DMV Season 1 Episode 3 “Easy Pass” Review: Colette Flunks at Love While Noa Proves He’s No Angel
- Je-Ree
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
If DMV were a real workplace, you’d probably fail your test just for showing up late. Thankfully, the new NBC workplace comedy keeps passing our expectations instead. Episode 3, “Easy Pass,” continues the show’s streak of sharp, awkwardly relatable humor while diving deeper into its messy characters, specifically, our favorite overly accommodating driving tester, Colette. The episode turns what could’ve been another throwaway gag about bad drivers into a surprisingly smart look at people-pleasing, self-worth, and what happens when the office crush turns out to be a little too good at faking nice.
“Easy Pass” finds Colette (played with pitch-perfect awkward charm by Harriet Dyer) assigned to administer a driving test to her coworker Noa, who she’s been quietly or not so quietly swooning over since the pilot. The office gossip machine, fueled by Gregg and Vic, reminds everyone that Colette has earned the nickname “Easy Pass” for approving just about anyone who gets behind the wheel. Determined to prove she can be tough, she ends up doing the worst possible thing, falling harder for Noa even as he barrels through stop signs, endangers pedestrians, and generally drives like a human demolition derby.
By the time the car stops spinning (figuratively and literally), Colette has failed at her mission and passed Noa anyway, because she can’t bring herself to crush his dreams. Unfortunately, her good deed backfires in classic DMV fashion. When Gregg and Vic expose her leniency, Colette decides to fix things the wrong way, by sabotaging Noa’s van with her coworkers’ help. What follows is a comedy of errors that traps them inside the van while Noa and his new flame Mary add a layer of mortifying misunderstanding. It’s sitcom gold and a highlight of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Barbara’s B-plot provides some light relief from Colette’s emotional mess. The straight laced DMV manager enlists Ceci to photograph her for her official portrait, only to discover that she’s completely unphotogenic. The sequence of Ceci giving her a “makeover” and secretly snapping the perfect candid shot is delightfully absurd, a small reminder that DMV excels when it leans into its office politics with a wink and a camera flash.
What makes “Easy Pass” hit harder than previous episodes is how it peels back Colette’s character. Her people-pleasing tendencies, once played for laughs, now feel like genuine flaws that hold her back. When Noa admits he used her reputation to guarantee a pass, the moment lands with surprising weight. It reframes him from charming office crush to opportunistic co-worker, and suddenly the show has real emotional stakes.
From a comedic standpoint, the writing remains tight and self-aware. The jokes fly fast, but the series continues to balance cringe humor with genuine warmth. The chemistry between the ensemble keeps every subplot entertaining, whether it’s Gregg’s sarcastic commentary, Vic’s gullible “get healthy” scam, or Barbara’s photo fiasco.
By the episode’s end, “Easy Pass” leaves Colette humbled but still wanting to chase after Noa. I want her to get a new love interest, one that doesn't blatantly use her. Now Noa has some layers and perhaps he isn't the good guy we thought, setting up what could be a more satisfying arc for her moving forward. If DMV wants to earn its own “easy pass” for the rest of the season, more episodes like this will do the trick.
Verdict: “Easy Pass” is DMV’s most balanced episode yet, hilarious, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly heartfelt. It exposes the cracks in Noa’s good guy image while finally giving Colette room to grow beyond her sweet but self-sabotaging tendencies. The result? A workplace comedy that’s proving it has more under the hood than anyone expected.
Rating: ★★★★☆
What did you think of Colette’s big moment in “Easy Pass”? Should she move on from Noa or give him another chance? Sound off in the comments and let’s talk about who really deserves to pass at the DMV.
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