TV Recap: Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 - "The Scarlet Neighbor..."

Left to right: Krysten Ritter and a clown

Welcome to the TV Recap column for the ABC comedy Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23. Every Wednesday, I will be bringing you a recap of the most recent episode as well as personal insight into why I find the characters to be an infectious version of what 2 Broke Girls wishes it was. So please join me for a fun season as we deal with the bitch, the Beek, and June as they get into wacky adventures. Also, make sure to check out my columns for Bob's Burgers (Tuesdays) and Parks and Recreation (Thursdays) right here on Optigrab.

Left to right: Dreama Walker and Ritter

As it should be known, Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 has an excessive amount of episodes, largely in part because of a truncated season one. This is also a big explanation why ABC has decided to air two episodes a week. However, what is more fascinating about this week's second episode is how it totally breaks the tension and continuity that has been building up between June (Dreama Walker) and Mark (Eric Andre). A casual viewer, unaware to ABC's deal, will probably be totally confused if they watched these episodes in order. In fact, I am going to try not to consider this as current continuity and instead just critique it as an episode.

With a penchant voice over, June is talking about how she tries to be a good person. Meanwhile, people keep bumping into her, spilling drinks on her, and she feels like her neighbors in the apartment have no idea who she is. It is all rush, rush, rush. That is, until a meeting for the apartment, hosted by Robin (Liza Lapira). June shows up with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), and after discovering that a guy named Nut Nut is there. Chloe somehow knows him, and it is discovered that she is a sex offender who had sex with a minor when she was 17.

This causes the entire apartment building to hate June. Apartment 23 is considered a brothel now and that sick deeds go on in there. Also, June is still in her obsession phase with James Van Der Beek and cannot talk to him straight at times. Also, when June talks to Mark at work, there is something odd about him. He recently broke up with Jennifer and is now partaking in ridiculous pleasures like earrings, working out, and sideburns. He seems pretty enthused by the whole event.

Of course, everyone assumes that June lives in a brothel because of Chloe's reputation, which is that she sleeps with questionable men, ranging in a montage from priests to a porta potty full of clowns. Meanwhile, Van Der Beek is coming out of June's room from having sex with a woman, and Chloe is also with a man. This makes things awkward when June opens the door and there is a mob outside wanting her to change her ways.

Eric Andre

In a quest to change Chloe, June takes her to a cougar bar where a Christmas Carol nightmare starts taking place. June talks about old, battered women could be her future. They were all once attractive, but there are two words for the situation: Janice Dickinson. Chloe is so freaked out by the grotesque looking women that she vows to change her way. At a farmer's market, it isn't any easier, as she imagines guys talking about their penis and flirting with her. She ends up hanging out with a guy who sells glow sticks off of his bicycle.

Meanwhile, Van Der Beek is searching for a new wing man, as he feels that Luther (Ray Ford) is giving him trouble. He is too critical of women and makes it impossible for him to talk to anyone. Luther doesn't help in most situations, often critiquing either their wardrobe, or something off putting about Van Der Beek. The two begin to hate each other and eventually split.

During a weird fantasy, Chloe dreams that she is going to have sex with Mark. She has begun to find him oddly attractive and finds this urge to kiss him. She tells June, who is fine with the news. However, when Chloe suggests taking him to pound town, things get a little bit more awkward and June is now against it.

With Chloe supposedly convinced that she likes appropriate men, they decide to go with Van Der Beek to Mark's place, where he is throwing brunch. Some people are there watching football with the sound off and listening to jazz, but that is about as weird as it gets. Chloe and Mark begin hitting it off when it is discovered that Chloe is kind of obsessed with Mark because June likes him. This kind of turns her off of talking to him. 

While everyone is out talking, June assumes that Chloe is having sex with Mark. When Mark shows up, they quickly deduct until it is discovered that it is some random Wii-playing guy that Van Der Beek brought along. Chloe celebrates sex with random strangers and decides to reform to her old ways. Also, Mark is back with Jennifer. The episode ends with Luther and Van Der Beek regaining respect for each other by drawing on a woman with marker of the weak spots that they need to fix.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Left to right: Ray Ford and James Van Der Beek

At very least, this is an interesting blast from the past. I have gotten myself acquainted so much with the continuity of the show that it is interesting to see what drew me to it initially. I must admit that the first season was scrappy, but I felt like it had room for improvement. At very least, I took this older episode as a chance to see just how far the characters have come. Also, it was interesting to see Chloe being more of a whore than a bitch, sleeping with everyone, which is a theme that I felt has been toned down for the recent season.

In that regards, the characters do seem more one note. However, I did get a kick out of the montage of people that Chloe has slept with. It is very brief, but the absurdity is what sells it. Also, the lack of snark in Chloe's performance seems like an interesting character choice. She isn't out to corrupt June in this episode, at least not intentionally. She just happens to make her guilty by association. In a way, that makes Chloe's character in this episode seem more innocent and actually kind of funnier. She doesn't seem as desperate for a laugh, but she also seems to be one note and sleeps with everyone.

Of course, that is where the title most likely comes from: "The Scarlet Neighbor...," a reference to the classic novel "the Scarlet Letter," which was also about degrading someone because of having sex. While it isn't as symbolic as a physical red letter, it is quite a weird book to base an episode around, and vaguely at that. I like that we got a sense of who the neighbors were, even if I feel that the clingy Robin character seemed different in this episode. I feel like she usually sides with Chloe, but she was against her for some reason.

I don't think that June has progressed all that much. However, I am glad that she got rid of her awkward tension with James Van Der Beek. It really made one scene feel stilted and knowing where their friendship goes, it almost seemed reductive. Of course, that is just because I knew the future. It was fine otherwise, but I am just glad that they worked out a better character dynamic. Of course, Van Der Beek and Luther getting into an argument was a nice touch that I felt may have been temporary, as Luther eventually becomes a helper, but we get a different side to him.

However, the character that has the most issues in this episode is Mark. I will admit upfront that I cannot remember the Mark from season one all that well. However, this Mark in this episode was way too cartoonish with broad humor. It also seems odd that he went from wearing goofy clothes and sideways hats to a more traditional casual. I understood why he was a little aloof in this episode, but he still felt like a secondary character used for gimmicks. 

I will say this. For those that try and think this is continuity from the last episode, you will be so confused. Not only does Mark seem totally fine telling June that he broke up with Jennifer, but Chloe is fine telling June about fantasizing about sex with him. June is fine with all of this, even though it is clear that June may have feelings for him. Add in that Mark somehow gets back together with Jennifer for the end just makes the placement of this episode feel super awkward, especially after an episode where Mark and Van Der Beek spend an entire episode trying to figure out how to flirt with June.

Still, this is by no means a bad episode. It was way too broad to be some of the series' best, but it does show a nice blueprint for where the show does end up going. I do get a few chuckles, and I felt like Chloe came out strong in this episode, even if underage sex is still taboo and handled quite diligently. June still feels like a persnickety roommate, and I really wonder if we'll see most of those apartment building people again. However, while the show doesn't quite succeed at broader gimmicks, it does manage to make a solid episode around sex without going too vulgar. It is by no means perfect, but it does show a promising series that definitely has gotten a better footing on its tone in season two.