Great News – “Chuck Pierce is Blind” and “War is Hell.” Recaps.

Season 1, Episodes 3 and 4

Air Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“If you’re going to be an intern here, you can’t keep doing the mom stuff.” – Katie

Carol (Andrea Martin) finds working as an intern at the MMN Network more difficult than she anticipated. The work environment is much different from the last time she worked in an office and apparently, swatting your coworker on the rear is frowned upon these days. Carol starts to wonder if returning to the workforce is the right decision, especially when her strongest skill set is taking care of sick kids and being a mother.

Carol isn’t the only one facing the reality of getting older. Chuck’s (John Michael Higgins) “Lou Gehrig like streak” of consecutive nightly broadcasts ends when he reveals he’s taking the night off to accept a prestigious award. Just one catch, there’s no award. Fearing he’d be judged by his younger co-workers, Chuck creates the ruse so he can have cataract surgery on both eyes. The deceptive plan takes a hilarious turn when Chuck is forced to confide in Carol.

I thoroughly enjoy the professional relationship Carol has with Chuck. I doubt I was the only one laughing as Carol realizes Chuck needs her help during his recovery. The chemistry between Martin and Higgins works on many levels; it’s easy to feel their characters’ frustration as they question whether they’re dinosaurs trying to survive in a changing world. Higgins’ performance is a riot, especially when Chuck tries to hide the lingering effects of his surgery.

Greg (Adam Campbell) welcomes the potential for an uneventful broadcast during Chuck’s absence because of his endless demands and need to be constantly pampered. Hope for a stress free edition of The Breakdown is quickly dashed when the staff revives previous ideas for the show. Turns out, for years anytime someone pitched a concept for The Breakdown, Greg’s standard response was, “I love that idea but Chuck would never go for it.” With the show shaping up to be a catastrophic mess, Greg realizes he needs Chuck to restore balance.

Watching Katie (Briga Heelan) with Greg reminds me of Dave (Dave Foley) and Lisa’s (Maura Tierney) relationship on the ‘90s sitcom New Radio, with one noticeable exception — Katie and Greg aren’t in love. As much as I enjoyed Dave and Lisa’s courtship, to follow a similar route on Great News would diminish Katie’s attempts to be taken as a serious producer. I’m glad the writers are showing restraint by not making their relationship romantic and keeping things strictly professional.

“Chuck Pierce is Blind” is a hilarious episode as Carol does what she does best, be a mother. It’s impossible not to laugh at Carol’s singing during her Mission Impossible themed montage. While the premise of Great News revolves around a mother and daughter, it’s wonderful that the writers are giving other characters a chance to shine. As the season progresses, it’s easy to see Chuck becoming a fan favorite.

In “War is Hell,” Katie gets a surprise when her freelance photographer boyfriend Trip (Tommy Dewey) unexpectedly returns from an assignment in Syria. Mindful of how her mother has sabotaged every previous relationship, Katie tries to keep Trip off Carol’s radar.

As much as I love Great News, Katie’s relationship with Trip does absolutely nothing for me. It’s not Dewey’s fault because his performance is actually charming. The problem lies with the writers as every time Trip appears, they seem to be in a hurry to get him off screen. Rather than exploring Trip as a love interest for Katie, I got the impression the writers created a random guy only as a means of setting up the boyfriend debate between Katie and Carol. In the end, Trip is simply a plot device with no real importance as a character.

Despite my displeasure over this, I enjoyed the humor that stems from Carol learning about Katie’s boyfriend and how Katie automatically assumes her mother would disapprove of him. We’ve all obsessed as we seek our parents’ approval of a significant other and the pressure taking an emotional toll on Katie is amusing to watch. Martin also gives an outstanding performance when Carol tries to put on a happy face by accepting some of Trip’s flaws. Overall, I got a kick out of how the writers wrap up the Trip storyline and the subsequent reflections made by Carol and Kate over the whole ordeal.

Meanwhile, Trip’s triumphant arrival to MMN sparks Chuck’s desire to revisit his glory days by heading back in the field to cover more hard hitting, not to mention dangerous, stories. Seeing the potential for a ratings bump, Greg approves Chuck’s request to send him on assignment. Unfortunately, things take an unforeseen, albeit entertaining, twist when Greg and Justin (Horaito Sanz) dig through footage of Chuck’s escapades as a young journalist, discovering a very different side of the seemingly hardened reporter.

“War is Hell” could’ve been titled “Chuck’s Revenge” given the amusing way Chuck decides to teach Greg and Justin a lesson. One might argue the moral of “War is Hell” is to never judge someone’s behavior unless you have stood in their shoes. I prefer to think of it as a lesson to never get on Chuck’s bad side. Either way, the end result is entertaining.

When it comes to sitcoms, I usually have little patience for shows that embrace the type of ridiculousness displayed on Great News. What sets this series apart from others of its ilk is the execution of the comedy. For instance, the running gag involving the two repairmen during “War is Hell” is utterly preposterous, yet every time I watch the scene, I can’t help but laugh. Created by Tracey Wigfield, Great News has introduced viewers to some great characters brought to life by talented comedic actors like Martin and Higgins. Because these characters are so much fun to watch, it makes their absurd behavior endearing.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Chuck Pierce is Blind” and “War is Hell.”

Tune in to Great News Tuesdays at 9/8c, only on NBC.

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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.