Article first published as THE LEAGUE Review Season 5 Premiere on Seat42F.
FX’s THE LEAGUE, now on FXX, returns for
a fifth season this week with “The Bachelor Draft,” followed by the
second part of an hour-long story next week, “The Von Nowzick Wedding.”
These two episodes find the gang heading out to California for a
destination draft / destination wedding. Which is most important depends
on who you talk to, and there is one person who is not at all pleased
the two are happening on the same weekend.
I don’t know how THE LEAGUE does it, but
it seems to get funnier with each and every season. I think it’s
because the chemistry between the ensemble has just gelled so well at
this point that it feels like catching up with old friends when you sit
down to watch an episode. Old friends who mercilessly pick on one
another in the best way possible.
We are introduced to another long-time
member of the league in “The Bachelor Draft.” Ted (Adam Brody, The O.C.)
used to hang with the others, prior to the show’s beginning, but moved
to the West Coast. We know he participates remotely, his name having
been mentioned before, but this is the first time viewers see him..
Having won last year’s tournament, Ted bids the others come to him for
the new draft.
I like Brody’s character. It’s easy to
see how he fits, and the relationship he had with the others when he
still lived near them. It’s a natural part of life that some friends may
move away, but the manner in which Brody picks up with Kevin (Stephen
Rannazzisi), Pete (Mark Duplass), Taco (Jonathan Lajoie), and the others
feels incredibly natural, as if no time has passed since he’s seen
them. I hope he guest stars again soon.
Trixie (Jayma Mays, Glee) doesn’t
understand this chemistry. She is marrying Andre (Paul Scheer), the
scapegoat of the group, and doesn’t appreciate what fantasy football
means to these guys. It’s not hard to imagine how Andre and Trixie might
get along away from Andre’s friends; after all, it often seems like
Andre doesn’t belong in the gang, having different interests than the
others. But Trixie has got to figure out a way to enjoy these people if
she wants to stick around, because they are important to Andre.
Will Trixie last as a character? I’m not
sure. It’s certain she won’t be another Jenny (Katie Aselton), a
valuable main character who appears in each and every episode. But she
could be a Sofia (Nadine Velazquez), one who tolerates her husband’s
obsessions and just shows up occasionally. She certainly is given
numerous reasons to hate the guys in these installments, including
during some very odd wedding toasts, but there’s always the chance she
may re-occur. Maybe.
Poor Andre is caught in the middle,
between the woman he loves, but who is allergic to his sperm, and the
friends he loves, but who seem to be allergic to his presence. The
latter is hilarious as Andre tries to pick a best man, and each keep
trying to shove off the duty on one another. This doesn’t necessarily
mean they don’t like Andre, and they would probably be at the ceremony
even if the draft wasn’t taking place, but they don’t want to do the
things they know Andre will make them do in that role, and it’s not in
them to pretend for his sake.
As much as Andre sticks out like a sore
thumb among the others, so does Ruxin (Nick Kroll), the heartless, cruel
bastard of the group. But through Ruxin in these two new episodes, we
see just how important each element is, even if it’s not obvious at
first glance.
See, Ruxin is the holder of the Sacko,
and being who he is, he does not want to accept the Sacko punishments
doled out by his friends. In a pout, he actually quits the league in
“The Bachelor Draft,” joining Rafi’s (Jason Mantzoukas) Ultimate League,
whose members include some familiar faces I won’t spoil here, instead.
But from the moment Ruxin makes this announcement, fans know the
situation is temporary.
The other characters will never tell
Ruxin that they care about him; it’s just not in their nature. However,
we see how they still include him in their gags through the two
half-hours. We also see how desperate Ruxin is not to be left out,
despite what he says. This illustrates the emotional makeup of the gang
far better than words would, anyway.
What this means, though, is that viewers
are treated to a number of over-the-top jokes at Ruxin’s expense,
eventually leading to, as we know it must, sweet revenge had by Ruxin.
That’s just the way THE LEAGUE works, and I wouldn’t have it any other
way.
One thing both “The Bachelor Draft” and
“The Von Nowzick Wedding” do effectively is use their celebrity athlete
cameos with wonderful results. Normally, I am not a fan of football
players showing up on the series. While I’m sure there are many football
fans watching out there, including those that make THE LEAGUE
themselves, I hate sports and these bits don’t do anything for me,
especially because it usually feels like the appearances are gratuitous
and the players can’t act. I have to believe I am not alone in that
opinion. However, in this two-part season premiere, THE LEAGUE finally
makes the spots work for them in a wonderful way, so this should satisfy
both types of fans, those who like football and those who do not.
Basically, what I’m saying is that both
of these installments are incredibly amusing, with several
laugh-out-loud scenes and some interesting developments. Enjoy them as
THE LEAGUE helps launch new network FXX, airing Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m.
ET.
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