Ahead of the season 3 finale, hope you enjoy this double review!
In Commercial, Christine has pitted Ken against Dale to see who can produce the better commercial for Baskets Family Rodeo. On so many levels, this is a bad idea; the least of which being Dale's obvious dislike of his mother's boyfriend. Though, I think that Dale feels very threatened by Ken for some reason?
Chip is working on rebranding his clown persona and is inspired after seeing a drunk man peeing into a plant at the local library, Tipsy the clown?
Dale and Ken both have an abundance of experience creating commercials; Ken for his carpet store and Dale for Basket's college. Dale is worried though that Ken has a sexual advantage over him, but Mama swears that she can be impartial.
Ken's commercial has Christine center, 'dressed like Nellie Olsen from Little House on the Prairie' according to Dale and not a compliment. She is flanked by her boys outfitted as cowboys.
Dale continues to flub his line and it is quite hilarious. In his frustration, he belittles his mom calling her a 'crazy, old lady.' Ken has had enough of his belligerent smart mouth and walks up to Dale and slaps him right across the beard. It is amazing!
Dale storms off of the set and immediately calls a lawyer. He had it coming, for a LONG time, but Christine is mad and Ken feels bad. No one hits her son. You can tell that the history of her abusive father and husband weighs heavily on her. She tells Ken to go home and they'll talk later.
The group meets up at a party/costume store where Chip is looking for materials to piece together his new clown. The store clerks suggests a killer clown, but Chip is not buying.
Chip tells Dale that he had it coming for being so mean to their mom and Dale storms off, threatening to leave town and sue them all! Mama returns to the set and records her own commercial, solo. Where men have failed, only a woman can accomplish the job!
Basque-ets finds Chip and Christine getting ready for Christmas with their first ever artificial tree and planning a surprise party for Martha's 50th birthday. Martha is going to just love this, not...
Martha's birthday is December 26 and Mama plans to surprise her with a little party at the restaurant owned by Martha's Basque region of Spain's shepherd boyfriend. But, unknown to everyone else, Martha has plans to spend her birthday with her trucker boyfriend.
Christine makes Martha a beautiful display of their 'fabulous' Vegas trip (I think Martha would rather forget that weekend) and Chip plans to introduce Martha to his new clown persona - Dill Pickles! Why do I keep flashing back to the Rugrats when I hear that name?
While Mama is lamenting about how stoic Ken is comparing him to a Christmas tree, Ken has decided not to leave Bakersfield and checks into a motel. Poor Ken, alone in a motel for Christmas. And Martha doesn't mind when her co workers sing happy birthday to the wrong person. Poor Martha.
At the restaurant, Martha admits to Chip that her shepherd boyfriend is married and that their waitress is his wife! Talk about surprises. Ken shows up at the restaurant, hiding from Christine and meets up with Chip in the men's room.
Chip tells Ken that this new clown is based on Dale and Ken convinces him that that would be a hurtful thing to do to his brother; that Dale only left town because he was scared of losing another business.
Ken is such a good guy. He was afraid if he went home to Denver that Christine would never speak to him again.
Meanwhile, after singing to Martha the waitress douses her with a drink. Mama spilled the beans, by accident. Chip apologizes to Martha for ruining her birthday, lamenting how he usually fails when he tries to do nice things for others.
Martha admits that she was going to break up with the shepherd and that it was one of her best birthdays ever. Again, poor Martha. Chip drives her home to her trucker ("don't get strangled, Martha").
But she quickly returns to Chip telling him that she's got to stop acting like she's still 39.
She and the trucker just weren't meant to be. And she walks back to her apartment, alone. Ken calls Chip from the restaurant and Chip tells him to go to Christine; that they are meant to be.
Chip is insistent and obviously not just thinking about Ken and his mother.
Ken goes to Christine and at the same time Dale shows up with his new fiancée in a red jeep 'with blue tooth.' Her name is Shannon and wearing tube tops is her thing, "just go with it."
Christine tells Ken that they have to stop being selfish and Ken's reply: "Christine, you are the most unselfish person I have ever known." Ain't that the truth?
Dale warns Shannon of 'slappy pappy' and all is beginning to return to normal in the Baskets household. Whatever normal is? And, Shannon needs ice for her Red Bull/Pedialyte mix.
Yeah, I think this is finally going to be 'it' for Martha and Chip. Keep your fingers crossed. Chip is trying so hard to be nice and Martha is finally single. Will they realize that they are 'meant to be?'
I really wanted to see that based-on Dale Dill Pickles clown, by the way! And, in Commercial, we see the adorable commercial for Ken's carpet store when his daughters were small, Dale's commercial for the college - Y2K, the lawyer commercial and the party/costume store commercial. They were a nice addition and intros to different parts of the episode.
