Last week, I told you that Disney Television Animation’s Monsters at Work’s initial shortcomings amounted to little more than “growing pains,” as subsequent episodes had found a comfy niche in office comedy. Without the pressure and weight of exposition, characterization, and narrative justification, Monsters at Work capitalized on strong writing and performances while diversifying visual themes in face of a limited budget.
This week’s episode “The Big Wazowskis” is certainly not as good as the one preceding, but the simple premise and above-average performances still retain the successful bits of this series’s highs.
The Episode
Starting off with a bombshell revelation, we’ve casually introduced this series’s interpretation of the cliche “they’ve always been here” character. After learning of a company bowling contest (with first prize winners getting dinner for two at Harryhausen’s), Mike confronts his “long-time” rival Gary and vows to deny him the joy of winning. However, due to his new position at the company, Mike must approve mountains of paperwork and forfeit his place in the contest. Luckily for him, Tylor realizes that winning the contest may appease his boss, and offers the MIFT crew as a replacement team.
Initially appearing to be bowling superstars, the MIFT crew are flat-out awful. Despite winning the first few rounds of the contest by pure luck, Tylor has no faith in his misfit co-workers, and Duncan capitalizes on this opportunity by offering Tylor a partnership with the night crew, breaking the bonds between Tylor and MIFT. Eventually, the MIFT crew discovers Tylor’s plan to push them aside, forgives his momentary selfishness, and makes one final attempt to bowl successfully. Instead of replacing his colleagues, Tylor turns their absurdities into strategies, managing to improve their chances of winning. Both teams tie in a cruel twist of fate, and Mike is forced to share a romantic dinner with his doppelganger Gary.
The Review
Compared to the last episode, “The Big Wazowskis” places a heavier focus on the MIFT crew (compared to the cast of returning characters). Mike has momentary interactions with the crew, but the absence of Sulley illustrates a clear lack of emotional complexity in the main cast. Goodman’s one line in the episode is a pandering reference to “The Big Lebowski,” something that felt unnecessary and lazy. Obviously, this was a momentary annoyance, but I can’t help but feel like, in comparison to Crystal, Goodman doesn’t have the same interest in returning to the character.
Even more confusing was the introduction of Gary, a slightly smaller, purple version of Mike. Gabriel Iglesias’s performance isn’t particularly bad, but for a show that already felt creatively uninspired, a character recolor is icing on the cake. The idea is funny, but likely not for the reasons they had intended.
That said, this is perhaps the first time in the series that the MIFT crew take center stage, really nailing the office hijinks and relationships necessary to flesh out these characters. The conflict isn’t complex, and the interactions are typical for television sitcoms, but it’s roughly enjoyable nonetheless.
Monsters at Work has yet to reach anything near the groundbreaking success of the original film, but the varying success of each episode appears to show some sort of identity-forming under the surface. For those who haven’t started the series yet, I suggest you give it a chance, as the potential for something great still lies on the horizon. Here’s hoping they capitalize on it.
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist and the Content Director for the Boardwalk Times. He can be found on Twitter at @OpentheDorman.
