16x03 The Gang Gets Cursed

[7.5/10] In general, I’m a fan of new blood for long-running television shows. It helps keep things fresh, and it’s vital to avoid a series becoming sclerotic. Megan Ganz in particular has been a great addition to the IASIP team. But after two episodes from newer writers, I have to admit that with an episode credited to David Hornsby, this one feels more in the spirit of the IASIP we’re used to, which is welcome.

The various “curses” the gang is dealing with, and the very concept of curses, is a lot of fun. I think my favorite of them is Frank’s seagull-related misfortunes, not because the setup is particularly clever, but because the results are so amusing. It’s hard to explain, but Charlie going to visit his mom to get old sailor remedies for curses, and landing on the bizarre and obscene before landing on “give the bird a proper burial” is a big laugh. Something about the character dynamic between Charlie and his family, and his growing exasperation with everyone was a treat.

Dee and Dennis’ curses were enjoyable too. It’s nice to see Rhea Pearlman finally join her partner on the series as Dee’s kindly but understandably perturbed neighbor. The brownie/trophy exchange was a laugh, as was Charlie’s “spit over your shoulder when you see a black cat” advice coming back to bite Dee. I also got a kick out of the sense that Dennis might be haunted by Maureen Ponderosa for not burying her in a pet cemetery. I assumed the punchline of his inability to remember words was going to be “cat’s got your tongue”, but I like that they didn’t make it explicit.

There was also great humor in Mac believing that curses and superstitions were anti-God, but also believing everything good happened because he has a monkey’s paw. Him using Cricket to further stalk Chase Utley, and his silly voice and manner of speech when talking to the guy, were a comic highlight. And I enjoyed Cricket’s shtick and role in this whole thing too.

The payoff is especially good. The reveal that these “curses’ are just the natural result of them bizarrely having molding and desiccated animals in the bar and nt cleaning them up out of laziness is the right kind of “makes no sense” but “makes complete sense for these idiots” explanation for The Gang. The tie into Chase Utley and how baseball players are famously superstitious and ritual-bound themselves is a nice touch. And the fact that Cricket doesn’t get an explanation, “sometimes life is just like that” with the implication being that his misfortune is being even tangentially attached to these idiots, is a good coda.

Overall, the best of the season so far, and one that felt like a welcome return to the rhythms and style that sustained the series for so long.