“Perfect Couples” Episode 8, “Perfect Job"

“Perfect Couples” Episode 8, “Perfect Job"

Television Review

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

Well, after a two week break, “Perfect Couples” returns with another mediocre look at the banality of marriage and the problems within. Which will be on the chopping block today? Jealousy? Loyalty? Insecurity?

Why not all three?

“Perfect Job” represents all that has gone so wrong with “Perfect Couples.” Not necessarily that it’s the worst show ever--far from it--but rather that it’s one that doesn’t try to hard to please its audience. The tricks it tried early on, appealing to their viewership’s understanding of sitcoms, has slowly degraded into redundant jokes on a familiar platform. In only a handful of episodes, “Perfect Couples” suffices to repeat itself.

After a fun night out with her new gay friends, Julia comes home to regale Dave with her night of karaoke and dancing. Jealous, Dave wonders why Julia doesn’t invite him and impedes on her good time when her new friends come over to hang out, wowing them with upholstery skills and cinnamon margaritas. Obviously upset, Julia struggles to get her new friends back without hurting Dave’s feelings, yadda yadda yadda, they make up.

On the other side of the script is the recently unemployed Amy, who enlists Lee for help in finding a new job. Lee becomes Amy’s new wife, so to speak, and does the job with the same amount of intensity she brings to Rex, who spends the episode beating Vance at mini-pool.

Yeah, there isn’t much to spoil about this week’s episode. All of our characters are woefully unsure of themselves and their relationships, trying to keep them afloat in a sea of snappy gay men and weird games.

Part of the problem with this week is Olivia Munn, who just can’t seem to come off as anything but a complete caricature. Sure, she’s supposed to be ridiculous, but there’s never going to be an emotional connection with someone so overtly confident and wryly wooden.

Dave and Julia continue to be the only ones with a real bond, but even their plot seems like another version of “Perfect Jealousy” and “Perfect House.” It’s become so boring at this point.

Also not helping are the endless jokes and callbacks to people talking during “The Wire.” Much like the plotting, these jokes feel too safe, and wedged between the rest of NBC’s superb, but highly undervalued, Thursday night lineup, it’s hard to believe that “Perfect Couples” will probably make it another season, while “Community” and “Parks and Recreation” will struggle to find an audience.

Grade: C-