"...blonde ladies don't age well." Review: The Big C, S3 Ep. 305 "Face Off"

Review: The Big C, S3, Ep. 305 “Face Off”

Air Date: Sunday, May 06, 2012 9:30PM E/P on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I told them you were a great mom…I lied.” – Adam

“Face Off” is not a completely light-hearted episode. There are a few humorous moments but overall, the episode tends to lean on the emotionally weighty side. Adam (Gabriel Basso) finally sounds off about his feelings regarding his parent’s decision to adopt a baby. It’s one of the refreshing reasons why I love The Big C. They don’t hold back on the real emotions when they write these scripts and the actors give wonderful performances as they convey a range of feelings – sadness, madness, happiness, frustration, guilt, and love.

"...blonde ladies don't age well." Review: The Big C, S3 Ep. 305 "Face Off" 1

Cathy (Laura Linney) and Paul (Oliver Platt) meet with the parents who plan to give their unborn child up for adoption

I kind of agreed with Adam’s assessment of his mother’s parenting. Cathy (Laura Linney) isn’t being a great parent right now. Adam really nails it on the head during their conversation. Cathy claims she wants Adam to be involved but he retorts, “No you don’t! You just want us to seem like some lame, happy family for Dave (Hamish Linklater) and what’s her name so they’ll give you their kid!” What really irked me is Cathy trying to flatter her son’s intelligence and appealing to his sensitive side, Like she says, though, Adam is smart and he tells her, “Yeah, yeah, I am smart. Smart enough to know you shouldn’t be adopting a baby when you have cancer.” I really like that The Big C doesn’t shy away from tough subject matter, instead highlighting the angst of an angry teenager. Adam is desperate for normalcy and maybe some attention and affection. It seems both his parents are paving their own new paths and starting a whole new chapter in their lives without really including Adam.

"...blonde ladies don't age well." Review: The Big C, S3 Ep. 305 "Face Off" 2

Hamish Linklater Mamie Gummer as Dave and Maxine Cooper - consider Paul and Cathy as prospective parents for their unborn child

After Cathy and Paul (Oliver Platt) meet with the pregnant couple, Dave and Maxine (Marnie Gummer), who are considering Cathy and Paul as potential adoptive parents, they reveal they are considering another couple who are a bit younger as well. I don’t know if Cathy has really thought things through. She raised Adam before she had cancer and was much younger. Raising a child, especially a newborn, isn’t going to be easy now that she’s a bit older than and not as healthy as she once was. Is it impossible? No, but it’s a serious undertaking and I think she’s being kind of selfish about it. Paul is on the cusp of a new career as Joy’s (Susan Sarandon) “flip that switch” guy and I’m not sure he really wants to have another baby.

Speaking of flipping switches, Paul’s next speaking gig with Joy goes off with a couple hitches rather than without them. He’s employed Andrea/Ababu (Gabourey Sidibe) as his personal assistant and her reaction to his irregular heartbeat while live on stage is very comical. She goes on stage, smiles, and pretends it’s not a serious matter as if it were some kind of sideshow gimmick. Of course, it’s just nerves and she wants to appear calm and in control. But it’s Joy who concerns me. She asks Paul, “What would you say to being my regular number two?” While that question sounds laughable, I think Joy’s motives are beginning to show. She’s able to draw in the women but she hasn’t been able to reach the male demographic. With Paul being her “flip the switch guy,” she’s tapping into a broader market, which obviously means more money.

Observation/Thoughts:

Despite Sean’s (John Hickey) minimal screen time, I laughed every time he showed up! Because he’s letting Adam use his place for his bible group meeting, Sean temporarily sets up his gay phone sex shop in Cathy’s kitchen. Seeing Sean with a blue tooth device in his ear and a spatula in hand, barking out orders for the caller to orgasm on command is hysterical, “Come Kevin, come!”

Jesse (Kailie Torres) is Adam’s new girlfriend. He actually broke up with Mia (Alexandra Socha) to go out with this chick. Does she actually believe not having vaginal sex means she’s saving herself and that it’s preserving her virginity because if so, she’s delusional. Anal sex is sex. Torres is doing a fine job of making me dislike her character – maybe too much. The writers need to give Jesse more redeeming qualities, or is it possible they’re making her this way on purpose so we won’t become too attached to her?

Cathy gets a chemical peel in the hopes she’ll look a little younger to Dave and Maxine. News flash, they already know how old you are! And again, I must bring up the Jamison family finances. Perhaps all the money Cathy and Paul are spending to adopt this baby is being siphoned from their savings, but is that wise? With all the health issues they’re both having, I would think they would want to concentrate on staying healthy and focus on the child they do have. I understand the urge to want to grab life by the balls, but I think they’re grabbing more than they can handle.

***

Funny lines:

Andrea/Ababu to Cathy: “Oh, hey Mrs. J. I’m sorry about those baby parents going all ageist on you. It’s not fair to compare you to some younger mama. I mean, everybody knows that blonde ladies don’t age well.”

Sean to Cathy about her chemical peel: “What in the name of rosacea have you done to your face?…So, what’s next, face lift, eye job? You gonna address your neck waddle for good measure?”

***

While I enjoyed “Face Off,” I wasn’t blown away. I guess I’m frustrated with how Cathy is treating Adam’s issues about the adoption. I’m perturbed by her attitude that she’s entitled when she should just be grateful the clinical trials are working, allowing her more time to live and be a mother to Adam. I’m also irritated with the progressing integration of religion throughout the season. I get enough religion with Showtime’s other fantastic show, The Borgias, so I guess I want The Big C to stick to dark and twisted humor sans the rosary.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.