The way I see things, every television season comes with at least one new comedy that fills that “perfectly average sitcom” spot (last year’s was Accidentally on Purpose). I’d be surprised if anybody truly sees Better with You as on a similarly weak level as $#*! My Dad Says or Outsourced, but it still also isn’t as effective as other more impressive comedies, and it’s outclassed by the ABC sitcoms that air on the same evening as it (particularly Cougar Town and Modern Family). What it provides is reasonably average comedy which, whilst usually funny, is never overwhelmingly so. With that said, I can’t deny that Better with You makes for very comfortable TV viewing and it really has improved, especially over the last few episodes.
There are parts of the show that work, and others that don’t. Just when looking at the characters, there are some that I like and some that I don’t. I’m quite indifferent about Joel (Kurt Fuller) and Vicky (Debra Jo Rupp) and I must say that I find many of their jokes very predictable. Much of the time, Casey (Jake Lacy) is just plain irritating although I’d admit that he does have occasional great moments. However, I enjoy watching Jennifer Finnigan play Maddie, and above all I really love the warmth and likeability of Mia (Joanna Garcia) and Ben (Josh Cooke).
The storyline this week allowed for the majority of scenes to be shared between Ben and Mia, and, as I find them the funniest of the cast, I found this to be an amusing episode. Early on, Ben ruins a pair of Mia’s jeans by wearing them (as he accidentally mistook them for his own), and from there onwards the episode is all about Mia coming to terms with the fact that she’s reached the stage of pregnancy where she can no longer wear skinny jeans. It’s a sweet plot line, even if it is perhaps a bit of a stretch for it to carry an episode. Maddie and Casey are left with very little to do this time round though, and the subplot about how much Maddie loves receiving mail (and that Casey doesn’t) was more than a little ridiculous. Still, Vicky and Joel get a good little story for the episode, with a “Fantasy Husband League” and Joel’s cringeworthy attempts to not be in last place in it.
I think that the previous two episodes were the best of the first season so far, and although this one wasn’t as strong, it made me laugh (always a good sign for a comedy) and it was charming and heartwarming too. Even though I made the comparison to Accidentally on Purpose before, I do feel that overall this is a much more reliable sitcom than that ever was, and its chances for a second season are certainly a lot better than the failed CBS show’s ever were. There’s always a place for television that doesn’t take too much thought and is light, optimistic and fun. At this point, Better with You is doing a great job of keeping me entertained, and I wouldn’t demand anything more from it.
