I decided to watch 2 Broke Girls on a whim. In fact, it was not even a part of my 2011 fall TV series picks, which included other freshmen comedy titles like New Girl and Up All Night.
At the time, I had set my sights on the now cancelled Free Agents as my freshman work centric comedy series of choice. Although, it was definitely interesting that 2 Broke Girls got the much coveted How I Met Your Mother lead in on Monday nights on CBS.
I watched 2 Broke Girls, because I remembered that Kat Dennings was funny in the movie Thor and I had to wonder if she could also effectively bring humor to TV.
2 Broke Girls is the story of well... two broke girls. One is Max Black (Kat Dennings), a diner waitress and nanny who is poor in every respect except for her wit and sarcasm. The other is Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs), a new waitress at the diner, who was formerly filthy rich and is now broke following the fallout of the public and legal troubles of her father, disgraced businessman Martin Channing. After discovering that Max is the baker of the diner's delicious cupcakes, Caroline hatches a plan and offers her financial know-how to help Max build a successful cupcake business. The series tackles the various experiences of the girls as they try to find ways to get their cupcake business off the ground, while discovering a friendship with each other.
The truth is, 2 Broke Girls is a TV series that can generate polarizing reactions. The series features a brand of humor that many critics, both TV experts and audience alike, find to be crass, offensive, derogatory and racist. There is a shocking quality to the casualness in the way the characters, especially Max and Oleg (Jonathan Kite), suddenly spout the offending punch lines that would make my old great aunts grab their rosaries. I don't think I have ever encountered a show broadcasted on a network channel that have created zinger lines involving rape, unwanted pregnancy and possible child exploitation.
So, how did 2 Broke Girls end up in my must-watch TV viewing list?
As I mentioned, the show is polarizing. On one end, you have the group that is condemning the series creators and writers with brimstone, pestilence and, either potentially or certainly, the wrath of God. At the other end, however, is the group that finds the charm in 2 Broke Girls. If you watch the show yourself and find yourself appreciating it despite its controversial brand of humor, then you must have come to the same conclusion as myself.
2 Broke Girls is like Max. Tough and abrasive, but actually hiding a rather soft spot underneath.
Max is always on with her sarcastic humor, delivering jokes that attempt to make light of what could have been a more than troubling past. But you also get to see her coo over Caroline's prized horse Chestnut, pine over a guy, and become extremely protective of Caroline, who she normally teases for being too uptight and noisy. The show parallels Max by pretending to just be selling sensational and salacious humor, but is actually tugging at your heartstrings.
You just have to pay attention in order to peel away at its seemingly frivolous and offensive skin.
Much of the show is grounded on the connections the various characters make with each other. The burgeoning friendship between Max and Caroline has its ups and downs, but they bring out the best in each other. Every time one of them feels like giving up, the other is there to either rally or coerce her back to her feet. You will root for them every time the cupcake business money tally at the end of each episode goes up, even if it's just by a few dollars. If you want your awww shucks moments, then you only need to watch the fatherly exchanges between Max and Earl (Garrett Morris), whether they are sharing naughty jokes or just expressing their appreciation for each other. While I was initially unsure about the later addition of Jennifer Coolidge's cleaning company owner Sophie, her appearance actually made me appreciate Oleg, who started expressing real feelings instead of attacking every female he encounters with both subtle and direct sexual innuendos.
So, yes, 2 Broke Girls can be abrasive. I mean, I wouldn't let any kid anywhere near it. And I'm still on the fence on whether I want them to tone down the abrasiveness or not.
But it's actually a good comedy series at its core. You just have to accept that it might offend you. Or make you feel offended on behalf of someone else. Or an entire race. Or hipsters.
I actually don't mind the last one.
Now... where to find a Beer Batter Maple Bacon Spring Break cupcake?
Happy viewing!!Labels: 2 Broke Girls, CBS, Comedy, Must-Watch, TV, TV Series
