Reader Recaps

If you would like to post a recap, please email your recap to scott@tvonthedaily.com, and I will post it ASAP. Also, please leave any name and info you’d like along with your recap, so I may post that as well. Thank you and happy recapping!

Happy Endings Episode 4 Reader Recap

written by: Christy Lowell

More Like Stanksgiving – Air date November 20, 2012

Happy one-day early Turkey Day!  We start the episode in a bar (always a good sign) and Alex and Dave are telling Jane and Brad about the concert tickets they got to the Rock Bottom Remainders – who are famous authors turned rock-n-rollers once a year to play a gig (who are totally real, I read about them in EW). In less confusing news, Alex cuts in and asks Jane and Brad to their new house for Thanksgiving, unless Jane has already started prepping.  Cut to her ice sculpting a turkey and promising the live turkey in her living room that she won’t make him look fat.  Dave proceeds to tell them how he is especially invested in this holiday, as he is 1/16^th Navajoism – cue Dave’s arc in this episode.

Alex and Dave are prepping Thanksgiving dinner (and what the hell is Alex wearing?!? It’s like a tight dickey) and Dave discovers Alex did not pick up the (Quahog –hi Family Guy!) clams, however they do have plenty of clamps now.  So the featured item in the first Thanksgiving is missing and Dave begins his adventure in buying clams.

Penny, Jane and Brad come in.  It should have been as no surprise to anyone that Jane brought her own brined and stuffed turkey.  Was Alex’s turkey even cooked yet?  Regardless, it got rolled up in rug and thrown into the river – poor guy.

Max shows up and yes! brings in the 2002 unaired Real World Sacramento DVDs, detailing how some of the gang got together.  (side note, did you know that there was a Season 0 of Real World?  It was the first one filmed, before New York, but it never was released.)

Dave is at the gas station when some pilgrims pop up and they say their car ran out of gas on the way to the parade and they ask Dave to borrow some money.  As it is the custom of Dave’s people to give to strangers, he goes to the ATM while the pilgrims get away with Dave’s car, wallet (they grab it out of his hand when he approaches them already in his car) and phone.

Back at the house Alex is setting the table and the guests get an option to sit on an exercise ball, a camping chair or a sex swing.  This is especially hilarious to me because that’s exactly what I would have to do if more than 4 people came for dinner, sans sex swing. Penny also plants a seed in Alex’s head that maybe it’s a little weird that Dave hasn’t fully moved in yet (as he has a proper 8-person dining room table).

Off to the couch where we get the customary Real World intro and meet the roommates: the girl who burns down the house, hot guy, pre-menopausal girl, hetero Max and a dreaded Brad.  Max’s interview lets us know that his friends are coming into town, including girlfriend Penny, and yes, they have rabbit sex as much as possible.  Next up, we see the gang arrive and Mom haircut Penny bounces in complete with a velour track suit, a Gwen Stefani Jane, Singles extra Dave and the same ole Alex.  The house is having a party and we see Jane asking people to fill out a sign in sheet for the hot tub.   In Brad’s interview, he calls Jane controlling and says “Kerkovich? More like Kerkobitch!” (which wasn’t that funny to me because in “reality”, he probably wouldn’t know her last name.  I didn’t know one of my friend’s last name until 4 months after I met her and I was putting drinks on her bar tab.  It was Smith. But maybe I’m being a Penny and overthinking that one)

Meanwhile, Dave is at the clam store bartering for clams with his fringed Indian jacket.  The clam guy gives Dave a blanket (it is November in Chicago) as well as the clams for his jacket. But, with Dave’s first allergic sneeze, he realizes the blanket is covered in cat hair.

As Dave walks the street with his contaminated blanket (and how about the background music in Dave’s scenes?  Love it!), he discovers he still his Rock Bottom Remainder tickets in his pocket so he tries selling them on the street. It just so happens that a guy walking by has $200 in cash and is a RBR fan. Oh, and also a cop – Dave is right outside a Chicago police station.  Dave gets arrested for scalping!  I can’t wait to see what’s next? He has to kill a buffalo?

At the house, Penny gives her RW interview, where she shows she might have feelings for Dave.  At least we can give Alex credit for recognizing it and not being completely clueless about this. Alex asks the gang if it’s weird Dave hasn’t moved in with her yet… Yes! 

Back to RW, we see that Jane thought she was hooking up with one of the other roommates when she snuck into Brad’s room to have some boom-boom.  It’s Brad’s turn to be mad.  However, like the slinky and cornflakes, their hooking up was an accident that turned out great. Back to normal for them.

Dave comes home and after reliving the plight of the Native Americans, he cooks his clams, taste the clams, and ultimately dispose of the clams. Smart.  (The cops found his car and money.  I am slightly disappointed there was no buffalo involved though)  He also tells Alex he is moving in this weekend and he had told her earlier, but alas, she was open-eyed sleeping again and didn’t hear him.  Back to… semi-normal for them.

And here we have the end of episode, just like all other Thanksgiving episodes, with the issues resolved and everyone sitting around the table with their turkey and wine.  How hilarious was Max sitting in the camping chair though?? Until next time.

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Happy Endings Episode 3 Reader Recap

written by: Christy Lowell

Boys II Menorah – Air Date November 13, 2012

And we’re back!   To a bar mitzvah MCing Max – headband, track suit and all!

The gang just happens to be at the bat mitzvah and what I’ve always wondered in these random situations is: didn’t they have anything better to do?

On the dance floor, Max is dropping the “Dreidel Spin” and when Brad goes to join him, they start doing the gangum style thing complete with reining in the horse and stomping on the ground.  Much funnier to see than to describe or read about…  (am I the only one who thinks the gangum thing has lived past its due date?  Stick a fork in it)

Back at Dave and Alex’s new apartment, Jane is inviting them out and about but they decline – a date with dates –and Dave declares he’s “gotta go dump out” and high fives Alex.  Which reminded me of a friend’s husband of 10 years who still does not want her keeping “girl” magazines in the bathroom because he doesn’t want to believe that she “dumps it out”.  Of course, all the SIs from the last 4 years are in there.   I think it’s hilarious that guys think girls just don’t do…for lack of a better word, do.  Guys can fart in front of a girl after the second date of establishing  monogamy but god forbid a girl expel, well, anything!

Back to the show!   Once Jane hears the dumping comment, she mentions that she thinks Alex and Dave are falling back into old patterns.  She suggests they spice it up like Brad and her do.  Cut to clip of Jane as a policewoman pulling Brad over to see “proof of penis” and Brad telling her he is writing down her vag number (which is number one).

Alex tries to rev up the relationship with some naughty painting of the apartment but that idea completely dries up with a flick of her paintbrush and paint gets in Dave’s eye – “My lasiks!  My lasiks!”

Brad, Penny and Max (aka the jobless) are eating breakfast when Penny comes up with the idea (and no Brad, it’s not to buy Magic Mike on Blu-Ray) that Brad and Max should team up together and hype bar mitzvahs together. Penny boasts that if they all team up together, Brad and Max will be the hottest mixed race dance crew since Paula Adbul and MC SkatKat.

It’s Brad and Max’s first gig together where they introduce themselves as Boys II Menorah.  Max has to step away for a second (must be too much challah and not enough holla) and Brad steals Max’s signature dreidel spin, complete with back handspring and when Max sees this, he has what Barney Stinson describes as “crazy eyes”.

Alex again tries to spice things up with Dave by surprising him with a trip (to somewhere  with Asian tiger mosquitos) but Dave (in his Dr. Style plastic sunglasses) doesn’t buy it and goes to Jane for some help.

Penny has a guy (with a wife named Destiny) who is interested in hiring just Brad for a bar mitzvah.  Brad goes to talk to Max about it – who is still not happy with Brad stealing his dance move.  Max points out that before Boys II Menorah, Brad was nothing and with a Shalom to you sir, Boys II Menorah is kaput! (and yes, shalom means both hello and good-bye – thanks Wikipedia!)

Brad and Destiny have a date for tonight.

Meanwhile, Dave and Jane have set up the patio to look like Paris in Dave’s attempt to be romantic. Jane had sent Alex a fake plane ticket on Love airlines with her seat in Dave’s cockpit.  However, who else knew right away that Alex was at the real airport with the fake ticket – all hands up.  Cut to Alex being cuffed my airport security. 

Dave and Jane drive to the airport in the food truck (which makes me smile – and sing – every time I see it.  For those not in the know, the name of the truck is “Steak Me Home Tonight”) and park in the drop-off area, which anyone who has remained longer than 10 seconds in the drop-off area of an airport  knows , is bad news.   Dave gets cuffed and Jane tasered (see best line of the night). 

At the same time, solo Brad is hyping Destiny’s child’s bar mitzvah.  “It’s a time for friends.  A time for family.  A time for…”  “Betrayal!” interrupts the Arrow, I mean Max.  Max comes on the dance floor and Brad and Max have a hype-off . A limbo stick appears, chaos ensues and Brad and Max land in the cake.  

Back to Dave and Alex, who are cuffed at O’Hare, but find their situation encouraging since old Dave and Alex wouldn’t have made the effort to be this romantic, especially since Old Alex used to phone it in when it’s her time to go downstairs. But all is well for now with New Alex and New Dave.

In the closing credits we have the return of Boys II Menorah, complete with the Flygirls and steps 1-50 on how to have a great bar mitzvah – although as regular laypeople, we’ll never know the true art of a great bar mitzvah as steps 6-21 are secret.

Line of the night:  Jane – after being tasered at the airport:  “Ha ha you fools!  Don’t you know that only makes me stronger!”

This one will definitely not be up for best episode of the season.  I didn’t think the whole Penny/13 year-old Jewish boys story line was that great, hence, why I didn’t mention it.  It started with so much promise in the first 30 seconds but fell a little flat, although definitely had still had some laugh out loud moments.  We’ll see what they bring in next week’s More Like Stanksgiving episode. 

Also, I might have missed some of Jewish jokes due to the fact that I had to wikipedia shalom (it also means peace and welfare).  However, I did not miss all the sex jokes! They seemed especially in abundance this episode – thank you writers. Shalom!

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Happy Endings Episode 2 Reader Recap

written by: Christy Lowell

Sabato Free-Gante – aired October 30, 2012

Happy Halloween!   I’m going to take a second and say that Halloween-themed shows are my favorite! Thanksgiving shows all end the same with the family settling their differences in the end to a big turkey dinner and Christmas shows just do some variation of A Christimas Carol – but with Halloween, anything goes!  Including a Jackson 5 marionette costumed Happy Endings group that opened the show.  Alex –as Michael, Jane as Jackie,  Penny as Tito, Max as Marlon (I had to Wikipedia this to make sure I heard it right because who the hell ever remembers Marlon?), Brad as Joe, and Dave as Latoya (and yes Dave, you always have to be Latoya).

And this is as much Halloween as we are going to get apparently since next we find the gang at Saturday brunch sans costumes.

Jane and Brad have revealed that their obsession with (tea, cigar, beer, soap, month) “a month” clubs is costing them big bucks so they need to cut back on spending, including orange juice that’s not freshly squeezed.

Alex and Dave announce they are going to look for an apartment together (does that mean  Max and Penny may be roommates?)  As for Penny, she is making a significant purchase for a car and Jane Bewitched winks her way with her. 

As Max and Brad try to firecracker open the unbreakable piñata that Jane negotiated for Max sometime in the past… we learn some new acronyms – BBF: Black Best Friend for Brad and GFF: Gay Fat Friend for Max.  GFF is going to give Brad his usual Saturday in MaxWorld (meaning spending no money for lunch,  clothes, working out and a steam).

At Car Czars (where they know what cars are – say it out loud if you need to) we see clueless Penny about to pay sticker price for a car to Guy – the car dealership guy but not the Car Czar himself – thank goodness Closer Jane is there.  How does Penny have all this money to pay full price for a convertible anyway?

At a vacant apartment, we find Alex and Dave with real estate agent Rachel Harris aka Stu’s nagging girlfriend from the Hangover, Melissa.  As the words “locked into a two-year lease” leave her mouth, Alex and Dave declare that it’s too “Shia-Labeoufy” and continue their searching for an apartment.

Max and Brad are attending an AA meeting (Jane should really be there too) stocking up on donuts that constitutes lunch in MaxWorld.  But skinny Brad needs something healthy so they pop over next door to the Overeaters Anon group where they serve veggie trays.  Max has been speaking up at these meetings but all we’ve heard is that it something has happened between his dad and an ice tray – will we ever know?

Jane is instructing Penny on how to do an appropriate “walk-out”.  First, ask Guy what is the best price he can give you and then calmly say “No thank you” and walk out the door.   Penny gets the first part down and the when Guy starts to ask her if she wants a two-door or four-door, she freaks out and careens through the (glass) door.  I’m not a big physical comedy person but she nails it.

Back at an apartment that does not suit Dave and Alex’s needs because the chandelier will interfere with their chicken fights, Melissa gets their relationship history and learns why they are hesitant to get a place together (I mean, Alex did leave Dave at the altar for a guy in roller skates).

In MaxWorld, clothing comes free to you after filling out fake credit card offers on the street.  (I remember doing this my freshman year at college and I’m STILL paying on that card).  Next up, a work-out.  Brad needs motivation to go running so what does Max do?  Punch a muscular guy (Big Country) in the face and tell him Brad told him to do it.  I think the United States would have a few less heart attacks if we all used that for motivation.  Losing weight so you don’t get the crap kicked out of you. – sign me up!

Jane shows off her negotiating skills at Car Czars (they will turn off the AC in 1…2…3 – click) and Penny needs to be strong like Hermione.  Finally, Penny stages another walk-out, running into plastic this time .

Max and Brad have one last thing to do on this sabado and it’s a steam bath.  How fortunate that they happen to have one of those street grate-things that is letting off steam right in front of them.   A colleague from Brad’s former place of business (he really was fired 4 weeks ago) comes walking along and  mistakes him for being homeless.  Brad WAS wearing a dirty credit card shirt, a slowly melting painted face from the kid’s birthday party and taking a steam bath on Michigan Avenue.  But this chump was on his way to work on a weekend so the life lesson here is that maybe it’s better to be mistaken for a hobo then have to work on a Saturday!

Melissa finally cracks under all the “although” excuses for apartments from Dave and Alex  but it awakens something in them and they finally close the deal on an apartment.

Jane gets a knock on her door from The Car Czar himself (Hi Rob Corddry  from Old School and The Heartbreak Kid!).  He is so impressed with her skills, he offers her a job, she accepts, and she finally gets to know what cars czar.

–          There’s no Happy Endings on next week  – some kind-of election going on??  See you on November 13 where the episode title is one I can understand a little better,”Boyz II Menorah”

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Happy Endings Reader Recap

written by: Christy Lowell

Cazsh Dummy Spillionaires – Aired October 23, 2012

YAH!  Happy Endings is back on!  It’s the 2012 “Friends” with better personalities and a black guy (the awesome Damon Wayans, Jr.  Just writing that makes me want to give the show “two snaps in a Z!” – and yes, I realize that’s his papa but still, same name and everything.).  ANYWAY, the show opens up with Penny and kneeling random guy on a rooftop about to take “a leap”.  Maybe for a split second I thought he was proposing marriage and we were going to get their full story during the season, a la How I Met Your Mother style.  However, they were taking a leap off the building and base jumping.  At the last second, Penny backs off and heads for the hills – or rather a gazillion flights of stairs that she starts freewheeling down. I did an out loud “ha” when she said “oh mama no!” during her “flight”. 

We see the footage of her fall because the gang is all watching it together.  They are at Penny’s place because she ended up in a half body cast (Shout out to her character from SNL, Dusty Velvet, a paralyzed strip club dancer) and I don’t think she can travel very well.   Dave and Alex have an announcement – they are back to together but only in a  “No Strings Attached Friends with Benefits” kind-of way.  God bless Max with his “That is the least interesting pairing since chicken biscotti and pinot gris” line.  But he’s sorry, he’s been watching a lot of Fraise.  I can relate Max, I too watch Frasier on Hallmark at times when I possibly have started drinking too early in the day and wake up with a “bing” at 2:35 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep.  Back to the show – Frasier – have you seen the Antiques Roadshow one?  It’s hysterical ( try to catch it some Saturday when you’ve started drinking along with all the college kids at 9am).  I go around saying “Veneer!  Drink” for an embarrassing amount of time every time that episode comes on.  But I digress.  And apparently I need a trip to AA pronto but anyway, is it okay to say it took me a full second to get the “chiphole” comment?  My mind immediately went to the hole part and I was like, there’s no way Dusty puts chips in THERE!  However, she, of course, meant her MOUTH people.  This is going to bring up all kinds of new “hole” words for me.  Pistachio nut hole, Grilled chicken salad hole, Bacardi and diet hole, etc…

Next we see Brad cooking it up in the kitchen with a big ole robe on.  Seems like he has gotten laid off and now Sugar Mama Jane gets “hard” for him just thinking about him when she comes home now.  We then get introduced to SynBrad –  a creepy child size doll with a flat top. When Chucky started kissing her shoulder as she leaves, I actually cringed.  But wait – Brad whips off his robe and he’s in full suit-up gear and we see him back at work.

Meanwhile, Jane and Alex are hanging out with Dave and Jane lets Alex know she is a-ok with the “causal” dating thing with Alex and Dave.  Not sure I’m buying that.  Is bartendress a real word?  If there are any lady bartenders out there, let me know.  (All I know is that I try to be extra nice to you because you are working your ass off and fending off drunk 68 year-olds all day and plus, you could really make me violently ill).  Love the “bro” convo between Alex and Dave as they over-the-toply declare how cool their situation is right now.  Alex is his “Brovine growth hormone” all the way until they ride off the cliff together.  Jane leaves and off they go to have casual Tuesday afternoon whoopee.  Doesn’t she still have her store to run??  I know Alex and Dave are not the money makers of our group but damn, I haven’t had Tuesday afternoon casual since ….uh never mind with that train of thought!

Off to Penny house’s we gp where sweet Max is taking care of her.  God forbid Max leave crust on her sandwich!  Jeez.  I would have had enough and taken my gift baskets and salami and left too with a “Good day to you madame!”   As Max is leaving, enter in Kent,  Penny’s hot PT.  It might just be me, but not sure I find him that hot but then again, I am not a gay man either.  On a side note, how in the hell does she go to the bathroom in a body cast??  I mean, that has got to be embarrassing.  If I’m ever in that situation, whoever has to handle me better be blind and deaf.

Back to a bar where Jane is hanging out (in a different outfit from  before so I am assuming it’s a new day) and in limps Alex with the just-had-great-sex walk where we (as women) actually tell everyone we worked out really hard the night before at the gym and pulled a muscle.  Jane informs Alex that Alex and Dave are in a serious relationship which Alex denies by talking white-women-black-speak to the bartenderess to get her digits to give to Dave because Dave was like, yo,yo, yo sweating her.

Penny’s house – Dusty is getting stretched out by the PT. The doc calls and Max intercepts and tells Penny she needs another week in the cast, plus double PT time and Kent to wear bike shorts and a Jim McMahon jersey.  How else will Penny heal?

Next up – a Skype session between Jane and Brad with a fake background of their living room in Brad’s office… Why all the mystery?  Is this an episode thing or a season thing I wonder. Fast forward a few hours to dinner that Brad, I’m sure, painstakingly stopped at Boston Market to grab before he had to beat Jane home.  Alex is joining them and it finally dawns on her that maybe she should not have set up Dave with the hot bartendress.  SynBrad pops up and I thought it was stupid for him to come up in that scene…until he said “That girl so whack, she should be named Knick Knack Paddy. Ah-h-h-h-h  SNAP!”.  It’s one of those things that are so ridiculous, it’s hilarious.  I am a big fan of those things.

So, we have the mystery solved of how you answer a phone in a body cast – use one of those trash picker upper things.   I feel like I could use of those even if I weren’t in a body cast – dog scratcher, getting a glass from the counter that you forgot you left up there after you’ve settled comfortably in your couch.  Penny finds out Max lied to her about being in the body cast for another week and she tells him he’s “Miserying” her – which he totally is because we find out he drugged her with Lunesta – nature’s Ambien – so he could get her PT time with Kent.

Dave is on his date with the bartendress, where of course, he is talking all about Alex when surprise! Alex shows up with her Playgirl model boyfriend, oh again, I do not find attractive so maybe it IS me and this is why I have not had a “Tuesday casual” in a while.

Jane calls Brad and wants to meet up for a quick drink (I love her – 20 minutes in the first episode and we’ve got her in 3 different drinking situations) but cubicle Brad tells her he is in the bathtub, where Jane says great!  She’s already getting hard and ready to play Loch Ness monster!  Of course he gets busted (by a naked Jane) and so I guess it’s an episode thing (with possible season repercussions?).

Kent’s back – and wearing his new uniform.  Penny wakes up but is locked in her room – not sure it’s humanly possible to put in a doorknob with your mouth.

The now double date is as expected – awkward.  Alex and Dave land back in bed but before they can play hide the salami, Dave quotes wise woman Wendy Williams, “Girl, you cannot go backwards in a relationship”.  They decide to “move forward” – whatever that means.

Max is saying goodbye to PT guy and graffiti and urine stained Penny shows up and outs him in front of Kent (PT guy’s real name but it doesn’t matter because it’s goodbye one episode guy).  Max and Penny make up and we get another glimpse into her secret crush on Dave. Will that ever come to be…or not?

Jane is still pissed at Brad – as she should be. But of course she is back to calling him Boo Bear and Brad makes a handfelt apology with SynBrad looking on.  In the last scene, Brad and SynBrad are karaoking to Ebony and Ivory and just as they belt out, “Alex and Dave are dating cas-u-ally”, they walk in and announce they are moving in together!  Ah-h-h-h-h SNAP!

It’s good to have you back Happy Endings!

Best line: Whose my tiny miniature bitch? – Jane

Rating – A