The Mick Season 2, Episode 2 'The Friend': Putting Relationships To The Test

FOX’s “The Mick” started out its new season with a huge baggage of laughs and crazy family antics. After trying their best to stay at the hotel during the season 2 premiere, Mickey (Kaitlin Olson) and the rest of her ‘family’ are forced to move back to their burned mansion. It’s not bad considering the scope of damage Ben’s fire did in the last season. But still, living conditions are the worst.
The show has proven to be a friendly comedy show and a relief to the typical genre of gags and laughs that you usually find on FOX. The second episode, titled “The Friend,” puts relationships to the test between Mickey, Jimmy (Scott MacArthur), and Alba (Carla Jimenez) and the Pemberton siblings as s**t goes down on both ends.

What’s up with Mickey’s new friend?

We start the episode off with Mickey leaving the burned down mansion as disputes about their rooms start. It’s a stressful situation for her, especially with Jimmy failing miserably to fix the electrical system. She heads to the gym not to work out but continue watching her show without Alba. A random stranger uses the treadmill beside Mickey, and the two become instant friends when Mickey learns that the woman is rich.
It turns out that Trish—Mickey’s newfound friend—is a divorcee and is struggling to cope with her ex-husband’s upcoming wedding. The two sudden-besties hang out at Trish’s mansion, and Mickey learns that Trish is in need of a handyman. Mickey recommends Jimmy, and unsurprisingly, is present at Trish’s place the next day. The two share a box of pizza and wine just as Mickey arrives. Trish somehow likes Jimmy and asks Mickey if she can date him. Mickey reluctantly agrees, and the two hit it off.

The next day, Mickey learns that Trish wants Jimmy to be her date to her ex’s wedding. This is where things get complicated between them. Meanwhile, Alba is feeling left out. And so she fuels the thing going on between Trish and Jimmy so she could have Mickey all to herself. She accidentally reveals this to Mickey while they hang out in a bar, and Mickey suddenly realizes that she doesn’t want Jimmy to end up with Trish after all. Mickey literally crashes into the wedding and tells Jimmy and Trish that they can’t be together because Jimmy is her “dog.” Alba follows Mickey to the wedding and crashes in as well. The dilemma ends with Alba discovering a shard of glass stuck on Mickey’s neck. Alba removes it and blood gushes out of Mickey and she faints.
In the end, we see Mickey on the couch with Jimmy as he massages her foot. Jimmy eggs her into saying that she loves him, but Alba comes in bringing a bouquet of flowers that she stole from the wedding. They all make-up and things go back to normal—for now.

The Pemberton siblings and their love/hate relationship

Meanwhile, Ben (Jack Stanton) is forced to share a messy and burnt room with his older brother Chip (Thomas Barbusca). However, Jack couldn’t relate to Chip’s obnoxious and exaggerated display of machismo and so he runs to their older sister Sabrina (Sofia Black D’Elia). Ben tells her that he couldn’t stand being with Chip, to which Sabrina agrees. She lets Ben into her room to stay with her instead. Little do they know that Chip heard their conversation and is gagging with disgust.

Chip then makes it a point to prove how good of a brother he is and rubs in his sibling’s faces. Ben then tells him that no matter what he does, he’ll always be annoying. This makes him furious and takes up the challenge of killing the squirrel that’s been bothering Chip and Ben in their room. Chip then sets up a trap and attempts to catch the critter. However, the squirrel retaliates and injures Chip badly. Ben and Sabrina feel bad that they haven’t been there for Chip that much and decides to accept his annoying attitude as a phase that he’ll grow out of. The siblings also make up in the end, with Chip saying that he loves them both.

‘The Mick: The Friend’ Overall Verdict

“The Friend” is significantly funnier than the previous episode, “The Hotel.” The season 2 premiere episode helped tone down Mickey and The Pemberton’s delusion of grandeur while this episode brought them down to their knees, relationship-wise. “The Mick’s” good balance between humor and subtle lessons on family values make the show more relatable albeit being utterly unrealistic. Nonetheless, it’s still a worthwhile show to watch, regardless of its somewhat bland comedic taste.