What Happens When You Follow a Mysterious Blonde. Advance Review: Bored to Death - "The Blonde in the Woods"

Season 3, Episode 1

Air Date: Monday, October 10, 2011, 9:00 pm ET/PT on HBO

Rating: ★★★★★

I’ll admit, I watched a few episodes of HBO’s struggling-writer-turned-amateur-detective series, Bored to Death, when it first premiered in 2009. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea so I gave it up in favor of other series more in my wheelhouse. Also, back then I didn’t have my own media website and wasn’t really invested in whether or not a show made it. Now I do. So when HBO sent me the first six episodes of Bored to Death’s season three, I watched and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the show.

What Happens When You Follow a Mysterious Blonde. Advance Review: Bored to Death - "The Blonde in the Woods" 1

Jonathan waits for the next fan at his book signing

Season three finds aspiring novelist Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) continuing with his dream of being a detective, albeit unlicensed, and engaging in all sorts of New York City escapades along with George (Ted Danson) and Ray (Zach Galifiankis). For those who don’t know, George is Jonathan’s mentor and benefactor and Ray, a cartoonist, is Jonathan’s close friend. George has left the magazine business behind, opened George on Jane, an organic restaurant in the West Village named after a former fling—get it? George on Jane?—and is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter this season. All three characters are very self-absorbed which not only prevents them from having a serious relationship with a woman, but brings them closer together as co-dependent friends. During Schwartzman’s visit to Today on Thursday, October 6^th, he told host Hoda and guest host Kourtney Kardashian the new season will feature “plushy sex, elder love and Ted Danson as Don Quixote.”

As “The Blonde in the Woods” opens, Jonathan is celebrating the release of his new book The Blonde in the Woods. Ray finds out the two lesbians who stole his sperm are splitting up and “the nice one” wants him to have visitation with baby Spencer once a week. Jonathan’s father, Ray (Richard Masur), tells him he’s sterile and his mom, Florence (Allyce Beasley), used a sperm donor to get pregnant, thus leading Jonathan on a quest to find his biological father.

Highlights:

What Happens When You Follow a Mysterious Blonde. Advance Review: Bored to Death - "The Blonde in the Woods" 2

Jonathan, hiding from the cops

This season, Jonathan’s detective work leads him into more serious and risky jobs. The season premiere is the first of a two-episode arc that begins with him following a woman wearing a yellow hat, with instructions to report back on her location. He does that and ends up in hot water with the police. While this storyline is only a small part of the season opener, it sets up the second episode perfectly.

Allyce Beasley is vintage comedy. Her brand of humor is smart even as she plays dumb. I remember her from a little series called Moonlighting, where she played receptionist Agnes DiPesto. She delighted me then and she delights me today.

I have always had an affinity for Betty Boop so seeing her picture on the wall of George on Jane where George meets up with his estranged daughter, Emily (Halley Feiffer) and her new boyfriend Bernard (David Rasche) brought a wide grin to my face. Back in the early 1930s, Minnie the Moocher defined Betty’s character as a teenager of a modern era, at odds with the old world ways of her parents—exactly how I felt when I was a teenager. I’ve loved her ever since.

The way Ray calms baby Spencer’s crying is hysterical. All I will tell you is it involves whiskey…and a nipple.

Favorite lines:

George to Ray at Jonathan’s celebratory dinner: “Oh you got a new job?”

Jonathan: “No, nothing terrible like that.”

***

Jonathan on his new higher level apartment in Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh bank tower: “It’s like living in California, but in Brooklyn.”

***

Florence, explaining about Jonathan’s biological father: “He was Jewish and intelligent, which is what we requested. He was a member of Menscha.”

Ray, exasperated: “Menscha. He was a member of Mensa!”

***

Emily to George: “Daddy, where’s the ladies’ room? I need to drain my lizard.”

What Happens When You Follow a Mysterious Blonde. Advance Review: Bored to Death - "The Blonde in the Woods" 3

Emily and boyfriend Bernard

All in all, the season premiere of Bored to Death is delightfully funny and thoroughly enjoyable. The dialogue alone is enough to make me laugh, but the best part of the series is the fantastic chemistry among the three main stars. They play off each other beautifully. If you’re a fan of film noir, you won’t want to miss the new season of Bored to Death.

Tune in to Bored to Death, Mondays at 9:00 pm ET/PT on HBO, beginning October 10^th.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!