RJ Writing Ink

Close Enough Episode 6A/6B Review

You want to know what I decided after watching this episode? It’s that I’m never getting any procedure like what Josh almost went through.

So Long Boys

Following a pregnancy scare, Josh and Emily freak out over the prospect of having anymore kids. Given that they can barely afford to raise Candice, they want to play it extra safe from that moment on. Which is why Josh decides to get a vasectomy done to eliminate the risk.

On the surface, it looks as though Josh is making the responsible decision for once. Raising kids can be hard at times, and the stress of raising them gets magnified by the financial cost to it. However, there’s no denying that being a parent can be one of the greatest joys in life, as Josh and Emily can’t help but remember all the good memories they have of raising Candice. Which makes them realize that they’re being too hasty and back out of it.

Meanwhile, Alex spends the episode dealing with the previously ignored of notion that he may want kids. Something that gets reinforced by meeting two teens who seem to look and act like him, making him think he’s their dad via donor. I thought that this was a nice sub-plot going on and shows some character development for Alex. It also helps that one of the kids is voiced by Kate Micucci, who I know as Webby from DuckTales!

Clap Like This

In the second half, it looks like Josh finally got his big break when he sells one of his games to a gaming company. Turns out, though, that the deal fell through. Instead of being upset over his dreaming not coming true (again), Josh’s big concern is Emily and Candice. How will he break the news to them that they’re not gonna be rich? Rather than tell them, the poor guy starts working more jobs than ever to get rid of the crazy debt he has.

In the last episode, we saw how Josh would choose his family over his dreams. Here, though, we see how he’s willing to go the extra mile to ensure their happiness. I can respect his willingness to do that, but dude, it would have been better just to tell them the truth. Part of any successful relationship is honesty, and sooner or later, Emily and Candice would find out the truth.

As for the side-plot, Bridgette finds herself cut off from her parents on her 26th birthday, forcing her to get a job. She hates it, at first, but with her friends help, learns to accept it and mature a little. This would have been an interesting plot device going forward, but after her mom sees how little she’s earning, she gives her back her money. Status Quo is God, I guess.

Love the Cameos and References

Even after all these years, I love how JG Quintel is in touch with pop culture as ever. Clap Like This managed to have David Hasslehoff guest star as himself and a Jaws reference in the same minute! That’s pretty impressive!

Only two episodes remain from the first batch of Close Enough episodes, and I’m already in love with this show. If you’ve got some free time, I’d recommend watching it!

I Give “So Long Boys” a 3/5 and “Clap Like This” a 4/5

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Close Enough Episode 5A/5B Review

We are now past the halfway point for the first batch of episodes for Close Enough. So far, my love for this show has not diminished in the slightest. Especially since this next episode has to deal with two of my favorite subjects: technology and video games.

Robot Tutor

When Candice starts struggling in school, her teacher gives her a robot tutor to learn from. However, this robot means that the family has to cancel their planned beach trip, which no one’s happy about.

I will be totally honest with you guys: this segment didn’t click with as much as I wanted it to. I remember how much of a struggle it could be to succeed in school at times. Heck, I still shudder from the memory of math class. But I’ve never been in a position to help me relate to this problem. At least, not yet.

At the least, we get to see Josh being a good dad to Candice, in his own way. He hacks the tutor bot so Candice can get the right answers, but then an evil drone army kidnaps them all and Candice has to save everyone.

Golden Gamer

Like some other episodes, this segment has a main and sub-plot. Unlike others, I don’t know which one is which. There’s this story with Alex trying to get his student’s respect, but that wasn’t the real draw. The real draw was the plot involving Josh.

Josh runs into an old buddy who made it big as a game developer, and we learn that, for a time, Josh was close to making it big as well. Unfortunately, his first, Dude Man, while promising, was too glitchy, and no one would buy it. As a result, Josh tries to finish the game and get the success he came close to having. In typical Quintel fashion, the game character comes to life to help him recapture his 20’s attitude.

I think that this was one of my favorite episodes of the season. Not only do we reaffirm that Josh is a legitimately good game developer that just needs a chance, we also got so major backstory for him. In the episode’s climax, we learn that his failure led to him meeting Emily, their marriage, and the birth of Candice. If Dude Man had been successful the first time around, none of those good things would have happened. Thus, Josh chooses his family over Dude Man in a very touching scene.

An Important Life Lesson

I think the lesson from this episode (the second half, at least) is that just because the dreams you had when you were younger don’t work out doesn’t make you a failure. In fact, the end of one dream can lead to a newer, more meaningful one. In this case, Josh’s initial failure led to him meeting his wife and having his daughter. For their sakes, he won’t stop trying on his own dreams. Whether he succeeds, though, only time will tell.

Oh, and the first half was good, too, I guess.

I Give “Robot Tutor” a 2.5/5 and “Golden Gamer” a 4/5

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Click here to see my review of the entire season.

Close Enough Season 1 Review

Hello folks, RJ Fritz of RJ Writing Ink here, and I am beyond thrilled that Close Enough is now on HBO Max. Ever since it got announced more than two years ago, I’ve been pumped to see it on TV. But then TBS dropped the ball, so HBO Max had to pick it up. And they managed to score a slam dunk with it! Not only do we see series creator JG Quintel in top form, but I feel like this show’s come at such a crucial time in our lives. To be more specific, it’s come out a crucial time in the lives of millennials. We’re moving away from being young adults into full-fledged grownups and parents and facing new challenges. So, it’s great that we have a show that gives a voice to those issues while also making us laugh about them.

Enough about that, though. Let’s review the first season.

The Characters

Like Regular Show, Close Enough focuses on a cast of colorful characters; this time around, though, they’re all human. First up, we have Josh Singleton and his wife, Emily Ramirez. They’re a young, married couple in their early thirties trying to raise their five-year-old daughter Candice. The key being trying. It’s clear they’re still working out the kinks in being good parents, but their love for Candice is undeniable.

Part of the problem is that Josh and Emily are still working on the dreams they’ve had from their 20s. Josh was poised to be a successful game developer only to blow his big chance, and is still looking for another one. As for Emily, I can only assume that she wants to be a famous singer and musician. Right now, though, they’re caught between their dreams of success and their responsibilities as parents.

Then we have their roommates, Alex and Bridgette. They’ve been friends with Josh and Emily for years, but their own lives are not as stable. They divorced some time ago, yet they still live as roommates for cost reasons. It makes things awkward at times, but they seem to respect each other enough.

Rounding out the group is their Landlady Pearle, an ex-cop, and her adopted son Randy. Oh, and Candice. Don’t forget Candice.

Dealing With Millennial Issues

As I said before, Close Enough came out at a crucial, transitional time in the lives of millennial’s. Our generation is all grown-up, we have jobs and homes, and some of us now have families. But we’re still in our mid-twenties and early thirties. That’s the time when we move away from the freedom of our youth and grow to be the people we need to be in order to survive in the world.

It’s quite the conundrum, isn’t it? We know we have to accept more responsibility, yet we don’t want to give up on everything we loved to do before. So the big problem is how do we go about reconciling those two? I think Close Enough tries to find this answer, with that answer being that growing old may not be so bad.

Yeah, as we get older, some of us may find that our interests and wants will change, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Change is a natural part of life, and it can lead to new and exciting opportunities. Just because you suddenly don’t like eating chocolate chip pancakes anymore isn’t the end of the world. You may have a new favorite dish waiting around the corner.

Same Old Quintel

The one thing that I’m glad hasn’t changed, though, is the formula that JG Quintel uses for his shows. Ten years later, and it still follows that successful formula from Regular Show

1. Characters face some sort of mundane problem
2. Characters work to resolve mundane problem.
3. Characters face some sort of surreal or wacky hijinks in order to resolve said problem.

Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

A Binge-Worthy Good Time

Bottom Line, if you’re a fan of Regular Show and are willing to spend the money for HBO Max, then I’d reccomend you go watch Close Enough. It’s still in its early stages, but if it plays its cards right, it can end up being one of the big cartoons of the 2020s. I love it!

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