Bleep My Dad Says took a downturn with the second episode of the series. The laughs didn’t come anywhere near as heartily as they did in the pilot last week. The promise of a good episode was in the air, but it never really delivered and instead took a nosedive.
We enter with Henry having been at Ed’s place for an entire week. And he’s craving internet access so he can look for work and be socially aware of what’s going on outside his father’s presence. Natural conflict develops, of course, with Ed refusing Henry’s requests to have on-line access installed in the house. The newspaper and the encyclopedia, Ed booms, should be good enough.
Meanwhile, Henry’s brother Vince and sister-in-law Bonnie are having their own problems. Bonnie’s got a rash on her chest and — with Ed having been a former doctor in the service and at her request — she uncomfortably submits to his examination. Turns out she’s got some sort of fungus that microscopically looks like spaghetti and meatballs Ed explains, which completely freaks out Vince. A dopey bedroom scene a bit later falls flat — Vince isn’t coming anywhere near Bonnie while she’s sporting the rash.
You can see where the writers may have backed themselves into a corner with these plot lines. Things seemed a bit strained … they didn’t gel well. There were barely any quotable quotes in the episode, let alone much “bleep” being offered by Ed. The true lone chuckle coming with his explanation of why internet would not be tolerated:
“Any new technology leads to my kids masturbating.”
It was an easy and predictable wrap up on the downhill side of the program: Bonnie practically forces spaghetti and meatballs on Vince at dinner, effectively ridding him of his rash phobia. Later, Ed and Henry are yucking it up rather buddy-buddily, father and son gleefully instant messaging each other on individual laptops.
What did you think of the difference the show took from last week’s pilot to this week’s sophomore effort? Do you have a different opinion all together?
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Oct 01, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I thought the second show was better! I laughed out loud often. This show will obviously build momentum…
I thought the line, “I’ve never gotten to kiss an Asian girl” was so funny, especially when she explained it away with “that’s something you just say…”
The son landing on something soft – the brother was laugh out loud funny!
I just don’t agree with you! Lighten up!
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
It’s not a matter of lightening up, Mary … it just wasn’t there for me this episode.
I always find it interesting when different people find different things funny or amusing. That’s what makes the world go round.
The whole ‘spaghetti and meatball’ routine, for example, may have been hilarious to others, but it wasn’t to me. Not in the least.
And: This episode was funnier to you than the pilot? I just didn’t see it.
But I agree with you: As it goes along, it will build momentum …
I really hoped this show would do good. But, it seems like they are just trying to cram as many jokes in to 24 min as possible. and the whole fungus she had on her breasts – tinea – if you put cortisone on a fungus it multiplies! One of the writers could have at least done 30 seconds of research to find that a topical antifungal was the treatment for tinea not a steroid.