S02.E05: Miracle on Dead Street

[ElectricBoogaloo]

It's the Huangs' first Halloween in the suburbs and Louis is determined to turn their "dead" street into a prime destination for trick-or-treaters. And as Louis, Eddie, Emery, Evan and even Grandma Huang show off their elaborate costumes, Jessica has bigger plans - to protect her investment property from teenage pranksters.

[BubblingKettle]

Tonight's episode had several gems!

"I love Burger King bathrooms" from the little red-haired friend after hearing that Eddie's going to Halloween as Humpty Hump/Shock G from Digital Underground.

 

Evan's accuracy in his response to his dad's request to put him on the HOA agenda. And did he call the kid in The Mask costume a "jazz Gumby"?  LOL!

 

The Zima reference....good old Zima. When I was a freshman in college, my roommate and I got busted with a six-pack!

 

Grandma as Monday-hating Garfield

[ClareWalks]

Loved the teen boys being afraid of teen girls. So glad that Nicole is Eddie's friend and would help him out. I did LOL at the girl who was trying to snag some Zimas. Unexpected guffaw at the end when the youngest said "I need someone to wheel me! ...Now I know how Grandma feels."

[TheRabbi]

This was one of my favorite shows last year, but I am finding this season dreadful, and I can't quite pinpoint why.  I might drop it pretty soon

 

I guess, thinking about it, I really liked the dad's plot with the restaurant in the first season, and how everything he did was some obnoxious ploy to promote it, which I found hilarious.  The restaurant plot has been completely dumped this season, so maybe thats part of it.  I don't know, this just isn't doing it for me.

[Dee]

"Tic Tacs in your face!"

Between the belt, the shoe, the pepper spray and the tic tacs, I had to rewind Jessica & Honey's fight three times because I was laughing so hard.

[alrightokay]

I think I like Dave the best out of Eddie's friends--his love of the Traveling Wilburys was so random but so right.

 

And Evan and Emery's "Silence of the Lambs" costume was too adorable.  

[Maharincess]

From reading all of the comments about the show I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I think Jessica is an asshole. I don't like the character at all. She's just cheap, rude and mean.

I know everybody else here likes her but I don't. I love the show but she's my least favorite.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[Racj82]

From reading all of the comments about the show I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I think Jessica is an asshole. I don't like the character at all. She's just cheap, rude and mean.

I know everybody else here likes her but I don't. I love the show but she's my least favorite.

I like her but I don't need her to be the center of the show like many people seem to want. I don't need her to dominate the show. Characters like that grate after too much exposure imo.

[biakbiak]

I doubt those boys would have the power of speech if it was Honey who went over to the truck.

[mansonlamps]

I really miss the restaurant stories and characters this season. I hope that part of the show returns at least to some extent.

[peeayebee]

I thought this was a good ep. Of course it's always fun to see characters in costumes. I had to google Humpty Hump because I've never heard of him and never saw him either.

 

 

And Evan and Emery's "Silence of the Lambs" costume was too adorable.  

 

It really was. Loved Louis calling them a UPS delivery lamb and a lazy goalie. Also, his guessing that Eddie was Ross Perot was hysterical.

 

The kid who was The Mask was called Jazz Gumby and a sea sick gangster. I also loved Honey and his husband's Miss Piggy and Kermit costumes.

 

Hated those teenage boys, but I loved when Honey asked them if they ever rode their skateboard. I was so eager to see them bested. Yay Nicole! 

[readster]

I enjoyed the episode but I really wanted to see Jessica beat those punks. I know in the mid 90s you can teens that were vandalizing things left and right and the police or other people were like: "Oh, they're just being teens." Now, if they do it, they get beaten and chased down and then lawsuits happen and the defense is: "You don't screw with me!" I was a bit surprised Jessica ignored the termite possibility. If she had done her research, she should know homes like that, especially in warmer weather are known to be attacked by termites. 

[galax-arena]

I suddenly have a burning desire to wear a Hannibal Lecter mask for Halloween. Of course, I won't be nearly as cute as Evan was. 

[Blakeston]

From reading all of the comments about the show I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I think Jessica is an asshole. I don't like the character at all. She's just cheap, rude and mean.

I know everybody else here likes her but I don't. I love the show but she's my least favorite.

I think Jessica is hilarious, and I'm glad the focus is now more on her than Eddie.

But that doesn't mean I like her. She's an awful person.

[reggiejax]

I think Jessica is hilarious, and I'm glad the focus is now more on her than Eddie.

 

The way I see it, they just moved focus from one little asshole to another. Give me more of Louis, Grandma and Evan and Emory.

 

I had to google Humpty Hump because I've never heard of him and never saw him either.

 

 

I am guessing the writers had to Google him as well. Otherwise they might have known that Eddie would never have worn that costume on Halloween in the mid-90's, when Digital Underground was already 5 years past their sell by date.

 

Then again, Eddie (both on the show and in real life) is not nearly as cool as he thinks, so perhaps it is based in reality that he dressed like that in 1995.

 

And I get why the resolution to the plot with the teenagers attempting to egg the house ended with them being foiled by some proto-Mean Girls, but the truth is, those kids would have still egged the house. They would have just done it after they egged those girls.

Edited October 28, 2015 by reggiejax

[Dagny]

Every now and then, Jessica reminds me of a lady I had to work with who was from Hong Kong. Jessica is much less abrasive.

[ClareWalks]

True, it would make more sense if he'd dressed like Coolio, which would have been both hilarious and extremely current. But Humpty Hump is quite the odd-looking character too, so I didn't mind.

[Ms Blue Jay]

The kid who was The Mask was called Jazz Gumby and a sea sick gangster.

 

That was so clever.  And Emery and Evan were so confident about what they thought he was.  It's so cute, I guess they were not allowed to watch that movie, or it was still in theatres.  I saw that movie in a theatre but Jessica would never spend that amount of money.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[peeayebee]

I forget who is the youngest son, but I enjoyed him being in charge at the HOA meeting.

[solotrek]

I forget who is the youngest son, but I enjoyed him being in charge at the HOA meeting.

They're alphabetical. Eddie, Emery, Evan.

[Hero]

The kid who was dressed as the mask is adorable. 

[Racj82]

The way I see it, they just moved focus from one little asshole to another. Give me more of Louis, Grandma and Evan and Emory.

I am guessing the writers had to Google him as well. Otherwise they might have known that Eddie would never have worn that costume on Halloween in the mid-90's, when Digital Underground was already 5 years past their sell by date.

Then again, Eddie (both on the show and in real life) is not nearly as cool as he thinks, so perhaps it is based in reality that he dressed like that in 1995.

And I get why the resolution to the plot with the teenagers attempting to egg the house ended with them being foiled by some proto-Mean Girls, but the truth is, those kids would have still egged the house. They would have just done it after they egged those girls.

The Humpty dance never really got played out and Shock G was still relevant through his connection with Tupac and the song Get Around. Edited October 29, 2015 by Racj82

[slowpoked]

I liked the episode quite enough, but I feel like this is the first episode this season that could have used real-life Eddie's narration. After the teenage girls walked, and the Huangs achieved victory, I feel like there was something missing. And in parts of the episode too, Eddie's narration would have helped or give it some punch. 

[mansonlamps]

Give me more of Louis, Grandma and Evan and Emory.

 

 

Any amount of Louis is ok with me, but the other three already have more than enough screen time for my taste. 

[peeayebee]

I hate to reveal my ignorance, but I saw this tweet from a TV critic, and I don't get it:

"Pigs don't date. Pigs feed a crowd at a reasonable price." - "Fresh Off the Boat" throwing a little in-network shade.

 

[ClareWalks]

I hate to reveal my ignorance, but I saw this tweet from a TV critic, and I don't get it:

 

I think they're referring to the Muppets, although I don't watch it. But that's what they must mean by "in-network," and "throwing shade" is a drag term meaning to slyly insult.

[Canada]

I hate to reveal my ignorance, but I saw this tweet from a TV critic, and I don't get it:

 

 

Maybe a reference to The Muppets?  It's on just before Fresh Off the Boat and they were running commercials a while back with all the characters/actors from both shows together.

Sorry, Clarewalks, I guess I was slow to reply and didn't see your response.  You beat me to it!

[fishcakes]

Best moment for me was Eddie reminiscing about trying to go trick or treating in Chinatown and having the lady who answered the door snatch his pumpkin bucket and close the door in his face. "I saw our bucket on her fire escape a week later. She planted aloe vera in it." I had a similar thing happen to me when I was a kid selling Girl Scout cookies and my neighbor thought the case of 12 boxes of cookies I was carrying from door-to-door was the one box she paid for. I had set the case down on her porch and she picked up the whole thing, took it inside, and shut the door. Fortunately, her son was home and he gave them back to me while I was still standing on the porch trying to figure out what to do.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Loved that not only did Louis get a Mr. T costume but he also got a Mrs. T wig with a little bow for Jessica. I found it endearing that he loves Halloween so much.

 

Grandma's "Mondays, right?" cracked me up.

 

Oh, Zima. I remember how obsessed everyone was with it.

 

I liked that Nicole said she wasn't going trick or treating because her friends were in high school. I remember that kind of being the dividing line for trick or treating vs doing something else like going to parties (heh, or hanging out at the park playing "hey mister"). But I'm also glad that Nicole not going didn't dissuade Eddie and his friends from going trick or treating.

 

I liked that Nicole and her friends didn't have skanky costumes too. I don't know when the trend of skanky costumes for girls really started but it's gotten so out of hand. I have seen the most ridiculous costumes. Like a sexy crayon? Seriously? Last year when I was trying to find an Alice in Wonderland costume, everything I found was skin tight with short skirts, which was so frustrating. I mean, come on, you're sexualizing a character that's supposed to be a 7 year old little girl. Anyway, it was nice to see that Nicole and her friends weren't half naked.

[Ottis]

LOVED the Humpty Hump costume. I just wish they could have actually played the music. Rights issues, I suppose. I was the only person at my house who got it, and the Burger King reference.

Between the belt, the shoe, the pepper spray and the tic tacs, I had to rewind Jessica & Honey's fight three times because I was laughing so hard.

This I did not love. It made no sense. What exactly was Jessica going to do, hit the teens? I like Jessica, but she is best when her issues are over the top and smart (like bargain shopping). When she is just crazy, she isn't funny.

 

Agree that her skipping over a termite inspection seems a bit out of character. Being in Fla., she should realize bugs are a big deal.

 

Oh, Zima. I remember how obsessed everyone was with it.

 

 

Zima has always stood for wimpy, in  my experience. Often associated with the University of Virginia and frat boys.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Ottis

[biakbiak]

I think Honey thought Jessica was going to do exactly what she ended up doing, lecturing the boys and escalating the situation so that the boys would retaliate.

[mansonlamps]

Wasn't Jessica flinging a belt around like she was going to hit the boys?  Not very realistic, even back then.

[peeayebee]

I was the only person at my house who got it, and the Burger King reference.

Oh good. So you can explain it to me.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Oh good. So you can explain it to me.

The lyrics to the Humpty Dance say, "I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom."

[theatremouse]

From reading all of the comments about the show I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I think Jessica is an asshole. I don't like the character at all. She's just cheap, rude and mean.

I know everybody else here likes her but I don't. I love the show but she's my least favorite.

I think we agree, and disagree. I think Jessica is, and is supposed to be: cheap, rude, mean and kind of an asshole. No argument there. But it's also supposed to be funny. For me, she usually is. Edited October 30, 2015 by theatremouse

[Rockstar99435]

While I liked the teenage boys being scared away by the teenage girls, I was sure Jessica was going to take them down. Last season, she ran down the check jumpers from the restaurant with her car. And then made off hand comments about their bodies shutting down. Last season Jessica definitely would have done more then just let some girls make rude comments.

[ClareWalks]

Jessica does have a cold exterior and is a total bitch, but she also has a heart of gold for the people she cares about. There seem to be certain things that she does not tolerate, such as disrespect. When she realized she was doing that to her mother-in-law last week she put a stop to it, too. I did love the callback to the check-ditching ep, where she threw the object and hit the kid dead in the head.

[Rockstar99435]

Jessica is pushy, overbearing, and overconfident, and I definitely feel sorry for her children's future spouses because you know she is going to be the worst MIL, but I don't think of her as mean. The neighborhood women who wouldn't even try her cooking and were shunning Honey because she was her husband's 2nd wife were mean. Jessica tried to go along with them for the good of her family but ultimately couldn't be mean to someone who hadn't done anything. 

[AzureOwl]

From reading all of the comments about the show I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I think Jessica is an asshole. I don't like the character at all. She's just cheap, rude and mean.

I know everybody else here likes her but I don't. I love the show but she's my least favorite.

 

In that she's not any different from most sit-com protagonists, who tend to be complete assholes.

 

Take Seinfeld, one of the most popular sit-coms ever. All four of the main characters were assholes of such magnitude that you wouldn't stand be around them for 5 minutes. Fraiser was a condescending prick, Tim Taylor was a dumb asshole, no sane person would live anywhere near any of the Bundys, Archie Bunker became a cultural icon by virtue of being an insufferable old bigot, the list goes on and on and on...

 

There's even a trope about it.

[mtlchick]

Jeff Frickin Lynne and Humpty Hump?  While I did laugh at those references, they were 4-5 years before. I guess the kids are old souls.

Edited November 3, 2015 by mtlchick

[Raja]

Jeff Frickin Lynne and Humpty Hump?  While I did laugh at those references, they were 4-5 years before. I guess the kids are old souls.

Digital Underground may have been a one hit wonder but that one hit stayed in rotation on weekend dance mix radio shows. Sort of like a select disco few songs do almost 40 years later. 20 year old's would have seen the reference, 12 year old's, who knows?

[Guest Levi Rinno]

Constance Wu's delivery while Jessica went from thinking the penis on her windshield was a rocket to suddenly seeing that it was, in fact, a penis was pretty much my favorite part of the episode.