TVSquad

(S05E06) Little Ritchie is growing up so fast! This week he's going to a school dance ... with the most popular girl in school!? Could Christine's whole world be changing? How can the meanie moms be mean to her if her son is dating the most popular girl in school? How can Christine screw this up? By being herself.

Meanwhile, Richard realizes he can no longer live at New Christine's house -- which is really his house -- so he starts to look for a new place to live, and finds a place where I'd sure as hell want to live. But there's a major problem with it, and he and Matthew have to tackle that before anyone can move in.

All in all, I think Christine is continuing a solid run of quality episodes. It helps that of the shows on ABC's Wednesday night comedy block, this veteran is up against Hank. And Louis-Dreyfus and friends are doing a fine job of beating it week after week.

I loved Marion Ross as the tenant Matthew and Richard have to evict in order to move into their new apartment. It's a little sitcom that she suddenly appeared on Christine's couch, but I loved Christine's reaction: "Have you seen a bra?" How the hell did they convince her to leave, and what will they do with her now, as that's how the episode ended.

I will say that when the hot blonde came in and inferred that she walks into the wrong apartment all the time ... and that there's another one upstairs that looks just like her, I could understand where the boys were coming from.

Speaking of boys, and men really, It is crazy seeing Ritchie so much older. He was always that uncoordinated awkward little kid. Poor kid, being the poor kid. And that's the only reason Britney B (which must stand for "bitch") even wanted to date him. What about Ritchie would have made her think he was in any way dangerous? I guess the squealing tires sounds when turning implies high speeds?

The events weren't as outrageous as we've usually seen, and even Christine was a little more subdued than normal. At least until Britney's mother showed up with the check Christine had written her daughter to stay with Ritchie through the rest of the night. Sadly, that doesn't even make Christine a bad mother, just a misguided one. She does want what's beset for Ritchie, even though it's mostly because she rises in the moms social ranking by having a popular son.

I almost felt sorry for the meanie moms because of their daughters misfortunes at the dance, but at the same time I think I can get behind their daughters becoming a couple. It would add a whole new dynamic to the show, and another strain on their bizarre friendship, as neither seems to like the idea of having a gay daughter.

I enjoyed the nice character moments this episode, and even was happy to spend a little bit of time with Ritchie. He's usually shunted up the stairs and down the hall for most of the action, but now that he's growing up I look forward to possibly seeing him more involved in some of what's going on. He can probably be as psychologically screwed up as the rest of them.

[Watch clips of The New Adventures of Old Christine at SlashControl.]