Best friends quarrel in iGotYourBack, forcing Carly to question whether or not she and Harper really know each other.
The humor was spot-on and delightfully improved on the established style shown in the previous episodes.
iCarly Season 1 Episode 4 also fulfilled the promise of adult situations in the new interaction of the sitcom.
Carly and Harper’s friendship took center stage, and we got to see the good, the bad, and the ugly from the two best friends.
Their relationship hit a rough patch and presented a fight between two BFFs quite accurately.
They didn’t fall into a “he said she said” trope or into anything outlandishly silly. Their argument grounded itself in an actual issue and disagreement between the two.
Harper made bold choices when choosing outfits and a date for Carly, and Carly took offense to her friend’s disregard of her input.
The fight was choreographed splendidly, though, and included a semi-dramatic table flip.
I enjoyed the altercation between the two because showing a fight between two friends is very true to real life.
The growth that each woman had to face showed that the writers know what they are doing when making a children’s sitcom more grown-up.
Speaking of more grown-up, the secondary storyline with Spencer and Freddie did not shy away from adult themes.
Freddie wanted to start dating again, and Spencer tried to set him up with his friend Ramona.
The only problem? Ramona lost interest when she saw a picture of Freddie (which baffles me. He’s adorable).
Instead of telling Freddie, he decided to hire a woman to pretend to be Ramona and go on a date with Freddie. Spencer thought he just hired an actress — when in fact, he hired a professional escort.
Spencer’s bill went up every time Freddie went on a date with her, and Freddie did not know the truth.
They stretched Freddie’s naivety to the maximum, and I hope they don’t push the limits of logic.
Freddie’s not-so-easy past should make him more aware and more perspective of things around him, and seeing as he’d been married twice in the nine-year hiatus, he should know more about dating and women than the average guy.
Hopefully, the reason for the divorces relates to his teenage-like naivety, and the writers didn’t decide to do a complete 180 on his maturity.
So far, Spencer’s role in the reboot hasn’t been all that special. Carly’s brother (and neighbor) doesn’t seem to have much of his storylines to worry about.
He’s always focused on other people, and his growth has been minimal compared to other main characters.
I hope they expand on Spencer soon and use the talented Jerry Trainor for more than just the supporting brother.
His character consistently garnered significant interest and fans, being one of the more popular characters from old Nickelodeon sitcoms.
The relationship between him and Carly also needs to pick up a bit; their scenes together are lacking right now.
Their adult relationship is too similar to their teenage relationship, with their maturity only coming out in the context, not with the portrayal.
The half-hour was consistent with the previous few but managed to provide more laughs throughout the entirety. There were many more “laugh out loud” moments.
Millicent’s character took a bit of a backseat this go-around, and her character benefited from it.
We got to see Millicent calmer and less snarky while still honing in on her sarcastic tone.
She’s a delight to watch, even in the more subdued scenes.
Jaidyn Triplett fits into the cast of adult characters nicely and provides a beautiful dynamic with Nathan Kress’s Freddie.
Freddie being a single father is an excellent addition to iCarly, and seeing the compassion for his daughter is a beautiful thing.
Laci Mosley also fits in well with Harper and seems to have come into her character quickly.
She and Carly have an often-hilarious always-entertaining rapport, where their friendship and mutual respect always shine (even during the fights).
Harper: Ooh, maybe you just need some arm candy of your own. And I have the perfect guy. Trenton. And he is just your type.
Carly: Okay, I’m in.
Harper: Yeah!
Carly: Wait, is this another one of your man-me-downs?
Harper: We– Never. Did we? No. I’m 80% sure we didn’t.
Carly: Fine. But this is why I got you those color-coded Post-it notes.
Harper: Right right
Carly’s main plot revolved around attending a red-carpet premiere. The final dress they had her in was absolutely stunning, and I thank the costume department for that beautiful dress.
Of course, a mishap happened with the dress, but Harper saved the day, and we got to see their relationship heal and grow.
iGotYourBack definitely improved upon the premiere episodes. The comedy landed more consistently, and we got to see the beloved characters in real grown-up situations.
Another consistent aspect has been the portrayal of LGBTQ+ inclusion. The way they casually have Harper’s character be confident with her sexuality inspires.
Her comments about women are the same comments you’d hear her make about men a few minutes later. Honestly — that type of portrayal is a breath of fresh air.
Getting to witness a character so confident in who they provide an excellent note of representation on television.
She’s strong, vocal, and not ashamed of who she is, which is a message that has run through iCarly from the very beginning – be you.
So iCarly fanatics of old and new; how did you feel about the latest installment?
Are you enjoying the reboot as much as we are?
Let us know what you think in the comments below!