American Auto Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Passion Project

American Auto Season 2 Episode 10, “Passion Project,” finds Team Payne branching off to pursue various passion projects. Naturally, it all blows up in their faces. 

While “Passion Project” is the weakest outing thus far, it still boasts some hilarious moments. The intriguing character dynamics are also an episodic highlight. Pairing Katherine with Cyrus yields comedic fruit, and the Elliot storyline showcases Humphrey Ker at his funniest. 

WESLEY: You can’t put a price on an investment. 

The narrative takes a hit with the Wesley/Dori arc, which isn’t as compelling as the other two plotlines. Additionally, “Passion Project” doesn’t do much to further the overarching narrative, feeling more like a throwaway episode than something that serves the bigger picture. 

American Auto flourishes when the team stays together; however, the outing garners points for bringing more supporting/outside characters into the fold. We see the return of Jon Miyahara as Brett and Matthew Moy as Dale, the latter recurring a handful of times this season. 

It feels like a fleshed-out universe when the series incorporates the lower-level employees. Sure, the show fares better when the main cast works in concert, but it shines even more in situations involving a diverse cast of characters. For example, “The Letter” handles this perfectly, allowing the regular employees to witness the core cast’s antics. They represent our viewpoint in a way. 

KATHERINE: This is like that game. My nephew plays it. Um, Pikachu. 

CYRUS: Pokémon Go? 

Cyrus’s outburst is hysterical for a number of reasons, namely because we’ve never seen him lash out like that before. Michael Benjamin Washington is the King of Acerbic Wit and Sarcasm. While he doles out the Cyrus bite to perfection, his explosion in front of Katherine (and directed at her) eclipses this on the funny scale. 

Usually, Cyrus is somewhat collected despite his penchant for complaining. Washington harbors an easy onscreen chemistry with Ana Gasteyer, who always brings her comedic A-game. Every joke and gag lands when it comes from her. 

CYRUS: You have no instincts. You have bad taste and no style. You’re a hack. Also, you have no musical talent, and your mugs suck. So, you’re zero for three, Hastings. 

Overall, “Passion Project” exhibits a few memorable moments, but it falls flat with some of its execution and an inability to propel the plot. It feels like if you removed the episode from the season, it wouldn’t affect it much. That said, it deserves a watch for solid performances from Michael Benjamin Washington, Ana Gasteyer, and Humphrey Ker. 

Stray Observations: 

• Jon Miyahara’s character in American Auto boasts the same name as his Superstore character: Brett. It’s all part of the Spitzer-verse. 
• If Elliot is the barometer, does that mean Jessica passes the Turing test? He doesn’t recognize her as AI. 
• I’d let Katherine jam with me in my nonexistent band. The world could always use more uke. 
• Dori did the right thing: we don’t need a ton of old white dudes adorning our walls. Maybe one, and that’s a stretch. 
• Who says you can’t put snow tires on a sports car? Payne could introduce the latest in automotive innovation with this tweak. Subvert expectations! 

What did you think of this episode of American Auto? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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American Auto airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.

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