It’s not often I go back and review something that’s not only in its second season, but on the second episode of its second season.
But since “Better Off Ted” was almost not renewed last year, I figured it was time to remind you about this squirt-diet-Coke-out-your-nose funny show.
Going where other sitcoms don’t, “Ted” (starring Jay Harrington) takes us inside a huge, scary chemical corporation, Veridian, that could not care less for its workers, other than as cogs in a machine that must kept working at all costs.
I know, it sounds too much like real life to be funny. But it’s hilarious and even funnier this year than last.
Last week, the show asked the question: “What if your company decided to hook you up with other chemically compatible employees to save a buck on single-worker benefits?”
Even the loneliest Veridian employees balked at the prospect, but none of them had the nerve to say no. That included Phil (Jonathan Slavin), who was offered a complimentary vasectomy to prevent him from breeding.
The perfect match-ups forced Ted to pretend he was speaking a Native American dialect and Linda (Andrea Anders) to suffer through a date with a guy who admits: “Twice a week, I like to put on a totally realistic bear costume and hang around the park . . . root around for berries and once I pushed a tourist.”
Tonight, Victoria (Portia de Rossi) finds out that while at company day care, Ted’s daughter picks up information about parents from other kids. So she tried to pump the kid for dirt to use to her advantage.
Meantime, Linda has written and sold a children’s book about a lemur that looks exactly like Phil, and Lem has a secret, hot affair with a company lawyer on company time.
When the company finds out, he’s forced to pay her legal hourly rate every time they have sex. “If I only use part of the hour am I billed for the entire hour?” he asks.
“Ted” is better than almost every other sitcom on TV, but be warned: Do not wear a white sweater while watching it and drinking diet Coke like I did.
Unlike Veridian, The Postdoesn’t pay employees’ dry cleaning bills.