Corporate offices seem like a thing of the past right now, with their fluorescent lighting, switchboards, waiting rooms, and “real” pants with “zippers.” Though some people working from home may miss the camaraderie (or snacks) from the office environment, our northern neighbors at Baroness Von Sketch Show want to remind us of the less desirable elements of being crowded into one floor of a mid- or high-rise building, where workers are corralled into cubicles (if they’re lucky enough to have those three walls) and subjected to each other’s complaints.
The A.V. Club’s exclusive clip from this Wednesday’s insightful new episode of Baroness Von Sketch Show opens with three colleagues—played by Aurora Browne, Meredith MacNeill, and Jennifer Whalen—engaging in a little chit-chat between meetings and sales calls. When Mika (Whalen) asks if she’s “a bad person” for feigning illness to get out of babysitting, her officemates (played by Browne and MacNeill) reassure her that she’s not. As Mika reveals herself to be a terrible co-worker, though, they struggle with their initial assessment.
We’re not sure which is the more egregious of Mika’s actions: embezzling millions of dollars from her subordinates’ pensions, or stealing someone’s snack, especially if she put her name on it before putting it in the fridge. (Look, it’s not easy to get away from your work long enough to get a snack. The embezzlement seems par for the course these days. Thank you on both counts, capitalism.) But the series’ self-effacing, distinctly feminine humor is on display—as her misdeeds escalate, “girl (er, woman) boss” Mika tries to hide behind a wheedling tone and self-actualization lingo.
The women-led comedy troupe of Baroness Von Sketch Show—which also includes Carolyn Taylor—is gearing up for the fifth and final season of this IFC sketch comedy series. New episodes are available Wednesdays at midnight.