One Day at a Time Review: Penny Pinching (Season 4 Episode 2)
If there’s one thing we know about Penelope Alvarez, it’s that she knows how to live on a budget. We’ve watched her tricks for going to the movies on a budget and even taking sodas from a minibar without setting off the sensor.
On One Day at a Time Season 4 Episode 2, “Penny Pinching,” Alex’s new girlfriend, Nora, learns all of this about Penelope when she blows up at the waiter for charging full price instead of happy hour price on a few of their dishes at dinner.
The most classically funny parts of the dinner are the way Penelope rushes everyone to order so they can get those prices, as well as in the way she convinces the waiter (who is also the manager, apparently) to take off those charges.
The difference now, though, is that Penelope has more money to spend. She’s a nurse practitioner now, which means she’s making a higher salary. She’s just afraid to act like it, even when she needs to.
It takes Schneider’s convincing and a broken couch to get her to change her relationship with money, even just a little.
Seriously, Pen, it was time for a new couch.
Treating herself and her family to something nice — and quite frankly, something they need — is a lesson in itself. But what winds up being more important is how her attitude toward money affects her family.
Penelope’s children know better than to waste money or to cause unnecessary expenses, so Elena obviously braces herself when she has to tell her mother about the comedy of errors that occurred while she was in the Esports tournament with Alex, Lydia, and Leslie.
Hearing the words “It’s just money” come out of Penelope’s mouth is much more emotional than one might expect. It’s a really sweet moment.
The same is true when Elena reveals how she’s been saving money and tracking her spending responsibly. Her mother is genuinely impressed. It is precisely the kind of satisfying, feel-good moment that makes One Day at a Time so comforting to watch.
Sure, there’s humor. This is a show that knows how to offer up a witty joke, and the actors know how to hit the right notes. Todd Grinnell’s timing on this episode, in particular, is spot on. It’s also a show that isn’t afraid to go for slapstick humor, like having the couch break in half with Penelope clutching to her bag of Cheetos.
But the funny moments are only part of the reason this show is enjoyable. What’s always been wonderful about it is the way it balances that humor when the more endearing moments, but not in a way that feels too saccharine. This episode is the perfect example of that very thing.
And it certainly does have the funny moments. Elena’s quest to get to the Esports tournament is a story in itself. She’s been tasked with taking Lydia and Alex for their respective errands first, and because she can’t drive a minor without an adult in the car, it all gets more complicated, which leads them to include Leslie as well.
It’s a classic type of humor that’s a lot of fun to watch, as one thing after another causes Elena to be later and later to her event. The only part of it all that’s disappointing is how much the show continues to lean into Leslie’s self-deprecation.
While I understand this is a key component to his character, it’s become tiresome to watch. Perhaps it’s necessary since One Day at a Time is no doubt getting new viewers who haven’t seen the first three seasons and are still getting to know the characters, but I can’t help but wish we could see something a bit different for his character.
Still, it’s another really enjoyable episode of One Day at a Time, and I’m just so glad we get to see the Alvarez family back on our television screens again.
What did you think of this episode of One Day at a Time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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One Day at a Time airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on Pop TV.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.