Is this the end of 2 Broke Girls? That’s a question that may have been on your mind while watching this episode, and which I’m actually going to be addressing a little later this week. For now let’s live in the moment and break down whether or not “And 2 Broke Girls: The Movie” was a successful season finale.

This is the fifth I’ve reviewed, so in addition to what’s expected of a typical season finale it’s also worth considering how 2 Broke Girls in particular tends to wrap things up. For the past few episodes what can only be assumed are the profits from Max and Caroline’s Dessert Bar have been climbing, but without any indication as to why that number is important. Now that the season is coming to a close tradition dictates that money come back into focus.It’s been quite a while since I last brought up Dan Harmon’s basic story structure, which he used to guide Community and very likely continues to employ with Rick & Morty. While there are eight distinct points, as well as a helpful graph, it essentially boils down to: a status quo is altered then reverted, but with the character[s] having changed. Say what you will about the show, but 2 Broke Girls truly exemplifies this.

Right off the bat we have Caroline telling Han that she and Max are moving up in the world, and that they’re giving their two weeks notice from the diner. It’s a significant step, especially given that all of the sitcom’s promo material revolves around their ugly waitress uniforms. That being said, and with their closing last week with almost $10K, it looks like a huge shift for the titular duo. At least until disaster strikes, as it is wont to do.

Caroline manages to, with a little help from Bobby, destroy a ludicrously expensive dress at the premiere of her biopic, which we’re finally told is titled The Princess and the Ponzi. Before she can even begin begging Han for their jobs back he extends an olive branch and offers to rehire them first. Consider the status quo stuck to.

The most groundbreaking thing that happens actually has nothing to do with money.

That’s right, not only is Randy back, but he’s down on one knee, and for non-sexual purposes!

I re-read my review to the Season 5 finale in preparation for this one, and it reminded me just how strong the emotional beats in that episode were. Randy and Max part ways, and Kat Dennings pulls out all the stops, presenting us with probably the best performance the show has ever featured [up to that point and until now]. While this proposal doesn’t quite reach those heights, it appears to be a clear callback to that finale, and may be just what it takes to draw audiences back in.

“You say you love me, you say you can’t live without me, and then you go and live without me.”

That’s just one of several lines that Dennings drops, such a far cry from the cheap snark or clownish physical comedy she often utilizes, and does elsewhere in this episode. They’re in response to Randy coming on strong, and when he tells her that he “[doesn’t] want to live without [her]” she doesn’t hesitate in asking him to prove it. And down he goes.

As in down on one knee, like in the screenshot, you pervs.

Much like last week, Bobby and Caroline’s relationship suffers a mishap so brief that using either word feels like an overexaggeration. She’s being fussy about his general appearance for the red carpet event, but the problem is he never expresses that it bothers him. In the end she’s the one who approaches him to apologize, and he forgives her immediately, saying that he understands the pressure the situation might lead to, and that it logically “brought up what I hope is the worst in you”. Injecting conflict into their romance is appreciated, but it appears perfunctory at best, dictated by convention and not by the narrative itself.

The finale closes with Max telling Caroline that she got her wish, they’re both wish someone now. Still working at the diner and [supposedly] without a cent to their name, but having succeeded in another, arguably more important part of their lives. Again, I’m not going to go into the likelihood of Season 7 just yet, but as it stands this isn’t a terrible place to end. If the general message is going to be that love matters more than money they could certainly do far worse.

Current Total: $9,999.12.

New Total: $0.00. Back to rock bottom.

The Title Refers To: The movie that’s based on Max’s and Caroline’s time together. It’s a much more balanced title than The Princess and the Ponzi.

Stray Observations:

• “So it has been quite a journey. But through it all the key for me has been bravery and the deep down knowledge that I am better than everyone else.”
• The Princess and the Ponzi has received Oscar buzz! For Sound Editing.
• “Your clothes, your hair, your face. Also your walk’s not great.”
• As per uje, 2paragraphs has a decent write-up on exactly who special guest star Brad Goreski is.
• Upon hearing about the $10K dress: “I could own and operate an Old Navy for that!”
• “Can I have some of that ‘Deal With Caroline’ Juice?” Max and Bobby share a few fun bonding moments in the limo, and makes me wish so badly that the writers decided to have their connection be the source of conflict between him and Caroline.
• I’ve scaled back on Sophie and Oleg being abusive parents quite a bit recently, but here’s a screenshot of her swinging a kielbasa in front of her daughter to wow red carpet paparazzi:

• Also apparently Sophie’s dress it literally made out of a red carpet, but as far as I can tell this is not the case.
• “This is worse than Eric Stonestreet’s nip slip.”
• Olmeca Altos Plata tequila makes another appearance in this episode, and I swear they must have thrown some money CBS’ way to pull this off.
• “Max George Black. I love you.”
• Han’s flush with cash now that they’ve stopped making Doctor Who figurines.
• “I’m keeping my name, by the way. It’d be weird for people to call me ‘Randy’.”

Given that Season 7 is a little up in the air right now, I thought it would be good for me to fall back on a Season 4 stalwart feature for old time’s sake:

2 Broke Girls Cheesecake/Beefcake Menu

Back in the day Max wasn’t periodically doing little goblin jigs, and as a whole there were a lot more attention drawn to either her breasts or Caroline’s legs. “Cheesecake” of course refers to art that plays up women’s sexual attractiveness in women, and in conjunction with “menu” is a fun play on words given that they work in a diner. Anyway. Here’s Caroline’s wardrobe malfunction:

I can’t explain why exactly her dress unravels like that, or how it got attached to Bobby’s suit, or how he doesn’t realize that he’s pulling her across the floor, but there it is. I am sorry, though, that I didn’t figure out how to make these gifs before now.

“Beefcake” is, well, the male equivalent, and there’s been much more of that thanks to Randy’s appearance on the show. The episode closes with him and Bobby getting into a physical altercation, due to the former being the reason that the latter’s family was screwed out of reality TV deal.

As Max says, “Is it weird that I think that’s a little hot?” And no, Max, it isn’t.

Here are the facts:

At the time of this writing 2 Broke Girls has not yet been renewed for its 7th Season.

Here are the numbers:

This past Wednesday the finale for Season 6 of 2 Broke Girls aired with a viewership of roughly 4.57 million. This is 70 thousand less than the preceding week, and bookends the steady, gradual decline that began back in February. It’s the smallest audience the sitcom has had, not only in what has been a poor season ratings-wise, but since it first began airing.

In other words, 2 Broke Girls is not doing well.

There’s no other way of putting it. Being critically panned doesn’t matter at all if people are watching, but all indicators point to this not being the case. Now granted, the numbers presented are via The Nielsen Company, and don’t account for any viewers who may choose to stream the show online, but they provide a fairly compelling picture all things considering.

Here’s what the creators have said:

Now pretty much every site out there covering this has quoted this one TVLine article, but given that Michelle Nader is the co-showrunner it’s about as close to the horse’s mouth as you can get. She made the statement that:

“This is not the end for these girls. We’re not finished and we don’t want to be finished and I don’t think the audience is finished. Obviously there’s no guarantee that we will be back, but we did not write the episode as a series finale.”

Nader goes on to point out the creative opportunities that have presented themselves given that both Max and Caroline have found love, going so far as to liken future 2 Broke Girls seasons as “just beginning in a way”.

In conclusion, the executive producer expressed being “hopeful” that the show will be renewed. Not only is there the aforementioned new creative direction, but “CBS has been really supportive of us and so we believe that they’ll want to see more of these girls.”

Here’s what the people are saying:

• In that same article, TVLine claims that “oddsmakers say the series has an even-money chance of returning next fall.” Elsewhere on TVLine, but also by Michael Ausiello, is an article titled “2017 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?” 2 Broke Girls was listed as “A safe bet”, but that has since been crossed out and replaced with “Could go either way”.
• The aptly titled TV Series Finale website very accurately notes that 2 Broke Girls has not yet been cancelled or renewed. It’s mentioned that numbers aren’t expected to be what they once were in this day and age and that, “Unless there’s some business reason, I suspect 2 Broke Girls will be on the air for awhile.”
• Entertainment Weekly has a little something called “Deathwatch 2017”, which lists 53 shots that haven’t been renewed, from “safest to dead-est”. 2 Broke Girls clocks in at #43, which isn’t too bad at all. In spite of ongoing negotiations writer James Hibberd goes on to say that: “CBS is downright savage when it comes to axing its weakest shows in May, but we expect they’ll work this one out.”
• Deadline shines a little bit more light on what those negotiations entail. “2 Broke Girls holds the record for the biggest off-network comedy series sale, earning Warner Bros. TV $1.7 million an episode from TBS alone. I hear CBS may be trying to tap into the studio’s lucrative backend, making negotiations even tougher. There is too much money at stake not to make a deal in the end, but it will be tough.”

To sum things up, for the most part the general consensus appears to be that 2 Broke Girls is likely to be renewed, primarily because it’s bringing in money due to having been syndicated. Right now what remains to be seen is whether the higher ups can come to an agreement that everyone feels they benefit from.

Where’s what I’m saying:

Honestly, I would prefer if 2 Broke Girls wasn’t renewed.

This may seem plainly obvious given my general attitude in a number of reviews I’ve written in the past. It hasn’t always been easy staying up late on Mondays to pen them, or early the following morning. That said, I also acknowledge that reviewing 2 Broke Girls has generally made me a much more talented writer, and positively affected the way I consume media, primarily television.

The thing is, this also seems like the ideal jumping off point. I generally agree with Nader that this isn’t a perfect end point for a sitcom, but at the same time it isn’t a bad one. In many ways it’s fitting that Max agree to marry Randy, as it completes her character arc of finding and trusting a friend to finding and trusting a husband. Their returning to the diner appears to be a renewal of the status quo, but not in a necessarily negative way.

As much as Nader is touting a brand new creative direction, it’s also worth noting that 2 Broke Girls appears to have outlasted its premise ages ago. The girls claim to be poor, but they own a Dessert Bar which appears to be getting decent business. I can’t think of a context moving forward in which the title would be warranted, especially with Max being proposed to by an incredibly wealthy lawyer.

If 2 Broke Girls does in fact come back for Season 7 the question remains whether or not I’ll still watch and review the show. Given a significant creative shakeup it’s certainly possible, but I also feel comfortable surmising that this may be the end of my relationship with the show. That being said, any sort of commentary from audience in support my reviews will strongly sway my continuing on.

To summarize, we simply don’t know. Most places are optimistic about the shows’s chances, but there’s always the off-chance that negotiations fall through and this is all we got. Either way, 2 Broke Girls had a good run. There was a lot to complain about, to be sure, but wrapping things up with Season 6 ain’t bad.

Way back in early 2012 I posted a three-part series about two sitcoms that had premiered the previous fall. Covering 2 Broke Girls‘ and New Girl‘s respective casts, styles of humour, and approaches to race, these posts exist as a window into their first seasons as well as an unfortunate snapshot of some embarrassingly unrefined writing from yours truly [with some unrefined opinions as well, as my perspective on Morgan Freeman and Black History Month has certainly shifted since then].

All credit where it’s due, both have come a long way since their inceptions, and in generally positive ways. While not shying away from their trademark “classy-dirty” style of comedy, 2 Broke Girls eased off of the racist humour and began giving their secondary cast members more screen time and character development. New Girl had Hannah Simon’s Cece join the primary cast, with Damon Wayans Jr. even returning for a lengthy stint after his departure following the pilot. I feel fairly confident in saying that neither show every truly dipped in quality, which is saying a lot for the medium and genre they share. I would even go so far as to say that both managed to improve with each passing season.

Now, in 2017, there were a few weeks where the fate of these two sitcoms was in question. To address them consecutively…

2 Networkless Girls?

After months of reviews in which I mused on the future of the show I finally penned a post in April asking “Is 2 Broke Girls Cancelled?”. It has since garnered more comments than anything else on this blog. In it I catalogued what the creators and industry insiders had to say about its future, as well as my personal opinion as someone who has reviewed 101 episodes of the show. I felt like, as someone who stuck with 2 Broke Girls longer than the contributors to its very own wiki even did I was allowed some say.

It was Deadline that pulled back the curtain on the fact that CBS was airing a sitcom that was produced for Warner Bros. That same outlet also broke the news that the network had axed 2 Broke Girls. CBS scheduling director Kelly Kahl is quoted as saying that, as far as she knows:

“it was a creative decision more than anything else. It was not a show we own but we picked up (new comedy series Me, Myself & I and By The Book) from Warner Bros. So I don’t think it was a business decision, I think it was creatively we felt it was time.”

It’s noted that the show made Warner Bros. a very significant amount of money per episode. In spite of being a key players in their weekday lineup, CBS appears to be searching for something else they can wholly own, distribute, and profit from. Kahl even says in the same breath as “was not a show [they owned]” that it was “a creative decision”, but as with all art it comes down to profits.

Renewed Girl?

In an interview with The Daily Beast way back in March Jake Johnson, who plays Nick, admitted that, as far as he knew, “I think after this season it’s done.” The outlet very reasonably took this to be a good sign that the sitcom was coming to a permanent end, titling their article “Jake Johnson: ‘New Girl’ Almost Definitely Ending After Season 6”.

Then, just one day shy of Fox announcing their 2017-2018 schedule, it was announced that New Girl would be receiving a final shortened season. It was Johnson, who again introduced the idea that things were likely wrapping up, who ended up confirming the remaining number of episodes left on Twitter:

Deadline also points out that throughout its entire run New Girl was the network’s highest rated comedy, which certainly helps position it against 2 Broke Girls, which had The Big Bang Theory to contend with. As far as further reasons for its renewal, there was the mention that the show is “a legacy series for Fox”, and as a result “will be getting a proper sendoff”.

Given that both shows were seemingly on the chopping block and only one made it out alive, I looked to see what the reactions were to 2 Broke Girls‘ cancellation.

Who Cares? The Stars, For One

I’ve never hidden my deep appreciation for Beth Behrs, who plays Caroline, and her knack for physical comedy. More often than not she was the bright spot that could save an episode for me. While it’s currently unknown what she has lined up, my hope is that she eventually finds her way back to TV but on a much better show. Her response was seemingly optimistic:

Kat Dennings’ was, well, appropriate to her character Max. Enjoy, if you can, her rendition of Semisonic’s most popular tune:

Behrs had more to say, tweeting a message from both her and Dennings to their fans, a hugging gif to her co-star, and lastly, and hilariously, stated that she [and others] would miss the horse the most:

Who Cares? The Critics, Apparently

Perusing the internet it wasn’t difficult to find fans mourning the loss of a favourite sitcom, and presumably many of them are the very same people who commented on that post I wrote regarding its possible cancellation. That said, there were also a few voices who definitely don’t hold themselves among that number, yet still had something to say.

Over at The Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert requests that readers “send [their] prayers [his] way” in an article that wonders “What will this critic use as a punching bag if ‘2 Broke Girls’ is canceled?” He asks a few more things in the following block quote that accurately sums up his take:

“Now what bad comedy can I kick around with abandon and name as a handy symbol of the worst of network TV comedy? What title can I use to signify all the many qualities of a thoroughly banal show without having to detail them each time? A critic needs a punching bag, you know.”

Emily Yahr of The Washington Post also wrote an article with a question in its title, this one about its actual content. For those who might be unfamiliar with the comedy she provides the context and setting for the vast majority of 2 Broke Girls‘ raunchy jokes, allowing her readers to come to their own conclusions [i.e. it takes place in a diner, yes, a diner]. While Yahr never outright states her opinion it’s fairly easy to determine it by reading between the lines.

“My Emotions, My Emotions!”

Cue my favourite Community reaction gif-

-as I thought it would be appropriate to provide my own personal opinion on last month’s announcements on these two shows.

To start with, regarding 2 Broke Girls, I largely echo Gilbert and Yahr’s sentiments. The number of episodes I reviewed just barely broke into three digits, and I began watching with the pilot. Not only does its cancellation mark the end of a pretty crappy show, it also indicates an end to a job of sorts.

Those who have been following my reviews since the beginning will remember that I took on this assignment once The A.V. Club dropped their coverage, more than eager to fill the gap that had just been vacated. As the four years passed I found myself wondering each spring if I would need to pick things back up after the summer, which up until now had always been followed by disappointment.

In the end I’ll admit to appreciating how 2 Broke Girls made me a better writer over the course of its running. I will always appreciate the moments, few and far between, when I was able to photoshop a little something together for my reviews. I want to remind readers that this show featured Sam Hart’s “Mario Kart Love Song” in one episode, and honestly how incredibly cool is that? And, lest we forget, there were the many features over the years. Searching each and every episode for the same Maxoline fodder the shippers were, keeping tally of how the showrunners leveraged the sex appeal of its stars so that I could make note of it in the “2 Broke Girls Cheesecake Menu”. It’s been a ride, and much of it has been incredibly bumpy, but overall I don’t regret the experience.

As a peek behind the curtain, and a final point, let it be known that 2 Broke Girls reviews have for quite some time taken up the lion’s share of hits on this site.

Contrast all of that with how I felt after watching Season 6 of New Girl come to a close. There was such an air of finality to it that even before reading any of what Johnson had to say I was certain that things were over. As that realization sank in I came painfully close to having an anxiety attack, which I avoid outright stating if only to be respectful of those who have for a fact had to weather them in their own lives. I truly felt that there would be no more New Girl, and actively struggled with a sense of profound loss.

After calming down and dwelling on it I realized that New Girl was and is the last show I began watching with friends during college, which was a pretty great time. I’ve long connected screen media with specific places and people, and thinking that I was seeing it go was hard. When talking about this show on this blog it’s more often than not been about its approach to diverse casting, but it’s also a painfully funny sitcom that has always treated its characters and their relationships with love and respect. I had an emotional reaction to both pieces of news, but an objectively stronger one for the latter.

Which unearths a topic we’ve covered here time and time again, about art, the artist, and the consumer. How engaging with entertainment is a tricky and often problematic and ultimately complex task that we all undertake on a daily basis. To put it another way, it’s a conversation that lies at the heart of Culture War Reporters.

Those who continue to tune in week after week may have been wondering about what’s happening to this blog, and the truth that I’ve neglected to share is how little time I’ve personally had available to devote to it in recent months. At this point there are still a handful of posts I want to get to, and have already decided that CWR will always remain up with the url you’re all so familiar with, but it’s been a long six years. Hopefully before the month is up I’ll have more concrete answers for those of you who want and need them, but until then thanks once again for tuning in.