I began watching this show while I was sick and didn't have anything else to do. After a full season of this show, I'm now officially categorizing myself as a big fan, mostly due to its interesting style and its great sense of humor. I think the first season finished on a hilarious note that made me hate the patriarch of this family even more than I already did, and I was sure that the second season would not fail and be a load of fun. The premiere episode is another great example of the power of this show and its sense of outlandish humor.
The title in itself seems like a big joke as it's obviously a classic reference to the title formula of "Friends," but also touching on the fact of Michael's big "decision." In the first scene, we get told that he's moving to Phoenix. We're told that again in subsequent scenes throughout the episode in a fun recurring joke that doesn't overstay its welcome. And then the episode is very much about the thing that we've known all along. The fact that this family need each other. Not because they like being around each other or wants to help out, because its so dysfunctional that it couldn't possibly work separated. Mitchell Hurwitz has brought them to this point in the story, and I think that this episode solidifies the fact that they can't work unless they're together. There's a lot of challenges throughout that tries to bring the family apart, but none of it works. Whether it's Michael wanting to leave, or the open relationship between Lindsay and Tobias. None of it works. And I kinda like that as a big family man myself. The emotional pull of this episode, and in return the whole series, is really where the strength lies. Along with the humor, which this episode has a lot of. I'm enjoying Jeffrey Tambor so much more as Oscar than as George, so I hope that he stays around as that character for a while. I also love the idea of Tobias joining the Blue Man Group. What a match made in heaven.
"The One Where Michael Leaves" is a great example of undisputable fact that this family is so dysfunctional that they can't function apart at all. The dramatic elements work wonders in this show, but only because the comedy is already so good that it doesn't take a hit from being dramatic at certain points.
