In Bored to Death‘s first episode, we were introduced to three men in different stages of adult hood, struggling with their identities in a number of different ways. ‘The Alanon Case’ isn’t as funny or smooth as the first half hour, but the overarching philosophy behind the events and attitudes of the main characters make for an entertaining half-hour.
Like the title tag suggests, this episode deals with the three main characters (and a few minor ones) and their perceptions of their lives and situations, and how the perception of the rest of the world alters. George explains it the best during a conversation with Jonathon, where he compares everyone’s perception of life to starring in your own movie. It’s an interesting point of view, and once which the episode spends most of its time exploring.
For Jonathan, this is two fold: his professional appearance to his customers, and more importantly, his perception of his own pot-smoking, white wine drinking life. He’s still coming to terms (pretty pathetically) to life without Suzanne, and when he realizes she is going to Alanon meetings in support of him, he just doesn’t understand why. To him, he justifies his attraction to drinking by only drinking white wine, which has “a low alcohol content”, and still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that his personal vices – which to him aren’t vices – can be major problems in other people’s eyes, especially with those who love him.
Professionally, he’s trying to develop a suave persona, which isn’t really holding up under pressure. Ray reminds him how illegal it is to be a private detective, but again, Jonathan is a man who wants to be left to his own devices – and like his drug ‘issues’ (which to this point, is debatable whether its an issue), thinks he has it all under control because he’s been reading a ton of detective books, and runs away from everybody.
Perception plays an important part in this episode’s case, which features a slightly-buttoned down pre-Bridesmaids Kristen Wiig as Jennifer, a woman with a jealous, insecure streak, curious about her boyfriend Greg’s activity. And of course, what appears to be signs towards adultery to her (and in part, to Jonathan) lead Jonathan to a thoughtless act near the end, when he interrupts Suzanne having coffee in a diner with Gary after they attended an Alanon meeting together. As always (something we’ll come to expect) Jonathon makes a mess of things, and ends up inciting a fight between himself and Gary.
George of course, has the funniest side plot of the episode, preparing to give a big public speech while dealing with an ugly, ugly outbreak of herpes on his face. Of course, this is going to lead to gossip around town, and George’s solution is to have Jonathon punch him in the face. Not only does this lead to some really funny physical comedy by Jonathan with his arm raised in fighting position, and George putting cleaning gloves over Jonathon’s hands (so he doesn’t get herpes on his fist). This scene really serves two purposes: it gives Jonathon Ames a reason to write a little fight scene (like I said last week, he’s a big boxing fan, something we’ll continue to see through the season), and it shows George’s own insecurities about his own perception in the eyes of the public.
Finally, there’s Ray, who is given the short end of the stick in this episode. He’s trying to change his perception as a dirty man with unhealthy habits by going to a colonic demanded by his wife. While we still haven’t seen much of his wife, we’ve heard a lot of Ray talking about his plan to reacquaint himself with his wife’s private parts, and the “changes” he needs to make (but really is just going to hide his bad tendencies) in order to get laid. Plus, the whole confusion of Ray and Jonathon being a gay couple from the colonic doctor, another funny little side commentary about the powers of perception.
Overall, a solid little episode, if the conclusion is a bit underwhelming. Less funny lines, but a solid little exploration of the powers of perception, and the troubles it can get people into.
Grade: B-
Couple other thoughts:
– Ray’s funniest line of the episode: “I have a real phobia about my ass.” It was followed by the episode’s greatest visual later, showing Ray working on his comic book, his superhero character being held in a vulnerable position, with a threatening looking enemy holding a drill clearly meant for his anus. Hilarious.
– Jonathan’s attitude about his failures with Suzanne are a little heavier in this episode, and it can borderline on pathetic at times.
– last week it was Nareese Campbell living downstairs; this week, Brother Mouzone is giving colonics!!!
– “It’s like I’m being surrounded by Holocaust deniers. It happened people!” Kristen Wiig didn’t have a lot of comedic lines in her few scenes, but that one was a little gem.
What did you think of ‘The Alanon Case’? Better than ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, or weaker? Leave your comments below, and stop by next week for ‘The Case of the Missing Screenplay.’