Broad City: "Knockoffs"

My first thought after watching “Knockoffs” was, “Is this the best episode of Broad City yet?” followed closely by, “How have I never noticed Ilana is a 20-something Susie Essman?”

Essman, of course, is best known for playing the proudly profane Susie Green on Curb Your Enthusiasm and casting her as Ilana’s mother—visiting the city for Grandma Esther’s shiva—was an inspired decision. The role didn’t exactly expand Essman’s comic repertoire, but given how skilled she is at turning phrases like “tri-state area dirtbag” and “four-eyed fuck” into foul-mouthed poetry, I sure didn’t mind.

This week’s other main subplot was just as strong, and just the sort of thing Broad City is singularly excellent at. I’ll admit, I still haven’t seen the infamous analingus episode of Girls, but Abbi’s pegging dilemma was one of the most honest representations of millennial sex I’ve seen on TV: adventurous and ridiculous while also no big deal.

It also tidily concluded the recurring Jeremy storyline, which I started getting tired of almost immediately after it was introduced last year. “Your crush on Jeremy was holding you back,” says Ilana at the end of “Knockoffs,” “and now you’re free,” surely speaking for the show’s writers to some degree.

Broad City: “Knockoffs”