The season finale of Garfunkel and Oates has arrived after only eight short weeks. It began with a semi-resolution of the show's first-ever cliffhanger and ended with a kazoo parade of two...which is not a terrible way to go out considering the alternative (a kazoo parade with a bunch of randos from Craigslist that I could have gone my whole life without knowing about...thanks, Kate).
This episode brought us a strange homage to Of Mice and Men, a song dedicated to the losers of the world, and the return of the Kate and Riki puppets. In spite of that, it was about as anticlimactic as Kate's romp with the high school jazz player. It was awkward, it had a few tender moments, and it wasn't bad. It was just kind of...vanilla.
Kate
Riki B
Our girl needs to get her priorities straight. She spends a whole season looking for a good guy when apparently she's had one texting her all along...and then completely blows him off. I'm all for the strong single woman stance, but Jason Ritter is a sweetheart, and they make a cute pair. I hope we see more of them together next season. Boys aside, it was nice to see Riki's hormonal mania subside, and sweet, fun Riki return. Like Kate, Riki had a nice moment of redemption this week when, in spite of her failed egg freeze, she gives Kate the most thoughtful present and then kazoos her way down the street. Riki's ability to be a good friend in spite of her own sadness makes her the kind of character that you can't help but love, flaws and all.
Jason A
It's nearly impossible to see why Riki and co. are so against this guy. He seems to genuinely care for Riki, which is more than we can say about any of the other guys she's dated. He brings out her best self - the dorky, goofy, genuine Riki who feels like your childhood best friend - and he wants a future with her. I mean, the guy kept her toothbrush for six months after they broke up! She claims that he repeatedly left her, but seeing is believing, and what I see is a guy who loves her. Riki may have jammed a needle in her leg to tell him off, but I hope she gives him a chance next season because they're adorable together, and this is the happiest we've seen Riki in awhile.
Braden D-
"Maybe I can turn that onesie into a nonesie."
Our poor Kate landed herself another winner with this teenage, jazz-playing jerk. He might share Kate's level of emotional maturity, but when it comes to manners, he loses big time. He talks a big talk, but someone so critical of Kate's sexual performance should probably take a look in the mirror while he's at it. That just might knock him down a few cocky pegs.
"Maturity"B-
A word of advice on cliffhangers: they're most effective at the end of a season, not in the second-to-last episode. While "Maturity" gave us a touching and fun ending, it didn't leave us dying to find out what will happen next. And while that's not a necessity when it comes to half-hour comedies, it certainly doesn't hurt. A strong season finale should give some hint of what's to come, enough to whet our appetites while we wait for a new season. Unfortunately, this season finale did none of that. It resolved its story lines, it showed us how our characters have grown, and it seriously lacked hilarious one-liners which has always been one of the show's strengths. Nonetheless, it provided a bit of closure and helped our girls return to the Garfunkel and Oates we know and love, and that should be enough to bring back the loyal fans for season two.
Extra Credit
- Artemis
- The Breakfast Club
- Kate and Riki puppets!
Demerits
- Not enough Artemis
- The Of Mice and Men homage...what are we supposed to make of that?
- "Kids are so boring. Do you know how many times you’d have to make it a sandwich or throw a ball at it or something?"