Betty White and company return for a third season on TV Land.
When we last left the ladies of Hot in Cleveland, Elka (Betty White) was literally standing at the altar with Fred ready to get hitched, when her other beau, Max, came in to contest the nuptials. But he wasn’t the last to complain, as Elka’s long-on-the-lam first husband Bobby (Don Rickles) also showed up to claim his wife once more. Overwhelmed by the lot of them, Season Three opens with Elka hiding out at home in a closet as Melanie, Joy and Victoria coax her to come out and face her romantic entanglements. All three of the men text or call Elka pleading for her heart, but she just wants to get away from it all. Opportunity strikes (conveniently) when Victoria gets a call from her agent to appear on the NYC talk show, The Chatter, so they all decide to pack up for a getaway.
Once on-set at The View knock-off, Victoria discovers from boozy co-host Kathie Lee Gifford that the producers are looking for another permanent host, but they want a lesbian for diversity. Having accidentally married Joy in Canada, Victoria decides to use it to her advantage and announces to the world that she’s come out and just got married – much to Joy’s dismay. In an attempt to deflect, Elka’s man drama then comes out and she’s summoned to the chat couch to tell her story.
Upon returning home, Bobby is there to meet them. As he eats a sandwich in the kitchen, Elka and the ladies try to come up with a pros & cons list for the best man in her life. The ladies finally get Elka to see that Bobby isn’t the right man for her, but a few minutes with her former hubby and she agrees to go back out on the road with him to escape the mob. Luckily, the ladies are able to quickly track down Elka in Arizona where she admits the thrill is gone with Bobby and they part ways.
As always Hot in Cleveland certainly doesn’t raise the sitcom bar, but it’s a great showcase for its exceptionally talented leading ladies. Betty White doesn’t need any help from me convincing the world that she’s a top-notch comedian, but it’s a real joy to see how her comedic timing in action. She is as sharp as she was in her Mary Tyler Moore days, even if this show pales in comparison to that classic. White consistently takes Cleveland’s cream puff dialogue and makes it funnier, whether it’s explaining LOL mistakes by her boyfriend or talking saucy over a glass of wine. She’s really a master.
Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves also get some great moments as they easily slide into old marrieds, lesbian banter over the course of the episode that would be tiresome in lesser talents hands. Malick’s acerbic narcissism and Leeves exasperated reactions to it find a great rhythm by episode’s end. You actually do want to see them continue in their sham marriage just to watch the repercussions play out. Bertinelli pretty much hangs back as the straight woman this episode, but she’s always an able performer even playing backup. It’s nice to see the ladies back and with three seasons under their belts now, Hot in Cleveland will hopefully only burn brighter for them.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.