THE GIFT OF THE MUTTON

Production #177-958
Tape: October 22, 2004
Air: November 5, 2004

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

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

Co-Starring
Kast Hasa (Delivery Guy)
Kathleen Morrison (Margaret)

Written by 
Peter Marc Jacobson

Directed by
Steve Zuckerman

EPISODE SYNOPSIS/REVIEW

     For incisive and carefully detailed schooling on how jealousy can destroy or reinforce the American romantic relationship, you just cannot beat the television sitcom. There probably has never been a show in this genre featuring romantic relationships that has not plumbed "the jealousy angle" for laughs. "What I Like About You" has gone there, with inanimate objects causing Jeff to get green eyed back in "Tankini". They return there tonight with "The Gift of the Mutton", named for its non-Holly plot of Valerie's "meet the Mom" dinner gone wrong.

     Ben has now graduated to the semi-big time, having secured the Friday night slot at Skidz. Holly, now officially his manager (after the doings of two weeks ago), thinks it would be a good idea for Ben to serenade a girl from the audience every week during one number. Ben and his dance partner unfortunately get too close during their song. Holly then gets jealous because Ben looked like he was enjoying it. Ben doesn't understand for good reason: by nature, he doesn't believe he is a jealous person. At the diner later on, Tina tells Holly to do the old "counter-jealous" number by trying to make Ben jealous. They pick out a guy eating at the diner who, sadly for Holly, has a rather large rear end. They enlist his help, and Holly has a date with him the next Friday night at Skidz. But he doesn't show up, and Vince then volunteers. Holly doesn't think it's a good idea, even when Vince starts repeatedly kissing her. Ben then arrives, sees Holly kissing Vince, and then admits to her he was indeed jealous. That night when he's playing, he picks Holly out of the audience to do his dance with an audience girl.

     Oh yes, the mutton. After smoothing Val over with two tickets to "Hairspray", Rick tells Val during some special time together that his mother will be coming over for dinner. Val has only a few hours to make dinner arrangements. She learns from Rick that his mother's favorite dish is mutton stew, and Val intends to cook it because she fears his mother may prefer Julie to her. After scouring the phone book for mutton, Holly does an Internet search and finds a local place that will supply her with an "unprepared" mutton. To this vendor, though, "unprepared" means "on the hoof", as a live lamb is sent to the loft. The lamb knocks Val's lasagna to the ground just before Rick shows up for dinner with his mother Margaret. Even though it's a disaster, Val stays true to who she is and tells Margaret that who she is is who she is, and she doesn't have to like her mother-in-law.

     The episode, Peter Marc Jacobson's second, plumbs the same basic territory of "Tankini" two years ago, but it seems that the previous effort, with something as innocuous as a sweatshirt instigating the jealousy, was more intriguing and funnier. Amanda Bynes' inherent cuteness really needs to go into overdrive to salvage the more simplistic storylines, as rare as they are to come by with this episode. The other story, the mutton episode, gave us a better-than-average performance from Jennie Garth, as she stands her ground defending her Val-ness in front of her future mother-in-law. And it also gave us the opportunity to see Leslie Grossman work with farm animals.

     Next week, we see Val deal with pre-wedding crisis again as her special day is marred by an interruption in the making of her wedding gown.

NEXT LINE PLEASE

HOLLY: Do you see all those girls sitting in the front row? It would be so hot if you picked one and put them on stage and started dancing with them. Like...that one with the spikey hair is perfect.
BEN: Holly, that's a guy.
HOLLY: What? His money isn't green?

HOLLY: Why are you looking in the phone book or mutton? Get with it! Use the Internet!
LAUREN: She needs mutton, not porn!
HOLLY: Lauren, there are other things on the Internet than porn!
LAUREN: Get out!!! 

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