Friday, November 15, 2013

Season 1, Episode 16: First Love

The robot’s already had a love story, so I guess it’s big brother’s turn.  Even though he just hated girls.  Seriously, did Jamie hit puberty overnight?  Anyway, this is the episode that introduces Jessica, which is a character I love to hate.  She is just such a bitch.  There was some real missed opportunity in turning her and Vanessa into Mean Girls before there was a Mean Girls.  They could have been Heathers before Heathers.  So much wasted opportunity.  All Jessica does is make women everywhere look awful.  Well, you’ll see.  I better get to it.



The episode starts off at Jamie’s school, which is the first time we’ve ever seen it.  In fact, I’m pretty sure this is only the fourth or fifth time we’ve been outside the Lawson home at all.  It’s apparently after school, and Harriet wants Jamie to walk her home.  Jamie’s like, “Bitch, don’t talk to me, sixth graders don’t hang out with fourth graders.”  So Harriet is a year younger than Vicki.  Anyway, Harriet kisses Jamie on the cheek before running off, because she knows it’s exactly the right thing to do to embarrass him.



Reggie tells Jamie that he can’t play basketball with him because he’s walking a girl home, and Jamie still acts like girls have cooties.  Wow, Jamie’s going to go through instant puberty in this episode.  That’s insane.  Sitcoms are insane.  



Anyway, this tomboy Phyllis comes up to Reggie and Jamie and asks what’s up.  Jamie’s like, “Reggie’s ditching me” and Phyllis offers to play with him, and Jamie’s like, “You’re cool and shit, Phyllis, but you’re missing a Y-chromosome and my dad’s always telling me how important that is.”  Phyllis obviously gets offended and takes off, and Jamie actually says, “Girls.  What a dumb sex they turned out to be.”  I’m glad I was exposed to such misogyny while I was a developing toddler.  Freaking Jamie.  I bet it’s his fault I was always trying to beat up my little brother.  Or the terrible twos, but I’d really like to blame Jamie.  Reggie admits he felt the same way about girls when he was Jamie’s age, and Jamie’s like, “You’re only a month older,” and Reggie’s like, “Yeah, but I’m having an amazing sitcom puberty.”



Was that outfit ever cute?  I was a born fashionista but I guess I just hate yellow, and it’s even worse when you’re blonde.  It just makes you look like you have jaundice.  Anyway, Jamie takes one look at Saffron and he decides he’s just mad about her.  Reggie notices that Jamie’s gone through insta-puberty and mentions that the girl’s name is Jessica.  Then he takes off because he remembers that he’s already got a girl to make out with.




Two boys conveniently run by and knock Jessica on her ass, and Jamie plays White Knight.  Oh my god, what is up with her feet?  She’s some hot chick and she doesn’t know how to accessorize.  Ridiculous.  Anyway, Jessica’s immediately turned on by Jamie and asks for his name.  Wait, what?  I remember Jessica hating Jamie.  I’m confused.  Anyway, Jamie can’t remember his name, and Jessica calls him out on it.  Jamie remembers his name and Jessica congratulates him, clearly over him.  Then she pulls out the sympathy card and is like, “Those boys fucked up my leg!”  She’s making that up.   Anyway, it’s only a bruise, but Jamie asks if she wants a Band-Aid, and she says yes in French because Jessica does snobby shit like that all the time.  So he gives her a used one from his own body.  Oh, Jamie.  Way to try to give someone a blood disease.  Jessica calls him out on his bullshit.  Jamie is just so klutzy around her that he scares Jessica off.  He’s better off without her, but he doesn’t know that yet.



We finally get to the Lawson home, and Joan is showing off the improvement she made to Vicki’s pinafore.  It is pretty cute.  Of course, Ted doesn’t even notice.  Joan tells Vicki to model the pinafore off the way that she showed her, and it’s pretty adorable.  Even Ted agrees, but then insinuates that Vicki’s not hot enough.  Like, the fuck dude.  Would it kill you to love the daughter you built?



Jamie comes home, and he’s clearly a zombie.  His parents get ready to put him down because that’s what you do with zombies, but they soon realize that Jamie is in love.  Joan’s like, “You didn’t like girls this morning” and Jamie’s like, “Jessica and her knee gave me insta-puberty.”  Jamie admits how he scared her off by being a klutz, but Ted is like, “Whatever, invite her to lunch and apologize.  You’re alpha like me.”  Then he falls on his ass.  I’m always happy when Ted gets instant comeuppance.

Joan agrees to make Jamie a special lunch to share with Jessica.  Jamie decides that he should be like Cary Grant and tries out he’ll say to Jessica.  He asks Vicki what she thinks and she says, “You are a total klutz.”  Sorry, Jamie, Vix calls ‘em like she sees ‘em.



As Joan is making lunch, she realizes the tomatoes are spoiled.  Of course, they’re in the same kind of brown bag that one would put a lunch in.  That’s not going to backfire at all.  Ted enters the kitchen and goes on about how great it is that Jamie’s finally becoming a true alpha and then decides to tell his wife about the time he was in love with a chick named Barbara.  Apparently, he was dating Barbara the same time he was dating Joan, and he treated Barbara better and even bought her steak while Joan got hamburgers.  Joan is understandably pissed, and Vicki realizes she can’t trust men.  Joan is glad that Vicki learned something positive.  She also makes Ted make his own breakfast.  That’s what you get, Cheater McLawson!

Jamie finds Jessica at lunch and asks her to share.  She’s like, “Um, I can feed myself,” but Jamie says it’s a special lunch made just for her, and Jessica gets so excited she speaks French again.  Look, the only person who can pull off the random French phrase diva thing is Miss Piggy, and you’re not cool enough to be Miss Piggy, Jessica.  Jamie makes Jessica laugh, and she decides a sense of humor is more important than being a jerkass.  Of course, it turns out to be the bag of rotten tomatoes.  She smashes one in Jamie’s face and it’s amazing.  It’s not his fault, but it’s still funny.  I may not like Jessica, but I’m not a Jamie fan, either.




There is a serious lack of Vicki in this episode.  Anyway, Jamie complains to Reggie and Reggie is like, “Can we have this conversation after you have a shower?”  Reggie is like, “Look, I’m the token black guy, so I’m obviously a pimp, so take love advice from me.”  I’m not even exaggerating that much.  He brags about having three girlfriends.  He tells Jamie to stay cool, so of course Jamie can’t pull it off.  So Jamie says he’s having a party for Jessica, and she forgives him.  So he has to pull a party out of his ass in one day.  Phyllis overhears Jamie is having a party, and Jamie’s like, “You hate parties,” but she’s like, “Just because I’m a tomboy doesn’t mean I’m not a girl.  Invite me, bitch.”  It is so obvious that she’s into Jamie.  Anyway, Jamie invites her, and she’s like, “Fuck you, parties suck.”



Joan is teaching Vicki how to water the plants in the garden, and Ted comes home to give Joan a present.  It’s steak.  They start making out, and Jamie comes home and calls him out on it.  Jamie tells them about the rotten tomatoes, and Joan feels so bad about it she decides Jamie can have his party.  Ted gets all excited and says Vicki can mingle with the other kids at the party.  Wait, what the fuck?  He’s tried to hide her away this whole time and now he wants her to meet other kids?  Body snatchers!




The party is apparently awesome.  I really don’t know how to judge it.  Jamie drowns himself in cologne and everyone knows.  Harriet’s like, “You smell bad, let’s dance anyway.”  Jessica shows up, but she brings another date.  Jamie gets pissed off and abandons his own party to talk shit about Jessica behind her back.  She deserves it.  His parents are like, “This sucks, but you have to have a good party for your friends.  There’ll be other Jessicas.”  And Jamie’s like, “Fuck this, I’m going to be a monk.”



Anyway, one more guest shows up to the party, but Jamie can’t recognize her.  It’s Phyllis!  She changed her mind, and when she’s dressed up he realizes he likes her.  Jessica asks Jamie to dance, and Jamie’s like, “Fuck off, I’m going to teach Phyllis how to dance.”  Reggie shows how pimp he is and asks Joan to dance and she agrees.  Harriet comes over to ask Ted to dance but Vicki’s like, “Fuck off, we get along this week!”  And then Ted and Vicki dance and it’s cute.  Episode over.



Jessica sucks, so we’ll see her a lot.  Phyllis is cool, so we’ll never see her again.  In fact, the actress who played her never appeared in anything ever again.


Firsts: Jessica, Jamie likes girls, Ted wants Vicki to be a kid, the school

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