I Feel Bad
“I’m a Massive Hypocrite” (Episode 106)
October 25, 2018
If you aren’t caught up on the latest I Feel Bad episode, read my recap here!
SPOILERS AHEAD, for tonight’s episode!
The episode starts off with Emet in the kitchen with her voiceover that states, as a parent you hope to pass on your best traits. Lily is at the table with her friend [Ed. Note: The friend lost me when she made the deuces sign. Ugh, no thank you, mean friend]. As younger siblings normally do, Louie comes over and asks if they want to play. Rejecting her brother’s offer, Lily proceeds to tease him.
“Oh crap, she’s got my mean side.”
David walks in with the baby in his arms and both Emet and David tell Lily that she was being rude to her brother. Lily protests that he was bothering them, but Emet still tells her she has to be nice to Louie even if he is being annoying. Setting down a punishment, Emet tells Lily no friends over for a week and she has to hang out with Louie in that time. Unhappy with the punishment, Lily feels that her life sucks.
Emet and David high five with the feeling that they co-parented well. As David puts the baby down, he looks out the window. Emet’s parents are coming over with her cousin Leena (Punam Patel). This catches Emet completely off-guard, she was not expecting a visit from her annoying cousin. Both Emet and David hide with the baby in the kitchen behind the center island. Her voiceover doesn’t miss the irony that she told Lilly not to be mean because someone is annoying, but here she is hiding from someone that is annoying. Replicating the thoughts of her daughter, she feels her life sucks too.
“Everything about her drives me crazy.”
Credits.
At work, Emet tells her crew that she feels she has to be a good example to her kids. Norman tries to tell her that it’s only for one night, but Emet retorts with how she can’t stand her cousin’s passive aggressive comments. Griff suggests to just fake being nice and that guys do it all the time, “it’s called charm.” At first Emet hates the idea, but reconsiders and wants to know how do they do it.. Griff suggests using the guy rules for dating. Chewey begins with the first rule: always laugh at her jokes even if they’re at your expense. Norm continues with the second rule: if you space out during her stories, the only three words you need to know are, “that sounds hard.” The softer you say it, the more paying attention-y you sound. Griff closes out the rules with the third: act like you care about her interests. Emet’s feels the guys are all sociopaths, but goes along with the rules.
Back at home, Louie asks Lily if she wants to make potions. Sarcastically replying that she wants one that will make him disappear, Lily stares at her mom. Emet gives her a look and with a voiceover explains that she and Lily have this thing where they know what they’re saying through their looks. Emet’s look implies that she better be nice to her brother or she’s losing her phone. Lily concedes and plays potions with Louie.
Emet’s parents come over with her cousin. Leena begins with the passive aggressive comments and Emet fakes a laugh. David reminds her that it’s just for one night, but Emet doesn’t think she will last. “I’m gonna smash her stupid face in.” Her kids hear her say this and Lilly asks if she’s talking about Auntie Leena. Emet says no and David tries to cover it up saying they were singing song lyrics.
At dinner, Leena continues with passive aggressive comments and Emet tries to ignore her. Sonny tells the kids to keep their heads down and go to their happy place. Changing the topic, Emet sticks to the guys’ plan and asks about Leena’s current endeavors. Leena replies that she is into the healing arts, and Emet seems very interested. This causes Leena to think they are connecting. She doesn’t want to leave tomorrow so Maya suggests having Leena take the guest bedroom at Emet’s house. Emet begins to object, but then realizes the kids are watching and Leena gladly accepts the guest bedroom for a week.
Maya is looking for clean sheets for Leena and Emet confronts her about inviting Leena to stay. She feels that Emet is always mean to Leena, but Emet feels the exact opposite. Leena is the one that talks about Emet’s work and her clothes. Surprised by Emet’s reaction, Maya asks how she can “be a corporate honcho and be so sensitive.” Emet has no choice but to let Leena stay because Maya does not want to hear from her sister how mean Emet is.
Back at work, Emet tells the guys they gave her horrible advice. Griff says that it always works to get a second date. Not wanting a second date, Emet tells them that Leena is staying with her. Now she feels like she has to find a way to make her leave. Coming to the rescue, the guys have a set of rules for that too. Chewey calls that, “Find your knickers love, it’s time to go.” Griff says that she needs to make it impossible for her to stick around. Remembering that Leena has a dog allergy, Emet takes a dog that Norman found and fosters him. As she brings the dog home, Leena begins to sneeze. Emet offers for David to take her to a hotel, but Leena refuses. She will suffer through the dander. Constantly barking and humping David’s legs, the dog relieves himself on Emet and David’s bed. Finally having enough, Emet asks Norman to come pick the dog up.
“This plan is so immature” ~ David
Lily teaches Louie to make a friendship bracelet and tells him to go make a friend. Beginning to get frustrated, Lily hasn’t practiced dance all week because of him. He tells her that he can help her with that, but he would need help. Emet tells her to teach him. Emet is getting ready for work, and Leena comes into the kitchen. She had a great night of sleep, while Emet and David had an awful night. Leena is getting ready to tell a story about her dream, but Emet needs to leave. Leena thinks she is a fancy working girl, and Maya suggests Emet take Leena to work with her. About to protest, but realizing Lily is watching, Emet gives in and let’s Leena come for a few hours.
At work Norman is upset that Emet quickly gave up the dog, but immediately forgets when Leena walks in. He begins to flirt with her. Not even there for a few minutes, Leena asks the inappropriate question about how much Emet makes. Emet tells her that it’s personal. Even the guys feel this is inappropriate, but Leena doesn’t. Emet is ready for her to leave the office so they can get work done.
Back at home, Leena is trying the crystal healing on David. Emet comes home and Leena tells her that she applied for an admin position at Game Punch (that’s the name of Emet’s company if it’s never been stated before). They’re going to be work cousins! Emet is not happy. Upstairs in the bedroom Emet is telling David that she invaded her home, now she is invading her place of work. Emet wants to end it and David agrees with her. Maya loves Leena and the only way to get Leena to leave is if she doesn’t like Leena anymore. Emet’s plan is to bring up the family scandal of which they never speak.
“This is too far, I am done.”
Later, they are outside on the patio and Emet brings up that Leena’s parents are going to be having their anniversary. Leena is throwing them a party, but suggests that Emet wouldn’t know what it’s like because she hasn’t thrown her parents a party. When Emet asks about her Aunt’s attire, Leena mentions diamond earrings and Maya explodes. In a Hindi and English, bad word-laced diatribe (complete with many smashed dishes), Maya explains how Leena’s mother stole the diamond earring promised to her lobes! Leena sees how mad Maya is and leaves. Emet and David do a happy dance.
Realizing what Emet did, Sonny tells Maya that Emet used the story to get rid of Leena. Impressed, Maya feels that Emet has her best qualities. Also, Maya now has to end Emet. She suggests to Emet that Leena should stay. Emet realizes that her mother is on to her plan. Maya doesn’t understand why she just can’t be nice to Leena. Emet finally reveals to Maya that it seems like her mother is nicer to Leena than to her. Maya tells her that she’s nice to Leena because she needs it. She doesn’t have Emet’s talent or success.
In the end, all Emet wants is for the kids to be better people than they are. Louie comes in and says that he’s pretty sure they are and Lily breaks it down that what she did was normal big sister stuff. What Emet did was plot against her cousin and screamed at her mom.
“If I want my daughter to be a better person, then that means I have to be a better person too. Which is such a pain in the ass.”
Emet tells Leena that she used the story to drive her out of the house, and Leena said that she understood because David is really into her. Emet starts to dispute that he isn’t but she goes along with the story because Leena doesn’t want to come around anymore. She leaves and Norman takes her to the airport.
End Credits.
Thoughts. Overall, this was another great episode. Normally I find voiceovers to be a bit annoying, and I’d rather have the actors show me than tell me something. With this show, however, the voiceover works really well and I find it helps move the story along without being irritating.
Episode Score: 4 out of 5 Casey’s. This show continues to bring relatable comedy every week and it’s refreshing to have a laugh-out-loud sitcom on NBC.