Product Description
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MIKE & MOLLY is a love story. It's about two people,
ordinary yet extraordinary, who have always protected themselves
and relied on their ability to laugh through life. Now, with the
help of each other -- and the Overeaters Anonymous meeting where
they met -- they are learning to open up and trust one another.
But falling in love is no easy task, especially when surrounded
by friends and family who are just a little too close -- and a
little too opinionated. From the hilarious minds of Two and a
Half Men's Mark Roberts and Chuck Lorre, this multi-camera
romantic comedy gets down to the nitty gritty of what it means
for Mike, an affable officer, and Molly, a smart and
cheerful teacher, to start a relationship amongst all the
disruptions and chaos that befall two good-natured people just
trying to find a little slice of happiness.
.com
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Watching the first season of Mike & Molly (with 24
episodes on three DVD discs, plus bonus features) is a
bittersweet experience. On the one hand, this sitcom about the
relationship between two plus-size Chicagoans features the kind
of coarse humor that will more likely appeal to fans of, say,
Married… with Children than The Cosby Show; at the same time,
though, the two title characters have enough tender moments to
more than counterbalance the raunch. Mike (Billy Gardell) and
Molly (Melissa McCarthy, the scene-stealer from Bridesmaids) are
a beat cop and a schoolteacher who meet at an Overeaters
Anonymous (a.k.a. "The Chub Club") gathering. The series then
follows their love affair for the next seven months, from first
date to first confessions of love, from their first night
together to their first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's
Day, ultimately setting the stage for what may or may not be the
nuptial bliss depicted in future seasons (what isn't depicted is
much in the way of ; after all, this isn't The Biggest
Loser). Along with their moments of awkwardness and uncertainty,
these are kind, caring people, and the sweetness of their budding
relationship gives the show its heartbeat. Unfortunately, the
same can't be said about their families. Molly's sister (Katy
Mixon), a pot-smoking moron, and mother (Swoosie Kurtz), a
foul-mouthed, superannuated skank, are constantly prying into her
sex life and other private matters; meanwhile, Mike's mother
(Rondi Reed) is an overbearing, jealous harpy fond of referring
to her son's girlfriend--to her face--as "whore" and "tramp." Of
course, some may find this hilarious, and it's true that the
endless jokes have a lot of funny lines (Mike's partner Carl,
played by Reno Wilson, tells him, "I'd shoot you, but I don't
have enough chalk to outline your body," while his mom recalls
raising a child who "ate cereal with a snow shovel"). But there's
also a constant stream of sexual innuendo, referencing acts
performed both alone and with someone else, in addition to jokes
about vomiting, suicide, drinking and drug abuse, and more, some
of them amusing but nearly all of them vulgar and demeaning.
Directed by James Burrows, whose past credits include classics
like Taxi, Friends, and Cheers, Mike & Molly is not for everyone,
but will surely delight those who enjoy this type of thing. --Sam
Graham