Episodes like Secretary’s Day make me extremely nostalgic. It’s filled with work hijinks such as Finch refusing to accept he’s just a secretary and Nina testing out breast implants, and it guest stars Jay Leno in a cross-promotional marketing attempt from NBC. Ah, the good old days.
Still, this was much better than the second episode. The fact that the teaser alone gives you everything you need to know about the show’s main plots is a brilliant writing move. Wally answering Maya’s phone for her makes him seem like her secretary, and him yelling out from the balcony “large breasts” is a clue to Nina’s subplot. The writing is truly impressive here.
Another thing that’s immediately lovable about this show is the character dynamics. Nina and Elliot have outstanding moments in this one alone, but it’s Jack and Finch’s final heartwarming sequence where Maya’s dad recognizes his partner of 8 years as more than just a secretary. Sure, he gives him a fake title (Vice President of Section 4), but it’s a nice and hilarious gesture to bookend this episode on.
Bits
– I could have lived without seeing Finch stuck in a cage with a gorilla, but it was a funny gag.
– I cracked up when Finch threw away the glass during his ‘moment’ with Jack at the end. David Spade absolutely kills it with his facial expression here.
– I like that Nina and Maya bond for a brief second as Maya convinces her that she doesn’t need a boob job.
Quotes
Maya: I once did a news report on the dangers of plastic surgery, and do you know what the statistics say?
Nina: Yes, that nine out of 10 men prefer women with big breasts.
Elliot: And the 10th guy preferred the nine other men.
Elliot: You know, for whatever it’s worth, when I was in the fourth grade, I played the king in my school play, and I got so nervous that I started to cry right in the middle of my fight scene.
Finch: So?
Elliot: So…thank God it wasn’t televised. (laughs)
Jack: Man, I love scotch, and not just the taste. I mean the ritual. Pouring it into the perfect glass. Letting the ice melt just enough. (shakes the glass so the ice rattles) Listen to that sound. I love scotch almost as much as I love cigars. Man, I love cigars. The way they smell–you know what I love?
Finch: When the rambling ends.
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