TV Review: Rules of Engagement

When I heard about Rules of Engagement, a series about an old, cynical married couple and the young, idealistic couple next door, I thought wait, doesn't that show already exist? Of course it does, and it's called 'Til Death, and considering how poorly that turned out, it seems a little nuts for another network to make the same show. But Engagement proves that 'Til Death was not actually a bad idea for a sitcom after all.

The main thing that makes Rules of Engagement work is star Patrick Warburton. While the cast of 'Til Death stank of desperation and flop sweat, Warburton doesn't seem to even care if anyone laughs at his jokes. He just sort of drawls them out as though he has all the time in the world, and if people happen to laugh well, that's cool.

Pretty much everything Warburton says is funny, although the writing probably isn't any better than 'Til Death and the premises are just as dumb (i.e. Warburton tries to prove to his wife he can still pick up women or gets an erection when his neighbor gives him a massage). I've always liked Warburton from Seinfeld and The Tick, but I never realized exactly how good his timing was or how subtly he plays the jokes until this show.

Warburton's main competition for laughs is the equally casual David Spade as a single friend of the two couples whose life is a continual series of one-night stands. Like Warburton, Spade has an easy confidence that makes even the weakest jokes amusing. His character's main purpose seems to be to give everyone else something to think about; the women see him as pathetic and lonely, the guys as free and happy go lucky (as a guy I'm inclined towards the happy go lucky idea).

While less known than Warburton and Spade, Megyn Price is also quite good as Warburton's wife, exhibiting a dry sense of humor and the ability to typify a lot of the behavior that annoy guys while always seeming reasonable and likeable.

As for the young couple, well, perhaps one day one of them will turn out to be a great actor, but on this show they come across as likable but bland, the sort of actors who lucked into a TV show that, if canceled, will probably be the only significant thing they ever do. 

While it's not a great show (after the cancellation of The Tick I'm sure Warburton realized that "great" does not equal "long-lived"), Rules of Engagement is a consistently good one. Let's just hope it outlasts 'Til Death.

Article Author: Charles Herold

Charles Herold is a videogame critic for the New York Times but has opinions about pretty much everything.

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