From the Hype Williams-inspired cold open, it was clear last night’s Broad City was going to be something special, but it’s only now that I realize “Apartment Hunters” is a pretty good metaphor for the show itself. Just like looking for a new apartment or finding out you don’t have herpes, it’s been equal parts exciting and stressful following Abbi and Ilana’s first year on television. After a stellar premiere and a just-as-strong follow-up, my expectations for the show grew to inflatable-Missy-Elliot-suit proportions. And when later episodes failed to fulfill that early promise, it looked troublingly like Broad City had prematurely run its course.
Luckily, Broad City has been able to get over its mid-season slump and then some. Since series low “Hurricane Wanda,” the show has outdone itself each week, quickly going, as Ilana might say, from “more high” to “highest.” The killer opening sequence set to Drake’s “Started from the Bottom” would have made last night’s episode on its own, and that was before “Apartment Hunters” even really started.
An obvious highlight from the episode was Amy Sedaris’ Pam, the funniest guest character since Fred Armisen’s adult baby and a serious contender to Jerri Blank’s Queen of Ratchet throne. Pam’s ability to make bizarre lines like “I was cyber-bullied within an inch of my life last night…I make dolls out of human hair” sound completely natural was nothing short of incredible, and she was only one of several memorable weirdos introduced in “Apartment Hunters.” Dale, Mark and Tag all deserve praise too, as each helped make this episode both the creepiest and most hilarious in Broad City’s short run.
Next week will be the show’s season finale, and it will be interesting to see if the girls can top last night’s magic. Fortunately, even if they don’t, Broad City will still be getting another whole year to reach those highs. My faith in the show may have wavered over the last few months, but the unmatched hilarity of “Apartment Hunters” makes it pretty easy to be a Broad City believer.