You know, I like when a show takes its premise and flips it around for an episode. And oddly enough, this is possibly my favorite episode of the series, and yet it’s not the funniest. It’s one of those tearjerkers a comedy tries to implement so we, the viewers, actually start to invest more in these characters. And what’s funny is that Will is one of the central characters I like the most, but it wasn’t until this episode that I began to completely sympathize with him.
From early on, I found it peculiar that the show would have Will Freeman get into this very serious relationship with who he considers the perfect girl. And it just felt like it could end really badly, and even though they went the obvious route, it hit harder considering how these two characters interacted. I was really heartbroken for Will, and couldn’t really care much for Marcus.
Marcus’s whole story just felt like it was manipulated for comedic purposes. Case in point, the scene with the Craigslist ad just felt slightly overdone and also just a whole “pity the child’s good intentions” kind of deal. Even though it was treading familiar waters, however, I got a good laugh out of it.
The writers seem to know where they want the show to go. And that’s evident with how certain actions and character arcs smooth themselves together. The only problem I could find with this episode is how apparent puberty has been hitting Benjamin Stockham. In the first episode it was fine, but as the show keeps demonstrating the dynamic between Marcus and his mother, it just doesn’t seem to fit anymore for a kid who’s playing a tween. Other characters also feel redundant with their short scenes, but David Walton seems to carry it on his shoulders, so I wasn’t 100% fazed by it.
This episode has its faults, but it’s not like the rest that I’ve seen because of that tearjerker of an ending, which was executed perfectly, and leaves the character open for further emotional conflict. It’s probably the best I’ve seen so far from the show, and I hope it progresses more in the future.
8/10
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