After eight episodes of Bored To Death, it occurs to me that the original premise is misleading, while at the same time necessary. I suppose I went into the series expecting a mostly episodic comedy about a would-be private detective. From the outset that seemed only reasonable, but looking at how the show transformed that initial assessment seems short-sighted. Given TV's propensity for empty, pun-driven titles I've more or less stopped paying attention to what shows are called. In the case of Bored To Death, I think there's a benefit to taking the title literally. This isn't a series about a neurotic private detective, it's a story about people who are so incredibly bored with their lives that they're willing to embrace any absurdity that comes their way. For some reason, it took eight full episodes for this idea to gel for me.

Due to some travel I missed last week's episode, but I'm actually glad for that. Taken on its own, I didn't really like "The Case of the Stolen Sperm". It was boring, unfunny and much less satisfying than a Ray-centric plot should have been. Put next to "Take a Dive", it actually makes a lot more sense. Our central characters (Jonathan, George and Ray) all embrace the strange and childish adventures of their otherwise unsatisfying lives not only out of boredom, but as a way to take the edge off their frequent humiliation. "Stolen Sperm" was a catalog of their problems while "Dive" gave them an opportunity to triumph despite them.

So, in short order, here are the conflicts: Jonathan is completely unable to write his second novel and he still can't get over Suzanne; George is watching both his magazine and his personal life fall to pieces; Ray is professionally unsuccessful and continually emasculated. Each in their own roundabout way, they overcome these issues without necessarily saving face in the process. Jonathan, George and Ray are misfits. It's not that there's something wrong about the world they live in, just that they can't make their way like everyone else does. They have to make themselves absurd in order to be happy.

So, that's why I'm willing to accept the improbable resolution of a triple bill boxing event between the main characters and people who embody their problems. For seven of the eight episodes of the series, we've effectively been the audience around the ring. When we see one of the characters go down it looks like a failure, even if there's really a lot more going on behind the scenes. This in mind, I'm now convinced that it's worth settling in for the long haul to see how these characters develop. Their day to day trials aren't nearly as important as they would be if Bored To Death was really an episodic series as the supposed central premise suggests.

Best Moment: Jonathan confronting the ineffective thug played by the always welcome Todd Barry. It perfectly demonstrated how Jonathan's detective work hasn't been an end in itself, but more of a learning experience to help him cope with the strangeness in his life.

Notes: I hope Stella becomes a regular part of the series, especially considering how one-note the drama with Suzanne has been. If not, it was one heck of a setup for a single Rocky joke.

Episode(s) Rating: 3.8/5 average. "Take a Dive" was definitely the stronger of the two episodes and I still want this show to be as funny as I know it can be, but I really think the overall plot turned a corner when the dust finally settled. Given what I've learned about this show, I think I'm prepared for and actually look forward to the second season, which has already been green-lit.