Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place Season 1, Episode 13 – “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord”
Written by Vince Calandra
Directed by John Fortenberry
Aired July 22, 1998 on ABC
After airing its first eleven episodes over consecutive weeks from March to May, the final two episodes of Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place wouldn’t air until the middle of July 1998. This move was typically a death knell for most television shows, as random mid-summer time slots would all but ensure a precipitous drop in viewership – which it certainly did for the young comedy, with the season finale, “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord”, drawing the smallest audience of any episode in the first three seasons (season four, buried in a Friday death slot by ABC, almost doesn’t count). Which is a shame; “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” is the culmination of the show’s season-long search for identity, 22 minutes of self-assured comedy not only grounded in its present, but smartly looking towards the future, reflecting on the season that was and putting on full display the abundance of potential lying ahead in season two.
“Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” initially seems like another ‘wacky’ episode of comedy, in the vein of “Two Guys, a Girl and a Celtic Game”, when Pete decides it’s time to rebel against their strict building landlord, after they have his brand-new custom TV satellite removed from the roof. Like many episodes of season one, “Landlord” begins as a pure ego play for Berg and Peter, whose dick-waving contest with their invisible landlord Edward J. Hagerty quickly escalates into the pair gluing down door mats in front of everyone’s apartment, and Hagerty (quite illegally) having the power and electric turned off through the entire building, while removing all of Berg and Pete’s windows.
The invisible Hagerty is a perfect foil for the episode’s first two acts; his off-screen presence is felt anytime Berg and Peter try to supersede his influence. Berg and Pete’s lack of maturity has defined much of season one, through their romantic and professional pursuits – or here, where Pete’s willing to run wiring down multiple floors through their front door, all to watch Russian language broadcasts of Boston Bruins games. Smartly, “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” inverts its own formula in this way; rather than the behavior of the pair dictating the world around them, “Landlord” forces them, perhaps for the first time in their lives, to contend with the prospect of failure and acceptance.
As Berg and Pete scramble to get their revenge (all while Sharon pleads with them to stop their nonsense), “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” holds its cards back until the final act, continuing to twist the screws into them until they decide they have to go see this Hagerty face-to-face. That shift into the third act, where the trio confront Mr. Hagerty, is a perfect climactic scene that elevates what feels like a pretty standard episode into something more fitting for a true season finale – in what is not only the best scene of the season, but the most promising sign yet the fledgling comedy has found an identity, and is ready to hit the ground running in its sophomore effort.
After Hagerty’s machinations lead to the death of Berg’s semi-trained fish, Berg, Peter and Sharon finally find their way to Mr. Hagerty (played by the late, great Harve Presnell, in the season’s most inspired bit of guest casting), where it is revealed he not only knows who’s been trying to fuck with him – but knows a lot more about our protagonists than our protagonists ever could’ve known. He then proceeds to break down each character’s well-established flaws, from Berg treating life like a bit (“ten girlfriends in six months?”, he judgingly asks him) to Sharon’s willingness to let her life become a complete contradiction of their values.
As a man of order, Mr. Hagerty points out how all three have ignored a very important point in their journeys of self-discovery; the world does not bend to their will, and at some point, they’re going to have to play by the rules of life a bit if they want to be happy (and still have windows). Though that means something different for each of our three characters, it answers a fascinating metatextual question underlying much of this season – that is, where do they go from here?
At different points in this season, we’ve seen Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place treat narrative identities like Berg treats career paths; the show’s dipped its toes into romantic comedy, workplace sitcom, coming of age dramedy – and like this episode’s hilarious noir-like internal monologues during their drive to Hagerty’s home, into homage and satire of entire other genres. Some of these identities clearly haven’t worked consistently – from Berg’s medical experiments to Mr. Bauer’s general presence – but Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place‘s willingness to experiment has brought some of its more stereotypical, cliched bits to life, and it’s clear this final episode is a reflection not only on its story to date, but also its creative choices, and where it would plan to head in season two.
Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place‘s first season then ends quietly; as Berg, Pete and Sharon finally heed Bill’s repeated requests to shovel snow from the sidewalk, the three are left to reflect on the paths they’ve chosen for themselves. As does the series; it’s very telling the final pre-credits shot of season one is Mr. Bauer and Bill sharing a moment at the shop’s door, a tender bit of humor between the two that not only closes the season, but closes their arcs as characters on the show. As season two would move away from stories in the pizza place (and in season three, abandon it altogether) and move its cinematic references directly into the text of its plots, it’s no surprise it is the end of the road for these two characters, but what is unexpected is the compelling, reflective nature of the entire third act, and how that final moment neatly ties off season one, and sets up for the show’s return with some heightened expectations.
Through fits and starts, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place has done well to distinguish itself from the many faceless, laughless contemporaries of its era; though it clearly still has some refining to do for its formula to work across an entire, full network season, the last three episodes are an incredibly encouraging sign the series is on its way to Figuring It Out. “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” might not be the most exciting, dramatic season finale (certainly for this series, it isn’t) but as a cognizant reflection point of where it wants to go as a series, it’s an incredibly fitting, poignant conclusion to its freshman effort.
Grade: B+
Other thoughts/observations:
- Though American Dad‘s Klaus is probably TV’s best known fish, he was not the first to bear that name. That honor belongs to Berg’s dearly departed trainee. Rest in peace, my friend – as Hagerty notes, it’s always the innocent ones who get caught in the crossfire.
- After installing the satellite, Pete is ready to give up the outside world: “Just flip me over every two days… Give my TV LIFE!!!!”
- Mr. Bauer squeezes in references to The Shining, the 1993 film Alive, and Apocalypse Now. Nothing like going out on a high note! Mr. Bauer’s memory will live on in the show’s many homages to genre throughout the next three seasons, thankfully.
- Pete, admonished at the building’s new rules: “Next thing you know, we won’t be able to pee in the shower!”
- Sharon reveals there was once a “stuttery mime” living in one of the other apartments.
- Melissa also makes a final appearance, bringing Pete a replacement for Klaus.
- Over the closing credits, “Two Guys, a Girl and a Landlord” revisits the internal monologues of the car ride to Hagerty’s, revealing that Berg’s only thoughts the whole time were nursery rhymes.
- I can’t get over how perfect the casting for Hagerty was. Presnell is wonderful in everything, but my favorite role of his will always be as Mr. Parker on the oft-forgotten The Pretender series.
- And that’s a wrap on season one! Stay tuned for the official Season 1 episode ranking to come on Friday, and season two coverage will begin later in 2024. Thanks for reading!