Review: Ben and Kate ‘Emergency Kit’ – I Own Here

There’s a bit of a void these days between the highs and lows of comedies on TV today. There’s no denying we’re in a bit of a golden age for comedic television, but at the same time, we’re also seeing some new lows being reached by the many, many terrible shows cluttering up the network landscape. And that’s what makes Ben and Kate so refreshing to watch: it doesn’t rely on a high concept to manufacture humor (or gain critical respect), and it also doesn’t pander to the lowest common denominator of American audiences, something way too many sitcoms are willing to do for ratings. Most importantly, it has characters that are fun to hang out with, and its heart in the right place, something we see in spades in ‘Emergency Kit’.

At times, ‘Kit’ does feel like an episode that might be aired out of order (I don’t know if it was or not) – it really just re-establishes how well Kate’s adjusted in five years of being a mother, and the ongoing struggle for Ben’s maturity – this week in the form of Louise, a slightly unhinged ex-girlfriend. BJ’s in the background being weird, and Tommy is doing stuff for both Ben and Kate, because he wants to be accepted by both of them (Ben in a normal masculine affection-type way of being a ‘hero’, and of course, some underhanded romance when Kate suggests he be a ‘super hero’). But the show takes these broad storylines and lets them breathe with fun, natural interactions between the characters – although at times, some of what BJ says just feels random for the sake of randomness. In fact, most of the Buddy/BJ material felt scattershot (she brings screws into restaurants to get them reported?) but Lucy Punch is fantastic at giving her some depth beyond her words with her eyes and actions. But it was left open-ended, and the script suggests that their relationship will return in the future.

With the two side plots not really developing into much, the strongest parts of the episode came in the cat and mouse game between Ben and Kate, centered around her effectiveness at being prepared for any situation with Maddie. Unfortunately, his immaturity (shown to us in physical form this week by the appearance of Louise) gets in the way of him seeing the true motivations for Kate’s instincts (as she reminds him, “that’s my heart walking around out there”) for most of the episode. Since the pilot, the show’s backed away slightly from Ben being a catalyst for Kate (instead making it the other way around), and while that’s not quite the case here, her speech to Maddie at the end about being comfortable because you’re surrounded by family was both a reminder to Ben, and a pat on the back to him for being home and part of the family. Kate might be prepared and a strong woman, but she couldn’t do it without the great people around her, just like Ben and BJ wouldn’t be able to take a step forward in their own personal maturity without Kate to catch them along the way.

Grade: B+

– the audience for Ben and Kate is already down almost 50% from the premiere, but signs are good (so far) with FOX ordering three more scripts for the season. Let’s hope the show finds its footing soon, I’d hate to see it thrown into the time-slot blender and be snuffed out.

– a little too much Tommy Face in this episode – a little bit of deadpan goes a long way, and Echo Kellum is still finding that balance. He does make a good foil, though: “So if I did it for myself… I’d be like a hero!”

– Tommy: “I noticed that me climbing through a window at night is a one way ticket to a vigil that turns into a riot.”

– “That would be a bad combination, like orange juice and peppermints.”

– What the hell is Ben’s Pig Latin pronunciation of Louise? His insistence on the spelling was hilarious.

What did you think of ‘Emergency Kit’? Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments below!