With more slapstick humor than we’ve really seen on the show before, last night’s Broad City was especially broad. Given how good the show’s cast is at physical comedy, that in itself wasn’t a problem. The episode’s lower than average gag count, on the other hand, was.
In general, it felt like “Wisdom Teeth” took a number of relatable and potentially hilarious premises and just didn’t develop them enough. Abbi’s visit to Whole Foods in particular seemed like a missed opportunity—with all the humor to be mined from the grocery chain and the peculiar love-hate relationship millennials have with it, it was pretty disappointing that the best the show could come up with was “wow, this shit sure is expensive.”
Of course, there was still plenty to like, from quick jokes like Ilana’s erroneous citation of “the Mayonnaise Clinic” to the return of her roommate Jaime, crippled by a seemingly endless selection of (increasingly bizarre) froyo flavors.
I was especially happy with how the episode handled Abbi’s awkward hallway encounters with her neighbor Jeremy, which was probably my least favorite recurring gag last year. The “tongue-tied encounter with crush” was a tired joke long before Broad City used it the first time, but Abbi’s needlessly humiliating fake phone calls took it to refreshingly absurd new heights this week.
Really, I don’t mind my comedy punctuated with a little blood, vomit and nudity, but from a show like Broad City, I expect a bit more than that as well.