 Two Guys and a Girl (ABC) The retooled show is now more comprehensively a Friends rip-off than before, which is not to say I dislike the show – in fact, for some reason I have seen a good number of episodes of it, though this season it seems even more contrived than it was when it had the damn pizza place. The main reason I watch the show is for the lovely Traylor Howard (the girl from the title), who can't seem to get hooked up with a great show, but who is good enough alone to have compelled me to watch this show and her previous one, the wretched Boston Common. Various Permutations of Guys, Girls, and Locations has traditionally exhibited a pretty good sarcasm quotient, though it has become much more formulaic this season. Now most of the sarcasm is directed by Pete (one of the guys from the title) toward former roommate Berg's (the other guy from the title) new girlfriend Ashley (not in the title), whom he groundlessly characterizes as a witch. The capacity for these characters to act like 10-year-olds can't be underestimated … in this respect the show stands alongside the classic shows of the 50s, which I can't stand. The more I think about this show the worse I consider it. That's sort of unfair, because when I watch it I do not feel any real discontent. But thinking about it later, I realize how pandering the show really is. The season premiere, for example, featured a really agonizing scene in which Pete (guy from title) nervously prattled on about himself to a disinterested fellow passenger on an airplane. Groundbreaking! Then there was the bit where Pete vowed never to fall in love again, of course immediately falling in love moments later … with the woman (just a guest star; NOT in the title) who was driving a car that ran him over! Then there's the whole scenario with Johnny (not one of the two guys from the title) asking Sharon (the girl from the title … I think) to marry him, and instead of giving him a straight answer about being unsure, she just pretends it didn't happen, acting out her denial to more and more egregiously contrived extremes. And don't forget the "charming" bit about Ashley (not the girl from the title) moving in with Berg (one of the guys from the title … I'm not sure which), and emasculating all of his favorite "sloppy bachelor" décor (removing the basketball net from above the fireplace, etc). This is paint-by-numbers sitcom writing if ever I ever seen it ever. On the other hand, it's well-acted enough to make the contrivances bearable. The cast has a huge let's-put-on-a-show energy that prevents the emergence of a more appropriate response (utter disdain, for example). I don't go out of my way to watch this show, but I don't live in fear of it either, as I did The Single Guy and Suddenly Susan. It's a so-so show on its way toward getting a lot worse, but it's easy on the eyes, and besides, I'm heavily medicated half the time anyway, I can watch pretty much anything. Review by God's Messenger © 1999 |
