Partners: The Guys have a New Project

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When I saw the title of this episode, I was really curious to see how this show was going to spoof 2 Broke Girls. Alas, that's not really what happened. It was probably just an attempt to draw in some viewers, as this is far from CBS' best new show of the season. Up until this point, I've been a fan of this show, but I'm starting to wonder where it's going... I don't need everything I watch on television to be plot-driven, but nothing in this episode really pointed out where anyone was in their lives, with the exception that we now know Joe and Louis have only had their own architecture firm for a year and a half. Plus, the idea that they're scrounging around for work was short-lived... they had work previously and are set by the time the 23 minutes wraps. Maybe Wyatt could be more interesting? I mean, a Mennonite gay nurse has so many layers...

Partners "2 Broke Guys" (S01E05):  Joe is worried that he and Louis don't have another job lined up, but Louis is out shopping up a storm, buying fake glasses (the same kind Ali has) for himself and Wyatt (who doesn't like them), a messenger bag, a scarf (also identical to Ali's), and more. When Joe and Louis run into some twin-brother architects from their old firm, they get a little discouraged over their future.

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS

But, they also learn that their old tyrannical boss has died, so Louis wants to go back to that firm, though Joe insists it would be easier to ask Louis' brother (a real estate developer) for a job. [doesn't every other show on television already profess that you shouldn't do business with family??] Speaking of Louis' brother, they don't speak because Henry doesn't approve of the fact that Louis is gay. Louis decides to go to the firm but the twins tell him that the reason Joe quit was because he was going to get a five-year contract and Louis was going to get fired. [awwww. such a good friend. I don't know if I could have done that.] So, Louis heads to his brother's, but Joe catches up to him before he knocks. [the exchange of the $20 back and forth was funny!] Joe tells Louis that they'll be okay without bothering the homophobe, and they even land a job on the way home. [can we all synchronize the rolling of our eyes that this could happen right now??] In the end, the twins are fired and will also be working for themselves. [oooh! please tell me that they'll be recurring!]

In other problems, Ali and Wyatt casually kiss "goodbye," freaking out Joe (but not Louis). She says that she'll be more careful about making them "short pops," but Joe becomes increasingly worried when he learns that Ali calls Wyatt for everything from building display cases to fixing the thermostat. After a few more kisses, Ali realizes that the kisses aren't 100% platonic, and realizes that she can't do that anymore. [AWKWARD! why couldn't we focus more on the outcome of THIS??]