14x04 The Gang Chokes

[6.8/10] Another one that has some good ideas, but feels like it’s lacking that certain IASIP oomph. The inciting incident of Frank choking (literally) and the rest of The Gang choking (figuratively, in that they freeze up rather than save him) is a good one. But what spills out from that incident is a little overwhelming.

For one thing, while it’s nice to see The Waiter back, and getting a bigger role, it doesn't really amount to much. There’s some fun gags with Frank trying to move in with him, particularly Frank’s fascination with eating “Blue” and his repeated breaking into The Waiter’s house. But while the idea of Frank trying to make The Waiter the new Charlie, only to realize he misses the old Charlie thanks to how The Waiter treats his mom, comes off better in conception than execution. The storytelling is just a bit flat and the dynamic between Frank and The Waiter isn’t as great as I might have hoped.

Dee’s one-woman death cult has its moments, but is overall kind of silly and makes it feel like the show didn’t really know what to do with her in this episode. There’s some laughs to be had, but it’s pretty thin. That said, her awkward interactions with Charlie are solid.

And the other big story, with Dennis being tired of Mac being a supplicating sycophant and Mac responding by doing Munchaussen by proxy, has the story of dark weirdness that this show does well with. Mac’s obsequiousness matched with Dennis’s angry, delicate, superciliousness makes for some good humor. But it too doesn't really go anywhere. Though the button with Mac refusing to use the epipen on Dee is solid.

Overall, this one is still perfectly fine, but it feels like it’s one or two drafts away from really cooking like the best IASIP episodes do.