Sando 4: If this series was a week we’d be past hump day by now

Only two episodes left of Sando, which means we are past the worst of it…in theory.

Episode 4 in an Australian sitcom is typically the one that’s a bit weaker than the rest of the episodes, with episode 5 being the one where the writers lay the groundwork for whatever spectacular finale is planned for episode 6. Except this is Sando, so it’s going to be all plot no laughs every damn time.

In episode 4 we got to see the live-in therapist/best friend of the daughter hypnotise Sando to make her a better person. Except, the live-in therapist/best friend of the daughter doesn’t really know anything about hypnosis and Sando’s smarter than everyone so she decides to pretend she’s been hypnotised to prove a point that she’s a worse person when she’s a better person. There was even a scene towards the end of the episode where Sando explained this to the family, pointing out that her role is to be a focal point around which they can all be united in…hate/resentment/whatever.

Whoever wrote this has presumably read too many “how to write a sitcom” books. Ones which leave out the chapter which explains that all sitcoms should include some laughs because as usual there were bugger all in this episode.

SIDEBAR: What was your favourite fake suburb this week? There’s something obviously funny about Mt Buggabongalong, but then there’s the dick-referencing hilarity of Wangford. We’re torn.

We’re also amazed that no one seems to care that there are so few attempts to be funny in a show billed as a comedy. Fake suburbs aside, where are the funny lines, the funny situations, the funny anything? It’s like the ABC figured we’d had enough solid laughs from the preceding program, Mad As Hell, and that if we wanted more we could just switch over to ABC Comedy and watch Tonightly. Which you should seriously do because almost five months into its run it’s still a consistently funny show. And Sando? Well, it’ll always be Sando.