After a long winter, the boys of summer are on Comedy Central. Anders, Blake, and Adam are back to bringing all kinds of hilarious havoc with drugs, booze, and of course work all in tow. Though it’s the third season premiere, the gang has only been around for a little over a year now. However, their impact on Comedy Central has certainly led to a great fanbase, some catchphrases, and one strong-enough series on the network. With another season ready, are the boys still keeping it tight butthole after months away?

I’ll be honest in saying that “The Business Trip” isn’t my favorite episode of Workaholics (that one still may go with The Stolen Dragon/War vs. High School Teens episode), but it’s certainly one of the most memorable out of the 21 episodes that have aired so far. This time around, the gang is back in business…literally. I can’t remember the last time that the series really thrust their work lives in such an important fashion before, as the comedy mostly focuses on the antics of the trio with their jobs coming as a supporting storyline. Here, the desire to sign “The Barracuda” feels like the primary plot at work, and really is the most important part of the episode. Mixing in perhaps one of the trio’s biggest ventures yet in dropping acid, the season premiere is the series at its best: great fun with plenty of laughs to go around.

At its best, Workaholics doesn’t take itself too seriously because it is pure mindless hilarious fun. While that’s very much present in this third season premiere, especially with a majority of the protagonists shown tripping during various scenes, the plot that consumes both Anders, Alice, and the entire nature of exactly why the gang are at a business convention in the first place is one of the most grounded story elements the show has come up with. The first five minutes or so help establish just how vital this is by really putting us in Ander’s head as the ultimate goal of signing The Barracuda for TelAmeriCorp is introduced. It’s there where we truly have an overarching story for the night, and it may have been a bit unlike the show had it not been followed up by the ensuing characters afterwards. It’s when Blake, Adam, and Carl really get in on the story unexpectedly that suddenly the episode starts to heat up.

While the episode does get very odd at times with the different hallucinations, it all makes Anders that much more of a reliable character to lean on. The only sober one throughout the entire ordeal, Anders Holm’s fictionalized version of himself truly emerges as a strong hero in one of his most triumphant instances to date. But while Holm’s performance is a great contribution, it’s the characters of Blake and Alice that truly steal the show tonight.

Maribeth Monroe’s role of Alice is always that of really just a total psycho bitch ready to cut down the fun at any moment. Seeing Monroe push herself to crazy standards, tripping out in the hotel lobby for starters, is part of what made her portrayal so much more memorable tonight. This is a side of Alice we haven’t seen before, and though we’ve seen her pull laughs before when she’s been drunk, Alice completely out of her mind on acid is worth more than a share of laughs.

Blake, on the other hand, has perhaps the most jokes that hit and really make him the standout joke master this time around. From the shock collars, to even something as small as a simple picture at the clerk desk, some of the greatest gags laid with Blake tonight, and it was truly a sight to behold. While I like Adam, I just felt like he wasn’t necessarily strong this time around. There were plenty of jokes that fell flat throughout the episode, and he does have a good portion of them. Regardless, he still finds way to have some laughs, but compared to the weight both Blake and Anders bring this episode, it doesn’t feel like enough.

Overall, “The Business Trip” is certainly a fun episode of Workaholics. While it may not bring the same kind of monumental feel as Half-Christmas, the gated community episode, or even when the CEO of TelAmeriCorp hires the guys to kill him, it’s certainly one of the more prominent episodes sure to be a favorite to a great number of fans. It’s a solid episode at best, and is certainly a grand installment in the series so far, but it doesn’t exactly impress overall. Some of the jokes, including the ones trying to remain pop culture savvy, fall flat and Adam seems to just be along for the ride more than bringing laughs. However with the surprisingly focused work-centric plot, the episode definitely has plenty to love, and it’s a well fit return Comedy Central’s resident stoners. It may be the acid talking, but working has never been this fun.

3.5 out of 5

What did you think of the season premiere? Let us know in the comments below!