Armed and Famous might be my favorite show of all time.
On tonight’s episode, LaToya had to bust a guy for breaking into a car, only to find that a woman in the neighborhood had cats. LaToya is hugely afraid of cats and she panicked and ran back to the squad car to hide in fear. The officer who was assisting her kept pounding on the window to try to get back into the car so she could complete the arrest, but LaToya kept her locked out for a while because she was too afraid that the woman with the cat would return.
If that wasn’t enough, Erik and his partner (who I call Officer Barbie) were flagged down by an older woman who insisted that Erik autograph her boob. Just when we were about to confirm that Erik’s fanbase is freaky grannies with sagging bust-lines, the woman pulled out a fake “chicken cutlet” breast, which Erik happily signed.
The cops were then sent off to get to know their partners. Erik and Officer Barbie went to go get mani-pedis at a spa as he proceeded to hit on her and tell her how hot she was as she politely rejected him. Wee Man and his partner went to a skate park where they insightfully yelled, “Dude!” at each other for a while. The always delightful LaToya made a trip to a grocery store with the intention of cooking a meal for her partner. She looked bizarrely like Michael, big aviator sun glasses and all, leaving me to wonder if they’re really the same person. She was also bewildered by the fact that the little store didn’t carry caviar. I must say though, for as out of it as she behaves, she also seems very sweet and polite to everyone. There was even a big scene where she comforted a homeless woman and empathized with her victimization in an abusive relationship.
After the little sweet moment, it was back to business. Jack was sent on a big time bust that involved guns and a whole slew of officers. He handled it well, though the real officers kept him pretty damn far from any danger.
Then it was back to kooky land with LaToya as she went to a therapist to try to deal with her cat phobia. She claims that when she was younger, a cat attacked one of her family members and she has been terrified of cats ever since. The therapist showed her pictures of cats, which brought her to tears, and then wheeled in a super cute little kitten. She tensed up a bit, but then she boldly decided to go pet the tiny cat. In a shocking and totally unscripted turn of events, she overcame her deep rooted phobia in just one therapy session.
The next bust involved Wee Man, who had to arrest an abusive man. The only problem was that the man didn’t speak English and Wee Man and his partner didn’t speak Spanish. They brought in an expert, Erik Estrada, who arrived and translated for the man. He also gave him the “a real man doesn’t hit a woman” speech and then sent him off to jail.
While all the arrests and action are fun, anything involving LaToya is utterly delightful! She is completely off the reservation… and you know what? I dig it! What I’ve discovered about Armed and Famous is this: I can’t get enough of LaToya Jackson and her craziness. She is what makes this my favorite thing on TV. Without her, this show would just be some lame celebrities trying to be cops. With LaToya, this becomes not only a show about d-listers upholding the law, but a glimpse into the fantasy land that is the Jackson family. Basically, it becomes completely off-the-charts awesome! Whoever managed to cast LaToya Jackson on this show deserves a raise.
I’m now officially addicted and I’m going to be glued to the screen during each episode.