Rapidly Reviewing The Critic Episode 4: Dial 'M' For Mother

We open this episode as Jay is forced to review a remake of "Pride of the Yankees", now with a new nicer ending. So if you thought the new King Arthur movie was too historically inaccurate for you, here's a big happy ending for Lou Gehrig.  Before Jay can get into one of his patented "heated reviews", he is cut to commercial break.

In a case of strange karma, Jay is also having an issue getting test audiences to like him, mainly for his more colder, more harsh reviews. In hopes of changing Jay's acerbic attitude, his boss Duke Phillips gives him five days of his time in order to help. Worked for Bill Clinton (though maybe he should have went a bit longer on that). Jay's popularity has reached even worse than Hitler. In other words, poor Jay needs to find a way to make people like him. You know, besides changing much about himself, I guess.

Since Jay's not coming up with any good ideas, Duke decides to change around the aesthetic of 'Coming Attractions', much to the disgust of Jay. When that doesn't work, Duke's last great idea is to use Geraldo Rivera to do a special about Jay and his mother. After a bit of not-so-subtle gay panic jokes, and an Al Jolson reference, Jay manages to convince Eleanor to come on his show.

The interview goes about as well as you'd expect. From Franklin's bizarre behavior being of no help, and Eleanor constantly embarrassing Jay. Despite Eleanor's cold, yet good intentions, Jay finally has had enough and snaps at her, telling her to shut up. In terms of Jay's character so far, and all the problems with him being too mean and cruel, this is definitely his lowest point. But enough of all that...

Let's boogie with Baby '37!

Now more ostracized by the masses and now the enemy of his Mother, Jay is at a loss of how to fix this, since his apology attempts aren't working too well. When Eleanor falls ill (of a broken heart apparently), Jay's apology attempts are still insincere, nor has Eleanor's cold demeanor changed. After Jay gets knocked out for his mother hating ways however, Eleanor finally gives in and decides to not be so harsh to him. Doesn't change the fact that Jay was kind of a dick to her, but a happy ending is a happy ending.

Despite the happy ending however, Jay is still reviled by test audiences. Until we go all balls to the wall crazy for the ending, and thanks to Baby 37, Jay ends up at least as popular as Hitler. Ain't much, but it's a start.

Dial M For Mother does suffer a bit from some pacing issues, but it's still a fun episode. Lots of great gags, especially from Franklin (both Baby 37 and Nilknarf come from this episode), even a quick Simpsons cameo that I didn't really get into (just to remind everyone where the creators of this show came from, even though ads were already doing that). I do feel that this is Jay at his most unlikable at this point. Just being a general jerk about every single thing without many redeeming qualities. I do feel he goes off a bit scot-free by the end of this as we try to shift the cause for his behavior to Eleanor, which while a bit true given her cold attitude, I wouldn't shoulder the entire blame on her. I dunno, that seems to hurt the episode a little for me. But despite that, this is another excellent episode of the Critic, which four episodes in is finding its niche in terms of storytelling and comedy.