If the changes are mostly small things like more lighting, I don’t care and don’t see how anyone else could be bothered, as that has no real bearing on the show’s quality or content. I don’t even mind if they expand the number of recurring plot elements. That works great on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, and Seinfeld, plus it’s not like Sunny hasn’t already had some of that kind of continuity between episodes. The only thing that concerns me is hiring new writers to help with the scripts, and even that is fine as long as they don’t start dumbing the show down or making it less edgy. However, judging by the 3 episodes we’ve seen so far, that won’t be the case; the new season seems to be just as clever, over the top, and politically incorrect as the first two. Hell, the season premiere has one of the main characters finding out he’s an abortion survivor, played totally for laughs. So I can’t say I’m too worried about these changes.
As for the creative team having control/freedom, it seems like McElhenney, Howerton, and Day had unprecedented amounts of both during the first two season and are relinquishing little if any for the third.
Playing the dramatic music over the hostage scenes made it feel like a different show. I liked how, outside of a few moments, Sunny is like Curb wherin they use the same simple and lighthearted music over and over again. I like that the comedy, characters, and plot is unpredictable and edgy, but I like a consistency in style when it comes to shows like this.
The first episode was the stronger of the two. But I liked the second one. Especially Charlies bad room and the Die Hard stuff with Frank. When he pushes the Mcpoyles apart with that 2 x 4 it was freakin gold.
Everything with the Party Mansion was great from the hazing of the frat boys to NOTHING SEXUAL.
Paul, I agree with you 100%. If the second episode had a failing, it was that it ramped up the fantastic elements of the show too much. For all that, it was still hilarious. Here’s why:
(1) Dee’s ridiculous Garfield night shirt;
(2) Further mention of Charlie’s slight retardation;
(3) Charlie’s bad room;
(4) The McPoyle Milk Cure;
(5) The freakish approach of the McPoyle Brother when called upon to stab someone (I could use a gif of this one… sadly, such technologies are beyond me);
(6) The McPoyle Sister’s lip licking; and
(7) Frank’s wielding of a 2X4.
By the by, this is the only show that sends me into hysterics via the episode title alone.
The second episode wasn’t too bad. Definitely out of tone with the rest of the series, but I got the impression that this was the first episode produced (Charlie gloating over being a big brother and Frank’s concern over Dennis and Dee) and they just wanted to have fun before getting back into the swing of things.
Something else that cannot be over looked. Charlie and the strange Hispanic guy reading Dee’s middle school diary…and crying. Then the Asian frat boy falling from the roof in the background. So Fuckin Funny.