Hugh Dancy made a strong first impression on "Boo!," and Paul losing his job opens up a world of possibilities, but I couldn't help be distracted throughout this episode of The Big C for one simple reason:

It's not Halloween. It's not even close to Halloween.

It's funny how that works, isn't it? The show is fake. I'm well aware that Laura Linney doesn't have cancer and Oliver Platt is very steadily employed and this is an entirely made-up universe. But I've signed on to live by the rules of it, and by TV in general, and those rules typically dictate that shows run according to a calendar that is on par with mine.

If I ignore the random sightings of skeletons in (my) July, I can give credit to the series for mixing things up a bit on this episode. Cathy may be a brave bitch, but watching the same person deal with cancer can become a bit of a repetitive downer.

Dancy's Lee has already done an enjoyable job of depicting a different side to the disease.

Similarly, Paul's firing brings us into the realm of the current economy. Talk about a downer, I know. But it's the situation of 2011. You can't escape the unfortunate fact that numerous families are facing cancer treatment for one of their members, without reliable insurance or employment.

Perhaps Cathy will awkwardly turn to Rebecca for a loan now. Pharmaceutical sales aren't suffering much these days, and she's living in a house for free and, well, Rebecca can be sort of a bitch. She totally owes Cathy. Cynthia Nixon has been a welcome addition to the cast this season, but her absence here did allow for a nice Sean storyline.

I was afraid the daddy-to-be was going off the deep, bipolar end again, but the series actually managed to make this a poignant side story, as he realized he isn't crazy and a bird was simply bopping around in the attic.

Finally, Adam may finally be losing it. Yes, it's normal for a teenage boy to give in to his sexual urges, especially considering how easy the girls around him have been making it. But it's not normal for that same boy to snap at one of them and to almost get into a fight in class over a harmless joke. Keep an eye on your pal, Andrea, he's gonna need some help soon from someone as honest, and hilarious, as you are.

Just please take off that shiny costume. It's the summer, I tell ya!

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.