Review: 2 Broke Girls ‘And The Hold-Up’ – We’re Two Selfish Women

I certainly wasn’t expecting a show like 2 Broke Girls to make any improvements in its second season – but through the first three episodes, the show’s not only refused to grow: it’s arguably gotten worse, to the point where even hate-watching it becomes a frustrating affair. Getting past the stupid plots is easy enough, but getting past the massive character flaws – and the writer’s intentional ignorance to any of these – is something entirely different, problems that  are front and center on ‘And The Hold-Up’.

The episode is structured around two events: a robbery at the diner the girls work at, and their subsequent adventure to sneak into a movie theater. During the robbery, Caroline uses Max as a meat shield and then proceeds to urinate herself. Not only does she draw lots of snarky ire from Max, but everyone from Sophie to Han (who stops the robbery with a handgun he keeps in his ‘manny-pack’) takes it as an opportunity to make poorly-written piss jokes at her (an example: “Hey, is the movie you’re going to see rated PP-13?”). Now, if the writers were interested in making Caroline anything than a Paris Hilton knock-off, they’d take it as an opportunity to show her strength of character, her willingness to accept her own flaws in times of crises, especially when its revealed later that everyone pretty much acts selfish in times of crisis (the rare moment something a character on the show makes sense saying).

But of course, any notions of these themes are buried underneath multiple cum jokes and a dozen jokes about Han’s supposed age. More frustrating though, is how little Caroline manages to glean from the experience. Her problems with Max are fizzled away in a painfully contrived scene of Caroline convincing herself, Max, and the audience why they are friends, in a Big Speech that felt pulled out of the second episode of the first season (I’m too lazy to go back and check, I won’t lie). It’s unfortunate their relationship will never evolve: if Caroline is strong enough to fight off the bad family image and life situation she’s got, why would a little pee down her leg bother her so fucking much?

Maybe Max’s constant bitterness and negativity that brings me down on the show: there are occasional moments where Caroline accidentally stumbles onto a bit of intelligent thinking, just to be stomped out by a buttload of Max’s brand of deprecating humor that she spreads from hatred of herself, to everyone around her. There was a real conflict between Max and Caroline in the episode, one that’s brushed off at the end of the episode by a self-pleasuring reminder of why these girls even hang out with each other in the first place (because most of the time, it doesn’t really make any sense).

2 Broke Girls could take a massive step forward, even for one episode, if it was willing to step out of its repetitive formula and challenge the status quo of its characters a little bit. But even a traumatic life moment – the easiest thing to make compelling material out of – is wasted on this show, mushed within a sub-plot about sneaking into a movie theater that really just isn’t funny (although it oddly tries to humanize Han, if only for a half second). There have been more painful and unfunny episodes of 2BG, but there haven’t been a lot with this much wasted potential. But who am I kidding: the people involved with this show don’t give a shit, so let’s just be happy hardworking crew members can keep getting a salary.

Grade: D

Other thoughts/observations:

– opening scene formula: hipsters sit at bar, Max makes jokes. Caroline says something, one joke-ish line with topical references from the rest of the cast, roll credits. Are they even trying anymore?

– my girlfriend (who doesn’t have to suffer through the show on a weekly basis like me) asked me where the show was supposed to take place. That’s not a good sign.

– why is every secretary or cashier super gay with a flamboyant name and an eyebrow-raising attitude? Is this realistic?

– of course the black guy’s been on both sides of robberies… he’s a black guy, and he’s been in jail, and likes to make sexual comments to grossly-dressed white women. The racism… it’s burning my retinas!

– one thing I agree with: Katherine Hiegel movies should be considered violence against women.

– the show’s humor summed up in one quote from Max: “hehe… fart cushions are funny.”

– black people like to yell in movie theaters… HAHAHA what an original take on race. It’s really fucking insulting how low this show’s humor goes sometimes (most of the time).

What did you think of ‘And The Hold-Up?’ Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments below!