Recap Vomit: Trophy Wife (There's No Guy In Team)

The season finale of NBC’s ever-marvelous “Parks and Recreation” – and fear not, no spoilers shall be revealed – was essentially everything we expect from a sitcom season finale. It was an hour-long as opposed to a mere half-hour. It was packed with guest stars. It presented a looming life decision to its protagonist(s). It offered a ginormous Reveal that provided closure while also leaving everything open. There is nothing wrong with this approach. It was a fantastic episode. Yet, I wonder. I wonder why sitcoms are bound by Sitcom Law to conclude seasons this way, and I wondered about this as I watched the most recent episode of “Trophy Wife.”

Now understand, I don’t really wonder why Sitcom Law stipulates seasons wrap up with these cannonading episodes because I know why. It’s because of Network Execs and Ratings and Human Propensity To Gasp When Confronted With A Cliffhanger and because I’m someone who genuinely thinks “A Fish Called Wanda” is the funniest movie of all-time who recently told people this only to be met by confusion and disagreement whereupon I explained that it doesn’t have the most laughs per capita of other funny movies but that its quality of laughs outweighs all other films’ quantity of laughs and, seriously, when did we become a Quantity over Quality society even though I know full well when (i.e. When God Created The Heaven And The Earth) and…..well……uh……it’s a smoke screen?

Where was I? Right. Sitcom season finales. I thought a lot about this need to Go Big Home & Then Go Home (until next season) during “There Is No Guy In Team”, and this is because “Trophy Wife” has shown itself to be superior with its non-event episodes. I was talking with a friend recently who told me that since having kids he has found sports to be so un-suspenseful because how does it matter whether or not Kevin Durant makes a shot at the buzzer to win when just wanting your own flesh and blood to get to school okay can terrorize your thoughts. And that’s the truth “Trophy Wife” knows and explores so well (albeit comically) – that the family is the event. It’s very much a sitcom in the entanglements it offers week-to-week, yet at the same time it never needs (even if it sometimes resorts to) sitcom fireworks. The day-to-day is enough.

And that’s why I found myself wishing that “There Is No Guy In Team” had been the season finale (series finale?) of “Trophy Wife.” Which isn’t to say that the final two episodes won’t be good or that the season finale (series finale?) won’t be riveting and moving, but still. This episode was perfect. Not perfect so much in that it was as good as an episode of television could possibly be, but perfect in that it had all the quintessential characteristics of what makes “Trophy Wife” what it is and what it’s best at being. It was funny. It was really funny. Scout’s honor. (I feel like I have to convince people that show is actually funny, which is ridiculous. This episode was effing funny.) It was warm without being fuzzy, clever without being impressed with itself, a perfect piece of pecan pie without having to lather it in whipped cream and drown it in chocolate fondue and have some superstar make a cameo to serve it to you.

“Trophy Wife” may not be renewed by the ABC Mothership and if it isn't, that's okay. Sitcoms end, but the Harrison family has been so well-crafted by its writers and actors that it will continue to exist in the artistic firmament long after its plug is pulled.