“I’m gonna go husband, but I think they should get divorced.” – Sarah Silverman
Right off the jump, I have to say that I was loving Martin Short on the panel this week. This could be a completely out of whack with reality view, but I feel Short has gone through something of a renaissance of late. He was astonishingly good in a strictly dramatic role on Damages, and was natural and honest and funny throughout on the panel. More Martin Short, says I.
I also have to say that we’re clearly at the point where we can see that The Marriage Ref can hang around for the long haul (and hooray, it’s been renewed for a second season!). We’ve seen a variety of different panels now, and the show has remained consistently entertaining (albeit some weeks funnier than others). I also think this is the first time we’ve had a panel without a Seinfeld alumnus or NBC sitcom star to hold things down. On the flipside, after several weeks of one comedian being forced to be a Rock of Comedy with two non-coms, we have two genuinely funny people in Short and Sarah Silverman this week, plus a high megawatt star in Matthew Broderick, who was entertaining and funny to boot.
Couple #1 — Therman and Tee Arringtons: the sex maniac
This is one of the more entertaining couples we’ve seen round The Marriage Ref parts. I loved Sarah Silverman kicking off the panel discussion with, “I don’t know Tom, it’s a real quandary,” followed by Short chiming in: “That Hooked on Phonics really worked for you.”
Other takeaways.
* “You a sex maniac.” — Tee
* Grunting/imitating Thereman: “Grr… I got something for you.” — Tee
* “I don’t want to play Call of Duty, I want to play Call of Booty!”
* Papa makes great use of the telestrator, circling the booze in the background for which Therman might better make his case.
* Broderick to Short: “You look incredibly sexy right now.”
* Silverman knocked it out with her line about the Fed Ex guy coming more than once a week (and nah, I’m not ‘splaining more than that).
Couple #2: – Guy and Amber Arkenberg: the man friend
I have to say that I’m oddly in sync with Martin Short’s take so far: he’s been on point with the guy’s point of view. Here he relates that a husband might have a problem with his wife spending a lot of time with a “guy friend” even if there’s no direct suspicion about a potential affair scenario.
More:
* “He’s not a boyfriend. He’s a friend who’s a guy!” — Amber
* I love Guy talking about how in the 2012 “when the planets all align”
* Tom Papa cracks a great joke about Amber’s guy friend “soaking his brain with 52 ounces of daytime alcohol” while kibitzing with Amber.
* Did we really need a Jay Leno drop in? Kind of weird that he jokes about the “10:00 slot” too given what the general perception is about his dealings with Conan O’Brian.
* I don’t usually comment on the “ruling” much as it’s not that significant to the enjoyment of the show, but I’m glad the husband won this one.
Couple #3: Debbie and Mario D’Amores (?): decaf DEFCON
Oooh… I always get excited for a Long Island couple (these two live in Lake Ronkonkoma… guessing it takes a Long Island native to know where that lake is located!). The deal here is that Debbie wants her decaf coffee only if it’s brewed within the last 20 minutes. Debbie apparently has been doing this for 37 years. This, let us say, is not one of the more scintillating dilemmas brought before the Ref. Meanwhile, Mario’s in the bathroom for two hours “trimming and buzzing,” and he’s also country line dancing too, apparently. A bit scattered, editorially. As much as I dig the Long Island couples, I’m ready to buzz past this segment.
Couple #4: Ash and Betty Hamilton: Lord of the Rings
Now, this is a geeky/bizarro obsession that I can get into! Ash it flipping geekcored out over Lord of the Rings, what with crazy paraphernalia splayed all over their east coast home.
* “Look at all those tubs!” — Betty
* I kind of dig that the dude’s name is Ash, the same name as the lead character in the Army of Darkness flicks (okay, that makes me geeky, but this is TV Geek Army, ain’t it)
* “I’m gonna go husband, but I think they should get divorced.” — Sarah Silverman
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.