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OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: This is one of those rare episodes where out of three plots, one is unusually lame - but the other two are done to such perfection that you barely even notice. The main plot, in which Brent fails to buy a present for Emma on Mother's Day, is good enough to carry the episode on its own - but it gets some solid backup by a secondary plot in which Lacey is being made fun of for not being able to say "especially" correctly - along with her attempts to strike back at those making fun of her. The lame plot has Karen and Wanda trying to assemble a piece of Swedish furniture. The idea behind the plot wasn't a bad one, but I don't much care for seeing characters I like so much being portrayed as obnoxious flotsam. Wanda is so annoying in this episode that anyone seeing it without having seen any others couldn't possibly walk away from it without thinking that Wanda's character is in the show is there strictly to annoy. Whatever laughs the plot might have gotten were lost by having Wanda come across as such a thorn in the side.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: For me, it was seeing Lacey so effortlessly do the Vulcan Salute on her first try and Davis supposedly being unable to do it. When I was a kid, I remember being told that lots of people couldn't do it - you know, as if it was one of those "either you can, or you can't" things like wiggling your ears. The thing is this: even though it was portrayed as somewhat difficult to do for humans in the original Star Trek series, I have never met anyone who can't do it. Ever. I know someone who lost two thirds of her ring finger in an accident (climbing her way over a wire mesh fence while wearing a ring), and even she can do it with no difficulty (although she jokes that she casts somewhat of a different shadow while doing it than most). Please, if you know any able-bodied person who can't do it, drop me a line at [email protected]. I don't need to know the person's age or anything about him / her, I just want to hear of such a person's existence. It has long been a contention of mine that this "lots of people can't do it" drivel is one of the biggest pantloads out there, and nobody has been able to contradict me yet.
MEMORABLE LINE: "Refresh my memory - did I start caring about this?" from Davis. It's very similar to a line I use constantly ("I'm sorry - when did I start caring about this?", or sometimes "Help me out here - when did I start caring about this?"), and the on the night my better half and I saw this episode for the first time, from that point on she called me "Davis" for the rest of the night. When she saw the scene for the first time, she jokingly asked if I had a writer's credit in the episode. It should be said that Lorne Cardinal delivered the line perfectly and a few lines later really cracked me up with his "Just a recap - don't care." I plan on adding that last bit to my repertoire, and I'm actually laughing about the line as I write this.
KUDOS TO GABRIELLE: The plot had Lacey go overboard in response to her being made fun of, and yet Gabrielle kept Lacey funny and likeable. This wasn't easy, especially since Lacey dealt such a cheap shot to Davis and violated a confidence of a fairly personal nature.
FUNNIEST LINE IN THIS EPISODE: "Yeah, well, if you think I'm gonna stand around and let you be nice to your mother, think again!" from Oscar to Brent.
FUNNIEST SCENES IN THIS EPISODE:
1.) Hank misconstruing Brent's words in the opening scene, thinking that Brent wanted to buy his mother a flower stand instead of simply some flowers. This sort of singular obtuseness is something that very few actors could portray, but Fred Ewanuick does it flawlessly. I can pay him no higher compliment than the following: it was worthy of Coach in Cheers.
2.) When Davis mistakes the furniture assembly instructions for funny cartoons.
3.) When Lacey calls Brent a jerk.
4.) When Davis asks Oscar "Emma's your mother?"
5.) The montage of Oscar destroying things around the house with no repercussions from Emma. The scene of Oscar blowing up a salad is as funny as anything the show has ever done.
6.) Brent's response to Lacey's failed attempts to snap her fingers and her "it's harder than it looks."
7.) When Lacey points out that all of her attempts to make fun lead to people thinking she's being mean, and then Brent shortly thereafter asking her if she's calling him fat.
8.) Oscar grabbing Hank off the street and saying "Come with me, jackass!" This scene, even though it only lasts a couple seconds, made me laugh harder than any other scene in the episode except for the salad demolition.
9.) Oscar setting up Hank to make it look to Emma that Hank did gardening for her.
10.) When Lacey says "Well, at least I know where my mother is" to Davis and starts ripping into him after first feeling bad about it but then seeing that the Ruby's patrons get a kick out of it.
11.) When Brent says "You might want to dig a bigger hole" to Hank.
12.) When Brent says "Go look out for Mom. And don't bury her." to Hank.
13.) When Brent asks his parents "How'd you get past Hank?" and then immediately adds "That might be the stupidest thing I've ever said."
14.) Brent's repeated "If you're my friend, you'll do something crappy to my mom" to Hank.
15.) Hank's "Yeah, you caught me, dumping garbage on your lawn" to Brent's parents - along with them failing to notice.
NOTE: The plot in which Lacey can't properly pronounce "especially" seems to be an inside joke on Gabrielle. In an interview on the Vicki Gabereau Show just before season 2 began, it was revealed that when Gabrielle says the word "pretend," she often adds an 'n' after the first 'e' (so that it sounds sort of like "printend").
NITPICK: Lacey has no problem pronouncing the word "especially" four episodes after this one ("Potato Bowl"). She must have found some particularly effective speech therapy.