Quick Thoughts: HAPPY ENDINGS, "Big White Lies"

There was so much to like about this episode that I'm just going to get to it.

"Big White Lies" didn't have a lot going on in terms of plot (which is fine since it's Happy Endings) but the premise of the gang getting caught up in a string of lies was strong enough to carry the entire episode because it let the cast do what it does best even if it didn't quite line up with what we've been told up until now.

The idea of Penny making up extravagant lies to get out of getting tea with an old acquaintance felt in character because while they're all not the nicest of people, she does seem like the one that needs to most outside validation, so I could buy her doing what she did and dragging everyone down with her in the process. It also goes back to one of the main premises of the show (and a lot of other ones for that matter) since it reminded us that it works because these six people are mean to one another and even worse to those outside of their circle, but they need to be liked, and somehow they pull it off. We shouldn't be cheering on Penny since she's willing to pull out all stops to lie to someone instead of being honest, but we do for some reason. It's like how we root for the Study Group or the Cul-De-Sac Crew despite their unhealthy codependent natures. Maybe the bonds that these people have are reminiscent of what we have ourselves or what we would like to have so we cut them slack. Just like we would for our own friends.

Regardless of why the episode was funny, it was and like I mentioned there were so many things to like about it. If I had to pick my favorite moments though, I'd have to go with Alex and Max wanting to pretend that they were a part of a modern day Three's Company with Dave. Adam Pally and Elisha Cuthbert work amazingly well together, and Max and Alex tend to bring out the best moments out of one another. No matter how many times I see it, I laugh when she gets to hide and he gets to hide her when the landlord barges into their apartment. Good stuff.

Now that I think about it, Elisha Cuthbert was by far the MVP of the episode after being a supporting player last week. Besides her take on Chrissy, her impersonation of Ellen was even better based on the self-righteous way she played the character. It also didn't hurt that we got to see her wind-blown hair, some cleavage and her sweet dance moves.

"Big White Lies" wasn't perfect though, and I did have some very minor issues with it. Usually, I'm not a stickler for continuity (it's why I can still appreciate Glee), but there were some inconsistencies that irked me, especially when it came to Jane. During this episode, she was trying to be the voice of reason and tried to convince Penny to come clean, but she's the one who staged an elaborate scheme to trick Dave and Brad in "Kerkovich Way," so she shouldn't have been so high and mighty. Sure, this could have been an example of "do as I say, not as I do" or her just trying to boss people around, but her getting all up in arms about what Penny was doing was a little distracting. Plus, she obviously doesn't mind being mean to people (like the Home Owner's Association), so why would she care if Daphne thought that she wasn't nice? See what I mean?

Lines of the Night:

• "Ugh, my god! Just buy a lakehouse already so we can stop hearing about your big, black dock."
• "Oh, I get it. I was supposed to say, 'your big, African-American dock.' I'm sorry."
• "Who put this here?!?"
• "Yeah, but you gotta admit in your sleep's a pretty chill way to go."
• "Because schmos like us need people to think we're nice. It's all we've got."
• "Classic Janet."
• Alex: "That was a close one Max."
  Max: "Sure was Alex."
• "Damn it! Everyone's life is moving on but mine."
• "You can barely see my baby in her."
• "Serbian tradition. We always do things early cause we never know when we're going to have to pack up and murder a populace."
• Alex: "This is gonna be fun. I'm gonna get a penis-shaped cake and a penis pinata..."
  Penny: "It's a baby shower. It's not a bachelorette party."
  Alex: "Right, right, right, right. So what kind of penis stuff should I get?"
• Alex: "I get to hide again."
  Max: "I get to hide you."
• Alex: "Greetings Feline?"
  Penny: "Look, we all didn't have a fancy free-standing house filled with real Hello Kitty schwag."
• "No, I am not pretending to be pregnant anymore. This is not eighth grade gym class."
• "Hey, Top Gun."
• "A suit? Why does a baby need a suit? What does he have a job? He's not fooling anybody. He's a baby!"
•  "I'm basically a young, handsome Ron Popeil."
• "You're not the only one good at this game Emily Thorne."
• "Times have a changed. Lesbians can use the ladies room now. Deal with it."
• "This isn't Three's Company, okay. You can't just transform a person by undoing a button and a ponytail."
• "But he's dancing."

Overall, "Big White Lies" was another winner thanks to an insane idea that didn't have too much plot that got in the way. It's a shame that next week's the season finale and that we lost an episode thanks to Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23. I saw the pilot, and it's good, but it's no Happy Endings. Now, it's time to cross our fingers for a third season.