Gambling Online
Picking up where it left off from before, Family Business returns for another episode of comedic fun, with the family well on their way to becoming marijuana connoisseurs. We begin with Joseph and Oliver visiting Clem. They want to make sure the information she gave them about the legalization of cannabis is accurate. She confirms it is, which then prompts them to ask her for a favour. In exchange for tips and information, they offer her shares in their new business venue. She refuses and gives them her counter offer – Olivier and 20,000 euros. As Joseph goes to work in the butcher shop, his Dad tells him it’s too late and that he’s selling his business. Visiting Olivier at his tailor shop, Joseph finds out that Ali and Aida’s brother has been released from prison. To make matters worse, Ali is also in trouble at work as he has been refusing to drive people to airports. Joseph and Olivier, still determined to make their new business happen, decide to visit the restaurant where Gerard’s favourite singer Enrico Macias often comes to eat. They think he would be the only one that could convince Gerard to agree to turn his business into a cannabis coffee shop. After eating an enormous amount of food, their visit turns out fruitless. Their other hurdle of course, is finding the money to pay Clem. This leads them to a few dubious (but amusing) ideas including selling fake designer suits and gambling online. As Joseph and his girlfriend prepare to announce to her parents that they’re together, Joseph gets a text from Olivier saying that Enrico Macias is at the restaurant. Promising his girlfriend that he will be quick, he heads there and tries to convince Enrico to help them. The next morning, Enrico surprises Gérard in his shop. In a bid to get him on board with the idea of a cannabis coffee shop, Enrico fakes a fainting episode and tells him that with his glaucoma, he needs to smoke weed otherwise he would have ended up blind. This results in both of them spending the evening together, getting high and playing music. Unable to stay at Oliver’s, Joseph sleeps in back of the truck and later wakes up to it driving away. The episode then ends with Gerard driving the truck, with the sign on the road indicating that he’s heading to Amsterdam. Family Business continues with the same tone as the first episode, boasting witty dialogue and decent acting throughout. As we get to know the characters, the humour feels a lot more focused and the various dynamics between them all really helps to sell this one. One of the stand out moments of the episode sees Joseph calling his sister while playing poker online and his “tunnel” app suddenly comes on, distorting her voice. As an added touch, there’s also a small nod to one of Enrico Macias’ songs when Joseph responds to him with “aie aie aie”. While some may see Family Business as another political message about the legalization of cannabis, this new comedy actually gravitates more around the family and their individual issues instead, much to the benefit of the series. This ultimately adds another layer to the show and helps make the characters much more likable.
