Carol

While Sullivan & Son is at times slow-moving and may not hold viewers’ interests, Thursday’s episode certainly did not have that problem. There were some parts of the episode that were not overly relevant, but the rest of the show made up for it in a big way.

The opening minutes detailed Steve helping Hank organize his will. It wasn’t necessarily boring or horrible to watch, but it was the least funny story line of the episode. A running joke throughout the episode had Hank continue to tell Steve to take his daughter out of the will, only to ask him to put her back in after he did some rethinking. Hank had little else to offer for the rest of the episode. The real action began when Owen’s mom, Carol walked into the bar and said she was feeling hot. The other patrons assure her it is freezing. Mel then suggests Carole probably had a hot flash and that it could be the beginning of menopause. Carol tries to dismiss this and say that menopause is for old people. It is a very awkward moment for her when she realizes that she might be considered old.

Wanting to feel young, Carol pulls her face and eyes back with her hand trying to simulate how she might look after plastic surgery. She then asks the men in the bar for “help” tucking in her rear end and propping up her breasts.  A horrified Steve tells everyone to stop touching her. The next day, Carol seems resigned to her “old” status, wearing clothing that is more traditionally worn by people her age and is far less provocative than the clothing she usually wears. Owen wants his mom to cheer up. He goes as far as telling her to find a man to sleep with so she can get her confidence back.

The relationship between Owen and Carol has been firmly established in the series. It was one of the best aspects of Thursday’s show. It is unorthodox, but it makes sense. It perplexes everyone else, but works very well. However, even after talking to Owen, Carole still wants to get plastic surgery. Ahmed is especially disappointed in Carol, following her out of the bar and telling her that she does not need to change herself. He says that she is one of the most beautiful women he knows. The events that follow are obvious to the viewer, but it was well done. The audience knows that Ahmed and Carol’s sexual encounter is coming, but the writers made the right call with not showing it.

The day after Carol and Ahmed’s hook up, Carol is much happier and back in her normal clothing. After she tells Owen that she slept with a guy the night before, he’s thrilled that her confidence is back. The only problem is Ahmed has her cell phone. When Owen calls her cell phone trying to find it and Ahmed picks it up, he is incredibly ignorant and assumes that Carol and Ahmed simply have the same ring tone. Owen reacted in a very annoying and unrealistic way, but at least that kept the plot going.

Outraged, Steve and Roy pull Ahmed aside to remind him of “one general rule of society that is accepted by all”: don’t sleep with your friend’s mom. It is especially funny when Steve mentioned a “pact” that they all had as kids to never sleep with Carol. After Carol aroused Roy, they felt it was most sensible. Steve and Roy beg Ahmed not to tell Owen about his night, but he does anyway. Initially, Owen is actually calm and even thanks Ahmed for “helping [his] mom,” but his restrained anger is obvious. The next night, Owen takes Ahmed’s mom on a date for revenge. Steve just wants to resolve the issue and urges Owen to punch Ahmed. At first, he doesn’t want to, as that would mean that the fight is over. However, when Ahmed says that he is still “sore from last night”, Owen has none of it. The next shot showed an exterior of the bar and distant screams. The events that transpired between Owen and Ahmed were the funniest of the episode.

Sullivan & Son is not consistently high quality, but this episode was good. It had a simple premise that was easy to follow. It was taboo, but not offensive. Thursday’s show was ridiculous enough for everyone to laugh. Sullivan & Son is not always reliable, but the show is capable of quality entertainment.