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OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: For the second consecutive episode, the main plot appears to be one that wouldn't even have been written if not for the celebrity cameo - but this time it works. The cameo in question for this one: the Snowbirds, the Canadian equivalent to the USA's Blue Angels or England's Red Arrows. In this episode, the side plots are overshadowed by the main one, but both are still good. One (Hank's corn stand) does work noticeably better than the other (Davis and Karen being assigned to bike patrol when Karen can't ride a bike), but both are worthy of being in almost any other episode.
The true genius of the main plot, in which Lacey unknowingly commits a massive faux pas by keeping The Ruby open during the town's apparently sacred air show, is the way Lacey goes overboard in her attempt to ingratiate herself to the town. We've seen this from Lacey many times before (a classic example was when she jumped through flaming hoops in an attempt to get herself into Dog River's Chamber of Commerce) but never before has she gone so far out of her way to get such opposite results of the ones she sought. Every time you think she can't possibly screw things up worse, she does. The beauty of this is that just before the series of train wrecks starts, Lacey tells Wanda that she (Lacey) always overreacts, that she always tries too hard, that it never works and that she won't do it this time. In the next scene immediately thereafter, the carnage begins and throughout the episode Lacey never fails to surprise the viewer with her ability to outdo herself in screwing things up.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: The Snowbirds' flyby over Dog River, which took place immediately after Hank's corn stand caught fire and everyone bailed on Lacey.
MEMORABLE LINE: "Something will be going over your head at noon" from Lacey. Out of all the scenes that let you know that Lacey's trying too hard and that none of her efforts will lead to anything, this is the one that best summarizes the episode. The combination of Lacey being so happy with herself and the viewer's certainty that her idea won't work is the first thing I think of when I think of this episode.
KUDOS TO GABRIELLE: Although the series as a whole is surprisingly well-balanced and rarely focuses on one character, there are certain episodes that simply "belong" to one actor or another. As an example, as well-balanced as it was, "An American in Saskatchewan" was Fred Ewanuick's episode, plain and simple. This episode is clearly Gabrielle's, and she hits every scene she's given out of the park. Particularly impressive was her letting Brent know that she was planning a "little surprise" after lying her ass off to the Snowbirds in order to get a flyby over the town, and another killer was the way she made Lacey vapor-lock after everyone bailed on her to go check out Hank's burning corn stand (and the look on her face as the Snowbirds finally showed up), but overall there isn't a single scene that she fails to slam-dunk.
FUNNIEST LINE IN THIS EPISODE: "Okay, everyone, step outside and watch the skies. Something big is about to happen" from Lacey. By the time she said this I was practically in tears from laughing so hard because it was so clear that this just wasn't going to work for her. A close second was Wanda's "I'll just shut up then" after she tried to give a scientific explanation as to why fresh corn doesn't pop.
FUNNIEST SCENES IN THIS EPISODE:
1.) The entire opening scene before the rolling of the credits was one of the best opening scenes in the show's first two seasons, second only to the one where Brent messes with Oscar's head regarding checks bounced to the gas station.
2.) When Hank tells Brent and Wanda that he's keeping his new sure-fire business idea under wraps, and the two go about their business for a cool five seconds before he blurts out the secret.
3.) When the guy who keeps giving Lacey the Bronx Cheer steps into the scene to explain Canada's use of the CF-18 Hornet. I don't know who this guy is, but his performance is the funniest I've seen on the show from a non-regular cast member.
4.) Davis' attempt to flag down a speeder on his bike.
5.) Lacey's proud announcement that she bought tickets for kids to next year's air show, coupled with the way Brent and Emma immediately shoot her down in flames. Because of the way Gabrielle made Lacey so proud of herself, this is actually the most effective scene in the episode. The entire scene is absolutely hilarious.
6.) Brent telling Lacey not to "sweat the small stuff" and then repeating himself when she points out that he didn't pay his tab.
7.) Oscar popping out from behind the police car after Karen takes a spill on her bike.
8.) The flashback which "explains" why Brent never got into bike riding.
9.) Wanda telling Hank that his bowling shirt corn stand "uniform" idea is "too tacky" - while Brent is standing there and listening.
10.) Brent, Lacey and Paul mocking Hank when he says he'll get the next round at the bar.
11.) Lacey saying "Let's just say I'm planning a little surprise" to Brent after her conversation with one of the Snowbird pilots. Taken strictly on its own there isn't any humor in the scene at all, but in the context of this episode it's simply killer because you just KNOW that nothing good will come of it. This scene made me laugh out loud - not just because of the aforementioned context, but because Gabrielle did such a good job of making Lacey seem so sure of her plan.
12.) Lacey telling everyone to go outside because "something big is going to happen."
13.) Lacey becoming unglued when the crowd bails on her after Fitzy announces that Hank's corn stand is on fire.
14.) The look on Lacey's face when the Snowbirds show up.
15) Wanda's scientific explanation as to why fresh corn doesn't pop and her reaction as soon as it actually starts popping.
16.) Lacey explaining to the Snowbirds that fictional little boy "didn't make it."
BLOOPERS:
1.) At 1:43, just after Brent makes his remark about bright pink smoke, look at the landscape in the background when Hank is driving. There are several instances of trees being visible and then disappearing as the camera angle changes for the next 20-25 seconds.
2.) Starting at 2:06, smoke starts coming out under the hood of Hank's truck, from Brent's side (the passenger side) heading towards Hank's (driver's side) in a fairly steady stream. At 2:13, the smoke is now coming out only from Hank's side and still moving in the same direction, no longer crossing past Brent in Hank's direction.
3.) This is a fairly lame blooper, but it leads into one that's a lot better. At 10:24, as Emma is chewing out Lacey for "dreaming up new schemes" to "scuttle" the air show, look at the French fry in Brent's hand. About an inch is visible, and his hand is about 8-10 inches above the counter. As the scene switches to Lacey and back to Brent within a second, his arm is now on the counter and twice as much of the French fry is visible. Keep your eye on that French fry, because...
4.)... at 10:35, as Lacey makes her crack about a "Level 6 health hazard," Brent drops the French fry on his plate and turns around to address people who heard Lacey. As he does, the French fry magically appears in his hand.
5.) At 11:25, as Lacey says "this isn't working," look at that spinning thing (whatever the hell it's called) that holds meal order checks and note that there are no checks on the half that is closest to Lacey. When the scene switches from Brent to Lacey, there are now three checks there.
6.) At 11:50, just after Lacey says "Maybe I should overreact," the three checks are still on the right side. As Brent gets up and tells Lacey "Don't sweat the small stuff," the scene switches back to Lacey and the checks are back to their original position on the left side.
7.) At 14:02, Brent is telling Hank to reinvest his (Hank's) money into his company. At this point Hank has his arms folded on the bar with his left hand resting above his right elbow. When the scene switches as Hank says "But I only want one stereo," his left hand is now on his right forearm.
8.) At the same point (14:02), you can see Lacey's right hand on the bar. When the scene switches to show Hank's blooper, her rhands are together - something that would have been visible from the previous angle. Both of the previous bloopers are repeated from the point where Hank uses the phrase "muddies the brand" and the scene switches back again.
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