Trae Patton / NBC
Hollywood Game Night Pits Charmers Against Screamers
We thought you might like this serene shot of mentally stable players, because they're kind of eclipsed in the episode by one extremely aggressive nut.
Most Worrisome Intro
It's never a good sign when any civilian gets an introduction that showcases how interesting he or she is. In this episode, they both do.
Please note, as my esteemed colleague Adam Grosswirth did in the latest Again With This podcast on the episode, how Jane Lynch can't resist joining in.
Celebrity Whose Obnoxiousness Blots Out Not Just The Civilians' Quirkiness, But Also THE SUN
Oh, how I pray that Hollywood Game Night's producers have already lost Kym Whitley's number. She is fucking exhausting. Her intro? Is endless.
Her performance in her very first game is practically incomprehensible.
She...might, at one point, be about to physically fight Cheryl Burke.
Which, fine, Cheryl's pretty annoying too.
But she's trying to play a game that requires listening, QUIT YELLING IN HER EAR.
Most Charming Celebrity (tie)
Dana Delany and Lea Thompson aren't just "bathing in virgins' tears" agelessly beautiful; they're also likable and fun to watch, even in their intros! Thompson shows off her ASL skills, as seen on my beloved Switched At Birth.
And Delany tells the story of how her ancestors made their living on the toilet.
Bonus: Delany's outfit is effortlessly casual and chic and her boots are flat.
Most Improved Game
Whitley's bellowing aside, Odd-o-Tune is much easier to watch this time.
Most Improved Player
...Dammit, Whitley, I didn't think you'd be worth a damn on this game. Or, after an actually suspenseful tiebreaker...
...the next one.
I still never want to see her again -- on this show, or ever -- but when it really counted, she pulled it out.