The ludicrousness of Carole (Kathleen Rose Perkins) comforting Merc (John Pankow) while he sits on the toilet stressing over the latest ratings for his network sets the tone of this brilliantly written episode of Episodes, especially when the scene ends with the sound of a single, solitary dump. Way to start the funny from the get go! But what’s a network producer to do when the show he was counting on for big ratings is a failure?