American Housewife - The Dance - Review: "A Blue Croissant"

On this week's episode of American Housewife, all the Ottos face some unexpected developments in the romantic department.

Anna-Kat and Franklin are finishing up a game of "Death by Arctic Exploration" when Franklin asks to speak to Greg in private. He'd like his permission to take his daughter to the dance. Greg happily agrees and says she's had a thing for him for quite a while. Anna-Kat overhears and is super excited and even seeks advice from Taylor on how to act surprised when he asks. Katie's thrilled more than anyone else though - with Anna-Kat going to the dance with Franklin, that means she and Greg will have the house to themselves for the night. They can finally have their kid-free romantic evening!

While Anna-Kat's getting ready for her new relationship, Bri convinces Oliver to further explore theirs by going to the town psychic. (She's not sold on their wedding song being "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. And as much as I love Kenny Loggins, I get it, girl!) Oliver's skeptical, but goes along with it. They visit and Oliver doesn't put any stock in all the crazy things the psychic says.

Later, that night, Franklin comes by, dressed in a suit and carrying a rose. Anna-Kat stands up and prepares for her big moment...and he walks right past her - and right over to Taylor. Yeah, that's right - Franklin's been planning to ask out Greg's other daughter. As a shocked Taylor, and (a bewildered Trip) struggle for words, Anna-Kat angrily accuses Taylor of stealing her man and stomps out. But the most horrified of all might well be Oliver because the psychic predicted this happening! She also predicted Oliver and Bri's romantic night at the dance would end in disaster. Oliver didn't have any reason to believe her - until now. A terrified Oliver tells Katie that he'll just have to stay home from the dance to save his relationship. Katie, seeing her romantic night fade to dust with one of the kids in the house, quickly reminds him that he'd be crazy himself to start to believe the psychic. Fortunately, she seems to able to convince Oliver, and he decides he'll still go to the dance.

While a horrified Greg tries to explain to Franklin, that no, he will not be taking Taylor to the dance, Katie consoles Anna-Kat with ice cream, and realizes again, that her romantic night is in jeopardy now that it seems Anna-Kat won't be going to the dance. A desperate Katie tells Anna-Kat that everything is "just a matter of shifting a man's perspective so he sees you differently." Anna-Kat says she sees what she means and Katie begins to hope that maybe she and Greg will get the night to themselves after all.

The next morning, Anna-Kat is still icing Taylor out when both Franklin and Trip arrive. Anna-Kat invited them. Katie gets excited as it seems like Anna-Kat is gonna try and set things straight with Franklin. But then she does something a little different - she asks Trip to the dance! Trip is even more stupefied than usual, but Taylor quickly accepts for him. Now he's really confused. Afterward, Taylor explains that this is the only way Anna-Kat and her will be even, and no one wants to be on Anna-Kat's bad side. It looks like the sisters are double dating, even if it is an, albeit nontraditional, arraignment.

All issues, aside, Katie's thrilled. This means that everyone will be out of the house - except apparently Oliver. Turns out, the psychic predicted this too, and now Oliver's even more convinced than ever that he needs to stay home from the dance! Katie consults Angela and Doris about her dilemma at Second Breakfast and asks Angela to talk to Oliver. She goes to psychics and Oliver trusts her, so if she tells Oliver everything the psychic said was crap, he might actually believe it. Angela is reluctant, but after Katie promises to show her a video of Doris falling down on the ice, she's in. Angela performs some made-up spell to reverse the psychic's predictions, and suddenly Oliver's totally cool with going to the dance. Mission accomplished!

At the dance, world's most awkward double date begins, as Anna-Kat continues to try and make Franklin jealous, and Franklin continues to "dangle that homewrecker in front of his nerd group" (Anna-Kat's words). At home, Greg and Katie get ready for date night, complete with Greg putting on a hideous mullet wig reminiscent of his hair when they first met, when a cell phone rings. Bri accidentally left her phone at the house when she and Oliver left. Katie picks up and starts talking to her mom, only Bri's mom has no idea who she (or Oliver) are. Apparently, Bri's not allowed to date until sophomore year, and she's been hiding Oliver from her mom. Bri's mom vows to go down to the dance and break up the young couple's night. The psychic's prediction of "romantic disaster" seems to be coming true after all. Katie tells Greg they're going to have to rush over to the dance and hopefully stop Bri's mom before she can get to them.

Meanwhile, Taylor and Trip scheme to get Franklin to notice Anna-Kat. But it turns out they don't have to do much scheming. Franklin walks up on them kissing and he's all how could you do this to "the greatest girl the in world?" And that's it - he realizes he's actually thought Anna-Kat is the "greatest girl in the world" the whole time. Suddenly Taylor's old news and Franklin's seen the light.

Katie and Greg get to the dance, only to realize Bri's mom beat them there. But, she's reacting surprising well, having decided she likes Oliver. She even apologizes to Bri for putting her in a position where she felt like she had to hide things from her. Katie laments that the psychic really was wrong - the night didn't end in a romantic disaster. Greg disagrees, the night did end in romantic disaster, just not for Oliver and Bri, but for them. Date night has been totally ruined. As the two look on in defeat, Greg has an idea to turn the night around. He and Katie can still have their date, right there at the school dance with all the much younger couples!

Random Thoughts:
-Of course, Franklin is in a social skills group!

-Best line goes to Oliver at the psychic "What? Are you about to tell me I'm adopted? If you are, don't look so worried. It'll be a relief!"

What you think of the Otto family's night at the school dance? Let me know below!