We’ve all seen that traditional sitcom episode. The perfect sitcom mom rallies her children around her and breaks out into a monologue about how the only thing that matters is how they see themselves. That they are perfect no matter what. If it’s a musical comedy, she would be singing the lines as the music swells. Everyone learns a lesson, laughs a little, and ends the episode a better person for having listened to their mom. The screen goes black and the credits start before anyone can start asking – “wait…what?”
American Housewife cleverly riffs on this classic sitcom trope by changing its structure. Instead of the impassioned speech ending the third act, it ends the first. The episode isn’t about ways Katie inspires her children, but is instead dedicated to the real truth about these kinds of sitcom-parent speeches: they’re often nonsense.
In “Art Show”, Katie has to deal with the ramifications of her inspirational Churchill-quality speech. She also realizes she is a huge hypocrite (although she would be more upset with the “huge” than the "hypocrite”).
The plot is set into motion when Katie learns that Taylor is doing a juice cleanse with her team. She’s incensed and secretly suspects that Taylor is desperately trying to stop herself from turning into her Kansas-medium mother. Katie counteracts the juice cleanse with her speech, which, I have to admit, is pretty good. She uses Angela, Doris, and herself as examples of different body types that are perfect in different ways and cautions Taylor and Anna-Kat against judging their worth by what others think. Every body is beautiful.
Then, Katie sees what Anna-Kat thinks her body looks like, and changes her stance immediately.
Anna-Kat is preparing for an art show with her after-school art class and submitted her family portrait. While the other members of the family are drawn fairy accurately for a seven-year-old, Katie resembles a balloon with hands and feet. It doesn’t even take one scene for Katie to choose to go back on her speech and try to wheedle the teacher into changing pictures.
Katie also can’t admit her reason to the teacher, who has the same body type as her, and uses Greg as an excuse instead. She gets a reprieve, if Anna-Kat can draw another picture in the time for the show.
What follows is the funniest scene in the episode, where Katie tries to persuade Anna-Kat to draw her a different way, but just ends up looking more and more like a giant balloon in the whimsical portraits. Katie finally snaps and draws herself into the picture, but is caught by an art teacher who treats the art show like it was held in the Louvre instead of a barn. Katie is branded a liar, forger, and meanie.
Unable to stop others from looking at the portrait, Katie decides to forgo the show entirely and make Greg go. Greg by this point is completely sloshed on port. He has an elaborate ritual he must complete before writing and has been unable to get a word in all afternoon with the art show nonsense going on. He keeps recreating the start of the ritual, which includes a Wonder Woman pose (complete with heroic music cue), almonds, and lots of drinking. His article, which he believes will guarantee him tenure, still isn’t done and Greg’s in no position to finish it by the end of the night.
With the encouragement of drunk Greg, Katie decides that supporting Anna-Kat is more important than what anyone thinks of her. Her decision is rewarded when they arrive at the show and realize that all the other children didn’t portray their families in the best light either. Katie may be a balloon, but she isn’t a lush, sleeping with the gardener, or replaced by the nanny. Katie doesn’t learn a lesson about self-confidence this episode, as her speech may have indicated. Instead, she remembered that other people are just as vain and self-involved as she is and can’t even get out of their bubbles of self-absorption in order to be cruel. Plus, Greg showed up to a children’s art show completely intoxicated, so gossip about the Otto family probably won’t be focusing on Katie this week.
Meanwhile, Oliver, Taylor, and Doris get into a standoff over meat stew. After Doris corrects Oliver and he gives the classic “you’re not my mom” response, a rivalry is born. Katie leaves Doris in charge of the children and she makes Taylor and Oliver sit down for a bowl of meat stew. Neither can leave until both have finished, even if Tupac’s hologram is performing and they’re giving away Xbox Ones at Oliver’s friend’s house. Oliver immediately finishes his lunch to get it over with, but Taylor refuses to budge. It’s only when Greg stumbles in and pours half the stew in his mouth and half down his shirt do the adults call off the standoff. But given that Doris says she prefers Guantanamo-esque parenting, I think there’s still some trouble in Oliver’s future.
What did you think of tonight's episode? Let me know in the comments!
