Ben and Kate’s Debut Is Le Pew
by Josh Hudson
This FOX comedy pilot originally aired on September 25, 2012 and is a new staple at 8:30 EST on FOX’s Tuesday comedy lineup. I’m with you. I don’t know why either.
What do you get with a single mom who’s in over her head and her idiotic brother who has air inside his head?
An awkward comedy that’s more awkward than comedy.
Ben and Kate is a comedy that FOX has high hopes for and that critics have been raving about as one of this season’s best new shows.
I’d like to meet these critics to find out what exactly they like about this show.
Kate is a single mom who has horrible judgment and wants nothing more than to just be happy in life. Her brother, Ben, is a nomadic vagabond who runs away from everything. When Ben comes back into town, he disrupts what Kate thinks is a good thing with a good guy. Ben thinks he’s a mook because, and this I actually found funny, he doesn’t “high five” properly.
The supporting cast consists of Ben’s friend Tommy, who adores Kate and wants nothing more than to be her “mook,” and Kate’s co-worker BJ, a British lady that, to say the least, has girl balls. Oh, and Kate’s daughter, Maddie. I already feel bad for her.
Needless to say, Ben gets his way and exposes Kate’s date as a cheating fraud, and fires Kate’s nanny because she’s not cool. Or something to that effect. Ben decides to stay with Kate because Maddie needs a role model. Pretty sure Ben is about the worst role model for a child since before a monorail struck Charlie Harper in Paris.
There are a lot of awkward moments that, if acted out by the cast of Girls or New Girl, would work to perfection. Not so much here. Awkward seems to be the new fad amongst network sitcoms, and FOX is trying to strike while the iron is hot. I can see where the series can grow into something worth watching, but honestly, I’m not holding my breath. And if the ratings are any indication, I’m not alone in this sentiment.