As much as I love ‘Happy Endings’ – and believe me, it’s a lot – sometimes the show comes up a little short. Last Tuesday’s episode was mainly a dud, with two out of the three storylines failing to deliver the goods. However, the one that does is an absolute winner.
We know that Brad and Dave are both effeminate. Jokes to that effect have littered the show. In fact, just this season we had an entire episode where Brad had to deal with his status as Jane’s trophy wife. So, for this episode to feature a plot where Brad and Dave try to install a dimmer switch feels redundant. There’s just not enough material here to fill the scenes, which leaves them dull and lifeless. And stud finder jokes, even ones that make fun of people who make stud finder jokes, aren’t funny.
Alex sells a dress to a pop star, and Penny tips off the paparazzi, resulting in the pop star having a meltdown. There’s a surprising dearth of humor here as well, with the funniest lines coming from the nicknames that Penny gets called at work. (She does PR like a runaway train, so they call her “Trainwreck,” she’s a master at spinning bad publicity into good, hence “Old Spinster,” and so on.) We also learn that Alex hasn’t paid attention to popular music since Smashmouth left the game.
It’s up to Max and Jane to save the day, and that they do. Max has been in a romantic slump, and Jane’s gay friend Derrick reveals that it’s because Max doesn’t belong to an appropriate gay subculture. The trio go to every gay bar in town to try to find Max’s gay identity, resulting in a hilarious send-up of the very idea of niche gay subcultures. Ginger Snaps become redheads who snap their fingers at everything, and a group of Chameleons blend into the bar decor so perfectly that no one knows they’re even there.
In the end, Max doesn’t fit into any one subculture (appropriate for perhaps the least stereotypical gay character in television history), and creates his own: The Optimistic Red Velvet Walrus. The appearance of a true Optimistic Red Velvet Walrus at the show’s conclusion makes for a very funny ending. In all, this is one of the weaker episodes of the season, but still has its moments.
