THE NOT-SO-SIMPLE LIFE

Production #177-953
Tape: September 3, 2004
Air: October 1, 2004

Starring
Amanda Bynes (Holly Tyler)
Jennie Garth (Valerie Tyler)
Wesley Jonathan (Gary Thorpe) 
Leslie Grossman (Lauren)
Nick Zano (Vince)

Guest Starring
David de Lautour (Ben Sheffield)
and Ed Kerr (Rick)

Co-Starring
David Lee Garver (Todd)
Keith Allan (Omar)

Special Appearance By
Jesse McCartney

Written by 
Amy Engelberg and
Wendy Engelberg

Directed by
Shelley Jensen

EPISODE SYNOPSIS/REVIEW

     To make sure the ones we love are protected, well taken care of, and given all they need to make their way in the world, sometimes we tend to delve to deeply into their business. Pull the strings, Eagerly manipulate. Put one's nose where ones nose does not belong. Two storylines created by the Engelberg sisters, Amy and Wendy, dovetail in this "third of the third" "What I Like About You" program, "The Not-So-Simple Life". Holly Tyler tries to give the musical career of boyfriend Ben a boost without him being the wiser, and Lauren continues vicariously enjoying the masterminding of Val's wedding -- interceding in an unusual way.

     The show starts out with Jesse McCartney singing "Beautiful Soul" in a club Holly and Ben enter. Holly's aim is to get a CD Ben cut to the club owner. In her glee to contact him, she accidentally shows up on stage while Jesse is doing his number. The failure causes friction between Holly and Ben, since he's upset over the way Holly did it. A temptation arises, though, for Holly to help Ben without him knowing about it, as Gary recommends another club, Skidz. The club owner needs $500 as a deposit to insure 50 people get in at $10 a pop. Where's the money coming from? A blank check from Val for Holly's schoolbooks. 

     Club night finally comes, and Jesse McCartney tips Ben off to that someone paid for him to play. It sparks another fight between Holly and Ben, and he retreats back to Vince and Gary's pad. Gary and Vince tell Ben he's lucky enough to have Holly push him. Then Holly comes right out and tells Val about the blank check for $500. Val then steps in and tells the club manager to give back the money -- and there's the matter of having someone perform for five minutes. Holly and Val are this close to getting up on stage themselves (doing their famous yoga act), until Ben returns. Holly and Ben apologize for each other, and Ben plays a number to close the show.

     Val is a little upset too with Lauren, who has appointed herself as planner of Val's wedding. She comes in with her grand design for "Romance Through the Ages" centerpieces, including Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, and Ross and Rachel. But Val is too nice to tell Lauren to lay off. Before she can, Rick intercepts the wedding planner as he asks a favor: to help him pick out Val's ring. Val sees the ring, and she doesn't like it. Val is slow on the uptake, and she slowly comes to realize Lauren picked it out. That story is wound up in quick fashion at Ben's club date as Rick gives Val a ring he selected -- and it's beautiful. And while all that's going on, a handsome yet troubled man named Todd starts hitting on Lauren -- only after telling him she's married to Rick.

     The seemingly indomitable, "can-do" Holly of the earliest episodes reappears, as she blindly walks down unknown roads unaware of the repercussions. The overseas boyfriend plottage is suiting Amanda Bynes well, as she is putting in some very nice work on this series right now. Even as David De Lautour closes the show with a song, director Shelley Jensen does not let us forget who is driving this bus as she leaves us with a beautiful shot of a luminous Amanda in the wings, digging the sweet sounds of her TV boyfriend. Quite simply, she is a delight to watch every Friday night and one of the most upbeat, attractive young actresses working this night on TV. Would that more people could figure that out.

     Of the remaining players, Leslie Grossman returns to her special form after two weeks in the background. Her manipulating of the Val wedding scenario got major play tonight, and will also factor into next week's action as well. David Lee Garver puts in a notable performance as Todd, that man who confesses his love of married women and is increasingly attracted to Lauren as she poses as Rick's wife! Lauren later cites Val as Rick's sister, a bad move considering they're making out after Rick gives her the ring! Side characters like Todd really give certain episodes an extra special edge, and Todd has been one of the better ones of late. Jesse McCartney's musicianship was welcome, providing backing for Holly's Scene A club capers. David De Lautour is looking to parlay his short snippets into longer songs, with perhaps a music career on the side in mind? After all, the WB has been all about the music.

SHOW NOTES

Jesse McCartney is only the third performer to play himself on "What I Like About You" and the first one to do so in two years. The first two were Tony Hawk ("Pilot") and JC Chasez ("Spa Day").

It's the first day off for Allison Munn after debuting 22 weeks ago in "When Holly Met Tina".

ROLE CALL: The Other Faces

JESSE McCARTNEY (Himself)
Recently known to all as surfer boy Bradin on the WB's summer series "Summerland", Jesse is a musician by trade, having appeared in the pop band The Sugar Beats. Jesse's first album, now out, includes "Beautiful Soul", the song he sang to begin the show.

From "What I Like About You" Fan Site at ABNOW! (http://www.amandabynesnow.com/wb/)