This season also has story elements that are carried
through more than one episode. For example, in the first episode we see Boyce
preparing for his podcast, something that then comes into play in later
episodes. And there is the running joke of Boyce’s father claiming to be a
funny man, which always gets a laugh from me. In fact, that line is the first
big laugh of the season. In the first episode, Barton (John Beasley) says: “It
was a joke. I’m a funny man.” And he says it with such a great serious
intensity. (I basically love it whenever John Beasley is on screen.)
That first episode has a few lame jokes (the “upside
down light bulb”), but it has some wonderful lines as well (Lolli’s “You
are going to the doctor, so I made a list of everything that’s wrong with you”
is a perfect example). There are good lines in each of the episodes. For
example, check out this line from “Daddy And Mommy Dearest”: “Boyce, I know
it looks like me and Robin got it made, with the RV and the Asian kid.” And
from that same episode: “You know, if you drain the baptismal pool and flush
the upstairs toilet at the same time, not even Jesus would walk on that water.”
One of my favorite episodes is “My Brother’s Keeper.”
Lyric, Boyce’s daughter, is away at boarding school, and Boyce and Lolli are
happy to have the place to themselves. (There’s a cute moment regarding spare
change early in the episode.) They have peace for about two minutes, and then
Stamps moves in, after Barton kicks him out. Barton tells Boyce: “The good
book says you are your brother’s keeper. Stamps is your brother. You’re keeping
him.” This is a particularly funny episode. All four of the cast members
shine in this one.
My absolute favorite episode, however, is “Boyce In The
Hood.” In this one, Boyce uses his podcast to try to secure employment for some
criminals as part of his second chances program. And Stamps wants to open a
bakery/café. The thugs like what he’s baked. One of them says, “Yeah, I
might stab a guy for these if I wasn’t trying to watch my weight.” Another
says: “These are good, and I ain’t even high… All right, I’m a little high.”
Those are hilarious lines in a truly funny scene. And there’s some more good
pot humor later in the episode, with Cedric giving an excellent performance as
someone who unintentionally got stoned. Check out his reading of “Man, I’m
so mad at him right now.” Seriously, it couldn’t be better. (I do have to
mention that Boyce mispronounces the word “forte,” giving it a second
syllable, which a common mistake.)
The weakest episode is “Love Thy Neighbor,” which feels
juvenile and somewhat beneath these characters. It’s about Boyce and Lolli
wanting to be invited to their neighbors’ parties.
The episode “The Punching Preacher” has a glaring
mistake. When Boyce punches a man in the bar, we see someone in the foreground
recording the scene on a camera. But then the footage that’s leaked to the
media is the same footage; that is, we see the camera in the foreground again,
when of course it should be that camera’s perspective that we see. The problem
is increased when Stamps puts together a music video from that footage, and the
video includes the reverse shot, something he wouldn’t have access to. And
later Lolli has some trouble pronouncing the word “ask.” But there are
some really funny moments and lines in this episode. I particularly like the
lines, “Byrd, with that kind of money, we can take the quotation marks off
of ‘Fresh Fish’” and “I became the lord’s designated hitter.” And
Cedric’s delivery of “Okay” after sipping a drink named after him is
perfect.
One thing I loved from the first season which is sadly
lacking in the second is the various songs playing over the closing credits.
This time around, we just get the same instrumental tune to end each episode.
Those other songs were some of the funniest things in the show during the first
season.
Special Features
This two-disc set contains some bonus features, including
Cedric And The After Party, a series of funny segments in which Cedric
fields questions from members of the show’s audience after each taping. At one
point John Beasley comes out, after a fan from Omaha mentions him. (These
segments total approximately sixteen minutes.)
There is also a short interview with Niecy Nash, in which
she talks about communication in relationships, and about etiquette in the
salon. And there’s an even shorter interview with Wesley Jonathan about dating.
These interviews total approximately three minutes.
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