TV Review: Bored to Death - "We Could Sing A Duet" / "I Keep Taking Baths Like Lady Mcbeth"

Season 3 - Episode 4/5

HBO (US)

While these two episodes share a common theme, and do follow each other up nicely, the reason they're being reviewed together is because I fell behind a little bit! But hey, it's worked out fairly well, as "We Could Sing..." and "I Keep Taking Baths..." complement each other pretty well.

Jonathan is asked by George to take his daughter, Emily out for a platonic, youthful night on the town to show her what she's missing out on by marrying the much older Bernard. ("I'm good at platonic. It's my default sexual setting. After nervous." is a genius line) Along the way, he finds out a private detective is using his name, and he and Emily tag along on his case, with pretty disaterous results which end the episode with George no longer talking to Jonathan. This leads to the two going to "frienship counselling" - chaired by the brilliant Sarah Silverman, playing a bizarre therapist with a foot fetish. While this doesn't work, the two are friends again by the end of "I Keep Taking Baths...", as will be explained.

While all this is going on, Ray gets into a fight with Leah and embarks on an affair with the returning Belinda, an alluring pensioner (played by the legend who is Olympia Dukakis). Ray finds himself becoming more alluring to Leah as a result, and spends the episodes pondering over what to do about it.

While he helps Jonathan win back George by bringing down his arch nemesis Richard's new restaurant. Through a series of ridiculous happenstances, which involve Patton Oswalt's Howard making a welcome appearance, George getting hig with and sleeping with his singing teacher, and a trolley chase through a supermarket also involving Louis Greene, George gets what he wants, and he and Jonathan become friends again. It's busy, it's ridiculous. It's brilliant.

It boggles the mind that Bored to Death gets ratings as low as it does. It is one of the best shows currently on television. Both of these episodes are great, and while neither quite managed to be as good as "The Black Clock of Time", and let's face it, very few things will be, they were entertaining, funny and genuinely touching. HBO really know how to make a great show.

We Could Sing A Duet: ****

I Keep Taking Baths Like Lady Macbeth: **** 1/2