Rapidly Reviewing The Critic Episode 7: Every Doris Has Her Day

After reviewing the movie "Howard Stern's End" and interviewing one of the actors, Jay gets tickets to the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical, "Hunch!". The only problem is since Jay is comically unattractive,  he has a hard time finding a date (and we've completely omitted the whole projectionist character from consideration). With no other option left, he ends up going to the musical with his makeup lady, Doris. Despite the horrendous quality of the musical, Jay and Doris seem to hit it off as friends. Now, in any other situation, this would lead to them sleeping together, but this is a situation where both find each repulsive enough to just be friends.

The pair share another good day together as friends, and it is really good to see Jay find someone who is just as analytically anal as he is. After having concerns about Doris' chain smoking, she drops a bombshell on Jay that she had a son that was put up for adoption. This causes Jay to believe that perhaps he's her long lost son. Now believing there's a chance, the two go to Jay's parents, and, as per usual, they take it how you'd expect. Eleanor feeling betrayed, and Franklin lovingly tickling a chair. About the usual.

Doris and Jay get a blood test to determine if they're related. But since we still have four minutes to pad out time until the results come in, Duke forces Jay to review his Dirty Dozen remake with Schwarzenegger, Stallone and the like. Doris comes to Jay's aid, defending his integrity, and gets fired for it. Jay manages to get her job back by sacrificing said integrity. Just around this time, they learn that they aren't mother and son, but it doesn't matter as they can still treat each other like family. At least until next week when they're back to that same level of disdain for each other that we've come to know and love. Happily (enough) ever after.

Every Doris Has Her Day is a great episode of the show. It does fall victim to a bit of pacing issues and a load of padding, but the comedy within is still some excellent gold. If this episode is any one thing, it's a tribute to Doris Grau, voice of Doris and longtime script supervisor. I think everyone, even Doris herself, knew that she was on borrowed time on this earth due to her years of chain smoking. Something that would prove unfortunately true as she would pass only a year later on December 30th of 1995, not long after the Critic's Fox cancellation, I might add.

I do like how this episode gives us Doris and Jay having better feelings for one another without the sacrifice of their character. Compared to the past couple episodes, this one does feel like it flows much better as well, even with a lot of padding, the story starts well enough in the first act and keeps being interesting up until the end. A definite sign of the quality writing that the show is often lauded for. And with us now into season 1's second half, there's only higher and higher to ascend.