"Undateable" Review Season 1 Episode 3 Recap

When a network launches a sitcom's run in the summer and airs two episodes a night that's usually not a good sign.

When the show is as generic and unforgettable as "Undateable" it generally means there is little hope for the show's long-term success.

"Undateable" is no worse than many shows on currently. It's better than "Two Broke Girls" which is sort of a hit.

The problem is that a series gets so little time to develop that it can't past the early high premise days where shows like this always stink to something more natural.

The third episode of the series shows a little improvement but not enough to give you hope that the series will move beyond broad characters and into something vaguely real.

The biggest problem with S!E3 is that the plot -- Justin keeps trying to date Nicki but worries he's falling into the "friend zone" -- is ripped from the sitcom cliche world.

It's a stock plot that is not improved here with the heavy-handed laugh track.

The episode moves through about two years of "Cheers" plotlines with Justin telling Nicki he likes her, Nicki liking Danny and all sort of hijinks ensuing.

This plotline could have developed over seasons but instead it gets 22 minutes. Of course, it all ends with everyone being friends because why would we want a show with actual tension?