Suburgatory Review - S1, E9
12/03/2012
Show: Suburgatory
Episode: Season 1, Episode 9 – The Nutcracker
Aired: Sunday 8:30pm, March 11th 2012
Channel: Go!
Recap
*SPOILERS – THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE AND PREVIOUS EPISODES OF SUBURGATORY*
It’s Christmas in Chatswin but, instead of being jolly, Tessa is giving George the ice treatment after finding out about his secret life in Manhattan. When Tessa catches George breaking up with his girlfriend Zoe via internet video chat because of her, she begins to feel guilty. She starts a quest for the perfect gift to make it up to him, while George takes an adult art class in wreath making. Trying to pick up the nice wholesome art teacher, Miss Ainsley, George hosts a tree trimming party. Meanwhile Tessa invites Zoe around for the tree trimming as her surprise present to George. George also invited Dallas who seems a little too disappointed that she has to miss the party to go on a skiing trip with her family.
Seeing her dad with Miss Ainsley, Tessa sends a coatless Lisa to wait outside and delay Zoe while she tries to get rid of the competition. Tessa confronts George about rebounding with Miss Ainsley and he admits he used her as an excuse to break up with Zoe and that actually he found her annoying. At that moment she arrives and kisses him in front of Miss Ainsley, who storms out. While Lisa may have completely frozen waiting outside for Tessa, she makes Tessa realise that she may have interfered with her dad’s love life before. George and Tessa convince Miss Ainsley to stay but after their flight is grounded, Dallas opens her present from George and she rushes over to the trimming party to kiss him under the mistletoe.
Miss Ainsley quite rightly loses it after having to watch him kiss two other women while she waited, neglected. George learns there is a reason for password protecting your computer and Tessa admits that she would be alright if he starts dating again.
Thoughts on the Episode
This was another one of those ‘let’s all learn the real meaning of Christmas’ holiday episodes which I can’t stand unless they’re done in claymation or include The Doctor. I don’t know whether it’s a compliment or an insult but I have to give them credit for the fact that, while during the holiday episodes the writing for most comedy series slips, the writing for this episode was on par with the rest of the season.
This wasn’t a great episode for Tessa, not only did she realise she was being selfish and standing in the way of her dad’s happiness, she also left the girl who is supposed to be her best friend in the snow without a coat.
I’m still finding it difficult to believe the stupidity and ‘Stepfordness’ of the Chatswinians, the Stepford wives were robots, I find it hard to believe actual people take wreath making classes and can manage to get a glue gun stuck in their hair. And to top off the cringing for this episode there was the awkward race comment, “I didn’t know you knew so many Asians” which just left me feeling uncomfortable rather than laughing.
Once again I felt the giant disappointment of the fact that they have an amazing supporting cast and they aren’t using them to their full potential. Rex Lee was my favourite character in Entourage and Alan Tudyk has played some of the funniest characters I’ve ever seen, and yet they struggle to get the attention and quality writing they need on this show.
On the plus side, I did love that Dallas read far too much into the present George had given her, and the actually funny moment where the Yee family walk past with the same mittens was pretty golden. It was also a relief to not see a single slutty elf or Santa costume in the episode. I was dreading a Mean Girls-esque outfit from Dalia and was surprised she was actually wearing the most clothes we’ve seen her wear all season. And I still can’t get over the fact that their dog is named Yakult!
The real highlight of the episode was Lisa (Allie Grant) who, with her continuing rebellion against her mother, has gotten the most laughs out of me. I just wish some of that writing could go towards the other characters.
Let us know below what you thought of this episode of Suburgatory (but for those ahead overseas, please no spoilers).
Written by Libby Popper