Whoa, the season finale of “My Boys” snuck up on me last night. That was a short season, just nine episodes. That might have been my favorite episode of the season too, so now I’m extra bummed that it’s over.
Overall, it was an uneven season that got too predictable and cutesy at times. PJ’s romantic merry-go-round finally stopped and she started to settle down with Bobby, and that actually worked pretty well. But the characters dipped too far into becoming charactitures and the banter often lost some realism and seemed more sitcom-ey. In the end, it was the chemistry and camaraderie of the cast that kept me watching; they really seem like friends just hanging out, and it’s fun to peer in on their lives.
And finally last night there were touches of reality: Bobby gone for a long period of time to cover spring training, PJ looking for an original idea for a column and real-life scenes from spring training. Sure, the players showed why they’re playing baseball and not professional actors, and I wish we had heard some of PJ’s interviews with fans (those were real, by the way, they let actress Jordana Spiro loose for a game), but it was a fun change of pace. And — thank god — we got the big cliffhanger reveal that Stephanie and Kenny have been having a secret affair. I really thought the writers had dropped the ball and totally forgot that those two hooked up in last season’s finale.
Being a newspaper guy, I usually cringe when journalism is portrayed on screen. We don’t have secretaries or big offices, we don’t look like Russell Crowe or Rachel McAdams, and — sorry Bobby — we don’t call them “articles.” They’re stories. Or columns. But other than that, last night’s episode was pretty accurate. I’ve been to a ballgame with a beat writer and they really do feel weird rooting for the home team. Reporters from rival papers really do date. They really do obsess over finding new angles for the same ol’ stories, and some really are as jaded and scorpion-phobic as PJ’s columnist co-worker (I’m totally blanking on his name). I know TV isn’t an accurate depiction of reality, but I appreciate it when it sometimes comes reasonably close enough.
I loved the players teeing off on Mike after his boast about being able to strike out a major-leaguer. I know guys who talk like that, and yeah, that’s exactly what would happen. That got a big laugh from me.
Of course, there was one big error — the gang buying multiple beers at the ballgame. The last time I was at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz, there was a one-beer-per-person rule. Super, super weak. But I’ll let that one slide and attribute it to wishful thinking.
“My Boys” hasn’t been renewed for another season yet, but I really hope to see it when fall comes around. In a sitcom world filled with cynicism, pratfalls and irony, it’s a refreshingly sincere, warm-hearted half hour that somehow feels comforting to watch.
