Written by Charlie Johnson
After a longer than average wait for episode two, Philly is back on a regular release schedule. With last week being the triumphant return to the small screen, this week The Gang is trying their luck with a team building exercise. That’s right, Dee has booked an Escape Room and has it set up in Dennis and Mac’s apartment.
Is This a Nerd Thing?
The Gang start off in the bar and are having the concept of an escape room explained to them. Dennis immediately equates being locked in a room to a sexual experience while the rest of the Gang start to argue about the point of doing the whole thing. It swiftly turns into a battle of the sexes as Dee points out that men never do anything unless there’s some kind of prize or motivation. A lack of stakes if you will. The men decide that what better way to add some stakes to the competition than to add some steaks and decide that the winner gets a 20oz sirloin steak dinner. Mmm Mmm…
Lockdown
With the challenge accepted, The Gang enter the apartment and find it transformed into the home of Sherlock Homes, 221B Baker Street. Dee rushes to the table to grab the walkie talkie and reminds why she never gets any acting roles. Dennis cuts off the terrible British accent and starts barking orders into the radio, speeding up the process and ruining any kind of immersion we had in the room. While this is going on, Dee is already looking through the drawers and breaking the rules. Eventually the attendant gives up trying to reprimand the group and locks the door. Frank starts to panic. Being locked up reminds him of the time he was locked up in the “Nitwit School” for having “Donkey Brains”. I may have mentioned this last time, but I’ll say it again. These characters are actually unstable and being locked in a room is the best way to see their anxieties and shortcomings arrive at the fore. At any rate, Charlie gives Frank some chewing gum to calm his nerves that he chews incredibly loud for the rest of the episode.
Together They’re Strong, Divided They’re Idiots
Dennis, Mac, Charlie, and Frank decide (using some incredibly flawed logic) that women cannot help them win and that it would be un-American for them to accept a woman in a leadership role, despite Dee admitting that she knew the answers to the room. So, to get some peace and quiet the guys lock her in Dennis’ room. For some reason it only has a lock on the outside and Charlie brings this up, but is ignored. The guys set about deciding upon a true leader and Mac nominates Dennis and Charlie nominates Frank. They decide that, in the spirit of competition, they will have their own teams and look for clues themselves. After they split up, it is revealed that Charlie found a heart shaped key and Mac found a heart shaped lock. Each respective team decides not to tell the other about their find. Meanwhile Dee, who is locked in a room by herself, tries to get the attendant to help her out and predicts that if she doesn’t get out soon the guys will start smashing the props.
The Head Cow Is Always Grazing
Mac and Dennis as predicted start smashing stuff in frustration. They stop to evaluate the situation and Dennis thinks he can still hear Frank chewing his gum and takes it to be a psyche out tactic. In his paranoia, he explains to Mac that it’s a classic power play. As an alpha, “The head cow is always grazing.” As he explains this, he is employing his own alpha tactics on Mac by refusing to let him sit and putting him down when clearly right about the stupidity of the metaphor. A plan is hatched to go and get the gum from Frank so that Dennis can reclaim his position as alpha cow and get out faster. Charlie and Frank respect Mac and his “Art of the Deal” and negotiate back and forth for gum and information and get nowhere.
Soon, the four men are around the table all furiously chewing huge wads of gum. Tense negotiations begin as both parties figure out they need the lock and key together to proceed. As for Dee, she realises that Dennis’ room must be soundproofed as no one can hear her. She accidentally knocks the alarm clock in a fit of rage starting a terrifying procedure. The lights turn red and a computer screen starts playing a video with Dennis informing his “Sexual Conquest” about how things will proceed from here. The bed itself starts to gyrate and things get really creepy. For long time viewers of Philly, this is no surprise. While Dennis has always been self-obsessed and a reported sexual deviant, we’ve seen little in the way of evidence. As satisfying as it is to see how psychotic he is, I preferred the subtle hints the show used to drop on the subject. Like how he always carried, rope, a shovel, zip ties, and some methylated spirits in the back of his car. Just enough for the imagination to run wild, but not enough to convict him of anything.
Civilised Men
The four men now sit around the table pretending to smoke pipes, drinking whiskey, and speaking like Victorian gentlemen. They spit out their gum as a sign of good faith to one another and lay out the agreement. Each man shall take a bite of the victory steak in an order dictated by how much they helped unite the key and the lock. With much grunting and table banging, they proceed to unlock the locket to find a list with 20-30 more clues and instructions to do. At this point, Dee can be seen hanging onto the window ledge screaming at the men. She got out! The attendant stops the game so that Dee can be let in, but it’s too late. She falls off the building.
Winner Winner, Steak Dinner
The Gang gathers in around a bruised and bloodied Dee as the attendant apologises for getting her injured. Everyone argues that they won the game because they escaped the room. Whether it be by the rules of the game or the fact that the attendant had to open the door before time was up because of a safety concern, is neither here nor there. The Gang gets their photo pasted on the website as Dee, feeling like a valued member of the team again, chews into her winner’s steak.
All in all, this week’s episode of Philly lacked the complex plot of the last. It took things back to basics and explored the characters in an everyday situation. Things didn’t escalate to the usual levels of insanity, but still got a few belly-laughs and uncomfortable moments.
