Enlisted Love-Interests: Hippos and Oxpeckers
The return of Enlisted after it’s hiatus for the Olympics did not disappoint. Exhibiting some of the best dialogue sequences in the show so far, “Brothers and Sister,” the sixth installment of the fledgling comedy, provided plenty of laughs with deft jabs, clever banter, and awkward situations, while simultaneously introducing serious relationship issues and solidifying the chemistry between the show's primary characters (the three Hill brothers and Sgt. Jill Perez).
All three Hill brothers encounter love interests in this episode. The episode opens with Derrick attempting to rescue Randy from making a fool of himself trying to show off for some ladies at the Claymore (the local bar). However, the symbiotic relationship between “hippo and oxpecker” turns sour when Derrick turns down Randy’s offer to be his wingman. (Seriously, who wouldn’t reject the opportunity to be the oxpecker cleaning the hippo’s teeth?) With both brothers going solo (“we were bononos, but now we are no-more-bros”), Randy ends up impressing the girls with his handstand shenanigans, while Derrick fails at getting much more than a “Hello.” In the end, Derrick acknowledges that he was wrong to rebuff Randy and not only regains his brother’s friendship, but also gets the bartender’s number. (Episode four, “Homecoming,” already gave us a sneak peak of Derrick and Erin’s relationship as the episode order was altered to coincide with the Super Bowl.) There is more to Derrick’s character than his snide, middle-brother personality lets on. I look forward to further episodes.tween the shows primary characters (the three Hill brothers and Sgt. Jill Perez).
Pete, on the other hand, comes face-to-face with Jeannie, the woman he was dating when he was deployed to Afghanistan. Upon being shipped out, Pete had let the relationship “fade out” so that he never had to break up with her – which is exactly how Pete has ended every relationship. Sgt. Perez finds Pete’s callous perspective on leaving Jeannie hanging for two years despicable and advises him to apologize. The tables turn, however, when Pete and Jeannie get back together because Pete cannot say no. (Even the toughest supersoldier is a softie deep down.) With Sgt. Perez’s coaching, Pete tells Jeannie how he really feels. This ends badly as Jeannie concludes that Sgt. Perez wants Pete for herself and then punches Pete in the nose for leading her on again. Through all this, Sgt. Perez earns the honor of becoming a “female brother.” Thanks, I think?
The relationship of Sgt. Perez and Pete has been a curiosity ever since a hint of sexual tension was introduced in the second episode. However, if Pete and Sgt. Perez’s relationship does remain platonic, it would be a breath of fresh air. Based on this episode, there is plenty of ways to foster their comedic chemistry without having to resort to the main characters sleeping together. If the dialogue in subsequent episodes is as witty and clever as this one, I will look forward to the rest of this first season.
— Zachary Henry is Contributor at the Media Research Center. Follow Zachary Henry on Twitter.
