For the most part, Better Off Ted has been episodic. There's very little plot arc and I think this has been to the show's benefit. This series rarely has any aim beyond inspiring frequent giggles, so it mostly relies on a high density of quick jokes rather than call-backs and other loftier references. Still, "Trust and Consequences" is a great episode specifically because it rewards loyal viewers with some meta-plot tie-ins. Though none of those references are required viewing to enjoy this episode.

The first thing that really struck me about "Trust and Consequences" was the sharpness of its writing. Better Off Ted has never tried to be too clever for its own good, but underneath the cartoony yucks there's a deceptive intellectual bent. Take the following exchange:

             Linda: Hello, person who thinks I'm incompetent.

             Ted: Hello, person who thinks I'm lying.

             Dr. Bhamba: I'm incompetent and I liar. I don't get a hello?

It was all the little touches that impressed me this week. From the bossanova soundtrack to the show's willingness to chase an elaborate joke ("it's too bad your first day of work had to be during 60's week"). It made what would otherwise have been an uninspiring plot into one of the best episodes of the series.

After a Veridian-developed perfume transforms into a hornet-attracting chemical, the company is in legal hot water. Everybody involved gets deposed and it all goes well until Linda goes and does a stupid thing like telling the truth. Almost immediately, Veronica tries to get her to take the blame for the product failure in exchange for a large sum of money and a rehab vacation. While there's never any question that Veridian will come out of the debacle smelling like roses, Ted feels that Linda's integrity is on the line. He could fix everything, if only by admitting that he was having sex with Veronica when he should have been reading Linda's warning email about the perfume.

Meanwhile, Phil and Lem's friendship is once again put in jeopardy, this time by Phil's nerve-induced admission that he didn't graduate from MIT, but from a dubious Caribbean institution. Lem, feeling lied to, employs the cold shoulder. This B-plot doesn't really get as much screen time as it deserves, but its resolution is amusing so I'll give it a pass.

Ultimately, that's what makes shows like Better Off Ted good. There's no doubt about the outcome of a conflict, so the only real entertainment has to come with those parts of the story that can be moved around. "Trust and Consequences" is a master class of how to make a series like this work.

Best Moment: The flashbacks were awesome. The fact that Veronica stole her hairstyle from Linda on her first day is even more awesome.

Biggest Laugh: The deposition attorneys were hilarious. I really love the running joke that everybody is somehow smitten with Ted.

Episode Rating: 4.8/5- Not every joke worked and it had a strand of predictability, but "Trust and Consequences" was roundly entertaining. Short of the high satire of the show-making "Racial Sensitivity" episode, this was probably the best of the series so far.