Not Dead Yet Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Not Polite Yet

There’s a plan to bring people together on Not Dead Yet Season 2 Episode 4, “Not Polite Yet.” Literally. Let’s just say you shouldn’t share close quarters with your friends or your enemies.

Briefly taking back the reins from her father, Lexi introduces a “bonding” method that sticks two people in every cubicle. Best friends Sam and Dennis soon find all each other’s pet peeves, but Nell expects better when she sees how popular her new mate is.

Unfortunately, TJ hates her. It takes most of the episode before we learn that it’s because she changed the channel on a bar TV just before the Cubs won the world series. They eventually make up just in time for him to be sent back to his old desk.

Our ghost of the week is an etiquette guru played by Wendie Malick who offers expected commentary towards Nell’s choices—until she lets loose herself. Also, whatever Lexi and Edward have going on, it’s now going on in his and Nell’s apartment.

In TJ’s defense, Taking away the chance to watch such a crucial moment live is a pretty egregious error. It  doesn’t help that it takes Nell a deep dive into her old phone photos and an awkwardly incorrect assumption before she understands.

They do manage to bury the hatchet in a cute way that may or may not also carry hints of romantic interest. If it does, this won’t be stymied by him being sent back downstairs. That’ll probably go a long way to help.

After that, having Sam and Dennis snipe at each other when they have a whole office to share serves mostly to double down on this setup being a bad idea. We already know that getting too close to the people you like can turn on even the best of friendships.

This may mean that the whole episode is about having personal space, and I can get behind that. It’s also about owning up to the past and apologizing for past mistakes instead of letting them get out of hand. Yes, even when someone turns off the Cubs.

Our “Miss Manners” ghost is easily the best part of the episode. She has far too many tips about behavior to offer Nell the advice her usual visitors do, but those prove helpful anyway, albeit in a roundabout way.

Wendie Malick’s typical character isn’t exactly strait-laced. She pulls it off well but is much more familiar when she admits to liking how uncouth Nell is. Her using her final moments on Earth to lambast an office of people who can’t hear her is just delightful.

Finally, it feels a little odd that Duncan is completely absent for an episode soon after Brad Garrett’s hyped introduction. What’s really notable, though, is that he’s changed the office so quickly that everyone already breathes more easily in his absence.

While not really a bottle episode, this also takes us briefly away from everyone’s ongoing issues, Maybe they left with Lexi’s father, but I’m already anxious for how dynamics will continue to change once they and he return.

 

What did you think of this episode of Not Dead Yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Not Dead Yet airs Wednedays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

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