The New Normal - Season 1 Episode 16 - Recap and Review - Dog Children
Recap and review of The New Normal - Season 1 Episode 16 - Dog Children:
The New Normal is a show that's centered on life. I mean, really, it's right there in the premise, as a gay couple goes through a surrogacy process to create life. The show also suggests that everyone, gay or straight, should be able to have access to all that life has to offer, including parenthood. Unfortunately, life has more to offer than simply more life: there's grief, death, loss. The show doesn't deal often with the idea of true, permanent loss, which is why it's all the more poignant when it does. "Dog Children" might be my favorite episode of the series so far, and it's due in large part to Andrew Rannells, who really is the heart of this series; and, surprisingly, Jayson Blair, who imbues ex-villain Clay Clemmons with an honesty and humility that wasn't really present before tonight. Both actors succeed through the sincerity of their performances, and the episode succeeds via the same means. The series has always worn its heart on its sleeve, but few episodes have had the emotional resonance, the universality and warmth, of tonight's "Dog Children".
Credit: Vivian Zink/NBC
Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) have had Harvey Milkbone (a great dog name, if I've ever heard one) for over nine months, having initially gotten the puppy as preparation for fatherhood. When Harvey starts throwing up, Bryan freaks out and demands they rush the dog to the vet. This results in a journeyman comic performance from Rannells, including one particular uninterrupted shot of Bryan circling the reception desk, breathlessly screaming for someone to give his dog medication. It's an absolutely terrific, over-the-top comedic bit that fits perfectly with the character of Bryan and his desperation to see his dog healthy again, not just out of love and loyalty to Harvey Milkbone, but to avoid the implications of what Harvey's death would cast on their preparedness for parenthood. Harvey turns out to be fine, having suffered a distended stomach from plain old excessive gas, causing David to briefly question his own judgment, as he had been all too willing to have the vets perform a risky, invasive surgery without getting a second opinion. Bryan reassures David, as the two men allow the animal hospital to keep Harvey overnight. However, they couldn't have predicted what was about to happen, even if the audience might have been able to.
Credit: Vivian Zink/NBC
Bryan gets a call that Harvey Milkbone has suddenly died, having been hit by a car after getting loose while being taken on a walk. Strangely, after his manic reactions to Harvey's illness in the first half of the episode, Bryan is unusually calm about the dog's death, instead comforting an inconsolable David, who is terrified of a similar tragedy befalling their child. Bryan goes to see his priest (John Benjamin Hickey) to sort out his conflicting feelings of anger and fear of a God that would allow such suffering in the world. Andrew Rannells is absolutely tremendous as he breaks down, asking, "What if God decides to take my baby? Or David? Or Goldie or Shania? Or anyone else I love?" The priest tells Bryan to take stock of the people God has put in his life to help him in such times of need, and it's nearly all Bryan can take. He's equal parts comforted and conflicted by the knowledge that life moves on, regardless of what we may want or expect, and it's all beautifully played by Rannells. Just a devastating bit of acting, and wonderfully restrained, in contrast to his over-the-top theatrics in the animal hospital. Bryan and David decide not to let Harvey Milkbone's death injure their confidence in their parenting abilities, and instead choose to cherish the memories they have of the dog, and to embrace the time they have now with the ones they love. It's a moving, if simple, story that is well-told.
Credit: Vivian Zink/NBC
The B-story of the episode sees Goldie (Georgia King) in a highly hormonal state, first fantasizing about the counselor at Shania's school in one of the episode's more amusing setpieces, and later succumbing to her lust when Clay (Jayson Blair) drops in and proves himself to be a caring, mature father. Clay had initially been one of the more problematic characters of the series, come across as a two-dimensional villain, of sorts. Yet there's considerable nuance to his portrayal here. He clearly cares about Shania (Bebe Wood), who spends the early portion of the episode dressing up as her idol, Maggie Smith, in what's one of the best sight gags the show has done (and her Dowager Countess impression is scarily spot-on - she also does a pretty scathing impression of Taylor Swift, citing that she's the common denominator in all her failed relationships, in one of the episode's funniest moments). Clay makes an insightful observation about how Shania is playing dress-up as a coping mechanism for her broken family, before telling Shania that she must never disrespect her mother by getting in trouble again, before adding that she doesn't need to pretend to be someone else since she's pretty outstanding just the way she is. Goldie begins to see Clay in a new light, while Clay comes to recognize just how much he loves Goldie, particularly after she's rushed to the hospital after experiencing pain in her abdomen. It was only a minor complication, but it brought Clay to the realization that he'd fall to pieces if anything happened to Goldie. He tells her that he knows he's been a lousy guy to her, and that he's working on being the man she deserves. It's a lovely moment, as Georgia King conveys just how deeply Goldie wants this to be true by wordlessly holding back tears.
Credit: Trae Patton/NBC
"Dog Children" is one of the best episodes of The New Normal this season, and certainly the best of the 2013 side of the season. I used to worry that perhaps the show was too saccharine for its own good, and it still might be, but the show's heart is its main selling point. Don't get me wrong, it's a funny show. But its consistent emotional resonance is what makes it most worth watching, in my opinion. If nothing else, it's the thing that sets it apart from similar shows about unconventional family units, and that's definitely a mark in the show's favor.
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