Review: The League 4.03 "The Freeze Out"

With two solid episodes behind it in this fourth season, "The League"'s latest stumbles in some areas while hitting some instant classic highs in others.

The main story of the episode deals with the hard-hitting issue of racism in America. Ruxin and Kevin are accused of white-on-white racism when they balk at the authenticity of sushi made by Wesley-san (guest star Timothy Olyphant), white sushi chef heralding from the not-so-Japanese city of O-ma-ha (Nebraska). Olyphant kills in a rare comedic role ("You like your rice white, why not your chef?") and his interactions with Ruxin, determined to squash the racism accusation, are the highlights of the episode.

Meanwhile, Kevin's sexual insecurity rears its head again, this time after Jenny admits to once having sex five times in one day with ex-boyfriend and kid's birthday party host Ben ("Party Down"'s Ryan Hansen, in kind of a throwaway role). Kevin is determined to break the record even if it's an uncomfortable experience, confiding in Ruxin "It's grueling. I think the third time, between us, nothing came out. Like my dick just dry heaved."

While the rest of the gang spends the day at a child's birthday party, Pete and Taco head out for paintball, inexplicably choosing a Sunday to do so and consequently complicating Pete's ability to check his scores. It's a bit contrived and out of place, but the shoehorning of paintball into the plot is more than offset by the return of the lovably manic Rafi. El cunado joins Pete and Taco in the paintball game (of life and death), and of course takes things far too seriously, inspiring his war cry of "GATTACA!" Also, Taco scores some comedic points for bringing a paint knife to a paint gun fight.

While he doesn't have a storyline of his own, Andre and his complete lack of self-awareness steals a few scenes, discussing his corncob eating technique ("I start with the tip.") compared to the others ("You guys got sloppy cobs."), conducting creepily inappropriate magic at a child's birthday party ("Andre, if you do that to a child they are gonna shut this place down faster than Penn State."), and admitting to masturbating 12 times in one day. New meaning to the term 'raw dogging it'.

What did you think of the Ruxin vs Ku Klux Kubashi?

Final Grade: A-