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<i>Dr. Ken</i> – “Pat and the CEO.” Review. Love Out Loud.

Season 2, Episode 20

Air Date: Friday, March 17, 2017, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“You’re off the case.” – Clark

When Charles (Rhys Darby), the CEO of Welltopia, shows up at the medical offices unexpectedly, Pat (Dave Foley) takes the opportunity to enlist Ken’s (Ken Jeong) help to put in a good word for him regarding a promotion. Pat’s confidence in Ken’s “bromance” with Charles to help seal the deal takes an unexpected turn when Charles discloses troubling news about Pat’s future to Ken. Will Ken be able to help Charles make a determination about Pat’s job or has Charles already made up his mind?

While Ken tries to influence Charles’ decision, Damona (Tisha Campbell) and Pat continue to keep their renewed relationship on the down low. That is, until Clark (Jonathan Slavin) picks up the scent of their secret, literally, and concludes the two are dating again. Some of my favorite moments on Dr. Ken are when Clark overreacts to a situation or becomes so focused on something, he loses sight of everything else. Fortunately for me, “Pat and the CEO” has both as Clark is determined to get to the bottom of Damona and Pat’s involvement. It’s hard not to laugh as Clark drags Allison (Suzy Nakamura) into his unorthodox investigation. Slavin is a very entertaining actor and I love the quirky humor he uses to portray Clark.

Meanwhile, Molly (Krista Marie Yu) ignores D.K.’s (Dana Lee) warning that according to a Korean superstition, if she cooks chicken wings for her boyfriend Jae (Justin Chon), he will “fly away” from her. Needless to say, D.K.’s words play with Molly’s emotions and she begins to question her relationship with Jae. Is it the wings or just the complexity of young love? Yu is a talented actress and it’s nice to see her get some meatier scenes with some emotion to them.

As with previous outings, episodic writer Nicole Sun digs deeper into the Parks’ heritage via D.K. in “Pat and the CEO.” D.K. brings a wealth of knowledge to the family about the Korean culture and though he may sound like a typical grandpa telling stories, the chicken wing tale is an actual Korean superstition. The way the writers embrace the culture doesn’t feel like you’re getting a lesson in school. Sure, the Parks are Korean but that doesn’t define who they are.

“Pat and the CEO” is an entertaining episode that reminds the audience sometimes the people you work with aren’t just your coworkers, they’re family. I really enjoyed how the staff rallies around Pat, citing various examples from previous episodes that serve as a mental montage of the past season. While the story line revolves around Pat, it’s hard not to feel like “Pat and the CEO” is also a tribute to Foley. For years, he has been making audiences laugh and with each role he tackles, Foley elevates the project in ways that aren’t always seen. Hopefully, Pat’s new-found job security isn’t short lived as ABC has yet to announce whether Dr. Ken will be renewed for a third season. It’s hard to believe only one episode remains before the season finale.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Pat and the CEO.”

Tune in to Dr. Ken Fridays at 8:30/7:30c, only on ABC.

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All photos © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.