Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Crazy Ones - The Intern


Ashley Tisdale guest-stars as the spoiled daughter of one of the firm's biggest clients who takes a job as the advertising company's newest intern. Although wanting to give Kelsi (Tisdale) every opportunity to prove herself, Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar) quickly becomes discouraged with Kelsi's self-entitlement and total disinterest in the job and wonders if others see her the same way.

The episode's B-story involves Lauren (Amanda Setton) trying to break her habit of sleeping with Zach (James Wolk) by spending more time with Andrew (Hamish Linklater)  only to discover the combination of the two is what she's really been looking for. However, learning that she is using both of them, Zach and Andrew each end the respective relationships.


Although I enjoyed seeing Tisdale make an appearance, calling her character one-dimensional would be rounding up. I'd like to see the actress return in order for the show to actually try and turn her into an actual character (rather than simple plot device). The attempts to save the client by placating the wounded pride of their ever-texting intern lead the team to play beer pong at a frat house and even attempt to use their skills to screw over Kelsi's roommate (Brenda Koo) in one of their most low-key pitch meetings. After the various antics, as is becoming the custom of the show, "The Intern" ends with a moral lesson as Sydney is rewarded by finally seeing how different she is from the spoiled princess.

There are several pieces of the episode that work, but despite introducing two storylines which open several avenues for exploration the episode sadly goes for cheap jokes in both instances. We're never sold on any aspect of the Lauren/Zack/Andrew triangle and with Tisdale only appearing for a single episode no effort is spent to make Kelsi into anything more than a snarky texting cliche.

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