American Housewife - The Code - Review: "A Baby, a Marriage, a Divorce, and a Launch of a Lifestyle Brand"

The Ottos are jealous people. Let me tell ya!

After getting home from a grocery trip, Anna-Kat asks what the security system code is so she can turn it off. Katie tells her it's 4673, the same as all their other passcodes. Anna-Kat asks where it came from and Katie says it was Greg's passcode when they were dating, so they both just kind of adopted it. When Anna-Kat asks Katie what it means and she says she doesn't know, they ask Greg. "It stands for April 6th, 1773, the day of the Boston Tea Party," he says. Innocent enough, right?

Not. Anna-Kat points out that the Boston Tea Party was in December and Greg quickly changes the subject, but not before Katie takes note. Later that night, she asks him about it again, and after some prodding, he admits it spells out "Hope," the name of the girl he had a crush on in college...and subsequently dated for two years!

Katie's horrified to find out that every important code in their life is a reminder of Greg's ex. Consulting Angela and Doris, they agree that she has a reason to be upset, so Katie tells Greg he needs to change all their codes. Greg says it would be extremely impractical to change the passcodes for everything they have and notes that he wouldn't be jealous if the situation were reversed. Of course, this doesn't satisfy Katie, so she takes to playing dirty, and starts wearing a hoodie from "Acopoco, Spring Break 98,'" where she was "noticed" by a former Real World cast member, who she then spent three "hot and slow" days with!

Seeing that Greg still isn't bothered, Katie brings out the big guns and dumps a whole box of her ex-boyfriends' stuff on the bed. Greg is understandably a bit horrified at this and says that Katie has no right to be mad at him for having one little thing of his past relationship when she has a whole box worth. Katie says it's different because her ex's things are stored away in a box, whereas the "Hope" passcode is part of their everyday life.

While Katie and Greg are dueling it out and sleeping in separate rooms, the rest of the family is dealing with their own problems. Taylor continues to be pursued by her theatre cast-mate Pierce, and Trip continues to be too stupidly good-natured to notice, leaving an alarmed Greg as the only one to see what's coming on. Oliver and Gina continue to practice together for the prestigious ballet boarding school scholarships, but Gina's having trouble with a crucial move, so the two set out to practice 24/7. Kathryn (who's being forced to "bond" with Anna-Kat) is having her cosmetics packages stolen off the front porch, so Katie has her and Anna-Kat go on a "stakeout." Fortunately, for the two of them, they end up loving each other's company ("I love how you don't know how to talk to children!") and start scheming together, even putting a stick in the middle of the street to see how many kids on scooters they can trip!

Things for the whole family continue going less-than-stellar. Katie's parading around in all the clothes her ex-boyfriends gave her and Greg has put a lock on the fridge so Katie will be forced to put in the "Hope" code every-time she wants to eat. Katie and Greg do stop feuding long enough to sit Trip down and explain to him what's happening with Pierce. This leads to Trip running down to the theater and demanding that Taylor quit the play. She refuses, tearfully breaks up with him...and runs right into Pierce's waiting arms.

Anna-Kat and Kathryn continue their stakeout for the doorstep thief. When the delivery man leaves the cosmetics on the door, Anna-Kat goes to get them, but Kathryn suggests they leave them there as bait for a while. At this, Anna-Kat is forced to admit her secret. She's the doorstep thief. She's been taking Kathryn's deliveries to get back at her for never wanting to play with her. Anna-Kat apologizes but says she's nevertheless glad this led to her and Kathryn having so much fun together. Katherine happily forgives her and finds herself admitting her own secret. She actually likes hanging out with Anna-Kat!

Oliver and Gina go to audition for the ballet scholarships, and Gina gets the girls' scholarship, but Oliver doesn't get the boys' one. Having made a pact that neither of them would go if they both couldn't, Oliver assumes they will just try again next year. At this, Gina tells him that she's going anyways because she can't afford to pass up such an opportunity. She says that he'd do the same thing if he were in her position, and he tells her would not. She thinks that's sweet. But, she's still going!

Trying to comfort Oliver, Katie and Greg assure him that Gina is just the first of several relationships that will eventually lead him to the perfect one. They both realize this advice applies very well to their situation, and apologize to each other. Katie agrees to throw out all her old boyfriends' stuff and Greg agrees to change the passcode. That second part doesn't actually last for too long though, because Katie realizes she can't remember any other passcode. They decide to change it back to 4673, but instead of standing for "Hope" this time, it stands for "Hore!"

Random Thoughts:
-The flashback to Katie throwing all Taylor's shoes out the window because she wouldn't pick them up had me in stitches because it's remarkably similar to my own mother's claim that if "you don't put your clothes away, your gonna find them at the Goodwill!"

-Gina and Oliver's constant practicing while her uncle Louie yelled "Do it again" and then his "Don't do it again!" when they finally nailed it and started kissing was hilarious.

-Best lines go to Doris, when she's describing what she did to her husband's middle school girlfriend after finding a mix-tape from her ("I not only burned it. I then tracked the skank down, stole her identity, and then wracked up all sorts of charges at Barneys. She won't be able to buy a house for a very long time.") and Katie, when trying to get Kathryn to bond with Anna-Kat ("Pushing through an Ambien and going online shopping is not really her jam.")

Do you think both Oliver and Taylor's relationships will stay on the outs? Let me know below!