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OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: This is a rare example of an episode where the plot it was named for is unequivocally outclassed by every other plot in it (this doesn't happen often, although "Physical Credit" is another example). The subplots, which include truckers visiting the Ruby as well as Hank and Wanda going to a Lamborghini barbecue, are much better than the jelly bean plot. The episode as a whole is slightly above average by Corner Gas standards, but the trucker plot is well above average.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: When Davis mentions that he has a copy of "Convoy" on Beta. I actually know someone who still has one of those machines and uses it, and this guy still calls me "technologically challenged" because it took me forever to switch to DVD format and I still use a 35mm camera.
MEMORABLE LINE: "In many ways, it's not a good play park" (and slight variations thereof). Despite the fact that the trucker plot was better much funnier than the jelly bean plot, the scenes of the play park just before you hear this are hilarious.
KUDOS TO GABRIELLE: This episode represents one of her better performances of the season, and I could turn this into a long list - but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.I loved her blow-by-blow account of Saskatchewan's panoramic view in the opening scene and her mutter of agreement when Brent says "Well, I'm all panorama'd out." Also, how she kept a straight face as a trucker twice ran away from her in tears is beyond me.
FUNNIEST LINE IN THIS EPISODE: When Karen starts shrieking about the need for ideas for a fundraiser, Hank strolls into the station and reports that he's just joined the Lamborghini club, and Brent says "There's a bad idea, that's a start."
FUNNIEST SCENES IN THIS EPISODE:
1.) When Brent points out the problems with the play park.
2.) When Brent suggests a jelly bean jar contest as a fundraiser idea, and Karen takes this to mean that people bring in their jelly bean jars to be judged.
3.) Brent's facial expression as he hears this caps this joke off perfectly.
4.) When Emma points out that the play park needs a lot of work. The scene with the father pushing his kid on the swing cracked me up to the point of utter hysteria.
5.) When Wanda objects to Hank's plan and he points out that there will be food.
6.) Wanda's reaction when a divorcee says his wife took everything he had.
7.) When Hank cracks under the pressure of passing himself off as a Lamborghini owner, Wanda says that she'd love to see him weasel his way out of the situation, and Hank responds brilliantly.
8.) When Davis accuses truckers of hatching some sort of ploy, and uses the fact that "Tiny Joe" isn't tiny as evidence.
9.) When Wanda gives a detailed answer about "her" Lamborghini and then asks the guy she's talking to if he's married.
10.) The scene showing the seniors discussing a contest in which the prize is a jet ski. This scene only takes a couple of seconds, but is absolutely hilarious nonetheless.
11.) Lacey's touched reaction when Davis claims that he told the truckers the Ruby had the "best darn food on the Prairies." The humor in the scene is largely due to it being so obvious that Davis was lying and how much it means to a thoroughly oblivious Lacey.
12.) Just a second or two after the previous scene, when a trucker says to Davis "Six weeks to live, huh?"
13.) When Brent once again points out that "in many various ways" the play park is not a good play park.
14.) When Hank, talking to Wanda, says "Actually, now that I've said that out loud, it does sound kinda bad."
15.) When the trucker runs away from Lacey in tears.
16.) When the same trucker runs away from Lacey in tears a second time.
NOTE: Although I've never tried it myself, I've been told that if you are guessing the number of "standard size" jelly beans (this is the way it was put to me - apparently, a "standard sized" jelly bean is about two centimeters long and has a diameter of about a centimeter and a half) in a jar and know (or can guess) how many ounces the jar holds, multiply the number of ounces by eight and you should find yourself pretty much in the ballpark. This comes from an apparently painstaking elementary school experiment in which a number of gallon-sized jars were filled to the rim with jelly beans and the number within each turned out to be between 1,020 and 1,050 (eight jelly beans times 128 ounces equals 1024). I can't personally guarantee the quality of this advice and certainly don't care enough to test it myself - but if you win anything of value with this tip, I fully expect you to reciprocate in kind by finding something from The Milk Carton and sending it to me (I will grudgingly accept tickets to any Islanders game in D.C.'s Verizon Center as a substitute). If, however, you actually take the time to test this theory and write in to tell me it sucks, remember that I'll be well within my rights to laugh at you on general principle for even wasting the time on this.