Recap: After returning from the grocery store, Tootie encourages Beverly Ann to start dating and "live a little", and Beverly Ann jokes that she has lived, finds life to be overrated, and has zero interest in starting up any kind of romantic liaison. Blair has enlisted Jo's help in finding her a job, which is apparently a requirement in order to pass a business course she's taking at Langley. As the two scour the scant wanted ads, Blair complains that all of the good menial jobs have been taken. When Beverly Ann gets a phone call from someone named Oliver Thompson, Tootie comes flying back into the room and asks her to put the call on hold so she can explain that Oliver is her sociology professor, and figured that since he's a nice guy 'why not set him up with my new housemother?' Beverly Ann reminds her about her having zero interest in dating and resumes the call with the intention of blowing Oliver off, but then chickens out and agrees to meet up with him at 8pm. Natalie rushes downstairs and tells the Facts gals that if Snake happens to call, they should tell him she's working a shift at Señor Sombrero's - but that he shouldn't phone her there 'cause the manager doesn't allow personal calls. Jo resumes checking the wanted ads and tells Blair that, by scripted coincidence, there's an opening for a student trainee at Señor Sombrero's. Natalie's all, "Whoa" and says she'd prefer to not screw up her current job by hiring a dilettante like Blair 'cause she's only interested in hiring someone who's familiar with the general concept of working for a living. Blair happily chirps, "Well, that leaves me out!" ... but when Andy points out that the job would translate to an easy A in her business class, Blair chews on that for a few seconds before gushing to Natalie about how much fun they'd have, working together to feed a hungry nation. Natalie reluctantly agrees to interview her for the job, with the understanding that she's not to expect any preferential treatment. Natalie is busily working at Señor Sombrero's, and is - for some unexplained reason - giving customers small flags of Utah along with their meals. Natalie tells her manager (Jerry Simmons) that she knows someone who's interested in applying for the student trainee program, and Jerry says, "If they're breathing, hire them." Blair enters the restaurant decked out in a red business suit and remarks on what "a quaint dump" the place is. Natalie insists on doing everything by the book and asks Blair to verbally answer every question on the job application, including 'Have you been sexually active lately?', which - har har, show - Natalie admits isn't really on the job application, and that she's only asking 'cause she's curious...even though she's the one who ends up being the first Facts gal who's willing to go on record as getting her cherry popped during the very special Natalie Deflowering episode in Season 9. Jo is showing Andy and Tootie all of the snacks she prepared for a long night of studying when Beverly Ann descends the stairs, decked out in a swanky red ensemble for her date with Oliver. She says she's soooo nervous about jumping back into the dating pool...and when Oliver arrives, she babbles nonsensically as the two are introduced. Oliver takes Jo's suggestion to go to a movie and then get a bite to eat at Señor Sombrero's, and Beverly Ann says she likes the sound of that, blurts out, "I'm easy!", then looks horrified by the gaffe. Back at Señor Sombrero's, Natalie orders her new employee onto the floor...and Blair emerges from the employees' room wearing a sombrero and a brightly colored poncho muttering, "I hate my life." When she tries to remove the sombrero, Natalie threatens to give her job evaluation performance a rating of poor, then starts training her on how to assemble a taco. Blair gets visibly grossed out by the unappetizing looking ingredients, then a few minutes later gets to wait on her very first next customer. She perkily offers to make the man a taco, but he says he's sick of tacos and wants a burrito. She reacts by staring cluelessly into space before claiming they're fresh out of burritos...along with every other menu item, except the one thing Natalie just showed her how to make. The customer finds that believable enough and decides 'ah, what the hell? I guess I'll order a taco after all.' Jerry emerges from his office to check out his newest employee, then watches disapprovingly as Blair overloads the taco and serves it to her first customer. Jerry chides her for being far too generous with the ingredients, and she's like, "So what? It all looks disgusting", prompting the customer she just waited on to spit out his food out and make a break for the exit. LOL. When Jerry irritably points out that she just lost a customer, she sassily retorts that someone really should talk to the manager - who she somehow doesn't think is Jerry, despite the fact that he's wearing a white shirt, apron, and has a general air of authority about him as he mills around behind the counter - about the piss-poor quality of the taco ingredients. When Jerry haughtily suggests that maybe the manager thinks they're fine, she breezily says that only an idiot would agree with that assessment...then is shocked - shocked! - when Jerry introduces himself as the restaurant manager. She sheepishly retreats to the employees' room as Jerry complains to Natalie about her new hire's attitude problem, and warns that if she screws up one more time, he's firing them both. Tootie tells Jo that Beverly Ann and Oliver are probably heading over to Señor Sombrero's right about now, and if they hurry they can spy on the lovebirds...and, more importantly, get a fun eyeful of Blair doing menial labor while wearing a giant sombrero. Jo perks up at that last thing and takes a study break so that she can witness the humiliation of her non-hetero bestie. Blair waits on a little old lady, who wants to substitute rice for beans...which Natalie later warns Blair is not allowed without charging extra. A few seconds later, the restaurant quickly fills up with the after-movie crowd, including Beverly Ann and Oliver. The two seat themselves at a table, and make small-talk and look as though they're enjoying a very pleasant evening - until Beverly Ann unwittingly eats some ultra-spicy salsa and waves her hands around while shrieking, "Haaaaat haaaat!", to which Oliver responds by doing the '80s sitcom tropey thing by pretending to be totally oblivious to her suffering and assuming that all of her haaaaat haaaat!-ing is somehow a normal part of the conversation they're having. When he finally gets a clue that his date's mouth is on fire, he hastily gets her a glass of water. Blair is screwing up all of her orders, getting run off of her feet, and has to break it to the little old lady that she'll be charged 25 cents extra for the rice substitution. As the little old lady self-piteously mutters about how this means she won't be able to afford bus fare as a result, Blair's all 'whatever' and dreamily stares over at Beverly Ann and Oliver - until Natalie yells at her to quit standing around and "serve the damn food!" Tootie and Jo arrive at Señor Sombrero's and enjoy the spectacle of Blair in the silly poncho/sombrero get-up. They then wave at Beverly Ann and Oliver, who are exchanging woeful stories about their failed marriages. The little old lady, meanwhile, has now become full on disgruntled, and complains to Blair that her food has gotten cold while waiting for the glass of water she ordered. Blair then gets so frazzled and irritated when the little old lady orders an entirely new meal with several substitutions that Natalie is summoned to mediate. Blair snappishly calls out the little old lady for being a troublemaker...and when the little old lady takes her complaint all the way to Jerry, he promptly fires Blair, and then Natalie. The next day, Natalie is glumly looking at the wanted ads and snarking at Blair for messing with the job and pay check she was relying on to earn a meagre living. She then leaves the room as Tootie and Jo come downstairs...and once she's out of earshot, Blair reveals that she used her family name and connections to convince Jerry to give Natalie her job back. She apparently fibbed about how her father is the chairman of Warner Industries and is looking for someone to head up his fictional ITD (International Taco Division). Beverly Ann announces to the Facts gals that she's off to meet Oliver for lunch, and Tootie cackles with delight about her great success as a matchmaker. Jerry drops by to talk to Natalie about offering her her job back, and she's all, "Hurray!" and rushes upstairs to get changed for the morning shift. Jerry then tells Blair he found out that there's no such thing as an ITD, but that he's rehiring Natalie regardless 'cause she's a good worker...and good workers are hard to find, as has ben evidenced by Blair's complete ineptitude as a waitress. Blair announces to Tootie and Jo that she got another crappy job at Far East Auto Imports, then saucily explains that she sweet talked the sales manager into giving her "an easy A" ... an arrangement I'm guessing was more than likely completely misinterpreted by a soon-to-be confused and disappointed sales manager. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
7 Comments
Sean
5/26/2022 02:41:10 pm
it was fun to see Beverly Anne doing her own thing. The blair stuff was ok but not as funny as Beverly burning her mouth with spicy food.
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Francis Stanko
5/26/2022 09:22:55 pm
Let's be honest: the pitch for this episode started and ended with "Blair has to wear a sombrero and poncho."
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Sean
5/27/2022 03:41:31 pm
Over our heads is still around. At least for this season. It's only shown once in the final season.
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Kyle
5/28/2022 05:12:27 am
They didn’t officially close it until season 9 as you mention. But I recall that we hardly ever saw it in the latter half of season 8. 6/4/2022 08:22:36 am
I'm convinced they ONLY built that stupid set for their new "hip updated" credit sequence (that ironically made the show look even MORE dated than their original one.)
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Sandra
5/28/2022 05:51:17 am
I believe the sombrero Blair wears is the same one that was hanging in the girls dorm room Season 1.
Reply
Kyle
5/28/2022 01:43:47 pm
Season 9, episode 13 - “Something in Common”.
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