Grade: C+
If Kim Kardashian can’t keep viewers hooked on a TV show, who can?
The writers behind CBS’ “2 Broke Girls” seem to take advantage of the Kardashian family’s dominating media presence.
Although Kim’s cameo on the season four premiere lasted from exactly 8:28 to 8:29 p.m., her appearance was the episode’s central plotline.
For what the first episode of the season lacks in substance past the Kim K dramatics, it makes up in pop culture references, at least in quantity.
Topics of conversation between sharp-witted Max and Paris Hilton-esque Caroline include “16 and Pregnant,” Kindles and Orlando Bloom.
The story kicks off as Max and Caroline stumble upon the opportunity to be featured on an episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” when an agent for the show stops by their cupcake stand.
The humor is in the same vein as “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men” — sitcom-y, uncomplicated, generously doused with laugh track between lines.
Once I got past that acknowledgement, I was able to appreciate the episode for what it was: mindless but fun.
Caroline’s dilemma of getting her hair caught in the girls’ Murphy bed and spending the rest of the day trapped in it is not cutting-edge or clever. It’s not great, but it’s not awful.
The girls’ boss at their side job diner, Han Lee, plays on silly tropes of unawareness and puns. “I’m not gay, I’m restaurant-curious!” he quips. The laugh track rolls on.
The episode builds its plotline on these jokes.
All characters are stereotypes, and all situations are pretty predictable.
Max and Caroline stay up all night, eyes locked on the Kardashian family’s TV show to prepare themselves to meet Kim, only to be angered when she cancels.
The reason? She doesn’t want to walk all the way to the cupcake stand in her heels, of course.
Classic Kim.
After seeing teasers aggressively promoting the reality star’s guest appearance on the episode, I knew she would pull through. In the last two minutes of the show, she does.
The show’s writers are smart to ultimately keep the plotline simple and to embrace the mindless sitcom genre.
The show is what it is, and, for better or for worse, seems to give viewers what they want in an episode — more of the Kardashian Kraze.
