Tracy’s issues with her mom, Brenda, have her chain-smoking by the window in dreadful anticipation of her arrival. It all comes down to Brenda’s epic cougarosity. Tracy barely had tits, and Brenda was stealing her thunder at pool parties. Tracy is so tired of being outdone by her own mom that she gets wasted on booze she doesn’t like and nearly has a threesome with two strange guys just to keep up. Now, let it be said that I have nothing but respect for anyone who wants to get their groove on in any fashion they see fit, provided that’s what they’re into. It’s clear, though, that Tracy’s only motivation is to not be left in the dust yet again by her own mother. It’s ironically her self-awareness—the one quality her mother lacks—that keeps her from doing something she’ll only regret later. For the first time in weeks, we’re treated to a genuinely good musical interlude, during which we actually get to see in flashback some of the shit Gary alluded to just moments before. I think it’s telling about Chozen’s character that even after being hardened in prison and being flat out rejected by his dad, he’s more hurt than angry. I mean, hey, parental approval is a pretty powerful motivator, and no matter how far we grow beyond our need for it, it’s never unwelcome.Unless your parents are Nazis or something. In that case, their approval might imply something rather unflattering about you and it wouldn’t be the most comforting thing to have, but… you know…other than that. Things pull together in the end. It’s a fucked up happy ending, but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. For a show like this, the fucked up parts are what allow such genuine sentiment to go down smoothly. The humor in this episode was almost flawless. Jimmy showed up just long enough to be completely disgusting and Troy was absent altogether. Ricky and Crisco get only a passing mention, but…like anyone missed them? Their spirit did move in the room, however, when we got some racial humor about crackheads in alleys which Chozen refers to as “creatures of the night.” Look, I’m not saying racial humor isn’t funny. I laugh at racial jokes of all kinds, even those I’m the butt of, and this is a show all about racial stereotypes and the role they play in pop culture, but as it’s been said before, if it’s not clear your humor is satirical…your satire has failed. Whatever. Ah, well. Time will freakin’ tell. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
