[7.8/10] There’s a great line from an episode of The Simpsons that goes, “You're still evil, and when you try to be good, you're even more evil!” I feel like this is that idea, applied to The Gang and taken to appropriate, episode length extremes here, and it produces an enjoyable outing for IASIP where, like the best installments of the show, what starts out as a simple idea spirals out into absolute insanity.
Granted, some of the comedy may have been lost on me since I’ve never seen an episode of Extreme Home Makeover and given that we’re nearly a decade out from when this episode original aried, it’s not exactly in the zeitgeist anymore for me to pick up. Still, the premise -- that the gang tries to do good deeds, home makeover style, to get their own good karma -- leads to some nicely absurd ends.
Having Dennis and Frank try their hand at remodeling the (misnamed) Juarez Family’s house is amusing, as it leads to plenty of random detours that tickle the ribs. Seeing Charlie get really energized about Sears, or Dennis wax rhapsodic about the freedom of cutoffs, or the two of them getting withering stares from Retta (from Parks and Rec fame) is full of laughs. And seeing their terrible home improvement skills result in burning rubble and smashed lamps is the natural conclusion of the pair of idiots trying to tackle this kind of project.
Dee and Mac kidnapping and “remaking” the Juarez family was a little less successful, if only because you’re fearing for the Juarezes’ lives the whole time, but bits like Dee thinking she’s great at Spanish and inadvertently translating welcomes as threats is pretty amusing. (And the direction and editing when the gang bursts into their house is really well done by director Fred Savage.) The fact that the family gets Dee’s mansion at the end of it is the perfect karmic payout that both makes the ordeal for the family feel less terrible and puts the perfect capper on the gang’s riff on The Secret.
Last but not least, I like Frank egging the rest of the group on to their terrible decisions, and filming the whole thing. Frank as an agent of chaos isn’t a look we get on him often, but it’s a funny one.
Overall, a very nice episode, filled with the madcap insanity and humor that I appreciate from this show when it’s firing on all cylinders.
I really disliked this episode, one of my least favourites so far. I'm all for the leads getting themselves into stupid situations and digging bigger holes for themselves. But their disregard for conventions of society and laws went too far this episode into where it wasn't realistic at all. It just became frustrating. The break-in scene however is what saves this from a 5 rating. It's so good.
No no no. I’m cringing so hard!
What would Ty Pennington do?
This might be genius.
Shout by kinkyVIP EP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2018-07-08T17:18:46Z
The scene where the gang bursts into the "Juarez" family's House has got to be one of the most hilarious and disturbing scenes this show has ever given us. I couldn't stop laughing and yet I was horrified at the same time. These guys can make "hilarious" and "disturbing" go so well (a little too well) together, just like peanut butter and jelly.
Also, ten years later and Trump would have got a kick out of this episode, for sure (except for the ending, of course).