I’ve been staring at a blank document on my computer screen for about 20 minutes, and I don’t even know where to begin with this recap of $#*! My Dad Says. Mainly, because I feel like I write the same things every week and I don’t want to do that again. “The writing is bad. The acting is worse. Combined, it is a terrible show.” So, yeah. There we have it. I almost don’t want to write anything more because I feel like SMDS should produce something of quality to earn the honor of being recapped. Honestly, I don’t feel like the show did anything this week to merit my critiques.
But, alas, I must press forward. So, let’s talk about what happened.
In a classic sitcom plot, Ed and his neighbor Mr. Campbell don’t get along. So, Henry tries to solve their long-standing feud and through that, ends up finding out that Mr. Campbell stole his bike 15 years ago. This prompts Henry to suddenly dislike Campbell, and so, Henry sneaks over to steal his bike back. Unfortunately, Campbell catches him and it startles him so much that he has a mild heart attack. Henry grabs Ed who proceeds to give Campbell CPR and saves his life. Afterwards, Campbell gives Henry his bike back, and Ed and Campbell decide that they want things to be the way they used to be, and they stop fighting.
Regarding this A-plot, I don’t really have much to say other than that it wasn’t that good. SMDS is getting finally figuring out how to make coherent story lines, so I guess they should be credited for that, but there was absolutely no originality in it. I mean, they made a few jokes, pushed through the story, made a couple more jokes, and that was it. And the jokes weren’t funny, and the story wasn’t compelling, and the characters weren’t interesting. Basically, I’m crediting the show for a coherent plot line. I’ll repeat that one more time: SMDS is getting credit for the audience simply understanding what’s going on. I think that’s fairly telling about the quality of this show.
Meanwhile, in the B-plot, Vince and Bonnie are trying to have a kid, but sadly are having difficulty conceiving. So, they decide to get a new dog (since they gave their old one to Ed). Someone comes to their house to check if their place was suitable for a dog to live (which, by the way, I had no idea people did that). But, the adoption-lady quickly learns that Bonnie is looking to get a new dog simply to try to fill the void she’s feeling about their lack of success with conception.
I should note that this is the first time, that I can remember, that the show actually got serious. Not super-serious, but when Vince and Bonnie had a moment together where there was some real substance to the script. But even though both actors played that moment fairly well, I didn’t think it worked at all. And here’s why: you can’t just toss in serious themes without earning them. Is it sad that Vince and Bonnie are struggling to conceive? Of course it is. But does that mean I care about it? Of course not. Throughout the season, the writers haven’t given the audience any type of substance beyond your standard sitcom story lines and jokes. But then, out of nowhere, they expect us to suddenly care what happens to these characters? No way. I could give a damn about the two leads, Henry and Ed. How could I be expected to care about Vince and Bonnie?
Because it definitely is possible to make us feel during comedic shows. Look at The Office, or Friends, or even The Big Bang Theory (before season 4). They aren’t just half hour reels of one liners. No, even though they’re funny shows with lots of jokes, the writers do their best to develop each character in the show. And so, when a serious moment presents itself (like say, Jim and Pam’s wedding), we actually care about what’s happening because we’re invested. I realize that SMDS is only in its first season, so they’re still trying to convince the audience that they should care about the characters, but they’re doing it in such a poor way that I find it hard to believe I’ll ever care about Henry or Ed or Vince or Bonnie.
And so, that’s it. Next week’s episode is called “Family Dinner for Schmucks,” so I’m assuming it will be their Christmas episode and will be very, very lame.
