Well, it took six whole episodes but we finally got the buddy comedy HBO promised us in the promos for Bored To Death. Through circumstances that were just outlandish enough to fit on this show, George and Ray got to tag along on one of Jonathan's cases and the results were actually pretty amusing. "The Case of the Beautiful Blackmailer" was like a smarter version of Cheech and Chong, especially with Ted Danson's performance. George is easily the best character on the show and he really got to shine in this episode.

At the top of the show, Jonathan arrives at an all-night diner (in the middle of the day) to meet his client. He's a nervous, balding man who's being blackmailed for cheating on his wife with a woman he met online. Bored To Death is often like one big craigslist joke, positing the site as some sort of Internet emporium of illicit (though often fake) things. From unlicensed private detectives to impossibly attractive women looking for no-strings sex with married men, the craigslist of Bored To Death is a ramped-up version of the version that exists in our world. This makes sense considering how everything on the show works out. Everything is one almost imperceptible notch more cartoonish than reality, from the money-fueled libertine lifestyle of George Christopher to the unbelievable comedic noir of Jonathan's detective work.

Charged with the task of retrieving the video tape of his client's affair, Jonathan enlists Ray for the use of his girlfriend's car, but first they stop off at George's office. In the midst of more moaning about his life of neverending parties and speaking engagements, George manages to get Jonathan to confess about his second career. Jazzed about the mere idea, George begs to tag along.

At this point in the series, George and Ray haven't even met yet despite the show having been on for nearly two months. This seems to me like a terrible waste considering how funny their interactions at the motel were. While Jonathan was confronting the blackmailer who assumes he's another married man having an affair, George and Ray sit in the car getting stoned. Ted Danson and Zach Galafianakis have real comedic rapport. With scenes like George's attempts to high-dial his daughter I realized just to what extent the best parts of Bored To Death have little to do with the central premise.

Which isn't to say the detective work in this episode wasn't amusing. Jonathan has little sparks of competence and though he stumbles more frequently than he succeeds, he somehow always gets the job done. It should be noted that, one way or another, he's never lost a case. It'll be interesting when he does, but until then I enjoy watching him succeed in the most roundabout way possible.

Best Moment: Ray and George in the car. Ted Danson is obviously having a lot of fun with his role and Zach Galafianakis plays something of a disarming straightman.

Notes: In this show, even the denizens of the seedy underbelly are a little soft and neurotic. This week's femme fatale was no exception.

Episode Rating: 4/5- I'm starting to appreciate the running jokes on Bored To Death, from Jonathan's supposedly big nose to the way he always deflects questions of his own alcoholism by bringing up Suzanne's father. The show is slowly developing a sense of rhythm, so I'm glad HBO renewed it for a second season. I think it'll be a lot stronger as it further develops.