[Images] [Site Updates] [How I Became a Fan] [Contact] [Sign Guestbook] [View Guestbook]
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: The first season's closing episode, "I Love Lacey," was a pretty bad attempt at a cliffhanger. True fans of the show were already hooked on the show, and anyone who was on the fence about the series certainly wasn't going to be drawn in by an unfunny episode (the only unfunny one of the season) in which Brent fails to notice when a woman is throwing herself at him. Further, thirteen episodes is way too early to have a "will they or won't they" cliffhanger (even "Cheers" and "Friends" had the courtesy to wait longer than that).
Although I love the show, I was hugely disappointed by "I Love Lacey" and was very anxious to see a killer recovery episode. This episode was exactly what I was hoping for; it put the show back on track and gave us a hilarious plot: how Lacey is the only one who can't see how "hot" Brent is. The very concept of "The Brent Effect" is one of the most clever ones I've seen in a sitcom - "Cheers" sort of touched on it in a few episodes with Carla's repulsive husband, but not nearly as effectively. The side plots are almost as amusing: Karen acts like a bloodthirsty tin collector (Internal Affairs officer - although, FYI, on some shows and in most U.S. police departments this is now called "Office of Professional Responsibility," or OPR) in her investigation of Davis firing his weapon on duty, and Oscar runs for his life after "liberating" $90 from Emma to buy an outboard motor from Hank.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: The first time that The Brent Effect is explained to Lacey. Watching Wanda run that by Lacey and seeing Lacey's stunned reaction is the first thing I think of whenever I think of this episode.
MEMORABLE LINE: Lacey's theory of adaptation is summed up with "Brent, because he's not tragically flawed, is seen as beautiful when held up against the average." It was really funny how she emphasized the word "tragically."
KUDOS TO GABRIELLE: The way she portrays a confused Lacey, who is told she's "out of Brent's league," is priceless. For that matter, everyone involved in this plot who tells her that Brent is simply too hot for her and that she has to lower her standards deserves kudos, but Gabrielle is in each of those scenes and nails every one.
FUNNIEST LINE IN THIS EPISODE: In the opening scene, Hank has a theory that anyone in Canada over 30 will use the metric system to describe everything except for height. He successfully tests it on Brent, and then on Wanda - who, being rather short, blows up at Hank. As soon as she storms out of the room, Brent dryly advises Hank "Now ask her if she's over 30."
FUNNIEST SCENES IN THIS EPISODE: This episode is too good to limit this category to one, although if I were forced to do so it would be the sixth of the following seven entries.
1.) When Wanda gives Lacey an explanation as to why Brent is out of her league.
2.) When shortly after that, Hank tells Lacey the same thing.
3.) When a few minutes later into the episode, Emma explains to Lacey why Brent's good looks are his own worst enemy in relationships.
4.) When Emma challenges Hanks to a pool match to get her $90 back, it looks like one of those scenes where the woman is going to crush the man at his own game, but Hanks stomps her ten games in a row.
5.) When Lacey goes to Karen for emotional support, Karen takes it as a lesbian come-on and follows through with a backfiring attempt at picking up Lacey's self-confidence.
6.) The scene in the Ruby when Lacey explains her "adaptation" theory to Wanda and Karen. This entire scene is side-splitting from start to finish.
7.) After Davis undergoes a thorough grilling on his shooting incidents from Karen, Hanks walks up to him and asks to borrow his gun. Without a moment's thought Davis pops his Beretta out of its holster and says "here ya go." It's one of those "you've got to see it to appreciate it" scenes, but I would rank it the second-funniest scene in the episode, right behind Lacey's "adaptation theory."
For a list of bloopers in "The Brent Effect," click here.
[Images] [Site Updates] [How I Became a Fan] [Contact] [Sign Guestbook] [View Guestbook]