Broad City: “Getting There”

I’m on vacation and I keep having anxiety dreams that I forgot to lock my door. I know I locked my door—I always do—but that doesn’t stop me from rolling over in the night and whispering to my boyfriend, “what if my apartment is getting broken into right now?”

There is no experience more adult and more horrifying than planning a trip and getting to the airport. When you’re a child, you speak as a child, follow your parents’ travel advice as a child. Now it is time to put childish things away, and schedule out how you’re getting to the airport your own damn self.

In “Getting There,” nothing goes right for Abbi and Ilana, which is, you know, par for the course. This is a comedy show, there are very few jokes in the scenario of “and they got on the subway and made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.” I’d like to say they fail in interesting ways, and they do, kinda, but it’s kind of a bland episode. It’s the first part of a two parter—it’s called “Getting There.”

There’s not a lot of there there, in this episode, which makes sense because, well, we’re missing half the story. But it becomes hard to review just half a story. Would this feel more dynamic if I watched both parts? I’m inclined to say no. I did laugh here, this episode did feel relatable, but by the time it was over I was kinda like, “that’s it?”

There are a lot of funny aspects to this episode—Ilana forgetting her passport is one of my biggest fears, especially now that I travel internationally pretty regularly. I love the interlude of Abbi and Ilana deciding if they get trapped on a subway car, they’d eat the baby (it did indeed look delicious). I was pleasantly surprised by a Seth Green cameo, him creepily stroking Abbi’s face as he explains that on their Birthright trip to Israel, she’ll probably learn about her reproductive potential.

The point of this episode, obviously, is to say that the journey is as much of the story as the destination, but I feel like not only have we all gotten that fortune cookie already, there’s not actually a lot to justify that knock off koan here. Yes, Abbi and Ilana had a relatively exciting time getting to the airport, but because this is one of those sitcoms that eschews hugging and learning taking this approach to a two parter feels like padding. It feels like I’m watching Broad City fill for time before what I hope will be a more dynamic finale. Especially after last episode, I feel like “Getting There” is meant to be a breather, but it reads way more like a full on nap.

So, it was funny, but a little bland. I feel like that’s a caveat I’ve been giving a lot this season. Overall, in its penultimate episode, this season of Broad City has been competent if dull. It’s watchable but not affecting. It’s, well, it’s just been ever so slightly boring. I know that Abbi and Ilana can be more, louder, bigger. I hope we get there next episode.