TV Review: Broad City (3×02) “Co-Op”

Welcome back to my weekly review and recap of Broad City. To catch up on previous coverage, click here.

It’s amazing how simplistic the basic nature of any given Broad City storyline is. Episodic and very much living by their walk and talk comedy, it still impresses when the bare bones synopsis of the episode if Abbi takes over a shift at the food co-op for Ilana while Ilana goes to Long Island for a doctors appointment.

The high conceptual moments come in the execution and watching it all play out, taking very ordinary, day to day chores and errands and heightening them, creating something surreal in a very grounded television show.

Ilana’s story for instance is so much more interesting in the travel to her appointment rather than the destination itself. We realize she’s simply been worried about having to get a shot but it’s still hilarious to see the usually unflappable Ilana become such panicked especially when it has nothing to do with Abbi. Lincoln has taken great lengths to make sure the ride as painless as possible and even the snacks and stuffed animals can’t stop Ilana from leaping into his lap looking for a quick hook up to calm her nerves while he tries to drive. What I found even better was their ride home, post shot, when Lincoln tells Ilana that he’s hooked up with another girl.

Cut to the two of them pulled over as Ilana looses it, breaking things and causing a general raucous before climbing atop Lincolns car who understandably believes this is Ilana angry. Instead we find out that she couldn’t be more thrilled, believe that she and Lincoln are on another level of no labels relationship. It’s a nice twist to what could have been both an obvious development with Ilana being pissed or just lazy, uncharacteristic writing.

As always it’s Abbi who’s having the rougher go of it as she was coerced by Ilana into dressing as her at the co-op in order to keep her job and provide the two of them with their food. The co-op is one of those moments where Broad City seems to just be flat out biting in their humor about the people working there and while it’s funny, usually the show also comes with a self-aware nature that makes it so that their jokes never come across as mean spirited.

Abbi, dressed in tight pants, a midriff baring top and ridiculous makeup is good on the surface level as Ilana and Abbi Jacobson does a fantastic job at nailing down some of Ilana Glazer’s mannerisms and tics but what makes it so funny is how it’s always just a little off. Abbi may be saying and doing what Ilana does on a daily basis but she’s doing it with the physical awkwardness that is so definitely Abbi. What’s better is that she can’t even spend the day enjoying the carelessness of being Ilana and all the confidence it entails because she falls for a fellow employee but as Abbi, not Ilana. Being Abbi she finds herself in a lie that grows increasingly elaborate until Ilana appears and absolutely fails at pretending to be Abbi, misreading every sign before running out. Abbi looses her chance and then get’s caught in her lie by the owner of the co-op with she and Ilana both loosing their membership.

Not quite as strong as the premier but considering I would place last weeks episode as in the top three episodes the series has ever done that’s an incredibly high bar. The greatest set back is how long the episode keeps the two leading ladies apart when the show typically thrives in episodes dedicated to the showcasing the two together. It’s a funny show when they’re apart but an excellent one when they’re together. High in energy despite a simplistic plot, it’s a good, not great second outing for the season.

7/10