While episode two of 'Running Wilde' didn't show much improvement over the first, it flashed some moments that makes me think that if Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett get time to get this show straightened out, they could have a pretty decent show.

The first thing they need to figure out is how to use David Cross, as Emmy's "militant" environmentalist fiance Andy, more often. The second thing they need to do is figure out how to give him more scenes with Arnett. They worked together well on 'Arrested Development,' they're funny together in 'The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret,' and they work well together here.

Andy wants kidnap Steven Wilde in order to get a ransom from Steven's oil baron dad. But, instead of just grabbing him, he'll lead him into the woods like they're buddies on a camping trip, then say it's a kidnapping. Meanwhile, Steven decides to go into the woods, figuring he should be nice to Andy for Emmy's sake. It leads to a pretty absurd kidnapping scene.

They keep saying "friend" through their pasted smiles, just to establish that they're new friends. But when Steven talks about the "hiking paper" in his new backpack, Andy can't take it anymore. "That's just the paper they put in it to make it look fat, you idiot! Friend."

Then it breaks down from there, with Andy finally saying, "I'm kidnapping you, you twit!" Steven countered that he could never be kidnapped by Andy because "I could overpower you in a minute!" "That's why I didn't tell you!" Andy shot back.

It's that kind of absurdity that can work really well as we get to know the characters and their tendencies. At least at this point we know that Steven is selfish and immature but is a nice guy underneath. And we know that Andy is a weasel posing as a martyr, and those aspects came out in that scene.

Oh, and one more fun throwaway joke that I didn't quite notice the first time I saw this episode: Andy finishes the argument by saying, "Come on!" and Steven says "Stop saying that!" The exasperated "Come on!" was Arnett's signature line on 'AD,' and it was good to see that lampooned a bit here.

'Running Wilde' airs Tuesdays at 9:30 on FOX.