To answer the most pressing question first, the reason I watched this show is simple. My girlfriend and I usually watch a few shows simultaneously, and at least one must always be “easy to watch”. And I noticed that all six seasons were available on Amazon Prime (at least in the UK). I won’t pretend I don’t have a weak spot for Kat Dennings, but honestly, who does not? Anyway, I was surprised by some things (mainly how many jokes didn’t age well), yet, at the same time, I wasn’t surprised at all. I will try my hardest to explain.
If there is one thing that dates your movie or tv show worse than old technology (pagers, faxes, phones as big as bricks), it must be jokes. Respectively, how edgy/dark the jokes are, compared to now. You will be surprised how many rape, suicide or sexual jokes this show has in store for you. And look, I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but I don’t mind those jokes. I think it depends on many things, like context, who made the joke and whether it’s just a cheap shot at getting some laughs or whether the writers mean something more. I understand this isn’t for everyone, so hey, if that’s not your cup of hot cocoa, feel free to skip this show, as this might be one of those last “edgy” sitcoms of its nature. I constantly thought of Married with Children (1987 – 1997) during it because it follows the same structure.
We have a few characters who (unlike Married with Children) have some growth throughout the show. But you know what to expect; mainly Beth’s character is forced to have some character development, given she came from extreme wealth and ended up in almost extreme poverty. 2 Broke Girls follows this sitcom structure to the T, rarely derailing from it. You have a story of the week, mostly involving both of our girls; there are crude jokes throughout and by season three, you know who will deliver this joke and when. I am not joking; this show is so “by the book” you know who will be the next to speak and what they will say.
Maybe now is the time; when you scroll down, see my rating and question me. Why am I rating it quite well if it’s so predictable? Because believe it or not, there were some comedic gems hidden here, but most importantly, if you have a sitcom that is strictly “by the book”, you better have perfect casting, and this show nailed it by making its stars Kat and Beth Behrs. I will talk about the supporting cast in the second, but we need to give credit where it’s due.
Everyone and their mum now know these two are best friends in real life, and luckily for this show, it translated to the screen. I liked how their characters have never been “typecasted” per se, meaning they both can do it all. Sometimes, Kat does more physical comedy, Beth is the butt of the joke, and sometimes, it is the other way around. Sure, the show tried to convince us that Beth is so unattractive (a running joke of the show about her character not having sex and she somehow repulses men), but that might be the biggest joke of it all. But most importantly, the chemistry between them is there, and it carries this show. I liked the decision to keep some shots of actors laughing at the jokes; in between transition shots to different scenes, as that is precisely what this show is about. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and neither should you.
Regarding the supporting cast, everyone has a role to play, and they rarely move away from their lane. Garrett Morris is an old, Black grandpa who, as the show progresses, gets more and more forgetful. Jonathan Kite plays a sex pest who would be sued and fired on his first day in every other job, and as the show progresses, he gets more unapologetic about it. I liked Matthew Moy because you could argue his character had the biggest growth out of our supporting characters. In the earlier seasons, he was always the butt of every joke, only for the writers to finally give him some ammunition back, and he became sassy. But in his case, it felt earned and realistic. After all, if you work with someone as sassy as Kat and Beth’s characters, you would quickly learn to have a comeback for everything they would throw your way. Last, but not least(ly), you could argue that Jennifer Coolidge wouldn’t have the renaissance she’s having now (due to the success of White Lotus (2021 – ?, my review here) if this show didn’t keep her on the screens until 2017. Her character is loud, “slightly” obnoxious and horny, and as the series progresses, she gets louder, more obnoxious, and hornier. Can you spot the pattern for most of the characters?
Honestly, this “let’s stick to these norms” was also the downfall of this show. I don’t think 2 Broke Girls have a particularly weak season, but that’s because they don’t have one that is comedy gold either. That is why I must repeat myself; it is a perfectly fine show, and what makes it slightly better is the cast chemistry and how well they interact with each other. For my money, seasons two and three were possibly my favourite ones. The third season was also due to Mary Lynn Rajskub (known mainly from 24 (2001 – 2014, my reviews for every season can be found here)), and her brief guest spot on this show, where she played this brilliantly awkward character, was gold.
But this is what I meant at the beginning of my review. 2 Broke Girls surprised me with its edgy, dark humour (then I discovered it was co-created by Whitney Cummings, so that tracks), but when it comes to everything else in this show, you will not be surprised with anything. Everything in this show follows the “sitcom standards” where if you saw one, you saw them all. And for a show that wanted to be edgy, different and daring, it felt counterproductive.
Overall, 2 Broke Girls might be worth watching if you understand what you are getting into. I can’t say it’s a peak comedy; I can’t even say it’s a must-watch show. However, what I can say is, if you feel like watching something light, something where you simply need to laugh here and there, and you are content with watching Kat and Beth in a variety of different, mostly flattering dresses, this show might be for you. It won’t change your life, but you might have a decent time with this show.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke