Happy Endings ‘Fowl Play/Date’ review: Bird murder and matchmaking… an unlikely pair

Well, Happy Endings is now twice a week, so I guess you folks are stuck with me twice as much now. But twice a week isn’t such a bad thing for you viewers, especially if the remaining episodes of season three turn out to be like last night’s “Fowl Play/Date.” Last night’s episode truly was one of the strongest episodes Happy Endings has had this year, possibly even the entire series. I mean, the opening bit about all the different cons? I have never seen a cast in such perfect unison with one another. It’s that type of quick-witted, fast-action dialogue that makes Happy Endings one of the smartest network sitcoms.

Luckily, that whole “con” gag was just set up for something even better. As soon as I heard the words “rom-com con” I was hoping we were gonna get an entire episode of Alex at the convention but looking back on it, where would that leave the rest of our group? No, the whole rom-com con was just part of the elaborate set-up of one of the greatest storylines Penny and Brad have ever shared. Don’t get me wrong, avicide (the killing of birds) is a big deal, but let’s be honest, the racist bird had it coming. I mean, for starters, he was a White Sox fan… okay, ya know what? As a former resident of Chicago, it’s just easiest not to get into the intricacies of the situation. Suffice it to say, Tyler had to go. The true show-stealer of the episode was the dynamic between Penny and Brad as they try not to crack under the pressure. Penny and Brad isn’t a pairing Happy Endings gives us too often, and after last night’s display, it’s hard to see why not? Penny as the in-your-face, in-control “saboteur” (anybody remember that from the Thanksgiving episode?) is not a role we typically see Casey Wilson in. That’s more Jane territory, but Wilson kills it. However, equal credit is due to her laughably meek on-screen partner, Damon Wayans Jr. Brad has always been an enjoyable character, but lately it seems he’s only paired with, well, his TV wife (makes sense) but it’s nice to see Brad and Jane get a break from each other and to see Happy Endings mix up its main cast a little bit. The two are great together, especially when it comes to the physical comedy. Penny slapping Brad for all of his suggestions is unquestionably one of the highlights of “Fowl Play/Date,” but to be honest, there are too many great moments between the two to choose a favorite. Just about everything with these two was priceless.

But it isn’t just about Brad and Penny this week. Jane, Dave, and Max are given a long overdue storyline about Max’s inability to date. Okay, maybe this one hit a little close to home because my friends frequently refer to me as Max, but still, this plot needed to happen. I mean, I know we’re all still reeling from the loss of Grant (James Wolk? Season 2? Anyone?) but it’s time for Max to get out there again. What better people to help him than Jane and Dave? Okay, well, the correct answer is “anyone,” but still, their intentions were good… ish. It’s a great storyline, and provides some great laughs when you see Jane and Brad with their respective dates for Max, but I would have liked to see the episode handled a little differently. It honestly felt like Happy Endings had all of the actors playing Max’s dates for, like, their coffee break from another guest spot. Personally, I would have liked to see the episode more focused on Max and his dates, but that wasn’t the route they took. It’s always nice to see another “Jane is too competitive” episode (no, I’m not being facetious, I really love those episodes) so I wasn’t exactly disappointed with this B-plot, but I don’t think it lived up to its potential. Did the moments between Jane and Dave still make me laugh? For sure, Eliza Coupe is always a reliable source of laughs and Zach Knighton channeling his inner-Dave Matthews band groupie vibe never fails either. It was just a storyline that could have been a lot more than it was, but still, a great demonstration of this cast’s abilities.

“Fowl Play/Date” really brings it all together with Alex’s bird funeral (RIP Tyler Kerkovich) which reunites the whole cast. Still, more than summing up both the storylines, it gave us a solid laugh to end on. Finding out Tyler’s cause of death (but seriously? Do bird autopsies exist?) was alcohol poisoning, with the subsequent incriminating photos, was a great joke to end on. Not just cuz it made me laugh, but because it gave the whole cast a chance to do that overlapping, Happy Endings pile-on that just proves how great these actors and actresses are together.