12x06 Hero or Hate Crime?

[8.1/10] I gotta admit, I started out kind of cold on this one. But the episode gained momentum as it kept going, until I was loving it by the end. The way that the show sets up a Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad-esque knot of causes and effects, that The Gang tries to untie through a series of beleaguered arbitrators to determine who owns a scratch-off ticket, falls squarely into the half down-to-earth, half utterly insane setup that IASIP does so well.

I’ll admit, the stuff about Dee smoking, Dennis grooming a young cashier, and Charlie intentionally stepping in dog poo to remove his cigarette smell didn’t do much for me. But by the time The Gang was debating the ethics of using a slur to get someone’s attention in a life-or-death situation, and exploring Mac jumping in and out of the closet, it got into that transgressive-but-clever territory that is the show’s bread and butter. Between the absurd debates, Mac’s ridiculous exercise bike contraption, and the understandable skepticism of the attorneys having to deal with this insanity, this one found another gear mid-way through the episode, and became delightful.

Plus, hey, the show actually grappled with Mac being gay! I’d grown tired of all the Smithers-esque jokes about his sexuality, and using the $10,000 dollars as a means to both persuade Mac to take the leap, realize he kind of likes it, and note how it doesn't change anything (including their disdain for him) for The Gang is a nicely effective way to finally close out this kind of awkward running joke on the show. There’s even a hint of sweetness to it, in a show that doesn't go for sweetness very often, and still buries it in disdain and insults.

Overall, a landmark episode for the show that stumbles a bit out of the gate, but soon finds its footing and never loses pace afterward.