Portlandia Review: Separation Anxiety (Season 7 Episode 4)

On Portlandia Season 7 Episode 4, the main story misses the mark by breaking up a beloved duo.

Luckily, the supporting sketches are strong, but it doesn’t quite make up for it.

The Women and Women First bookstore is closed and its owners, Toni and Candace, are now retired. Seeing the storefront boarded up is jarring. Toni and Candace going their separate ways is unsettling. The beginning of “Separation Anxiety” provides the viewer with just that.

The pair became so iconic for their feminist shenanigans and absurd business management styles. To take those elements away makes for a weak story and seems very unnecessary.

Not all of their stories have to take place in the bookstore or revolve around fighting misogyny. In fact, they successfully did it in Season 5 Episode 1, “The Story of Toni and Candace.” There was something epic about that origin story.

“Separation Anxiety” is trying to reclaim that magic. Both Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein play these characters flawlessly, as usual, and deliver some hilarious dialogue. The lazy plot is the issue and the overall sketch suffers.

I wish writers knew that they don’t need to break up couples, romantic or otherwise, to create drama. (I’m looking at you, Chris Carter.) The last place I expect this to be a problem is a sketch comedy show, but here we are.

Candace attempts to thwart Toni’s romantic getaway with her new girlfriend, played by Judy Greer. She disguises herself in a seagull costume and crashes their weekend. This is a case where “putting a bird on it” doesn’t work.

I don’t really buy Candace’s jealousy or their hook-up, although it ends well with them amicably deciding not to become lovers. Their relationship as it has been throughout the series is great and this whole thing is a superfluous detour.

Judy Greer is terrific as Shauna. It’s a shame that her talent is utilized in an uninspiring story line.

Fortunately, “Separation Anxiety” isn’t a total bust. The three other sketches are good enough to carry the episode.

My new favorite twosome, Andy and Drew, make their third consecutive appearance and they are outraged by gender-neutral gingerbread cookies. I really love these two idiots.

Drew: There’s no cookie for a little boy to look up to.

Once again, Brownstein shows her incredible ability at playing the opposite gender, which is pretty cool in a sketch about gender norms.

Familiar faces continue to pop up. Peter and Nance go on an all protein diet and lose an obscene amount of weight. I think this plays so funny because of the outstanding makeup and styling. They really look freakishly thin and Peter’s already peculiar voice is even more affected and odd, but comically so.

Nance: Is that the sound you make when you breathe?

Their sketch is laugh out loud humor with its physical comedy while the other strong skit is a return of the stop motion animation rats and a more cerebral, satirical method.

The rats tackle the subject of image and attitude and how it can be perceived by others. Fred gets some PR advice from a squirrel who suggests he have a more positive inner monologue.

Squirrel: My inner monologue is like “Chirp, chirp, chirp. Go, go, go. Oh, peanut! Jump!”
Fred the Rat: See, my inner monologue, and I think this goes for all rats, is just the F-word on repeat.

If the objective is to make rats more relatable, this is effective, at least to me. I have the same inner monologue.

While there are many excellent moments chock-full of treasured characters, the hollow narrative involving Toni and Candace largely hurt the episode.

Stray Observations:

• Jeff Tweedy, frontman for Wilco, makes a cameo giving a testimonial in a commercial for a litigious music lawyer.
• Best response to the phrase “tough nut to crack” ever: “Oh, I can crack any nut. Once I crack that nut, I smash it. I turn it into nut butter.”
• The gingerbread MEN prop cookies are hilarious.
• I would totally eat a spaghetti sandwich. Bring on the carbs!
• The Protein Diet Players music video tag is cute and fun.

What did you think of this episode of Portlandia? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Portlandia airs Thursdays at 10/9c on IFC.

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