Man With a Plan Season 3 Episode 6 Review

On this episode of Man With a Plan, the gang needs a loan to continue working on the house, leading to an awkward encounter for Andi and Adam.

The home inspector tells Adam, Andi and the guys that the house they are working on failed the inspection because of the sewage system, and they can't afford pay for it, even with their bank loan. They decide to go to different banks for the loan. The four of them go to as many banks as possible, but nobody wants to give them a loan. Finally, Lowell and Andi find someone willing to give them a chance. Andi calls Adam to tell him the good news. The man from the bank asks Andi (and only Andi) to dinner to talk over the deal, and she agrees to it. Lowell wants to tell Andi about the dinner, but Andi tells him to keep it private, because Adam gets too jealous. Lowell doesn't think he can handle lying to Adam, but  Andi convinces him to try. That night, Lowell passes out when Adam asks where Andi is.

After Marcy fixes him up, Lowell tells Adam that Andi is at dinner with the man from the bank. He rushes there to stop the dinner, and Marcy follows him. At the restaurant, Adam discovers that Joe and Funchy are eating there together, and that Joe is totally fine. Marcy stops Adam from interrupting Andi's dinner. Adam observes them from another table, but Andi recognizes the back of his head when he slides the chair past the table. Andi gets annoyed and tells Adam it's not a date, but the loan guy tells her it's a date, and that they aren't getting a date. Everyone's upset when they get home, until Lowell comes in to tell them that he got the money from Jen, through a bit of blackmail.

Wrap-Up:

This was a very good episode, even though it pit Adam and Andi against each other yet again. However, it did so in a different and much more comical way than usual, and I applaud the show for it. I really enjoyed Marcy's increased screen time (though it still isn't enough) in this episode, and I'm glad that she actually helped the plot advance this week, unlike usual, when she's usually just there to say a funny line or two and that's it. Guest star Ian Gomez was also thoroughly entertaining in his role, and he made his creepy-yet-pitiful character work when others wouldn't have. The conclusion to the episode and the running joke that it triggered was one of the endings to any MWAP episode that I can remember. All in all, a thoroughly entertaining episode that is definitely one of the season's best.

Score: 8/10
Grade: B

Man With a Plan Season 3 Episodes 4 & 5 Review

Man With a Plan review are back with a special two-episode review focusing on the last two episodes. I wasn't a huge fan of the third episode of the season, but maybe these will be better. I sure hope so...

Episode 4:

Andi is trying to convince Adam to give her her own desk at work, but Lowell gets upset when he comes convinced that he'll have to give up his desk. He then flips out about a missing pencil sharpener, and when Adam and Andi confront him about being upset over his split from his wife, he storms out.

Later, Adam tells Andi that he wants to check on Lowell, who is continuing to act erratic. Adam and Don stop by and play a game with Lowell, which seems to cheer Lowell up. Adam wins the game and Don wants a rematch the next day, but Adam doesn't think he'll be able to come, due to his responsibilities at home. He figures out that he'd be able to go over if he can convince Andi that Lowell needs more help the next day, which he's able to do.

At work, Lowell continues to act erratic, this time playing it up so Adam can go over to his apartment. That night, the guys are surprised by an appearance from Joe. He starts going over all the time, just like Adam and Don, which leads to Beverly and Marcy suspecting that something's up. They tell Andi their suspicions, and the three of them go over to Lowell's. They catch the guys red-handed, and they are in trouble. Deep trouble. When they get home, Andi confronts Adam, who tells her he just needed a break from all of his responsibilities at home. Even though she acts like she doesn't understand, she later admits that she does after Adam tells her about a time he once witnessed her relaxing at Target. The two then go to Target together to relax. At work, Adam finally gives Andi her own desk.

Wrap-Up:

I really enjoyed this episode, and was happy to see the tension Adam and Andi work things out in an amusing way instead of just bickering like they usually do. I don't mind seeing a conflict between them, as long as the writers have a more creative way of resolving that conflict than they usually do. Seeing all of the guys hanging out and bonding over something so simple was pretty fun, and it was great to see Joe's nurse Funchy make another appearance. He's a fun recurring character, especially in smaller doses as he can make an impression without having to say much or take much attention away fro the main characters. All in all, this was a really funny episode and a big improvement on the previous one.

Score: 8.5/10
Grade: B+

Episode 5:

Adam and Andi are searching for baby pictures in Kate's closet in the middle of the night, but they discover that she snuck out and confront her about it. Kate tells her that she snuck out to see a band, and Adam tells her to go to her room, even though Andi wanted to take a softer approach. This leads to an argument (shocker!) between Adam and Andi, with Adam blaming everything on "modern parenting." Andi actually acknowledges that Adam has a point, and she lets him parent how he wants to. Adam takes Kate's door away to punish her. When he sees her in the closet on the phone, he takes her phone away. She tells him he needs it for school, and he lets her use the phone, but she has to use a landline (which he stole from Joe and Bev). Kate drives everyone crazy the next day at breakfast, and Adam tells Andi that this only ends when Kate apologizes. Adam tells Joe about his new "old school" approach to parenting, but Joe tells him that what he's doing isn't old school at all. Adam is devastated to realize that he is now one of those modern parents that he hates so much.

Adam and Andi decide to take a hands-off approach to parenting Kate. They tell Kate that she can run her own life, and she immediately tells them she's going to a concert on Thursday. This upsets Andi, and she just can't help it. She googles the band Kate went to see, and they discover that the concert is at a college. Adam immediately calls her, but since she doesn't have her phone, they can't get ahold off her. They want to go there, but don't want to admit defeat, so they sent Don and Lowell there instead. Since Don and Lowell are incompetent buffoons, they decide to go check on her themselves. Before they can leave, Kate gets home. They're proud that she learned her lesson, but she really didn't learn anything, and just came home because none of her friends could go. Adam and Andi go along with everything and pretend that their plan worked perfectly.

Wrap-Up:

Kate's been very underused this season, and she finally got her time to shine with this week's episode. Even though she didn't get as much screen time as Adam or Andi, it was nice to see her not get totally ignored for once. It was also nice to see Adam and Andi working together, even though they predictably made some stupid parenting choices in the episode. Joe telling Adam that he wasn't parenting in an "old school" style at all was probably the second-funniest part of the entire episode, second only to Lowell and Don going to the concert and acting like, well, themselves. This was another really strong episode this season, and I found it to be a small improvement on the fourth episode.

Score: 8.5/10
Grade: B+

What did you think of this pair of episodes? Let me know in the comments below!

Man With a Plan Season 3 Episode 2 Review

Man With a Plan returned last week with a strong but unexceptional episode that put Lowell into the spotlight. This week, the focus returns fully to Adam and Andi, who have yet another fight, this time caused by a disagreement at work.

Andi is celebrating her one week anniversary of working at Burns Brothers, and she's celebrating by showing the guys her designs for the house they're working on. This leads to a disagreement between Andi and Adam over tiles, and Andi gets upset and leaves.

Andi's still upset the next day, and Adam thinks she needs to learn to accept no for an answer. Don, however, thinks Adam should try saying "yeah, maybe" instead of outright saying no, and Adam actually thinks it's a good idea (even a broken clock is right twice a day). Andi talks to Lowell and Marcy. Marcy tells her to use sex to get what she wants, and she tries that later that night. Adam catches on immediately, but uses Don's trick on her. Unfortunately for Adam, Andi takes "yeah, maybe" as a form of approval, and she orders the tiles.

Adam asks Don to be the one to put his foot down on the tiles, and he agrees. However, Andi suspects that Adam put him up to it, and she gets a confirmation a minute later. She then manipulates Don into siding with her. They confront Adam, and he tells him her real problem is hearing the word no. Adam tells Andi he's sticking to his guns, and she says the same. That night, Adam tells Andi that he wants Andi to choose whether she wants to be in control at work or at home. She chooses home, and they finally stop fighting. The next day, Lowell tells Adam and Andi that he's moving back to his apartment.

Wrap-Up:

I enjoyed this episode, but it did feel similar to many previous episodes. I feel like almost every episode pits Adam and Andi against one another. They're a married couple, and it's natural that they'd have arguments from time to time, but arguments between the two of them has been the focus of far too many recent episodes. It's made the show feel predictable and a bit stale, even if I do still look forward to the show each week and find it very funny. I would love to see them shake things up, and give more screen time to the supporting characters like Don, Joe and Marcy. This episode did have some strong moments, though. Andi's insistence that Adam loves the tricycle painting and their later discussion about it was the highlight of the episode. Don's piece of advice for Adam and his talk with Andi were both hilarious moments, and Don was the true MVP of this episode. It probably would have been a better episode if it focused more on Don and less on Adam and Andi, even if it was pretty fun (but forgettable) as it aired.

Score: 7.5/10
Grade: B-

Man With a Plan Season 3 Premiere Review

It feel like it's been an eternity since we've last seen Man With a Plan on our television screens, but it's finally back for its third season. This premiere features Andi's first day on the job with Adam and the guys. Plus, Lowell reveals an embarrassing secret that the rest of the gang helps him with.

Adam is preparing for Andi to begin working at Burns Brothers, and he's forcing Don and Lowell to conform to his new rules. Andi is very excited to begin working with Adam, though Joe and the kids aren't very optimistic and make a bet about how long it will last.

Andi arrives at the job, but suspects that Adam “wife-proofed” it. She tells then to treat her like "one of the guys", and Don decides to put his inappropriate calendars back up. Don also lets it slip that Adam was worried about working with Andi, which leads to an awkward conversation between Adam and Andi. Adam tells her that he doesn’t like having deep conversations like Andi enjoys having. Andi agrees, but then discovers that Lowell is renting an apartment, which will jeopardize her promised “shallowness.” She asks Adam to press Lowell on it, but Adam still doesn’t want to. This leads to an argument that lasts until they get home, and Joe and the kids are proven right about their suspected issues. Adam eventually agrees to ask Lowell about the apartment, and he takes Don with for backup. Don immediately bats when Adam knocks on the door. Lowell reveals that he and Jen are separated, but he doesn’t want to talk about his feelings. Adam’s happy about this, but he gets concerned when he goes into Lowell’s apartment and discovers how tiny and sad it is. Adam asks Lowell to come stay with him and Andi.

Adam isn't pleased that Andi forced him to confront Lowell, because it caused a huge disaster. Don asks Lowell why he would want Jen back after she cheated on him, and he starts to wonder the same. Adam tells Lowell to go confront Jen and get his stuff, but Lowell doesn't want to. Lowell tells him that they can't, because Jen is away, but Adam convinces him to just break in and take his stuff. The whole gang goes that night, but someone from the security company picks them up. She takes Lowell, Andi and Don away, but Adam ditches them and the security lady doesn't care enough to search for him. It turns out that Adam hid in the closet and waited for them all to leave. Adam didn't get any of Lowell's stuff, but he did steal all of her toilet paper as a unique form of revenge.

Wrap-Up:

This was a great return for Man With a Plan, with an incredibly funny plot that managed to (mostly) move away from the typical Adam vs. Andi plot that the show usually relies on. I would have liked to see more of Andi working with the guys, but I assume we'll be seeing that in the coming episodes, so I'll just have to wait for that until next week. Giving Lowell most of the attention for the second half of the episode ended up working very well, as it brought all of the characters together, which is usually when some magic happens on this show. Seeing Lowell get revenge thanks to Adam was very, very satisfying, and I hope he can manage to get on with his life now (and maybe even find someone who will appreciate him). Even though he wasn't in nearly enough of this premiere episode, Don managed to steal just about every scene he was in. I just love him. His light-up shoes giving them away to the security woman at the house was so, so funny.

In a completely unrelated note, I have to say that I'm extremely happy to see that Kali Rocha has been upgraded to a series regular. Marcy has always been one of my favorite parts of the show and I'm glad to know that we'll be seeing more of her this time around, even if we didn't get to see her in this week's episode.

Score: 8.5/10
Grade: B+

Man With a Plan Season 2 Finale Review

It's time for the second season finale of Man With a Plan, and I've really enjoyed the ride to this point.  The second season was a marked improvement on the first season, successfully adding Stacy Keach to the main cast and increasing the presence of the lovely Ms. Swoosie Kurtz. This episode continues the weeks-long plot, hopefully ending it in a satisfyingly funny way.

Andi is upset to find out that Adam and Don are doing remodeling for their parents, because they're so difficult to work with. Adam tells him not to worry, and Andi decides to just support Andi. At his parents, Adam discovers that his father didn't even know about the remodeling, and Bev and Joe start arguing. Because their house is being repaired, Adam allows Bev and Joe to stay at his house, which Andi us less-than-enthused about.

Adam shows Bev and Joe cabinet options for their kitchen, and they aren't pleased with them. Adam has to get more, leaving Andi alone with her monsters-in-law. He decides to stay at work awhile to avoid his parents, and when he gets home he finds Andi, hiding from Adam's parents. While they're driving her nuts, they do convince her to look for a job related to one of her passions. Adam and the guys have a meeting with Lisa, who tells them that she wants to buy them out, meaning that she'd pay them when they aren't working, though it means the end of Burns Brothers Construction. They agree, and Don doesn't even care that much about Burns Brothers now being bought out.

Andi tells Bev and Don exactly what they should do for their kitchen. They both love it, and Andi finds her true passion. That night, Andi tells Adam that she designed the kitchen, and Adam tells Andi about selling Burns Brothers. He gets defensive about the sale, but mostly because he's unhappy about it, even if he won't tell Andi. Later, Adam and Don reminisce about the end of Burns Brothers, and they get sentimental about it. Andi then shows Adam and Don a run-down house, and she gives him a proposal. She wants to start a house flipping business, where they'd be their own bosses. Don and Adam like the idea, so a new chapter in their lives now begins.

Wrap-Up:
This was a thoroughly enjoyable, funny, and interesting finale. I wasn't sure how they'd wrap up this plot, and I'm very satisfied with the way they did wrap it up. While the show is rarely great, it's almost always very good, and is a great way to give me some quick laughs. Those thoughts remained with this finale, which was very good but wasn't phenomenal. It set up the third season wonderfully, and it made me very interested in what's in store for the show. While I had a few issues with the episode, such as the somewhat-rushed ending and the somewhat-slow beginning, it was still quite good, and featured some of Stacy Keach's best work on the show to-date. MWAP writers, please give Joe (and Bev) more to do next season. Also, where the heck was Marcy? I really needed one last Marcy appearance before the show goes away for god-knows-how-long.
Score: 8.5/10
Grade: B+