(S02E03) This wasn't the great Dr. Bhamba-centric episode I've been hoping for since season one, but it'll do. Watching Bhamba and Lem work together to solve Stella Clifton's insane equation was a blast. And so was learning about the disturbing lack of crocodiles in Bhamba's dreams. But this ep was less about my favorite wacky underused character and more about a competition between two co-workers and an odd dynamic between a mother and her son.

Let's start with Ted and Linda. Veridian finally gave Linda a pat on the back after she came up with an idea for a scented light bulb that comes in "aromas ranging from zucchini bread to fresh laundry." Good for her. Sadly, the company's decision to greenlight Linda's smelly bulbs meant Ted's idea for a super long lasting bulb was shelved. I was hoping to see Ted squirm a little more to win back the company's favor, but the focus fell more on Linda and her newfound confidence.

Portia de Rossi still kills as the steely Veronica. I love watching her charge through every episode like an uber confident shark ready to consume anything or anyone that gets in her way. Linda couldn't pull off the extreme confident attitude as well as Veronica does, but she got a few nice shots in by ordering a co-worker to take off his tie and scolding an executive for his non-existent emotional hang-ups. She earned the right to feast on chicken! (A live one even.)

It was great seeing News Radio's Khandi Alexander back on the small screen. She was sharp as ever as Lem's super genius mom. It makes sense that a "real" scientist like Stella Clifton would mock her son's attempts to create cool but needless junk like a toaster that can handle a pizza bagel ("That would be a boon to both Jews and Italians!"). Still, the fact that Lem is smart enough to make such a thing should earn the guy some respect.

I was also hoping we'd get to see more of Lem and Bhamba working together on a new project to impress Lem' s mom. Perhaps something like the bagel toaster that tracks down enemies and burns them evenly on both sides? But watching Lem earn his mom's respect, thanks to Phil overdoing it with the "grown-up drinks" and some truly fantastic popcorn, was great. Lem is such a lovable character. He's quickly becoming my favorite in a show packed with great quirky roles played by fantastic comic actors.

This was a good one, but so far, season two of Better Off Ted hasn't been nearly as sharp as season one's best moments ("Racial Sensitivity," "Get Happy"). And where was the Veridian commercial? I guess they don't want to overdo it with those, but I really miss them. Let's hope we get one next week.

Five – and only five! – quotes:

- "In a recent study, people's desire to see things ranked third, right after hitting things and trying to have sex with things."

- "You should jump on that Ted, before the crazy outweighs the hot."

- "She's like Rhodesian wet moss. That stuff doesn't give a damn who it hurts."

- "What will people do without a helmet that feeds them cheeseburgers, or a remote control for their underpants?"

- "You hate light and smell. What in the name of God did your parents do to you?"