Broad City Review: Twaining Day (Season 4 Episode 2)

On Broad City Season 4 Episode 2, “Twaining Day,” Ilana and Abbi weirdly have their life together, so I don’t know how to feel. This is a new experience for us all.

Ilana and Abbi, finally, have their lives together. Does repeating this revelation at least normalize it a bit more for you guys?

Yea, me neither. But here we are – might as well enjoy it for all it’s worth.

Ilana gets an interview at a high-class restaurant thanks to our favorite gay queen, Jaimé. And she gets the job after eviscerating our favorite gay Drag Queen, RuPaul, also known as Marcel in Broad City.

In my review of Broad City Season 4 Episode 1, “Sliding Doors,” I explain how the episode emphasizes just how selfless and positive Ilana has always been, and this episode of Broad City reaffirms that it’s not in Ilana’s character to be negative and insulting.

Am I the only one who wants to hear what the foil says to Lana in the restroom? I want to know what the voice sounds like. Her squeaky, “mommy and daddy” voice from season 1 or her “wanna foooook!” voice from season 2?

I also think it’s hilarious she called Abbi her “pretty little liar,” when in all 3 previous seasons of Broad City, Ilana was the main one urging Abbi to lie. She’s hilarious.

And as the personified version of Nike’s “Just Do It,” Lana forces Abbi to act boldly and ask Trey to let her train Shania Twain with him.

Speaking of Trey and Abbi, I’m absolutely loving their sexual chemistry this season. In season 3, their inevitable situationship didn’t have the same sexual tension that this episode saturates into all their scenes together.

When Trey demonstrates the assisted stretch on Abbi, I felt like they were going to go at it right there on the floor. And later, Abbi gets a bit of action, although it ends with Trey’s broken bone.

Silver lining? She now has a new relationship with a paramedic.

Now that Ilana has a new job and she’s getting hers in the bedroom, she’s pretty squared away. And now that Abbi has a job that she actually loves and a relationship with someone, she seems pretty good too.

I love to see my favorite Jewess queens thriving! Yassss, honey!

In addition to Abbi and Ilana getting their lives together, the episodes so far in season 4 seem to have a clearer focus. This episode’s theme centers on sex and reproductive health.

Ilana: And remember, you are a strong queen. Your body, your choice. It’s simple.

The angry Planned Parenthood protest and Abbi and Ilana, contrastingly, assisting the young woman exercising her right to her body, introduces an episode full of sex, self-worth and plan B’s (pun intended).

This transition sends Broad City away from the satirical sitcom formula that just acts as a day-in-the-life narration to a narration that has goals and leads to a larger picture. Throughout last season, the audience notices some of this coherency toward the end.

However, this season seems to be cementing this form of story-telling as the new norm.

If you’re a little confused when I say thematic shift, go ahead and look over my Broad City Season 4 preview. I go over all the shifts that we can expect to occur through this season in better detail there.

I’m loving every second of season 4, so far. It’s completely blasting through all my expectations.

I hope we get a few more happy episodes, like “Twaining Day” and “Sliding Doors,” before we transition into the winter darkness episodes. I feel like we need the positive and hopeful before we get the depressing, life-lessons.

And, apparently, Broad City agrees.

Stray Observations:

• Trey does an amazing Ross. Don’t argue with me, argue with David Schwimmer.
• Marcel’s almost-clap when Ilana trips Tanya is absolute perfection. Like, who thought to put that in the script? Did RuPaul adlib this part?
• Abbi might have lost the weight, but she still has the infamous booty. Am I right or am I right?
• The wet sound every time Abbi unseats Trey makes me cringe-laugh. Now I want this in every sex scene. I wonder whose idea it was to include that? You’re the real MVP.

What did you guys think of this episode of Broad City? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

 

Broad City airs Wednesdays at 10:30/9:30c on Comedy Central.

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!