S04.E04: It’s a Plastic Pumpkin, Louis Huang

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

On Halloween, Louis is disappointed that Evan doesn’t take his childish delight in the holiday; Eddie and the gang plot to crash a cool older girl’s party; Jessica and Emery are spooked when they hear a strange man’s voice emanating from Grandma’s room, and things get even creepier when a mysterious group of costumed strangers whisk Grandma away, making them suspect the supernatural worst.

[Blakeston]

Louis guessing that the boy and his mother were a pimp and a ho - when he was dressed as Willy Wonka and she wasn't even wearing a costume - was easily the best joke of the episode.

[kitkat68]

What year are they in? They mentioned Netflix, but I thought they were still in the 90's.

[Star Aristille]

1 minute ago, kitkat68 said:

What year are they in? They mentioned Netflix, but I thought they were still in the 90's.

They also mentioned DVDs, which I thought didn't come till right after the turn of the century.

In any case, I have no idea what kind of game Eddie and his friends were playing.  I thought they were all trying to get into the party.  Then it suddenly became a fight to be the last man standing (or sitting)?  That storyline just confused me.  In the end, though, I guess I'm glad Trent won out and got to go in while Eddie bailed because of the mentions of potential sociopathic tendencies on his part.

I liked Jessica, Emery, and Jenny's storyline a lot, especially the reveal that Jenny was in a secret ESL class.  And that she now is picking up what they're saying when they try to sneak something past her quickly.

I got that Evan felt too old for the basic Halloween stuff, but ditching Louis without a word was a dickish, bratty thing to do, and I thought that Louis had every right to embarrass him by dragging him out of that party.  I guess it was kind of a sweet ending between them, but still . . . I don't like how bratty they're making Evan.

On the whole, an all right episode.  The family mostly seemed back to whom they usually are.

[mortonsalt]

2 minutes ago, kitkat68 said:

What year are they in? They mentioned Netflix, but I thought they were still in the 90's.

I don't remember them being around in the '90s, but I Googled, and it says they started in 1997. I remember that I didn't start using them until almost 10 years later, and then it was only mostly getting DVDs in the mail because they didn't have much to stream at that time. Maybe they were a presence in some areas like Orlando in the '90s though? 

Anyways, as far as the episode, I guess it was the best of the season just because the Huangs especially Jessica didn't annoy me like they have in the first three episodes. I didn't love it though, but it was nice having a break from being annoyed. 

My favorite subplot was the one involving Eddie and his friends especially since looking back at it now, Prince was probably the most badass out of the group, but loved how his friends gave up one by one. First with Brian being excited to go with Nicole. Then Walter being so excited by the little kids' costumes. Then Dave looking like he was crying, and the football team coming over to comfort him. Finally with Eddie being freaked out by Trent's story. 

Although I could definitely relate to Louis not wanting to go to the adult's party and having to listen to all the chit chat and make small talk and like he was interested, but Evan came off as a little too bratty so I didn't quite like it as much as Eddie and his friends trying to act hard. I did love Seinfeld knock-off costumes though, and I will give Evan credit that he did do a good George impersonation, and Emery was a good Kramer.  I actually thought that Eddie was doing his Newman impersonation at the beginning, but I was a little confused if that was on purpose or not. 

[Star Aristille]

2 minutes ago, mortonsalt said:

My favorite subplot was the one involving Eddie and his friends especially since looking back at it now, Prince was probably the most badass out of the group, but loved how his friends gave up one by one. First with Brian being excited to go with Nicole. Then Walter being so excited by the little kids' costumes. Then Dave looking like he was crying, and the football team coming over to comfort him. Finally with Eddie being freaked out by Trent's story. 

Actually, Walter gave up first, then Brian.  Everyone else was in the right order, though.

I'm confused by the Pikachu costume, though.  I'm pretty sure the Pokémon franchise wasn't a thing till the anime started in '98 or '99.

[mortonsalt]

11 minutes ago, Star Aristille said:

Actually, Walter gave up first, then Brian.  Everyone else was in the right order, though.

I'm confused by the Pikachu costume, though.  I'm pretty sure the Pokémon franchise wasn't a thing till the anime started in '98 or '99.

Thanks. I actually had to use IMDb because I never remember the names of Eddie's friends. 

I don't remember Pokemon being that big either, and Googling does put it as September of 1998, so you're right. So yes with the Netflix and Pokemon stuff, it becomes wonky with the Scream jokes since I remember that being really huge in 1996. Although it came out in December, so would people still have been shocked about Drew Barrymore getting killed off that early in the film almost a year later. I guess I'm overthinking it, lol.  

[possibilities]

Were juggalos a thing back then? I only heard of them recently when they protested being considered a hate group.

[smash]

2 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

In any case, I have no idea what kind of game Eddie and his friends were playing.  I thought they were all trying to get into the party.  Then it suddenly became a fight to be the last man standing (or sitting)?  That storyline just confused me.  In the end, though, I guess I'm glad Trent won out and got to go in while Eddie bailed because of the mentions of potential sociopathic tendencies on his part.

Eddie and crew's plan was to be cool and grownup enough to get into that Senior's party, which to them meant "act hardcore as possible." It wasn't so much a game, but the friends eventually fell out one by one because as youngins, they're just not innately hard enough - Walter loooves kids, Dave looks like he's crying, and Brian.... well enough said lol. As ringleader, Eddie tried to get everyone to stay the course to get into the party, but even he got spooked out by Trent's badassness. 

Seems like I'm part of the minority these days, but I don't mind all of these character flaws, this episode being Louis vs Evan in particular. Sure it creates conflict, but it's sure more entertaining than if they were polite all the time. And even if these flaws may make them seem inconsiderate (especially Jessica), for the most part, there are reasons, albeit imperfect behind the way they act, as opposed to being randomly dickish. 

From Evan's point of view, he never wanted to stay home handing out candy in the first place, and while he had a plan to have a quick stay at the party before going back home, he found himself having fun and honestly losing track of time. Above all, he's 11 and growing up....he's not going to stay the innocent Evan forever. I'd say Louis was the more irrational one, trying to drag Evan out of the party for self serving reasons. Even then, he had a decent reason, as he wanted to preserve the childhood he never had for Evan, which he then eventually realized wasn't the right approach. 

All in all, the show definitely has its flaws, but I tend to overlook them (which includes any 90s reference inaccuracies) as I'm laughing at all their silly jokes/gags.

Edited October 25, 2017 by smash

[Star Aristille]

2 minutes ago, smash said:

I'd say Louis was the more irrational one, trying to drag Evan out of the party for self serving reasons.

Self-serving?  Evan made him a promise and quickly broke it.  Maybe not intentionally, but he did.  That wasn't self-serving.

[smash]

15 minutes ago, Star Aristille said:

Self-serving?  Evan made him a promise and quickly broke it.  Maybe not intentionally, but he did.  That wasn't self-serving.

I'd argue it was, since the whole time Louis was trying to get Evan to do what HE (Louis) wanted, even after knowing that Evan already had plans. Louis had to use his clever salesman tactics to initially get Evan to promise to stay, and while it may work to get a sweet deal on a pumpkin, it doesn't quite work for a kid whose heart really isn't into the whole candy giving activity. 

However, it's too bad that while Louis learned his lesson, Evan got a pass for breaking his promise. I guess the resolution can't end too perfectly, although there was a nice moment where we're reminded that Evan is still just a kid who's afraid to walk by himself at night, which is good enough for Louis.

Edited October 25, 2017 by smash

[fishcakes]

The generic names for the Seinfeld costumes were great: "Funny New York Woman," "Disliked Postman." And the picture of "Elaine" had her wearing the Botticelli shoes, which was a nice touch.

I love that Walter's got a hi-top fade this year. It makes me want to watch House Party again.

[vibeology]

7 hours ago, smash said:

I'd argue it was, since the whole time Louis was trying to get Evan to do what HE (Louis) wanted, even after knowing that Evan already had plans. Louis had to use his clever salesman tactics to initially get Evan to promise to stay, and while it may work to get a sweet deal on a pumpkin, it doesn't quite work for a kid whose heart really isn't into the whole candy giving activity. 

At the same time, Evan can't just go off to a party without his parents knowing where he is. Evan is very mature but he's 11 and that party was full of alcohol. Louis can't force Evan to hand out candy but Evan can't just take off either. Louis is still the parent and can and should be setting boundaries. Both were wrong in my eyes.

Nicole once again stole the episode. Her Poison Ivy costume was amazing and her speech about her party was so funny.

[Blakeston]

Louis would have been justified in not letting Evan go to that party at all. It was an adult party, where people were drinking (as evidenced by that woman adding vodka to the drink Evan gave her), and neither of his parents were there.

Regardless, an eleven-year-old needs to learn that if they promise to spend Halloween with their parent, they can't sneak off to a party without permission. And if the parent shows up to collect them, they should apologize and go straight home - not ditch the parent and sneak into the crowd.

If the writers really find it necessary to make Evan such an insufferable brat, they could at least give him some comeuppance. He deserved some here.

[EVS]

12 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Louis guessing that the boy and his mother were a pimp and a ho - when he was dressed as Willy Wonka and she wasn't even wearing a costume - was easily the best joke of the episode.

I also laughed at “Why is Brian Boitano stealing our bartender?”.

[biakbiak]

First episode in a long time where I actually liked Jessica!

[MaryMitch]

The first time the boys talked about how "hard" they were, I did a double take. Then I figured they meant "tough".  (I thought, "I know they're teenage boys, but I can't believe the show is allowed to do that!")

Louis's Jerry Seinfeld was spot on!

[Robert Lynch]

That is one bitchin' Prince costume that he was wearing. Who knew the weirdo kid could rock a Prince costume?

[ClareWalks]

4 hours ago, EVS said:

I also laughed at “Why is Brian Boitano stealing our bartender?”.

I laughed SO HARD at that line. Like, gasping for air, laughing so hard.

15 hours ago, possibilities said:

Were juggalos a thing back then? I only heard of them recently when they protested being considered a hate group.

I'm the opposite, I heard about them all the time in the 90s and was like "they're still around?!" when they came back in the news.

[NutMeg]

1 hour ago, Robert Lynch said:

That is one bitchin' Prince costume that he was wearing. Who knew the weirdo kid could rock a Prince costume?

He always has the best costume! Do you remember him as The Mask, I think, back in season 1? He was rocking it too.

[unicorn23]

10 hours ago, vibeology said:

Nicole once again stole the episode. Her Poison Ivy costume was amazing and her speech about her party was so funny.

Agreed. She stole the episode for me last week, too. If the writers continue to use Nicole this way, I will be very happy. Of course, they should totally have a follow-up to her exploring her sexuality, but since this show is about the Huangs, I can live with seeing her once per episode and stealing it.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

20 hours ago, mortonsalt said:

Anyways, as far as the episode, I guess it was the best of the season just because the Huangs especially Jessica didn't annoy me like they have in the first three episodes. I didn't love it though, but it was nice having a break from being annoyed. 

She wasn't in it much.

Her glasses were very flattering, however.

21 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

I got that Evan felt too old for the basic Halloween stuff, but ditching Louis without a word was a dickish, bratty thing to do

Perhaps he is influenced by Jessica's entitled behavior.

[mtlchick]

Quote

I also laughed at “Why is Brian Boitano stealing our bartender?”.

Finally watched it while on my stationary bike and I almost fell off from laughing so hard.

The episode wasn't bad overall, however I think a few story lines had too many things going on at once, specifically Jessica trying to write, asking Emory to help, hearing the voices which leads to ...Grandma getting ESL lessons? Meh.

But dammit show! Why did you have to remind me that Mc Hammer did a song for the Addams Family soundtrack?!

[tennisgurl]

"Everything in Orlando used to be a strip club" 

That, or possibly the Pimps and ho`s (Willie Wonka and a random mom) were the lines of the night. Freaking hilarious. 

Louis actually does a pretty decent Seinfeld impression. And I love the Seinfeld costumes. "Disliked postman" indeed. 

I liked the ELS reveal, and that Jenny is taking English classes because shes sick of the rest of the family speaking in rapid fire English so she couldn't understand them. Plus, The Craft references! One of my favorite teenaged angsty 90s movies!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

The Huangs kept the white couch.

[possibilities]

I never tell trick or treaters what their costumes are. I just act friendly and give them candy. Louis is making things much more difficult than they have to be.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

5 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I never tell trick or treaters what their costumes are. I just act friendly and give them candy. Louis is making things much more difficult than they have to be.

He didn't grow up in the US. Maybe he thinks it's a firm tradition to ask.

[Snow Apple]

In the scene when Evan was going back to the party and gave Louis this look, I though that expression actually made him look like a mini Tom Cruise. Must be their similar facial shape or something. I also laughed at the rival Tom Cruise competing with a kid.

It's funny how the family are not outsiders anymore "fresh off the boat." They've become a beloved part of the community. It's a different show but I like the new focus.

I agree Evan has become a bit bratty and haughty though. I guess they need one now that Eddie is maturing (I actually like Eddie now that he's lost his early seasons attitude.

[Camera One]

This episode was a bit of a hit-and-miss.  There were some amusing moments, but overall, it seemed to be trying to hard to push a "lesson" for Louis.  Evan was a surprisingly smooth Tom Cruise bartender.  

The Grandma-in-a-cult subplot had potential but sort of fizzled out.  

Eddie and his friends were mildly amusing.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The competing Tom Cruise costumes was a fun little thing to add.

I was trying to figure out why Eddie and everyone but Bryan turned down the opportunity to go to the party with Nicole. All the female athletes were at that party so they would have been surrounded by hot girls!

On 10/28/2017 at 1:35 PM, Snow Apple said:

It's funny how the family are not outsiders anymore "fresh off the boat." They've become a beloved part of the community. It's a different show but I like the new focus.

Unfortunately, there are still people who don't know them personally who will keep assuming they're fresh off the boat. Hell, in 2017 there are still people who say things like, "Wow, you speak English really well," and, "Go back to China!" to Asians who were born in America. Don't get me wrong - it's nice to see that Eddie and his family are being accepted by their classmates and neighbors, but the stigma of being Asian in a predominantly white place like Orlando means that there will always be people who assume they are immigrants who don't speak English simply because their faces are obviously Asian.

[Snow Apple]

16 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Unfortunately, there are still people who don't know them personally who will keep assuming they're fresh off the boat. Hell, in 2017 there are still people who say things like, "Wow, you speak English really well," and, "Go back to China!" to Asians who were born in America. Don't get me wrong - it's nice to see that Eddie and his family are being accepted by their classmates and neighbors, but the stigma of being Asian in a predominantly white place like Orlando means that there will always be people who assume they are immigrants who don't speak English simply because their faces are obviously Asian.

Yes, I know. I'm Asian myself :-)

The situations in the first season is why I took to this show right away. That and Jessica reminds me of my own mom. HaHa.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Snow Apple

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I forgot to mention how much I loved George Takei's cameo!

[AJD73]

I noticed one of the kids was dressed up as a Dino Charge Power Ranger