Call Me Kat Review: All Nighter (Season 1 Episode 8)

As her 40th birthday approaches, Kat reckons with the realities of getting older on Call Me Kat Season 1 Episode 8, “All Nighter.”

One day you wake up and realize staying home in pyjamas with your body pillow Frank is more appealing than dressing up and going to a club.

Of course, Kat doesn’t want to give up her youth so easily. This leads to a crazy night out with Phil and Randi that naturally ends with her and Phil stuck in a burial plot.

I have previously discussed Call Me Kat’s predictability, and this episode is no exception.

When Kat’s mom mentions the cemetery plot next to Kat’s father is open, we instantly know Kat will somehow find a way to fall inside.

Sometimes it feels like the show is working down a sitcom checklist. We can see the potential for a fun, unique series, but it can’t seem to get out of its own way, making us increasingly frustrated with the repetitiveness of the jokes.

From Phil riding the bull to Kat dancing on the bar to Kat punching a potential date while flirting, literally, nothing that happens on this episode is a surprise. At this point, I’m exhausted from the show’s lack of growth.

This could’ve just as easily been the second or third episode. We don’t know any more about Kat’s life than we did in the beginning, and the characters and story haven’t evolved either.

A show like this works best when we’re invested in and rooting for the main character. As charming and funny as Mayim Bialik is, I feel like we’re only getting to know one part of Kat’s personality.

After eight episodes, we’ve mostly seen the socially awkward, physical comedy side of her. Yes, she’s a loyal friend who cares about the people around her, but it’s not enough.

As the show has progressed, the initial fun of the absurdity is wearing off, and the lack of character development is becoming a glaring issue.

If we’re going to stay interested in Call Me Kat, we need to know more than she’s a former math professor who opened her own cat café.

With her concerns about getting older, this episode offers glimpses at a deeper, more thoughtful Kat we’d like to get to know.

However, the sweet conversation she and Phil have about ageing is interrupted by Randi offering her bras to pull them out of the hole. It’s as if the show has a timer, and the characters are only allowed to have real conversations in 90-second intervals.

If the series let these moments breathe and didn’t constantly cut them off just when they got interesting, Call Me Kat would be a much more balanced comedy.

For the past few episodes, we’ve seen Randi’s relationship with boyfriend Daniel (Lamorne Morris) become increasingly serious, much to her chagrin.

Randi isn’t one for commitment, but she couldn’t resist Daniel’s charm.

The major flaw with this couple is Randi’s weird infatuation with bad relationship habits. She keeps testing Daniel with break-ups, ghosting him, and lies to make him jealous.

Imagine being upset because your boyfriend isn’t checking your phone or following you around while you’re out with friends? Yeah, that was my reaction too.

Randi is such a smart, independent woman, that it doesn’t make any sense for her to suddenly want a guy who doesn’t trust her. At least Daniel finally calls her out on her actions, saying he’s not interested in another toxic relationship.

Everything we’ve learned about Randi is opposite to the insecure woman we saw on “All Nighter.” If the character were properly developed, the audience wouldn’t get whiplash trying to understand her motives from one episode to the next.

Once again Call Me Kat’s best asset is the chemistry among its top-notch cast. Despite the holes in certain characters’ personalities, Bialik, Leslie Jordan, and Kyla Pratt never fail to bring a full range of emotions to their scenes together.

The moments when the trio gets to slow down and just be friends are the highlight of the show, and what keeps us coming back. As entertaining as they are, we’re going to need more than great performances if Call Me Kat wants this to be a long-term relationship.

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

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Call Me Kat airs Thursdays at 9/8c on FOX.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

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

The Flight Attendant: 10 Things We Want to See in Season 2 (And 5 We Don’t)