Newlyweds Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Two Households, Both Alike in…Weirdness
Our lovebirds are indeed newly wedded on Newlyweds Season 1 Episode 2, “My Place or Yours.” Now they just need to tell everyone they know.
Considering “everyone” includes not only Jeanie’s teenagers and Jame’s friends but also the ex-wife who sometimes shares his house and the teaching assistant who has mysteriously appeared in L.A., the reveal goes about as well as it could.
The next decision is a little trickier. Jeanie has a lot of memories in the small place she shares with her kids, but James doesn’t want to give up his huge home (even though technically Claudia owns everything inside it.)
After a brief flirtation with keeping their separate places, Jeanie decides to take her memories with her and move in with the kids. Arvin needs a place to stay, too. And Claudia is going to keep coming and going as she pleases. Awk-ward!
As in the pilot and despite the monumental life choices being made, there’s not a huge amount of actual plot in this episode. We’re still laying down the roots that will likely be backbone of every story the show takes on for the rest of the season.
Sure enough, that means we’re looking at the antics of a relatively normal couple—apart from them getting married after approximately two in-person dates—and all the varying wacky people in their orbit, all in one house.
Will it work? It’ll take a few more episodes to say for sure, but after this half-hour, I’m more confident that it’s at least possible. There’s certainly enough space for everyone and we’re starting to get a bit more balance in their personalities, too.
It’s still most important that we believe in in the love story the show is centered on. In that department, I’m a little worried about the doubts cast on the relationship in each episode, but only a little. After all, it’s based on a true story of happiness.
Still, I hope we soon move towards plots where Jeanie and James find the groove that they probably should have before tying the knot and instead create comic drama by bouncing off some of the more eccentric characters in their orbit.
That, at least, won’t be an issue. Arvin is still a bit too much of a caricature and I’m not sure I’d trust even a likeably antagonist ex-wife in any other hands that those of Jamie Lee Curtis’s, but I’m willing to give them both a shot.
The kids help too, again finding a great mix of supporting their mother and doing their best to give her a reality check. Between them and the roast chicken dinner James prepares, I’m fully on board for the core of this found family to make it work.
With our central plot now relatively well established, what and who would you like to see come down the pipeline to add to this chaos? We want Jeanie and James to be happy, but if they are right now, I’m sure there’s a lot they can still handle.
What did you think of this episode of Newlyweds? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Newlyweds airs Fridays at 8:30/7:30C on NBC.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.