It was another odd one this week with first and last scenes that are so exaggerated that it makes the normalcy of the characters all the more obvious. Abbi, Illana, Jamie, Bevers and, to a lesser extent (as he makes sure to point out), Lincoln, are all a little weird. However, they’ve found a home amongst friends who could all be labeled eccentric. So, putting them into a “fancy party” situation is always going to result in some big laughs. However, the most peculiar moment didn’t come from Jamie’s American Flag striped contacts or Illana, Abbi and Bevers sneaking around the shop to steal free booze, it was the touch of maturity we were allowed to see in both Abbi and Illana by the episodes end.
Granted, it isn’t much, but it wouldn’t be Broad City if our two leads were suddenly reformed adults who could put their more reckless instincts behind them. However (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia aside), it wouldn’t make for very interesting television if there was no change in character what so ever. So, the show meets us in the middle and gives us a nearly insignificant hint at how these two characters are shifting their perspectives a bit while in turn also allowing them to freak out about it. When you realize what moments I’m talking about, they may seem damn near insignificant. The first is Illana realizing that she may be in what people call a “relationship” with Lincoln because she has spent the last few days without him without hooking up. She then goes on to freak out and slap Abbi when her friend suggests that she and Lincoln are BFF’s and not Illana and Abbi. It’s a small note of panic but one that resonates with those whispers of insecurities we all have about friends moving on without us or, maybe even worse, friends being okay with you moving on too. All of this is delivered of course in a very melodramatic way by Illana who thinks she can solve the problem and just become sex friends with Lincoln again.
Abbi’s moment comes a bit more of a shocker to this viewer. Maybe it was supposed to be played for laughs; maybe we were supposed to take it as drunken absurdity since it’s related to Bevers. However, Abbi’s confession of how she’d like to be loved in an unconditional type of way is honest, a little vulnerable but still doesn’t change the shows status quo by allowing the punchline to be Lincoln and Illana emerging from the bathroom after having sex. It’s a small moment, maybe even inconsequential, but it was a nice touch. I love this show because it always delivers on the relentless laughs, but if it tries to be a little more every once and a while, like season one’s finale, I certainly don’t mind.
Otherwise the episode went as well as most do with Illana and Abbi and whoever joins them for the particular outing inserting their brand of humor into social situations. Jamie is becoming a U.S. citizen the following day, so the group is celebrating by crashing a yacht party. Bevers, Abbi and Illana get stuck in a liquor cabinet while Lincoln and Jamie hilariously mingle with the other party goers. While stuck in the closet Bevers tells Abbie and Illana that he plans on proposing to his girlfriend and the two, as I mentioned, have differing points of view, almost to the point where the two of them argue a bit over it.
I’m not a Bevers supporter and considering we could always spend a little more time with Lincoln, I wouldn’t mind sacrificing the formers screentime but for the most part, due to the setting, we’re saved from purely gross out jokes on his part. He’s also infinitely funnier to watch when it’s both Illana and Abbi reacting to him and making fun of his behavior than Abbi simply being exasperated by everything he does.
It was a fun episode and, if there’s one nod to continuity that I love about this show, it’s Abbi owning one “fancy” going out dress. It’s relatable in a way that goes under noticed unless you’re a woman in your mid-twenties and have a similar “going out” dress.
I don’t know if Bevers saying that Abbi is transitioning into a man playing as a punchline played well, and would like it to not be played as a joke at all, but hopefully the intent was to joke about Bevers getting out of the situation and Abbi cleaning it up rather than the joke itself. Oh well, it could have been avoided.
Otherwise, I dug it. Another strong episode in a strong season so far.
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8/10
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