Better Off Ted: Lust in Translation

It's a rare thing to say you've seen something new on a sitcom, so count this week's (thankfully lone) episode of Better Off Ted as a downright exotic experience. I can honestly say that I've never seen a comedy about a man having second thoughts about sleeping with a gorgeous woman because she sounds exactly like his male coworker. It's unique and thoroughly bizarre plot points like this that make BOT such a remarkable show.

The details of Ted's odd predicament in "Lust in Translation" involve Veridian's new universal translator machine and one particularly insatiable German businesswoman. When Phil and Lem first present the machine to the would-be Teutonic investors, the device sports the voice of a giant robot (because super-nerds need to get their jollies somehow). When ordered to change it on such short notice, they replace it with Phil's nasally whine, if only because he happens to be fluent in German. This poses a major problem in Ted's sex life once he starts bedding Greta, the leader of the investor's contingent. She insists on using the machine so she and Ted can properly communicate, even when things get physical.

It's almost a shame that the translator enters the picture so soon. Greta's English was broken in all the right places, leading to excellent exchanges like:

Greta: You eat me, Ted? 

Ted: Yes. Let's go get a bite to eat and I'll introduce you to the word "with"

In the B-plot, Linda introduces Veronica to one of her many unusual stress relieving exercises hidden around the office. This one is called Linda-Bagel, an esoteric game that involves ricocheting a bagel off a wall in an unused utility closet and into an open vent. After possibly months of practice Linda has become an expert bagel-tosser, so when she ends up besting Veronica in competition it sends the latter on the warpath. She even commissions Phil and Lem to design a perfectly aerodynamic bagel, an item that allows the scientists to enjoy a sort of half-plot about their worries concerning just how evil their science actually is.

Again, I'm glad this episode got to stand alone this week instead of sharing space with the double-duty ABC has been forcing on Better Off Ted and Scrubs this month. I definitely think that this episode would have suffered in comparison to a less silly, satire-based episode, or maybe the solid laughs in "Lust in Translation" would have detracted from the sharpness of its more incisive companion.

Best Moment: All the originality in this episode made it possible for the final Three Stooges bit to come off as lovable mugging instead of cheap pop culture name dropping.

Biggest Laugh: I'll admit it. I liked the stereotyping jokes. They were just postmodern enough to work, i.e. Veronica's speech about the translator creating "a furor in Germany".

Episode Rating: 4.5/5- Goofy is always welcome on Better Off Ted, especially because the show can get away with being a live action cartoon with blue humor and social commentary.