100 Questions: Are You Open Minded?

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

After only two episodes, it has become quite clear that 100 Questions is one of those sitcoms where the characters obliviously attempt to be funny by saying and doing inappropriate things at the worst possible times. The storyline of "Are You Open Minded" consisted of the group being curious of Mike's date's sexual orientation. This led to the passes made to prove this point by Jill and Wayne, the ass-train, the continued disparity in reception from women between Mike and Wayne, and finally, a good old fashioned spying game, where the characters unveiled themselves one by one to the horror of Mike's date. To top it all off, there was even a side storyline of Leslie being obsessed with a pair of boots, leading to tired jokes of a price-tag being confused with a phone number, combining credit cards to make a purchase, and the distress of finding out that Mike's date was the culprit that bought the boots. It almost seems like the scripts to the show have been salvaged from some failed sitcoms of the eighties and nineties, and slightly revised to adapt to modern times.

The problem that the show has is that the focus is on the events and the not-so funny one-lined jokes that seem to surround them. This episode is a prime example, in that it focused on the characters reacting to Mike's date. However, due to the genuine dialoguing between her and Charlotte, and the interactions that followed between them, she ended up becoming the most interesting character in this episode. Considering that 100 Questions has only been on for two episodes, and Mike's date is not a regular on the show, this is a bad thing.

The show should have properly introduced each character, but it did not. There is likely this intention on the part of the writers, but the end result is not there, resulting in the show being more focused on one-liners than in character driven comedy. This episode has hinted that there is some depth and background to the characters, as indicated by Charlotte's citing her family as her reason for moving away from England, and Mike's role in the childhood of Jill and Leslie. In a sitcom, these qualities can help with the chemistry and humour which 100 Questions desperately needs more of. Without it, the characters have no identity, leading to the show having no identity.

Tags: 100 Questions, Sophie Winkleman, Smith Cho, Chris Moynihan, David Walton, Colette Wolfe, sitcom

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