This is the first episode of The Mick that really shows us what we’re in for in the longterm. Which is great, because it’s amazing and stupid and can only get better from here – by which I mean worse, for our characters, hopefully.
The first story is Mick fighting with Sabrina over the fact that the latter doesn’t use any birth control with her super hot boyfriend Kai (Andy Favreau). Which, WHAT? I understand that this was Mickey’s reaction too, but seriously, what? How does a so-called worldly teen like Sabrina not use any form of birth control at all? If anything, I’m surprised she didn’t have her mother sign her up for the pill in high school.
Mick’s rant on how the pill changed the game for women was even more surprising, though! I mean, she’s right, I just wouldn’t expect a network TV show to get so detailed about it. Heck, Mickey even goes to the free clinic and picks up a bunch of NuvaRing packs and even a few IUDs. But Sabrina is stubbornly unimpressed. As Mickey says, Sabrina is the “dumbest smart person” she’s ever met. How does this girl get anything done? What does she do?
That was one thing that kind of bothered me about this episode. Almost the whole episode is set in the house, with the characters not doing anything outside of their stories, giving it a kind of an oddly isolated vibe. Even Sabrina and Kai’s relationship came out of nowhere, but even more so it didn’t seem like Sabrina had anything else going on. Mickey just kept happening in on her either reading or making out with Kai.
Anyway, according to Sabrina, the pill is too “full of chemicals” for her to use. Does she mean…hormones? Unfortunately, Mickey describes them to baby Ben as “magic pills,” which is how you get any kid to immediately steal and eat anything. Which he does! His tiny, squeaky mood swings were incredibly adorable. I’m usually wary of child getting into mishaps on sitcoms because they usually end up acting like they’re in their own mini-Disney Channel show, but Ben is so cute and squeaky, it’s amazing.
Meanwhile, Chip’s character is really developing. Hands down, the best scene of the episode was when Chip very sweetly, very shyly…asks a girl to make out with him for $500. Having grown up on Boy Meets World, the scene had a somewhat nostalgic, somewhat traumatic vibe for me, which made it all the funnier. It was so perfectly set up, so beautiful hopefully, and then…it makes me hopeful that Chip’s character will continue to grow and develop, probably like a hothouse flower that’s given too little water and grows in a twisted shape. I can definitely see his character having more stories that resemble rotten versions of ABC Family coming of age sitcoms. Destroy more of my ‘90’s childhood, The Mick!
Mickey’s not-boyfriend Jimmy’s advice to Chip seems pretty much clichéd deadbeat dad nonsense, but since Scott MacArthur’s a writer for the show his character might become more strange and complex. His husky voice and body make me think of a laid back TJ Miller.
Finally, I fully supported Alba and Mickey’s plan to trick Sabrina into thinking she was pregnant. Maybe I’ve been ruined by high school dramas like Veronica Mars, but I expected Sabrina to just go to Mickey and ask her to drive her to the doctor to get an abortion. Also, Kai wanting to get married? Where’d she even meet this guy when she’s always slipping out to fancy parties? Sabrina’s character seems a wee bit inconsistent.
The bit at the end was a surprise, with Mickey potentially pregnant because Ben had eaten all her birth control. Not that it would happen – that seemed a given – but that it wasn’t resolved immediately. We’ll have to tune in on Sunday (for a random time slot change) to find out what happens.
Stray Observations:
- Look, Planned Parenthood and free clinics are great but…where can you go and pick up a BUNCH of contraception like that for free?! If you’re on Medicare, maybe, but these people are rich! Don’t they have fancy private insurance? And I’m pretty surprised at the idea that you can just…pick up an IUD with an insertion stick wrapped up in plastic like a toothbrush! Wouldn’t the free clinic people want to insert it there? Wouldn’t they want to talk to the patient? Does The Mick happen in an alternate reality where Planned Parenthood isn’t in danger and is actually able to educate and empower people with regards to their reproductive health? (Let’s all donate to PP in our confusion.)
- Kai drinking milk in the opener. Why is he so bad at it, and why is it so good to watch?
- Mickey’s scene trying to seduce Kai was wonderfully surreal with her bouncing on the bed like that. Bet Alba would definitely have sealed the deal, though.
- This exchange: “It destroys your body and causes crazy mood swings.” “SO DO BABIES!”