Running Wilde – Recap & Review – The Party

photo: fox

Running Wilde
The Party

Original Air Date:Oct 19, 2010

Karen Belgrad- Associate Staff Writer
Karenbelgrad
@thetwocentscorp.com

Is it better to try and change others or to try and change yourself? Is it better to minimize the excesses in your life or to have some fun once in a while?

Once again, Steve and Emmy are at odds over how to adapt to each other’s lifestyles. But how long will it be until they realize that Puddle is the one controlling both of their moves?

This episode was clearly shown out of order, as we open with Puddle narrating that the day began on their first full day in the tree house. I strongly dislike it when series do this as it disrupts the balance we become familiar with as shows progress. Therefore, this episode was glaringly obvious in its erroneous sequence.

We’re back to Emmy’s main goal in life is trying to better Steve. Meanwhile Steve is focused on winning over Emmy. Unfortunately, his excessive ways of extravagant breakfasts , new cars, and fashion shows are largely at odd with her minimalistic existence.

Steve and Fa’ad have a long standing tradition of throwing parties and one-upping each other. With nothing to celebrate, they now throw Unneces-soirées. But when Emmy realizes that his party is full of excess (swimming pool of Cristol!), she convinces him that less would be more.

The group goes to a Sam’s Club type store and purchases cheap champagne, generic licorice, and pallets of potato chips. Sounds like every party I attend! OK, my friends usually spring for the frozen shrimp platter too!

Steve is distressed to have such a limited display for his party. He and Fa’ad try to flip the buffet table, but find they are too tired from the charade of pretending to enjoy the scaled back affair.

With some help from Puddle, Steve decides the theme of the party is to convince people that it’s fun not to have fun. But sadly for Steve, nobody is having fun at his ironic party. It goes from bad to worse, when Emmy decides to show her Amazonian slides (all seven hours worth).

As the slides become increasingly graphic, the party guests leave for Fa’ad’s raging party next door. Emmy is to engrossed in her slide show to notice until Steve flips on the lights. He blames her for the failed party, at which point she goes off on him. She successfully flips the buffet table over in a hissy fit.

Emmy admits she still feels like the housekeeper’s daughter who never enjoyed his parties in her youth. And although she wants him to be a better man, she may need to have a little fun herself.

This may not have been what this fledgling show needed. By showing what was clearly meant to be the second or third episode instead of the fifth, the show seemed to have actually taken a bit of step backwards. Instead of the dynamic we enjoyed last week, the viewers were taken back to the sole concept of Emmy being fixated on improving Steve (in her own image) and nothing else.

Well, those are my TwoCents! What are your TwoCents? Share your feedback and thoughts below!