Stolen Sperm?

Episode Commentary: The Case of the Stolen Sperm

“Bored to Death” has officially been picked up for a second season by HBO, which is a direct result of it finally gaining the momentum it should have had by the second or third episode.

“The Case of the Stolen Sperm” continues to lift the bar of excellence in writing by using relatable scenarios that enhance the eccentric yet distinct characters.

Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) decides to help his best friend Ray Hueston (Zach Galifianakis) recover his lost sperm, which he donated to a lesbian couple for reproductive purposes. Ames is doing this out of the goodness of his heart (and to cope with his case of writer’s block) because Hueston is an unemployed illustrator on an allowance from his wife. Not only that, but due to a DVD addiction, he can’t seem to stretch his allowance to cover the cost of living expenses.

This is proven in an early scene in a donut shop, where the counter girl points out that he never buys anything and we witness that he has less than a dollar on him.

Ames and Hueston soon discover that the lesbian couple has sold his sperm on the black market to several other lesbian couples. Each door that they knock on delivers the crushing news that his sperm was defective (as a result of years of chronic pot smoking).

However, the final door they knock on has been impregnated by the supposedly defective sperm. The priceless reaction of disappointment from the couple when they learn who the donor actually was will have you cracking up. The show finally delivers on the type of dark humor the pilot episode seemed to have.

On top of that, they finally delivered George Christopher (Ted Danson) with a relatable scenario where he is not annoying or whiny. It involves the topic of adult bullies and how much worse they are than schoolyard bullies.

Oliver Platt is excellent in the role of Christopher’s nemesis and conveys that fake aura of friendship that these bullies often use to mask their inner demons. It starts with small talk, followed by advice that comes in the form of an insult on a question never asked and then the ultimate realization of what a jerk Platt’s character actually is.

George seems to believe it is to mask to hide low self-esteem and/or latent homosexual feelings and it is apparent that this may be the case. But even with that knowledge, he is still aggravated and decides to write an editorial in his magazine, ripping his bully and publication apart.

The publishing leads to George being challenged to a boxing match. Of course, our main character, Ames, wants to box also and he decides to go for the bully’s henchman (which they always seem to have and this one happens to be a critic that insulted Ames’ first novel). Sadly, there was not a third person for Galifianakis to box.

The words “To Be Continued” will leave you hanging for Sunday’s season finale and sadly, the momentum that the series gained will now be put on hold until the show’s return.

But it is safe to say this freshman season allowed for some kinks to be properly worked out, which could only lead to a great second season.