“And The High Holidays” was an acceptable episode of television. That’s about it. It wasn’t groundbreaking or laugh-out-loud hilarious, nor was it boring and offensively terrible. The basic formula was all there: Max and Caroline tried a new method of raising money, but it didn’t work out; they argued about what was good for the business but eventually agreed; the night ultimately ended with a feel-good moment that was a mixture of hope and false emotion. This is usually what happens, and sometimes, it’s successful, and sometimes, it’s not. Sometimes, like tonight, it’s an episode that I may not think about tomorrow but one that I didn’t regret watching. It was exactly what I have come to expect from 2 Broke Girls, and I’m realizing that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
If you’re familiar at all with the show then the episode title gives everything away. Honestly, the basic plot—Max sells weed cupcakes—is one that I was surprised hadn’t happened already. I was convinced that it did occur at some point last season, but perhaps I just saw it scribbled on a pile of spec script ideas along with “Caroline embarrasses herself” or “Han buys shoe lifts” or “Oleg something something big penis.” They write themselves! But it is a good premise, one that definitely belongs on this show, and one that I was optimistic about.
At first, Max is simply selling her regular cupcakes to stoners who have just bought weed from her dealer. Let me just say that if you’ve ever lived in a dorm building located near the 24-hour campus convenience store (mine was, appropriately enough, named Dutch Treats) and watched red-eyed students stock up on ice cream, then you understand how genius this idea is. Caroline is completely against this idea (especially after they witness a drug bust in a nearby apartment) and even later flips out on Max when she finds a giant bag of pot in Max’s purse. Caroline’s sudden anti-marijuana stance is strange. She’s always been aware that Max smokes pot, so it seems Caroline is against this for reasons that basically boil down to “we need a conflict between the girls.” Regardless, the girls have to find a way to make rent, and Caroline doesn’t want to ask Andy for a loan, so she eventually goes along with Max’s plan to sell weed cupcakes.
Of course, Caroline ends up stoned, and, in a bit that I actually liked, it turns out her stoned personality resembled Debbie Downer. It would be easy and predictable to turn Caroline into an ultra-ditzy Dude, Where’s My Car, stoner so I welcome the idea of her instead being pessimistic and preoccupied with death. Their plan backfires in a weirdly bland way: Andy shows up at the party where Max and Caroline are selling the cupcakes, Caroline is embarrassed (Caroline? Embarrassed? Surely I jest!) and flees. The next day, no one mentions whether or not they’re continuing with that plan, although technically, nothing really went wrong. Instead, Caroline once again declines Andy’s loan, but the girls make rent with the money that Oleg, Earl, and Han pooled together. Caroline’s tears and the group hug were a little too much (and let’s not even talk about the music), but it was a nice gesture, and I liked that it was undercut by them eating the weed cupcakes. I’m aware that “And The High Holidays” isn’t going to be featured in the TV Club Advent Calendar anytime soon, but it was a Christmas special that fit with the show’s nature and that’s really all I can ask for.
Stray observations:
- Stoned Caroline deadpanning “If you’re gonna hit me, hit me” did make me chuckle.
- Am I wrong, or is there an episode early in the first season when Caroline smoked with Max? I may have imagined this, but I’m almost positive their apartment had some 420 friendly vibes happening.
- Sophie barely appeared, except to remedy her killer cramps with some edibles, and I actually enjoyed that scene.
- Your 2 Broke Girls drinking game of the week: Shotgun a beer in annoyance whenever the audience goes “Woooo” when Caroline and Andy kiss.
- As you probably already know (and predicted), this is the last episode of 2 Broke Girls we’re covering here at AV Club. I’d say this is also the last episode I’ll be watching, but, well, I think the Pilot Viruet Madness Watch proves that’s a lie.