Today’s review of the new episode of The Crazy Ones, aptly titled “Bad Dad,” is going to be slightly different today than it has been over the last two weeks. It’s not because I don’t love the show (I truly do), but because I actually got to meet the leads of the show. Yesterday, I had the great fortune to meet Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and James Wolk while they were shooting the eighth episode of the season. It’s not an experience I’ll soon forget. They, as well as the many crew members I talked with, were personable, kind, and very giving of their time before they headed home. Not all casts and crews are like this, and I’m grateful that I was given the time of day.

The newest episode of The Crazy Ones focused on a car insurance campaign for Allstate in which a crazy dad lets go of the wheel while driving on the freeway in traffic, forcing his teenaged daughter, who he’s teaching to drive, to try and prevent anything from happening. We quickly find out it’s actually based on how Simon tried to teach Sydney to drive, and eventually learn that Sydney does not drive and is scared to do so based upon her father’s lesson when she was a teenager. Learning this, Simon declares that he’s a bad father and wants to pull the ad and start anew.

In the mean time, Zach is pulling his usual in breaking up with a girl he’s been dating, and Andrew immediately swoops in to get the girl himself, which causes Lauren to refer to him as a remora, the fish that attaches to sharks and other marine creatures. Andrew is understandably upset by this, and storms off to make sure he doesn’t engage in those behaviors. Andrew also makes a comment about being one of seven daughters, which was absolutely hilarious in context.

By the end of the episode, Simon is really teaching Sydney to drive, which leads to a minor incident where their car bumps the car of another father teaching his teenaged daughter to drive. The father in the other car closely resembles the man in the Allstate insurance commercials, and I appreciated that. I also appreciated the slight Buffy reference in that Sydney, like Buffy, cannot drive. It was great closure for the episode for viewers to see Sydney and Simon bonding over their father/daughter horror stories, and I find it’s a particularly appropriate moment for me, as I watch the show with my father and we do bond over it. In fact, when the bad driving lesson was first revealed, I turned to my father and thanked him for not being that crazy when he taught me to drive.

Overall, I think that the reason I’ve taken to The Crazy Ones in the way I have is that the cast feels like it’s a real family with all the awkwardness and yet genuine moments of warmth between the characters. I absolutely love that, and I hope other viewers do as well. I eagerly await the news that The Crazy Ones has been tapped for a full season pick up.

If you missed last night’s episode, you also missed the bloopers in the end credits, where Simon asked Sydney “where did you learn that Dukes of Hazzard thing?” Without missing a beat, Sydney replies “Sunnydale” and turns to walk away. The full episode, along with the bloopers, can be found here.

Did you watch the episode yourself? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.