When we first discovered the hilarious brain child of longtime UCB comedians Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, we were hooked and now, we're looking down the barrel of what could be the last ever episode of Playing House . Unless USA gives Season 2 the greenlight. Hint, hint.
The season finale, which airs Tuesday night, puts the perfect end cap on an incredible season of syrup-chugging, mother-stealing, and making moments as awkward as humanly possible, but all that perfection is going to do is make us hungry for another season. While Playing House may appear to be a watered-down mommy comedy (it takes place in idyllic Barefoot Contessa country — Connecticut — where cupcake hedgehogs are practically an indigenous species), the series has proved that it's so much more.
Not only is it a total wackjob, just like every other top-notch comedy we love, but it's a spot-on depiction of female friendship. There's something to be said for a series that follows two women in the middle aged phase of life and still manages to get to the root of what it means to be friends with another woman at any age. As a 26-year-old woman whose friends aren't having children, still lives with roommates, and doesn't know a single person her age who's experienced something like divorce, finding the nugget of universality in Playing House was a wonderful surprise.
Sure, Parham and St. Clair have great delivery that's guaranteed to elicit giggles. And sure, Keegan-Michael Key is a hilarious and oh, so welcome addition to the cast. Yes, Jane Kazamarek repeatedly plays insane mothers to chuckle-worthy perfection and continues that excellence on the USA series. But beyond all that, Playing House gets laughs because it delivers a relationship that, on some level, every single woman can understand, even if they've never set foot in small town Connecticut or quit their job running a major financial company to help their best friend raise a baby after a sudden divorce. (We're guessing Playing House's Emma is a unicorn in that regard.)
Maggie (Parham) and Emma (St. Clair) belong up there with all our other beloved female besties in comedy: Leslie Knope and Ann "Beautiful Tropical Fish" Perkins on Parks and Recreation, Alanna and Abby on Broad City, and hell, Mary Tyler Moore and Rhoda. We need this series to see its way to a second season (and hopefully, many more). Fingers crossed that USA puts its faith in Playing House the way it did with it's cop comedy Sirens in early June. Do we need to stand outside of their offices with boom boxes playing "Celebrate Me Home," Say Anything style? Because we'll do it.
In the meantime, here's what it will be like to lose Playing House from the DVR queue until next year. Solidarity is the only way we're going get through this, folks.
Stage 1: Utter Depression
It's really over. That was the last episode of Playing House for at least a year. And while it was great, we still feel empty.
Not helping, Mags.
Stage 3: Acceptance
Sure, a year without Playing House feels about as unnatural as, well, everything Zach does on this show, but we can do this.
Stage 3: Incessant Preaching — "What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen It?"
Seriously. Why would anyone not watch this show, and then admit to not watching it out loud? Clearly, it's your job to set these people right.
Stage 4: Depression — Rage Edition
Now imagine if this rage had no end. Soon, there could be gaggles of angry comedy fans eating bone dry waffles everywhere. Do you want that on your hands, USA? The network only has two options, as we see it: Another season of awesomeness or legions of rage-filled, carb-loaded, dehydrated Playing House fans with tiny, uncomfortable scrapes on the roofs of their mouths. Brutal. Your move, guys.
Images: USA; slayerage/Tumblr (4); rorybbellows/Tumblr (2); belligerently/Tumblr (2); mercuryfish/Tumblr (4)
