Worst Week: 1.02 ‘The Bird’ Recap
October 6, 2008 by Chandra
Original Air Date: September 29, 2008
I’m sensing possible issues ahead for Worst Week because the second episode is nowhere near as funny as the series pilot. Hopefully, the difference is just a fluke.
Realizing he’ll probably never make any headway with her father, Sam decides to focus all of his energy and charm on Mel’s mother Angela instead. The idea is to get her to like him so that her approval will somehow rub off on her husband Dick. First things first, though, such as getting over the vomit in the vase incident (Mel’s morning sickness) and walking in on Mel’s sister Sarah while she’s using a breast pump.
After he clears those hurdles, Sam makes the fatal — at least for the pet — mistake of feeding Dick’s beloved pet birds the avocado he can’t admit to Angela he hates. So, instead of just coming clean when she serves him an omelet loaded with the stuff, he decides to pretend to like it and sneak the food to the birds later.
Worst Week: 1.01 ‘Pilot’ Recap
Original Air Date: September 22, 2008
If the premiere episode indicates what’s to come, CBS definitely has a new hit comedy in Worst Week. The best part is the lead character Sam Briggs (Kyle Bornheimer), who is so not the totally clumsy buffoon promos led me to believe he is. Instead, Sam is a normal guy, whatever that means, with a decent life who happens to have the worst luck in the world whenever he’s around his girlfriend’s parents.
Once we meet that austere and humorless couple, however, it becomes all too clear why. For instance, although Sam has been with their daughter Melanie (Erinn Hayes, The Winner), aka Mel, for two years, they still snidely refer to him as only her “friend.” It’s completely understandable, then, why telling them Mel is seven weeks pregnant and they intend to get married is such a big deal requiring precise timing.
So, how many things can go wrong to make this a worst week as Sam and Mel prepare to deliver the big news to her parents? Read on…
New CBS Sitcom First Look: Worst Week
The single-camera sitcom Worst Week revolves around entertainment magazine editor Sam Briggs (Kyle Bornheimer of Jericho), who tries his hardest to impress Dick (That ’70s Show’s Kurtwood Smith) and Angela (My Name is Earl’s Nancy Lenehan), the parents of his girlfriend Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes of Kitchen Confidential and The Winner).
Unfortunately, in addition to being sincere, Sam is just one of those cursed people whose presence creates catastrophes wherever he goes. That’s why it’s a good thing he has pregnant Melanie by his side to support him as he repeatedly attempts — and fails — to win over her reluctant parents before they get married.
CBS ordered 13 episodes of the series executive produced by Matt Tarses (Scrubs) and Jimmy Mulville (Whose Line Is It Anyway?). In addition, Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (30 Rock) directed the pilot. A clip follows the jump.