The Mick Review: The Grandparents (Season 1 Episode 2)

The Mick’s second outing fails to live up to the pilot.

This week’s episode is much darker than the first, which would be welcome if it came with equally big laughs.

The Mick Season 1 Episode 2, “The Grandparents,” attempts to fill some plot holes left behind by the pilot, such as: why would Mickey stick around? Don’t the kids have any responsible relatives who can look after them?

It turns out Mickey is just responsible enough to call the Pemberton’s grandparents to come look after them before she heads back home to Rhode Island with Alba and a bunch of stolen goods in tow.

In Connecticut, the kids are up against their no-nonsense grandmother who is determined to whip them into shape. However, her proclivity for physical violence is more jarring than funny, leading to some very cringe-worthy moments.

From what we’ve seen from two episodes, Sabrina can be an entitled brat, but she’s not necessarily a bad kid.  Watching Grandma Pemberton slap her repeatedly and scald her with hot coffee seems downright abusive.

It would be great to see “oatmeal boobs” employ more psychological warfare on Sabrina. Having the old woman steal her makeup is a great gag, even if it doesn’t totally work. (Sorry, but Sofia Black D’Elia is entirely too pretty for a no-makeup look to cause much of a reaction.)

Mickey and Alba have their own cringe-worthy adventures up in Rhode Island after Mickey slips drugs into her maid’s beer. Although Carla Jiminez’s performance as a reluctantly high person at the club is hilarious, the entire situation is kind of creepy.

It’s here that it becomes clear just how cruel Mickey can be. She threatens to fire Alba if she doesn’t take the pill she’s trying to give her and later manipulates her by saying they’re best friends. She’s basically the bully from every after-school special made in the eighties.

The only reason Mickey heads back to Connecticut is to get money from Chip to pay off a loan shark. After dealing with Grandma, the children thrilled to see her and Mickey is clearly better off in a mansion than she is living next to the airport and getting her hand smashed over outstanding debts.

With Mickey and the kids back under the same roof and on the same side, it looks like we may be getting to see them all team up to take on the world-at-large.

The family will have a lot coming their way this season — both legally and socially — now that Poodle has fled the country. It will be far more interesting to see these very different family members trying to work together than it will be to see constant infighting.

Stray Observations

• “Your blouse was ruined by your inability to fill it out,” is exactly the kind of barb I would have loved to have heard from Grandma all episode long.
• Apparently, a hibachi grill is a “poor person’s restaurant.” Hilarious.
• Keep this line in mind the next time you’re trying to seduce someone who takes your phone call from the toilet: “I just was hoping that you could come over here and. . .wreak havoc on my insides.”

What did you think of the latest episode of The Mick?

Is it just me or does Sabrina not look that different without makeup? Is the Colonel there to stay? Is Alba actually the kids’ aunt? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Mick airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on FOX.

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