Go On - Season 1 Episode 6 - Recap and Review - Big League Chew

Go On touts itself as TV's #1 new comedy, and it's easy to see why, as its breezy story pace, rapid-fire jokes, affably quirky characters, and low stakes make for a comforting half hour of television. In fact, for a show that's ostensibly about grief, the show is almost too comforting. Take "Big League Chew," for example. Again, we deal with the subject of grief, but never do we seem to actually address the pain beneath the surface. So, if the episode ultimately misses out on a huge chunk of potential with its story, why is it still the best episode of the season so far?

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The quick answer is that it was simply a funny half hour, rotating around the dual stories of Ryan's grief-eating habits and Lauren's level of commitment to her boyfriend of three years. This material would be pretty easy to just phone in, which is why it's so rewarding that the show doesn't. Of course, the long answer for why this episode works so well is that, after five episodes of what basically featured secondary characters rotating turns at bat, we get our first real ensemble episode. I've never really doubted the strength of the collective group of actors they've assembled for the show, and I've been looking forward to the point in time where the show would decide to use them together in a more substantial fashion than just going out bowling, or taking Ryan's fancy new car for a spin. And that's what we get with "Big League Chew," an episode where the cast gets to play off of one another, and it feels as though everyone makes a meaningful contribution to the episode.

So Ryan (Matthew Perry) has been grief-eating, gorging on snacks and candy, but has been in denial about his habit to the rest of the group. And that's more or less the main thrust of Ryan's storyline this week. And that's okay, since it's a story that doesn't really require much in the way of exposition. In particular, there's a pretty great sequence where Ryan discreetly purchases a fistful of candy bars in a convenience store, and has to avoid blind George (Bill Cobbs) so as not to be caught in the act. Ultimately, Ryan admits to his grief-eating habits, and the rest of the group comes together at his house to have a sort of grief-eating pot luck, with Owen (Tyler James Williams) bringing his family's famous Kit Kat lasagna, Sonia (Sarah Baker) offering up waffle batter, in lieu of Ryan's lack of waffle iron. The sequence succeeds less because it's funny in its own right, but because it builds a sense of community between the characters, who are willing to engorge themselves so that Ryan doesn't feel so alone in his bad habit. Even if there hadn't been candy involved, the sentiment would still have been sweet.

Meanwhile, during the monthly group outing, Ryan and company run into Lauren (Laura Benanti), who is out to dinner with her boyfriend of three years, Wyatt (Hayes MacArthur). No introduction is needed, however, as Wyatt is able to infer the identities of each of the group members before they can even say their names. This is because Lauren has been talking with Wyatt about the group, and though Lauren isn't a licensed therapist bound by doctor-patient confidentiality, the rest of the group still sees her blabbing as a massive violation of their privacy. It's an effective storyline, and one I wish the show had delved deeper in, as I don't think I've found anything on the show thus far more interesting than Sonia's outrage at being reduced to a one-note stereotype ("crazy cat lady"). That's pretty fascinating ground to cover on a sitcom, particularly in an age in which newer series tend to populate themselves with one-note characters in the early-going, seemingly without irony whatsoever. It's a salient point for the show to make, and it served the conflict between Lauren and the rest of the group.

Credit: Justin Lubin/NBC

To make up for Wyatt knowing all about their most intimate secrets, the group demands that Lauren bring Wyatt to their next meeting, so he can give them all dirt on her to restore the balance. It's a funny sequence that continues our incremental revelations about Lauren, from her part-time job last week, to a boyfriend this week, along with the laundry list of embarrassing personal details gleaned from Wyatt in the question-and-answer session, such as Lauren's left breast coming in first, her participation in beauty pageants as a child, and her crush on Salma Hayek. The group comes out of the meeting with a positive opinion of Wyatt, though they start to think that Lauren is maybe not as invested in the relationship as she leads on (since she'd shown more passion describing a Snickers bar than in any of her interactions with Wyatt). And so Lauren goes out of her way to try and prove to the group that she loves Wyatt, climaxing in a heart-to-heart with Ryan concerning how a person knows they're in love. It's a touching moment from Matthew Perry, as Ryan describes when he first knew Janie was the one. This isn't, however, the most emotionally resonant moment of the episode. That comes in the subplot of group member, Danny (Seth Morris).

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All we know about Danny is that his wife had a son by another man while he was in the Army, and, despite this, he still lives with her in their family home. However, we learn that the disparity between the lousiness of Danny's situation and his outward happiness is owed to a fictional town he created in his head, a place called Harborville, where the fishin' hole is the most peaceful spot in town and huckleberry pies are a delicacy. Ryan finds the concept of an imaginary, old-time 1950s paradise ridiculous, and tells Danny that he needs to come back to the real world. Danny follows Ryan's advice, and the crushing weight of his miseries bear down on him until he's no longer the chipper Danny that everyone knows. Ryan realizes his mistake, and talks Danny into reviving Harborville, which they "visit" together in a sequence that probably wasn't intended to be as touching as it ultimately was, but which worked nonetheless. Just the look on Danny's face to be reunited with his safe place, and Ryan's awed look of gradual understanding click beautifully. The episode's tag features Ryan returning to Harborville in his mind, and like that, the group continues to gradually influence elements of Ryan's personality.

"Big League Chew" feels like the first episode to really utilize its cast to its full potential, and by that standard, it's the best episode of the season thus far. Even though there aren't any stakes from week-to-week, the show still finds a way to strike a remarkable balance between light-heartedness and naked sentimentality. Go On still has a ways to go before it realizes its full potential, but it's well on its way.

Credit: NBC