Ep 3. Pocket P****

Blue Mountain State, a raucous comedy centered around a fictional university football team, delivers its characteristic blend of humor and debauchery in the third episode of the first season, titled Pocket P****. As the Blue Mountain State Goats navigate the wild ups and downs of college life, both on and off the field, the freshmen continue to adjust to the unbridled freedom and the unique challenges that come with being part of a notorious football powerhouse.

In episode three, the Blue Mountain State campus is rife with the typical collegiate concerns such as classes, relationships, and, of course, football. However, a seemingly trivial item becomes the unlikely focus of this installment—an item that sparks a series of comic mishaps and highlights the often immature bonds of brotherhood.

The central protagonist, Alex Moran, the team's backup quarterback who is more interested in enjoying his college experience than making it to the pros, finds himself caught up in the whirlwind of collegiate antics that ramp up when one of the teammates introduces an adult novelty toy to the rest of the group. This new and intimate artifact instantly becomes a symbol of the team's camaraderie as they collectively nickname it the Pocket P****.

Alex, along with his fellow freshmen, including the overzealous starting quarterback Craig Shilo and the naive farm boy Sammy Cacciatore, is goaded into participating in a spiraling series of pranks and bets revolving around the new device. The episode cleverly explores themes of peer pressure and male bonding in a hyper-masculine environment where such an object gains an absurd level of prestige.

Meanwhile, Thad Castle, the over-the-top team captain known for his wild behavior and aggressive dedication to the game, sets out on his own personal quest to assert his dominance over the Pocket P**** fad. Thad's antics, fuelled by his fear of losing his alpha status among his teammates, serve as an exaggerated commentary on locker room politics and the lengths some players will go to maintain their top-dog image.

As the Pocket P**** becomes the latest obsession, it also paves the way for the exploration of the player's relationships off the field. The show brushes up against the theme of intimacy without veering away from its comedic wheelhouse, using the silly premise to broach discussions about the players' experiences and attitudes toward physical relationships.

At a deeper level, the episode scratches at the surface of the insecurities and challenges the young athletes face in trying to reconcile their public personas with their private vulnerabilities. In the safety of their testosterone-driven enclave, the players find a sense of unity in shared experiences, even those as ludicrous as their current focus on the novelty toy.

Throughout the episode, the humor is broad and occasionally crass, capturing the juvenile yet endearing nature of the team's dynamics. It is filled with snappy one-liners and slapstick situations, as well as sight gags that lean into the absurdity the series is known for. The show never strays far from its commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing the chaotic and irreverent spirit of college life.

As a reflection of college culture, particularly within the microcosm of a top-level sports team, the episode does not shy away from depictions of the wild parties and the desperate attempts to fit in that can dominate the university experience. It presents these elements with a satirical eye, giving viewers an exaggerated glimpse into a world where the rules are few and the stakes are seemingly as low as the humor.

Throughout its run time, Pocket P**** keeps the pace brisk, intercutting between the main narrative thread and subplots that involve other members of the football team and their personal escapades. Relationships among the players, as well as with their coaches and the university's faculty, come into play, adding layers to the overall story arc of the season while still ensuring that this episode can be enjoyed on its own merits.

The culmination of the episode’s events, true to Blue Mountain State form, is both outrageous and laugh-inducing. As the characters navigate the consequences of their obsession with the Pocket P****, lessons are half-learned, bonds are tightened, and the status quo of the team evades any serious modification.

Episode three of Blue Mountain State season one thus continues the show’s commitment to an unapologetic portrayal of college antics. It captures a snapshot of the sometimes misguided, often hilarious, and invariably memorable moments that make up the college experience, all filtered through the lens of a group of football players who can't help but find trouble wherever they go, even if it's as innocuous as a pocket-sized toy.