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Cape Town - Here are four of our favourite Valentine’s Day fails in TV comedies, all of which are available to stream or download on ShowMax.
Parks and Recreation: S4, E14 - Operation Ann
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is at her meddling best in this laugh-a-minute episode. She asks the Parks department to help her bestie Ann (Rashida Jones) find a date for the Valentine's Day singles mixer the department is hosting. First, the dance is dire, with a recently ditched Chris as the dreadful DJ; then April (Aubrey Plaza), who hates Ann, tries to set her up with her zombie-like friend Orin, and then with another member of the Parks department - the “only man who’s made her smile all night”. He’s the last person we’d picture with Ann, but, in a way, it makes sense, because all Ann really wants is what we all do: “A nice, funny guy who likes me and treats me well.” And this guy does just that - even though he’s too ridiculous for it to last.
Will & Grace: S4, E16 - A Chorus Lie
Karen takes Will to a Valentine’s Day dance as her date, and, to combat rumours that she’s lonely without Stan, tells the man with the biggest mouth (“you teacup poodle!”) at the party that Will is her whore. Will can’t figure out why he’s suddenly getting calls from so many “potential clients”. When Karen spills the beans, Will leaves (“Here I am, thinking I’m Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich but I’m actually Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!”) and Karen has to face the music by doing the spotlight dance by herself … until Will returns to save her with style - and even a smooch. (This episode is also worth watching for the guest appearance of a very young Matt Damon as a straight man who’s pretending to be gay to get into the Gay Men’s chorus.)
The Office: S2, E16 - Valentine’s Day
Michael heads to Dunder Mifflin’s New York head office on Valentine’s Day to give a presentation to the new CFO David Wallace and accidentally lets slip that he and his boss Jan “hooked up”. After this fact gets dropped into the head of the Albany branch’s presentation, Michael and Jan get hauled over the coals by David. Jan thinks her career is over, but Michael, in a rare display of sense and self-sacrifice, takes all the blame for his “joke”, which he says was misinterpreted by Craig from Albany (“who, as you saw, is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Though he is a tool!”) and restores Jan in the eyes of her boss. The episode ends with her thanking him very romantically in the elevator before he leaves.
Friends: S6, E17 - The One With Unagi
Chandler and Monica plan to give each other handmade Valentine’s Day gifts, but they both forget. Terrified of not delivering on their romantic promise, and being too stubborn to admit to it, they improvise - Chandler gives her a mixtape, and Monica gives Chandler a “sock bunny” that he happens to know was made by Phoebe. He takes advantage of Monica’s discomfort and lets her do all kinds of things to make it up to him, not admitting that he didn’t make the tape either. But then Monica plays the tape while they’re dancing, and Janice’s unmistakable nasal voice comes on over the music, saying “Happy birthday, Chandler, love Janice! Mwah!” - and Chandler is so busted.
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