Camping Review: Just Plain Mad (Season 1 Episode 5)
On Camping Season 1 Episode 5, “Just Plain Mad,” Kathryn tries to relinquish control during a trip to the grocery store. George confronts Nina-Joy about her infidelity.
Camping has been surprising in one respect: when the show began, it felt like some, if not all of the characters, were poised to embark on journeys of self-discovery. Five episodes into an eight-episode run, and it’s becoming obvious nobody is leaving the campground any more enlightened than when they arrived.
All of this quality time together — which feels oddly confining in spite of the spacious backdrop — is wearing on everyone, including viewers.
The characters are as one-dimensional as they come. Kathryn remains a ball-busting control freak. Her effort to relinquish even the smallest amount of power is negated by her non-stop criticism. Her targets of choice being her husband and sister.
Carleen is meek and overly solicitous of her boyfriend who is exasperated by her mere existence. His behavior is particularly disturbing because of the example he’s setting for his daughter. You want to feel empathy, but Carlene’s just so complicit in her own misery.
The only way to describe her relationship with Joe is abusive, and while everyone can see it, nobody demonstrates much interest in intervening. Kathryn tells Carlene about Joe and Jandice’s rendezvous in the woods not out of concern but spite.
Sol does call her father out. But again, this is more to take a shot at her dad than out of genuine affection for Carlene.
Jandice’s antics have moved away from free-spirited to destructive and manipulative, and Nina-Joy has resorted to blow jobs to pacify her partner in the wake of her infidelity. If Kathryn is the Madonna, than Nina-Joy is the resident whore.
The men aren’t faring much better, coming across as passive-aggressive, henpecked, morally bankrupt, and emotionally stunted.
Miguel doesn’t want to marry Jandice, but he’s reduced to tears when she admits her feelings for him have waned, “I cannot go through this again. Please, Jandie, I cannot do this again.” It’s evident he’s just incapable of being alone and has latched onto Janice to avoid dealing with the disintegration of his marriage.
“Just Plain Mad” reminds us over and over again (as if we need reminding) that nobody is enjoying this excursion. Nina-Joy sums it up perfectly, “These couples? They despise each other.”
Nina Joy: Are you having fun … on this trip?
George: No.
Camping is just biding its time, building the tension until the entire group implodes in the final episodes. Everyone is miserable, and when Jandice considers going home, the only thing viewers don’t understand is what’s taking her so long.
She’s upset to be excluded from this dysfunctional inner circle, incensed that nobody can see she’s a “girl’s girl” (even though she’s so not).
Characters don’t have to be likable to be enjoyable to watch. HBO has pulled this off with other comedies such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Veep, but Camping continues to fall short.
Currently, the only appeal is Jennifer Garner throwing around the F-word, and even that’s wearing thin.
What did you think of this episode of Camping? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Camping airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.