Consider the placard in the image above to be fairly representative of my views of this episode: things are looking up for 2 Broke Girls. No, this episode didn’t feature Han gloating over his ability to both ride a bicycle and maintain an erection [no easy feat], but it did bring the focus of the show back to what it ostensibly should be. That’s right, we’re finally back to watching Max and Caroline try their darndest to make some money.
That’s always been one of my favourite things about the show, because, well, the struggle is real. Now granted, I say that as someone who had free room and board at his grandfather’s while he spent months unemployed, but I bought gluten-free pasta recently because it was on sale for cheap and that stuff is not good. My personal financial state aside, the journey of two young women doing their best is a compelling one, plain and simple.
Now you’d think that upon discovering that she’d been shanghaied into attending a seminar called “Business Bump” Max would-
-leave forever, never to return-
– right after making a joke about teen pregnancy, and you’d be half right.
After sneaking back into the seminar [the logic of which confounds me, and which I’ll try not to get into] the two girls sit before Gordon Something-or-other, a business guru who believes that truth is what it’s all about. After people buy what you’re saying they will buy what you’re selling. “Don’t do what you can, can what you do! Do you get it? Do you get it?”
It’s the sort of motivational mumbo jumbo that we’ve all been conditioned to mentally bristle at and thankfully, for the sake of the show, it leads to some conflict with Max and Caroline. Their partnership is sailing in two different directions, and as it turns out they have very different ideas for what the business model of Max’s Homemade Cupcakes should really be. Honestly, this should be no surprise whatsoever to anyone who has watched more than a few episodes, but it really comes out here in full force with the two parting ways and doing their own separate Brilliant Business Brand presentations. The surprising thing is, Max’s idea is so much better. It’s fuelled by the unadulterated sass that runs through her veins and involves cupcakes that say things like “Eat it!” and “Lick me!” and if there exists a restaurant that people go to because the wait staff is purposefully rude to customers then trust me there is an audience for it-
What I love about the episode is that it doesn’t serve as a big I-told-you-so to Ms. Caroline “I went to Wharton” Channing. Yes, Max’s business idea trumps her artisanal cupcakes as far as creativity, but Max is also really, really terrible. At so many things. Her idea for marketing their business with t-shirts that have a big ol’ cupcake on the front is bad, and she takes creativity by doing what she does best: yelling at the critics.
The episode ends with them acknowledging how much they mean to each other, which is pretty par for the course, and Caroline even donning a shirt of Max’s design. Unfortunately it also concludes without them having made any conscious decisions about how to turn business around, which needs to happen if Caroline really is eating six cupcakes a night to make it look as if they’ve sold any [also because she’s sad]. It’s fantastic that we’re back to focusing on their business which the first season, and then the second, culminated to. I fully realize that if they end up succeeding the name goes out the window, but honestly, if Jessica Day can still be the “new” girl after three seasons I think Max and Caroline will be fine.
Other things happened with Sophie and Oleg, but not much.
Current Total: $2,735.
New Total: $1,695. I remember Caroline saying that the seminar was a grand, but assumed that was per person. Even if it was for the of them that still leaves a full $40 unaccounted for.
The Title Refers To: They go to a seminar about branding, I guess. There’s not really any play on words here as far as I can tell.
Stray Observations [I had almost only nice things to say above so trust me I am way more critical below]:
- the kooky customers in the cold open are dressed like they’re from the 20s, seemingly for the sole reason of allowing Max to call the man “Not-So-Great Gatsby.”
- “I know, we’re like Oceans 7-11.” I kinda liked the whole wine-swap thing, even if I don’t get why anyone would bring wine to a diner.
- “You are not hooking me up with that guy who is listed in your phone as ‘Oral Redenbacher.'”
- “Leave early, who are we, Congress?” Pretty high-brow joke for a woman who doesn’t know where laws are made.
- “Y’know, matching tattoos are the deepest expression of commitment.”
- “This is not an intervention! Max, your behaviour has affected me in the following ways…”
- “Max, stay alert this could go to cult like that *snaps fingers*.”
- Right after Gordon talks about his Truth Balls™ Kat Dennings makes the most amazing facial expressions. Then she makes an offhand comment about getting meatballs and I wanted to shake the writers and then rub their backs and assure them that sometimes silence is okay.
- “Remember, you can’t spell purpose without-” Without what, Gordon, finish your sentence.
- “Oh hello, welcome to the Williamsburg Diner. Can I get you anything, like a work ethic?”
- “And Pam, I know you think your ship don’t sink, but it does.”
- I’m With The Band, a company that creates guitar case suitcases, is actually a pretty decent concept.
- The sound of those koosh balls hitting Max and Caroline was very soothing. I was also very impressed that it went uninterrupted for five seconds or more.
- “I thought you’d rather have a black one.” / “On Tinder and in life.” Back it up, then, writers’ room.
- Maybe It’s Maxoline: Directly referring to Max and Caroline’s partnership was pretty direct, but not really juicy enough for this feature.
- 2 Broke Girls Cheesecake Menu: Caroline’s arms in that sleeveless tee right at the end? Not much to see here, either.
