If there’s one thing The Mick shares with that other show featuring Kaitlin Olson, it’s the ability to make you root for characters you really should despise. Olson is no stranger to pulling this off, but the show has had some difficulty showcasing the likability of the show’s younger cast members. One reason for this is the show’s constant “bottle episode” feel. We rarely get to see how characters react to the world outside of the Pemberton mansion and when we do it’s usually through Mickey.
This has made some of the Pemberton children feel a little one note. Sabrina and Chip can certainly sell their hatred for each other, but it gets repetitive. Ben, on the other hand, has gotten more chances to bounce off of outside characters. Luckily, “The Country Club” finally gets the entire family out of the house and we get to see a little bit of character building. A little bit.
“The Country Club” doesn’t explore any new territory in terms of pacing or storytelling. We see the family motivated to do something for either selfish or prideful reasons. They try to do it. It backfires. There wasn’t any blood this week, I guess, but poop works as a stand-in. This week, they’re driven to restore honor to the Pemberton name after a gossip columnist (and fellow country club member) makes them look bad. Chip decides to enter a golf tournament. Sabrina decides to get attention off the family by offering juicier gossip and Mickey is just down to have a good time.
The group dynamics within the country club aren’t different from their usual actions, but they do benefit from the new environment. Chip, in particular, feels a bit more likable after the experience, which is really saying a lot considering he lies and threatens to sue someone. Chip teams up with Berlin, an unpopular country club member. It’s encouraging and helps make clear just how devastated Chip really is about his parent’s abandonment. It’s one thing to see Chip open up to his sister, but it’s another thing to see Chip accept a golf ball to the chest just to save some of his family’s honor. It’s also nice to see Berlin turn the tables on Chip and still show him some mercy.
Sabrina teams up with Mickey again and it still works as one of the show’s best pairings. Despite Sabrina’s hands-on efforts, neither of her plans this episode work out––buddying up to the gossip columnist or taking charge in Operation Poop Pool. Sabrina’s failure to live up to Mickey’s devious efforts has given her character a nice feeling of naïveté that plays well in her interactions with Mickey.
But, of course, we knew Operation Poop Pool was never going to work, even if a fantasy sequence almost tricks us into thinking it’s happening as Mickey describes the plan. While “The Country Club” doesn’t provide any surprises, it gives us the illusion of the Pemberton’s finally winning and it really does feel good to see them finally succeed. I might be rooting for these guys after all.
Stray Observations
- I’m warming up to the dynamic between Alma and Mickey. This seemed like an episode where Alma had more control over how far she wanted to go and Mickey was just encouraging her to have a good time (y’know, instead of drugging her).
- $168
- The family has only lost 30% of their wealth. I was wondering how they’d explain the family staying in the mansion and keeping up with their expensive shenanigans. I’m sure we’ll see that apartment in the city at some point.
- “The Pemberton brand seems to be fugitives and pool poopers.”
- “We don’t do nachos, you insisted we make them.”
”Well don’t take them away, I’m going to snack around a bit!”
I could watch Kaitlin Olson try to find a straw in a glass for hours. - Hi, I’m Ashley! I’m just filling in this week.