Gracie has found out from mom Kelly that Chuck is her father with him in her presence and she's not too happy about it. This leads to many disastrous attempts by Chuck to assure her of his devotion to her such as when he accidentally breaks a doll's head that was a gift from her grandma in France. We also flash back to New Year's Eve 1997, when Kelly and Chuck attempt a tryst in Kelly's home after the party ends but not without Gary popping in for some advice about a potential girlfriend who eventually becomes his wife. Back at Present Day, Ryan comes with a friend to pick up something but the friend keeps saying inappropriate things to Kelly making Ryan admonishing him to no avail. Just when it seems Gracie won't warm to Chuck and he has given up hope, he gets her a puppy that cheers her up while Kelly embraces him and reluctantly warms up to the pet herself especially after he scares Ryan's friend away...With this episode, things get a little predictable with the back and forth of emotions between Gracie, Chuck, and Kelly and threatens to turn maudlin as a result. Also, the attempts at laughs really feels sitcomy during much of this episode with jokes about getting people out of the house during New Year's so the leads can have sex and Ryan's friend being so out there in his openness about his feelings for Kelly. I'm not saying what transpired wasn't funny, just not hilarious or certainly as entertaining as a classic episode of "Frasier" or "Everybody Loves Raymond". This show is at it's most creative when it concentrates on the newsroom and while I don't mind the Gracie stories, I do wish they didn't seem so shopworn. And I definitely wish they didn't change her portrayer from Laura Marano to Lily Jackson. Ms. Jackson isn't so bad, just not as sharp as Ms. Marano. Hope the remaining two eps that air for the season are improvements. Until then...
2 Reviews
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back is an accurate episode description of this "Back to You" one
tavm4 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Back and forth
studioAT8 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This episode flits between the events of New Year's Eve/Day 1997/98 where Chuck and Kelly got together, and the present where they are telling Gracie that Chuck is her father.
This is the basis of the episode, and although the other characters have their moments, they are given very little to do, especially josh Gad whose character isn't able to appear in the flashback sections. I agree with the other reviewer that Lilly Jackson is not as good as Gracie too.
It's another perfectly acceptable, mildly funny episode of the show, but doesn't match up to the heights it had set itself earlier in the series.
This is the basis of the episode, and although the other characters have their moments, they are given very little to do, especially josh Gad whose character isn't able to appear in the flashback sections. I agree with the other reviewer that Lilly Jackson is not as good as Gracie too.
It's another perfectly acceptable, mildly funny episode of the show, but doesn't match up to the heights it had set itself earlier in the series.
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