RETURNING: The Exes: Toys and Friends

So the only real story of the season premiere was a bit touchy for a first-timer, plus you didn't really get any of the characters' personalities. Still, I'm still glad this comedy is back. Of course, I could have done without Eden's jokes about her struggle to lose the final half-pound of baby weight, but she's only a small part of the series anyway. (yeah, I know. I'm punny.) The second episode got the relationships between the characters back on target, but it just wasn't funny. It could be that we've all seen comedies do that scenario before, or maybe it just didn't work with this strange conglomeration of personalities, but I really hope the upcoming episodes do this series better justice. Or... is it too late?

The Exes "Toy Story" (S03E01): Stuart uses Holly's "pleasure enhancing device" as a back massager when she's out of town, unaware of its primary function. [he's that oblivious?] The guys clue him in, but when Holly returns early, they quickly hide it and it winds up breaking. [of course.] They head down to a specialty shoppe to buy a replacement, but the model is too old to replicate. [seriously. it plugged into the wall! the steam-powered joke had me rolling!] So, Haskell fixes it while Phil distracts Holly at the bar. ["if we rebuild it, she will come" was gross.] When Holly goes to use it, however, her apartment catches fire. She's worried about it being deemed the "cause" of the fire, and the guys are nervous that they made it too powerful. Fortunately, it turned out to be faulty wiring. But the guys don't know that and confess to Holly in front of some people from the building, embarrassing everyone. [I'll say!] She says that they should have just told her the truth, but they were afraid to jeopardize the friendship. [yeah, I could see that!] Holly then makes the guys share embarrassing secrets, but the only one to say something is Haskell, who admits to buying something from the shoppe.

The Exes "The Holly's Buddies Story" (S03E02): The guys all butt in on Holly & Paul's date, but only Paul is bothered. [Holly seemed a little too oblivious, if you ask me.] Paul confronts the guys and asks them to leave he and Holly alone. But, it's tougher than expected when Paul alternates between inviting them places and telling them to decline. [this should have been funny but it wasn't. overdone, maybe?] Soon, Holly thinks the guys are mad at her, and Paul goes to tell the guys to act a little more normal. [I just don't understand how the guys had trouble understanding Paul... have they never been in a situation where they're helping a bud impress a lady??] Holly overhears and she gets upset. [though I thought the funniest part was that she expected Eden to be just as floored!] Holly tries to make up with Paul, but when she learns the guys are having a poker night without her, she lies to get out of a date. And, as is predictable in sitcoms, Paul shows up to apologize to the guys, and it's only a matter of time before he sees Holly. He breaks up with her because she's not as into him as he is into her. [that's a rough one.]