American Auto Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Young Designers

American Auto Season 2 Episode 7, “Young Designers,” Team Payne’s participation in an elementary school community outreach event goes hilariously awry as Katherine sends social media into a tizzy. 

“Young Designers” isn’t quite as strong as “The Letter.” Still, there are undoubtedly a handful of laugh-out-loud moments, fun character beats, and unpredictably chaotic scenarios that only this show can orchestrate. Katherine inadvertently causing collective outrage on social media and tense international relations over her geopolitical ignorance is hysterical. 

KATHERINE: Compared to that, today is gonna be like rubbing one out on a rainbow. 

If anything, “Young Designers” highlights American corporate ignorance about international politics and how we tend to stay in our bubble. You can make a case for our education system in that regard or chalk it up to our hubris. 

Additionally, “Young Designers” plays with the slippery slope of social media and how easy it is to have your comments misconstrued or to loudly broadcast your ignorance for all to read. The episode addresses the instantaneous aspect of it all. We watch how a global scandal erupts within minutes of Katherine blurting out a remark about Somaliland. 

Joshua Malina is a fun addition to the episode’s cast roster, playing the perfect “panic man” as each new disaster strikes with increasing intensity. The whole Katherine arc is like a car crash — you can’t look away from it. 

TED: There’s everything Twitter. And they’re always angry. 

Perhaps that’s part of what makes American Auto so appealing. These characters are constantly putting their feet in their mouths while digging their own career graves, which is challenging to do on a multitasking level. But by golly, if it isn’t entertaining as hell. 

The Cyrus/Elliot plot is also solid, with Michael Benjamin Washington and Humphrey Ker proving to be dynamic scene partners. Their dry senses of humor mesh well together. The Jack/Wesley storyline isn’t quite as strong, but it’s still entertaining nonetheless. 

“Young Designers” highlights how hard work and persistence do not always pave the way to success. Sometimes, and especially in Jack’s case, it’s dumb luck. Jack’s success story is enviable in that respect. 

WESLEY: But if we were gay, thank you so much for thinking I could get a guy like Jack. 

All in all, “Young Designers” is a standard American Auto outing that makes for a breezy 20-minute watch, even if it doesn’t exactly propel the overarching plot. Sometimes, the chemistry feels off if one of the cast members is missing. In this case, X Mayo’s lack of presence is felt. Here’s hoping she returns next week. 

Stray Observations: 

• Jack and Wesley would make a cute couple, even though Jack is a considerable distance out of Wes’ league. I ship it. 
• Payne should’ve hired that eight-year-old to work for them. Child labor issues aside, think of his collaborations with Cyrus. Comedic hijinks would ensue!
• Elliot’s interaction with Hector and his new mom made me want to crawl out of my skin from second-hand embarrassment. Elliot’s incessant word vomit made it all the more awkward (and hilarious). 
• I wish I were born at a Sbarro. I would’ve been surrounded by greasy mall pizza. Is there a better way to enter this world? 
• There is a sector of Twitter for everything imaginable. And, yes, they’re in a perpetual state of furor. 
• Fun fact: the little girl with the quadruple-decker car is showrunner Justin Spitzer’s daughter. 

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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