Saturday, December 1, 2018

REVIEW: 'F Is For Family' - Frank and Sue See Wildly Different Sides of New Neighbor Chet in 'Battle of the Sexes'

Netflix's F Is For Family - Episode 3.05 "Battle of the Sexes"

While Sue hosts a soul-crushing focus group for the Forkoontula, Frank tries to keep Vic from bonding with Chet, and Bill sneaks out with Bridget.

In 2018, it makes no sense to provide full-length reviews of each individual episode for shows released all at once on the streaming services. Sure, there are some shows out there that value the power of the episode. They do make a point in differentiating each episode to ensure it's not just one big slog to the finish. However, the ability to watch the entire season at one's own viewing pace has largely changed the way we consume and discuss these shows. So, some brief summary thoughts are really all that's actually necessary with these seasons. As such, here are my latest thoughts on the next episode of Netflix's F Is For Family.

"Battle of the Sexes" was written by Emily Towers and directed by Olivier Schramm

It's insane that this show is capable of producing one story that ends with the reveal of domestic abuse and another that contains a cow narrowly avoiding being run over by a train only to fall into a tiger pit at the zoo and survive! Those are two wildly different stories. And yet, they work just as well in the scope of this series as well. Kevin's story offers so much levity to everything else that is currently going on. Sure, the majority of it consists of that sequence where his new friends place a bunch of ridiculous objects in front of a train to see them get destroyed. But that's still a lot of fun while also hinting that these may not be the best influences on Kevin at the moment. Meanwhile, Chet's true colors are starting to come out. He may not be the man that Frank has idolized and revered for the entire season so far. Frank has been eager to get the approval of his new neighbor. He wants to appease him and show his loyalty. He sees Chet as the version of himself that could have been. This is the life that he could have lived. He doesn't have a family and was able to fly a plane. However, Chet's stunt with the failing engine in the previous episode proved that there was some twisted darkness within him. In fact, that was always apparent based on the sheer presence of Nguyen-Nguyen in this story. And now, it's clear that there really isn't anything special about Chet. Frank wanted to believe that this was a meaningful friendship. But he is now realizing that Chet reacts in the same exact way with every new friend that he meets. It's almost robotic to see how calculated Chet is in these interactions. He still has his charms. Frank is still competing with Vic to be friends with Chet. He doesn't want anyone to take away from what he has with Chet. He is very competitive in that way and doesn't believe that Chet has enough to go around. The other neighbors in this community enjoy him too. The only special thing that Chet has done specifically for Frank is draw up the plans for the baby room. That proved that he cared about the Murphy family and wanted to help Frank out. That formed this bond. In the end, Frank still has the appreciation that he craves from this relationship. He thought he had lost it for a moment to Vic. But then, he is quickly able to win it back. It's not a competition to either Chet or Vic. Frank is the only person who sees it this way. That means he is working overly hard in order to impress this guy. The entire neighborhood is able to have a good time watching the latest "Battle of the Sexes" match. Things are drawn along gender lines in terms of support. And yet, this is another powerful reminder of how strong-willed many of these individuals are. Plus, the women get the bragging rights of their athlete being victorious. It gives Sue the confidence to keep going even though her latest invention is a total failure. She may no longer have a business with Vivian. Everything seems over. But she also has to believe that she can't quit now. She has to keep forging ahead with the conviction that everything will work out eventually. And yes, she is rewarded with a baby room that shows just how considerate Chet can be. She appreciates that. It's just horrifying when she goes over to his house and sees how abusive and demeaning he is to Nguyen-Nguyen. That means that Sue and Frank will continue not seeing eye-to-eye on the subject. Sue will once again be in the right for seeing Chet as a monster while Frank will be ignorant to his true colors because he wants Chet to be the hero he sees him as.