Coupling

The Wife and I watched the fourth-season DVD of the British sitcom "Coupling" finally. Since there were only six episodes, it was a quick watch. And yes, it was nowhere near as funny as the first three seasons. The departure of the actor who played Jeff seems to have thrown the writers off their game. The introduction of Oliver, a character obviously intended to fill the Jeff role yet not be Jeff verbatim was awkward. There was a great deal of "trying too hard" which wasn't evident in earlier episodes. A better course would've been to cast an actor radically different in appearance and personality, and really work to differentiate the two rather than go the dovetail route. Jane was also softened up immensely, and made much more philosophical, which undercuts her gloriously acid-tongued, oblivious persona.

Still, there were worthwhile elements worth watching. The show was still funny, simply not gut-busting hilarious. The final scene was a wonderful way to end the series as well. Worth a look, as long as you know what to expect.

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