Don't Trust the B--- in Apt. 23 - TV Review

I honestly don’t know why I checked this show out. I guess I had some free time right as it premiered. Anyway, I’m glad it worked out because I really like it.

Many shows have tried and failed to be edgy or use dark humor, but The B, succeeds in being shocking, funny and unexpected.

June, (Dreama Walker) is a small town girl getting ready to start her dream job on Wall Street. When the company folds unexpectedly, June finds herself not only looking for a new job, but a more affordable place to live. Enter Chloe.

Chloe is a crazy New York girl who scams doe-eyed innocents like June out of money. Chloe is constantly advertising for a “roommate” once she gets their deposit so goes out of her way to be as outrageous and obnoxious as possible and the girls flee with out even thinking of asking for their deposit back. Usually, they are happy just to escape! With everything Chloe does to June in the pilot episode, and it’s a lot, June still will not back down. Chloe has indeed met her match.

The sweet and innocent June reminds me of one of my favorite sitcom characters, Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) of Newsradio. Both of these characters are nice people that want to do the right thing, but it doesn’t mean they are weak or that they will take anyone’s crap.

Chloe’s character is almost like Kramer in Seinfeld. She is so out there and crazy, but one of the enjoyable things, unlike Kramer, we see how Chloe makes money.

Of course I have to mention that James Van Der Beek, of Dawson’s Creek fame, plays himself. I have never seen one single episode of that show, so I have nothing to base his performance on. Still, he seems to have a good sense of humor about himself and his teen idol status.

Minor characters also get to be fully realized and not simply show up for comic effect. I never thought, from the first episode, that the creepy neighbor Eli would become a person we saw outside his window frame, but he actually has storylines.

For me this show is everything 2 Broke Girls is not. I really gave that show a try, but the comedy feels very forced to me and it seems like they are constantly being witty for witty’s sake.

The final sell for me is the two main characters being so dramatically different in height. This may not be a big thing for most people, but my field research has shown that small ladies and tall ladies always seem to end up best buds. I’m speak from experience and let’s just say it’s nice to see it reflected on TV.

All the episodes are currently available on Hulu and some are on ABC.com. You might want to catch up because it has been renewed for a second season.