Rules of Engagement

I came across this show by chance a couple years ago; long after it had been cancelled, but was immediately hooked! In many ways it reminded me of Married With Children, with I suppose Adam and Russell being the children for this show? While the humor can be a bit tedious at times, the chemistry the characters have brings a nostalgic comfort to a dying genre - the sitcom. After catching a few episodes in syndication, I sought out the show on DVD, but then quickly noticed that the entire series was on Netflix.

Patrick's comedic delivery as Jeff was spot on. Adam's incessant obliviousness wasn't wholly present during the first season, and wore a bit thin as the show went on, but I found this style of humor to be somewhat charming compared to the other characters. Then there's of course David Spade's character Russell Dunbar. He didn't really have much of an arc throughout the series, and he definitely made me laugh more often than not, but he was really more of a caricature than anything. It wasn't until his foil, Timmy (Timir) came along that I began to appreciate their banter. Audrey and Jennifer are also excellent in their respective roles, and they are great standouts in this male-oriented show. (I short-changed them quite a bit, sorry)

It's unfortunate the show only lasted five seasons. I felt I had at least a few years left; especially coming back after a year-long hiatus. There were a couple of significant breaks in continuity, Timmy's immigration status for example, but not a show-killer IMHO. I've now watched the show multiple times and continue to find things I hadn't noticed before that make me laugh.

I love this show! Patrick Warburton is hilarious! All the characters of the series are great however i'm not a huge fan of the little dwarf 'Russel'. His acting looks really forced and sometimes it's over the top.

The best part of the show is probably all the different characters who happen to be friends. This usually leads to funny moments during the show. I think people who are watching this show can relate to some of the characters. Me for example, can relate to Jeff! "Woman let me watch the game, and if your going that way could u get me a drink?". My girlfriend can relate to Audrey who would probably tell them to get it them self and would be whining about going to visit friends, parents, shopping.. or whatever.

Patrick Warburton is a great actor and very underrated! Some reviewer said that he couldn't deliver a joke. That's complete BS! The way 'Jeff' delivers a joke is great! He is sarcastic and with his deep voice it's a killer combination. I think he is the funniest guy in the show by far! If your looking for a hilarious series, you've found it!

My rating is based on my opinion of the first four or five seasons. The show starts, as many shows do, better than it finishes up, but the first few seasons are excellent. Patrick Warburton is the stand-out here, and his reparte with David Spade is the reason I tuned into the show in the first place. They both do their absolute best from the first episode to the last.

The younger couple... well, mixed reviews from me. They were more entertaining early on, but then Jen got kind of a superiority complex, and Adam went from naive to just plain stupid. Maybe that justifies Jen's constant eye-rolling, but it's not fun to watch. There are also several episodes later on that appear to have been written with the sole requirement "find a reason to put Oliver Hudson in Spandex".

Supporting characters who were brought in during the series' run are of two basic types: outstanding (Timmy) and blah (everyone else). Timmy infused the show with new vitality and served as a very clever and entertaining foil for Spade's character of Russell Dunbar. The others (Timmy's thankfully brief office girlfriend, and the gear-grinding Liz) didn't fit in and didn't add enough to justify being there.

All in all, I'd recommend it to those who enjoy sitcoms. It's cleverly written and the performances by Warburton and Spade are excellent from start to finish.

Generally speaking, the plot was much better than I was expecting. The laugh track was a bit annoying at times and did tend to get in the way; however, there were enough real chuckles in this episode to make up for it. My biggest surprise was finding some of the best lines and situations were not shown in the trailers. Spade, in particular, was not presented in the best light in the earlier promotions, but his character comes across quite well in the pilot. There is is enough eye-candy to please almost anyone and all the regular characters seem up to the task ahead of them. Now, if the writers can just live up to what they have begun.

I will really miss this show when I reach the final episode. It is the perfect show that you can put on after a hard day at work and just laugh at. There are no dark depressing aspects to this show it just aims to entertain with laughter and it definitely succeeds in doing that. There is a basic underlying storyline that helps to propel the show but it is more about the characters living out their day-to-day lives.

Jeff and Audrey are my favourite couple and live up to their stereotypes perfectly. The beer- guzzling, sports-watching neanderthal with a soft-side and his shopaholic, emotional, nagging wife. It may be over the top but it works. The rest of the core cast is also entertaining and each play their part in contributing to a stereotypical world where everyone is funny.

Try not to over think this one, just enjoy it for what it is and you'll find yourself laughing in no time.