Recap: Beverly Ann returns home after seeing Pippa off on a class trip to Washington, while Natalie carries over a giant map she's using to track Snake's cross-country trip. She says he promised to be back in Peekskill in time to take her to the Winter Carnival - just as Andy enters the room to report that the midwest just got hit by a blizzard. Natalie worriedly says she wishes Snake had listened to her about taking a more southern route, and Blair wonders aloud if this potential delay is just another excuse for her to put off introducing them to Snake 'cause she's ashamed of the Facts gang meeting him...or, as Jo points, out, vice versa. Andy changes the subject to how desperately he wants to attend Langley's annual "party 'til you drop" carnival and begs Beverly Ann to let him go - but she reminds him that the party is for, uh, college students and that he's still a tiny boy who should probably be focusing a lot more of his attention on middle school type stuff. She then shares that she and her beau Oliver are chaperoning a pyjama party at the Alpha Fraternity House, 'cause last time the kids were left to their own devices they got very outa control. Tootie returns home with a sweet new friend named Matt, a definite Jeff upgrade who was nice enough to offer her a ride home. He asks her if she's free to attend the Winter Carnival with him, but she tells him she already has a date...and when he's like, "What about next weekend?", she firmly tells him she's seeing someone. Matt just kind of shrugs amiably and heads off on his merry way. Once he's safely out of earshot, Blair chides Tootie for not giving Matt a glimmer of hope by stringing him along, but Tootie reminds her that Jeff is going to be in town this weekend. An unfazed Blair points out that she and Jeff never agreed to date exclusively, adding, "You can't put all your dating eggs in one basket." She urges Tootie to take a page out of her book and reveals that she has three potential dates lined up for Winter Carnival and will decide at the last minute which man goes best with her outfit - but Tootie says that she doesn't feel comfortable being non-platonic with more than one guy at time. Also, she's somehow decided that Jeff is so important to her that she doesn't even want to think about dating other guys, however much of an improvement they're likely to be over this formerly-illiterate-turned-budding-marine-biologist [who I've always found to be more on the dickwaddish side of the dickwad spectrum]. Natalie leaves a message for Snake to reroute to a part of the country that's not currently experiencing blizzard conditions...along with a motherly reminder to wear a scarf. After eavesdropping on the call, Andy offers to step in as her date for the Winter Carnival, but Natalie insists that Snake is definitely, absolutely, 100% going to make it home in time to take her. Tootie gets off the phone with Jeff and rails to the rest of the Facts gals about how he just cancelled their Winter Carnival date so that he can attend a reception for a famous marine biologist. Egads! Jo invites her to hang at the community shelter with her and Casey, while Andy offers to be her date for the Winter Carnival - but Tootie glumly says she has zero desire to attend the carnival without Jeff. Blair tut tuts what she describes as "the wrong attitude" and urges Tootie to have fun with a guy who's not Jeff (e.g. Matt)...and as Tootie chews on that prospect, Blair tells her she can either choose:
Andy asks Blair if she'd like to attend the Winter Carnival with a real man (meaning him, LOL), and Blair manages to keep a straight face as she instantly shuts down that non-starter. When Jo and Casey enter the kitchen a few seconds later, Blair informs Casey that she's been going over the books for the community shelter and can only describe its financial condition as blech. Casey shrugs haplessly and says that one of the major drawbacks of running a nonprofit is the no profit part...and when Blair remarks on the growing number of needy people who continue to require basic services, Casey jokes that they keep getting thrown out of their upscale tennis clubs. Blair chides him for not doing a better job of sticking to the budget, but Casey points out that a major expense this month was repairing the furnace (which unexpectedly broke down) and says it wasn't exactly an option to not pay it and let people freeze to death. He dismissively adds, "Don't talk to me about budgets" and Blair chews on that before telling him she has an idea: solicit donations from Langley alumni at the big Winter Carnival dinner tomorrow night. Casey makes a yeech face and makes it clear how unappealing he finds the idea of mingling with a bunch of rich people all night - but Blair insists he attend and explains that donors are going to want to meet the person running the shelter. Casey hems and haws before reluctantly agreeing to spearhead the impromptu fundraising initiative. Natalie is on the phone with someone at a truck stop, ranting about how the roads in the midwest aren't being snowplowed fast enough after the blizzard. Tootie and Blair are all gussied up for the Winter Carnival, and Tootie continues to fret about how nervous and guilty she's feeling about stepping out on Jeff - just as Jeff - ack! - unexpectedly drops by and announces, "Surprise! I made it to Peekskill after all!" He tells Tootie he reasoned that he'll have plenty of other opportunities to meet famous marine biologists [seems somewhat debatable, but OK] and figured it was far more important to escort her to the Winter Carnival. He then notices that she's wearing a silky blue ensemble and asks her why she's so dressed up, so Blair swiftly interjects to fib that she assured Tootie he'd surprise her by showing up at the last minute and did such a good job convincing her of it that she got all dressed up in anticipation. Jeff seems to buy that nonsensical explanation as the doorbell rings a few seconds later...and when Matt enters the room, Blair exclaims, "Goooood! Both of our dates are here!" and ambles over to Matt and clutches his arm as she introduces him to everyone. Matt and Tootie play along and pretend that they're meeting for the first time - just as Casey arrives in a tux and tells Blair he's ready to escort her to the rich people party. A confused Jeff asks, "She's dating two guys?" and Jo gets in on the action and chucklingly says that Casey's such a kidder and pretends that he's her date for the evening. After everyone vacates the room, Jeff tells Tootie he wasn't born yesterday and that it's obvious Matt was really her date...and when Tootie admits that, yep, he indeed was, Jeff growls, "How could you do this to me?" Tootie sourly reminds him that he was the one who cancelled on her, to which he snarks, "And you didn't think I'd catch you...oh when the cat's away the mice will play." Tootie snappishly points out, "The cat's never here!" and points out that he's always cancelling plans with her. Jeff counters by reminding her that she once cancelled on him 'cause she got a part in a play, and credits himself for not being even a tiny bit dickish about it...and Tootie's like, "Whatever" and insists that her date with Matt was just a friendly, casual thing before sassily adding, "Maybe next time you won't cancel." Jeff angrily declares that there's not going to be a next time, then bitchily storms out of the house.
Natalie complains to Beverly Ann, who ends up using all of the bread and meat in front of her to make sandwiches for each of the Facts gals, that it ain't easy waiting around for her trucker boyfriend to return home, adding that a rock slide in Utica means that Snake won't be able to make it to Peekskill until Sunday. A few seconds later, a bummed looking Tootie enters the room and rhetorically moans about what she's going to do without a prickly little bitch like Jeff in her life. Blair, meanwhile, breezes into the kitchen and happily reports that the community shelter received a lot of donations last night, applauding Casey for being so surprisingly charming to the rich folk. She then notices Tootie's sourpussy aura and apologizes for egging her on to go out with Matt only to have it blow up in her face, but Tootie says she's taking full responsibility for being the one who ultimately made the decision to two-time Jeff. When the gals suddenly hear a loud honking noise outside, an elated Natalie cries, "Snake!", while the rest of the Facts gang gabbles about how excited they are to finally meet Natalie's reptile-monikered beau. They rush into the living room and encounter a giant bearded man they assume is Snake and are all, "Uh, nice to meet you..?" - just as Natalie and a much nicer looking guy enter the room together and explain that the bearded giant is Snake's trucking buddy. Snake correctly guesses the Facts gals' names, based on everything Natalie has told him, and Beverly Ann blushingly tells Natalie that this hottie is definitely a keeper. As the gang disperses, Natalie gives Snake a 'welcome home' smooch while Tootie hangs back and wistfully ogles their PDA. Beverly Ann invites Andy to join her and Oliver at the Alpha House pyjama party...and when he doesn't look at all into it, she adds that Oliver's cute, fourteen-year old niece Laurie is going to be there, and he's all, "Yippee!" before racing upstairs to pack up his sleepwear. Natalie invites Tootie to join her and Snake at a concert, but she mopishly declines and wishes them a fun evening. A few seconds later, Matt drops by wearing pyjamas and hastily explains that he's on his way to the Alpha House PJ party, but first wanted to make sure that everything was OK in her world. He invites her to join the party, but she says she's not up to it...then invites him to join her for a cup of cocoa before he leaves, and Matt's like, "Sure!" and skips off to the kitchen to pour them a couple of hot cups. While that's happening, Jeff unexpectedly drops by for the second time this episode to tell Tootie that something between them has gone horribly amiss. She stares back at him, visibly unimpressed by the pronouncement, and says, "It took you all day to come up with that?", then rails about how tired she is of always being at the low end of his priority list. She suggests they call off their relationship and go back to being platonic friends...and when he grumbles that he doesn't want that, a frustrated Tootie shrieks, "Then what do you want?!" and he shrieks back, "I want you to marry me!" As he stares in dazed befuddlement at what he just blurted out, a stunned Tootie mumbles, "Really? Marry you?" and Jeff's like, "Uh, yeah..?" and jokingly says that if she agrees to marry him, she's not allowed to see other guys. Tootie laughingly says he drives a hard bargain, then formally accepts what looked to me like a proposal under duress.
A pyjama clad Matt enters the living room carrying two cups of cocoa - but when he sees Jeff, he makes a sudden U-turn before tip-toeing back into the kitchen. Tootie assures Jeff she can totally explain the presence of Matt in her house wearing pyjamas, and Jeff uncharacteristically takes it in stride by smilingly replying, "I didn't see a thing" before happily embracing and smooching his new fiancée. Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
1 Comment
Cupboard1
10/28/2023 03:11:53 pm
This was a hilarious episode, especially the part where they're all trying to cover up for each other's dates by trying to protect Tootie! 🤣 Leave a Reply. |
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