RETURNING: Melissa & Joey - Still Renovating

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Is it just me, or did Ryder grow about a foot?? I liked that this episode reminded us of where we left off (the first season ended last September, so it's been a LONG time!), as I had forgotten how the house was in shambles. We're continuing to keep the kids in small bursts while focusing mainly on our childhood faves, which still works for the show. They also wasted no time reminding viewers how athletic Joey Lawrence is, not to say that I mind. ;)  I think that, overall, the first two episodes gave off a steady dose of laughs, and I look forward to seeing what else will be coming up this season. 

Melissa & Joey "I Can Manage" (S02E01): The house has been in the remodeling stage for three months now, resulting in the kitchen being two card tables and a microwave. [that's got to be rough!!] Lennox and Mel are sharing a room, as are Ryder and Joe. Mel is struggling to handle overseeing the construction and keeping up with her job, but eventually has to let Joe take over the supervision. Joe manages to get a hard-to-find sink and makes the workers stay until dark (rather than 5pm), which may improve things. But, Joe flips out over an increase in price and winds up firing the team. [haha!] He tries to take over the construction himself, but doesn't know much about varnishing floors and the family winds up having to sleep on air mattresses in the living room. [yikes! I would have expected Mel to look forward to the shopping opportunity for new clothes, tho!] Mel tries to beg Leo, the contractor, to come back by offering baked goods and begging, but it takes a check to make anything happen. Turns out, Joe also gave the guy some money, so it's no wonder that he's back to whistling while he works... $5500 richer!

Also, Lennox wrote a one-act play for the drama club. Neither Mel nor Joe actually read it, so they're surprised when they hear that the principal (who is torn apart by wolves in the play) cancels the production. Lennox tries to do it on the sly, but the principal hears and comes, and it goes well in the end! So well, in fact, that Lennox enters it into a competition and wins, completely defeating the purpose of satirizing the principal. [funny concept but too cliche to be great.]

Melissa & Joey "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (S02E02): New kitchen cabinets have arrived, but Mel hates them, despite them being exactly what she ordered. [kinda odd, but not worth quibbling over.] They get a specialty cabinet guy to come up with something else, and Mel falls for him. Joe suspects that the guy is just being charming so he's hired to do more work (the guy does suggest a design for putting an office above the garage). [hearing Joe talk about the tight shirts and muscles on the cabinet guy was funny. though I do think that this show is milking Joe's body a little much sometimes... oh, and LOVED Mel's blue dress!] The cabinet guy turns out to be a flirt all around, so don't expect him to stick around.

http://abcfamily.go.com

Non-Mel and non-Joe: Lennox joins a student council-type group at school, and suggests a free-mic period. She's largely ignored in favor of planning themed dress-up days, but she does gain the favor of one of the other boys. [a new boyfriend? that's all we get??]