Mikes Film Talk

As amazing as it may seem, after all the odds are against any sitcom knocking out of the park every single week,  Dr Ken achieves this easily. So much so that each episode equals laughter to the nth degree and one should avoid watching it on a tablet (or other device)  in public places if easily embarrassed. For instance, at this exact point and time, this reviewer is sitting in a crowded fast-food outlet, earphones in and is chortling, snorting and leaking tears of laughter at the beginning of Ken Teaches Molly a Lesson.

This episode is all about family, although those crazy folks at the medical center do appear and Dr. Park, along with Damona,  do a ’77 riff on Pat that is truly memorable and funny as hell.  Before then, and later, the episode is owned by Ken Jeong, Krista Marie Yu, Suzy Nakamura and Albert Tsai.  The part that had this reviewer laughing out loud, aka “LOLing” in a public place, was Molly’s question control after informing her parents that the police had shut down a party she was attending due to underage drinking.

Ken and Allison agree to not get angry and Molly allows them two questions. The parents discuss the situation and believe that the deal will not improve so they agree . Molly then explains about the police and the drinking.

Ken: “All right. Is there more?”

“Molly: “No and not a wise use of your question.”

Ken: “Damn!”

Allison: (to Molly who is leaving the room) “Hold on.  Don’t I get a question?”

Molly: “Yes! Good question Mom!”

Allison: “Damn!”

The teen does not escape, however, as Ken forces her to “fess up” about drinking half a beer and then pouring it out because she did not like the taste. Ken reacts badly to the news and Allison thanks Molly for telling them.

The two adults disagree on how to handle the situation.  Ken changes from the “fun one” to the strict one unlike Allison  with her “commune” upbringing.  She mentions his jail time after the first “Molly” incident. Ken agrees to handle things Allison’s way, but in the end, cannot.

Dr. Ken manages to put a brilliant spin on the gags in the show, from Ken Jeong’s referring to consuming half a beer as a “Korean whore’s breakfast” to spitting while saying “Fo sho.”  Determined to teach Molly a lesson, Dr. Park sits her down and drinks non-stop while showing his teenager the perils of alcohol consumption.

Cue one massively intoxicated Dr. Ken, who manages to get drunk as a lord and embarrasses Molly again in front of her friends.

Standout moment:

Ken drunkenly lurches toward a teenage girl he thinks is Molly and after hugging her says, “I used to give her a bath!” His trumpeting this mortifying information to the wrong girl is hysterically funny and culminates in Molly storming off.

While Ken “teaches Molly a lesson” Allison is determined to be the fun parent with Dave, something that Ken does already. She takes the boy to an Angela Merkel biography reading by the author. On their trip, she gets stopped for an illegal U-turn, gets the cop’s gender wrong, lies about Dave’s health to get him a seat at the reading and Dave falls asleep moments later, snoring out loud.

Back at work, Julie is upset that no one cares about her breakup with Topher and when Damona asks her if she thought that the medical clinic would be like Grey’s Anatomy, she says yes. Dr. Julie Dobbs then  goes into full blown rant mode and is offered half a tissue from Pat as “you look upset.”

By the end of the episode, Allison learns that she has become the fun one, Ken is massively hung over and each one takes pride in their efforts to be great parents.

Once again, Kate Simses kills it, with her Grey’s Anatomy rant, and Tisha Campbell-Martin teams up with Ken Jeong to deliver a  brilliant comedic rip on Dave Foley‘s administrator.  Ken and Krista Marie Yu also interact perfectly as he gets more and more intoxicated while she tries to warn him about his consumption. Suzy Nakamura and Albert Tsai are also spot on in their scenes together.

*Sidenote* Ken Jeong’s  “masking” bit re: strawberry daiquiris;  is another belly laugh moment as is the “second wind” entrance at the party. 

Like Dave’s description of his night out with Allison this episode of Dr. Ken: Ken Teaches Molly a Lesson, was “badass.” The series airs Fridays on ABC, tune in and prepare to laugh your “badass” off…