“You’ve done this before. You’re a business major. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Perhaps no other line better sums up Nathan For You than this one. Every week, it’s hilarious watching each person go along with whatever crazy plan “Very Good Grades” Fielder’s concocted, trusting his “expertise” as he slowly crafts whatever situation he wants to craft. In “Liquor Store/Exterminator/Car Wash”, we see someone who simply does whatever Nathan asks; as much as people usually believe at first, they’re later skeptical, but this man listens and implements without question.
I’m talking about Amir Lankarani, the owner of the car wash at which Nathan introduces a “Bird Droppings Special”, complete with a nearby car wash to help you after birds–quite a few of them, all lined up on one branch–take a dump on your car. The first indication we get that he’ll do whatever Nathan asks is when Lankarani goes right on along with Nathan’s offered theory about why the office is so cluttered; the toilet bowl under the disk is now intentional, intended to emphasize a focus on car-cleaning rather than office-cleaning. Of course, that can merely be chalked up to a desire to look good in the face of scrutiny, so we’ll have to move onto other evidence.
Well, there are a lot, and the most notable involves–aside from, you know, using bird crap to drive up business–the final scene of the episode: the Employee of the Month Awards Ceremony. When Fielder, not even an employee, hands Lankarani a script and suggests a reward raise to $200, the guy accepts and carries out what’s asked of him. It’s especially interesting considering out of all people, this guy might be the one Nathan would be most likely ask to hang out with, and we get nothing of the sort. So, that says a little about Nathan the Character: when he perceives someone to be down at “his level”, he elevates himself and seems more grabby with attention rather than needy.
Of course, with every Lankarani, there’s also the opposite side. Anna Obligacion, the Little League rep, quickly ushers Nathan out of her office after he attempts to bribe her, and Nabil Khalil expresses discontent after a male stripper is brought into the office to celebrate; in fact, the latter seems more concerned with the idea of a male stripper in the office rather than the risk of an illegal operation leading to jail time. As for Javier Arteaga, the Bugs A to Z Exterminator, let’s just say that awesome doesn’t even begin to apply to the plan he and Nathan implement.
We have a Lion Dance, a fake award for “Least Bed Bugs”, disguises, and hiding galore throughout that entire sequence, so it’s impossible not to love it, and better yet, it ends with Nathan’s testy encounter with the manager of the hotel. Here’s someone who, as I put it above, wants to look good in the face of scrutiny; he’ll take a picture for the cameras, but he won’t read the fine print when he signs. It’s nothing against him–I do it, too–but it’s entertaining watching Nathan maintain that deadpan as the manager clearly gets increasingly irritated.
Finally, we get to the Liquor Store. The cut to “no refunds” got a big laugh out of me, although the comedy gold is mainly mined from the teen actor Nathan hires to spread the word about the shop. Here, Nathan believes he himself is well-versed in the teenage way of life, when in reality, it’s basically him as the awkward teen initiating conversations about school and the Internet. After people buy their alcohol, Fielder then allows them to pose for pictures with it in a makeshift basement full of perceived teenage lifestyles.
Yet, those are merely pictures and objects stuck on the wall. Nathan the character is still trying to keep up.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-That pat-on-the-back line in the final scene is gold. I want that.
-I love, love, love that teen actor hired to talk up the Internet and bemoan school. Also, swear words.
-Nathan’s spit take after the crap gets into his mouth is hilarious.
-Next week: Dumb Starbucks. I’m looking forward to it.
Photo credit: Comedy Central, Nathan For You
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No one gives a shit about your shitty reviews
Thank you for that enlightening statement.