WE'LL MISS GITTLE A LITTLE Production #177-959 Tape: October 29, 2004 Air: November 12, 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) Tamara Mello (Nikki) Ed Kerr (Rick) Co-Starring Cynthia Szigeti (Mother) Carol Mansell (Pauline) Steven Shaw (Older Man) Linda Porter (Old Woman) Written by Marco Pennette Directed by Steve Zuckerman EPISODE SYNOPSIS/REVIEW Marco Pennette is going to get some nasty looks from the record "What I Like About You" audience who, five weeks ago, saw a quirky Russian immigrant named Gittle sewing the hem of Lauren's bridesmaid dress. She also was responsible for the Maid of Honor gown Holly Tyler will wear next week. Now it's time for Val's bridal gown, the crowning achievement of her career as a New York seamstress! Marco Pennette, in that twisted way of his, figured out a way to really mess things up -- by killing off Gittle in tonight's episode, "We'll Miss Gittle a Little". That's too bad in a way because the actress who played her, Sparkle, was perhaps the best part of "God Help the Mister" five weeks ago. Well known to fans of Amanda for her role as Kaylee's grandma in "Big Fat Liar" and fans of the Jacobson/Lucas experience (a guest shot on "The Nanny" seven years ago), Sparkle will sadly never be seen again on WILAY. But her character's sudden demise unlocks a ton of comedic possibilities tonight, and who better than Marco Pennette to lead us through one of the most darkly humorous WILAYs ever. The story starts three days before the actual wedding, with Holly having placed 5 unreturned phone calls to the seamstress Gittle, who is supposed to be finishing up Val's wedding dress. From the opening shots you can see that Val is getting tightly wired over this wedding business. A visit to the apartment she works out of brings out Gittle's widower, who says Gittle has passed away -- actually, shows, since her funeral is being held in the apartment. Holly, Lauren and Val grill the funeralgoers and search the apartment for the dress. Lauren even checks to see if Gittle is wearing the dress in her closed coffin. Eventually it is learned that the dress, along with Gittle's all other possessions, has been shipped off to a thrift store in Queens. Holly and the guys wind up there and through some sweet talk from Vince, get a lead on a woman the dress is sold to from Pauline, the shop owner. But while there, Holly looks out a window at a pizzeria across the street and sees Julie, Rick's ex-fiancee, having lunch with Rick. She then has to keep this news from Val, who subsequently enters the shop with Lauren. Lauren recommends that Rick come get the increasingly-stressed Val and take her home, but Val tells Holly that Rick is in New Jersey on business today. That's a signal for Holly that something isn't right with this picture. It's then up to Vince and Gary, who hesitatingly visit the apartment of a girl named Nikki, an Italian-Catholic girl with a raging mother who describes how Nikki once weighed 230 pounds, had her jaw wired shut after a bowling alley rumble, lost 75 pounds, found a fiance, and scored a wedding dress that would fit her. It was a miracle, says Nikki's mom, and she is not giving the dress up. Even when Vince tries to charm his way into the apartment to get the dress, no progress. Before Holly can say a word, Gary and Vince return with a gaudy dress from the thrift store, and Val says it's the wrong dress (so not peach roses). After Lauren takes Val (previously suffering from missing a salmon) upstairs, Rick enters the loft. Holly tells Rick she saw Julie with him, and Rick tells Holly she needed the closure from being left at the altar back in May. Also entering the loft is Nikki, who wants to give Val the dress back. Nikki tells Val that it's all about love. The dresses and the meals are something else. Val, who had forgotten about the human element in it all, apologizes for being so stressed -- and tells Nikki she can keep her dress. But before the episode ends, Holly warns Rick not to hurt her in any way before the wedding, because Holly still feels something's not right. Pennette's tale moves briskly, covers a lot of ground, and uses an atypically large number of guest players. As was in evidence with his first script, "The Longest Night of the Year", zingers come from out of nowhere and anyone at any time can deliver a flatterer or a flattener. There are even throwaways, such as Vince, Ben and Gary quizzically staring at a rotary telephone in the thrift store as Gary says "I think it's a phone", and Ben concluding the bit with "By the time you call 911, you're dead." But he also builds intrigue which will be used in the next episode, "The Wedding", with Holly discovering that Rick and Julie (not seen in the episode, too bad for Lisa Arning fans) are lunching at a pizzeria across from the thrift store. Jennie Garth's portrayal of Val as the jittery bride will seem familiar to nearly anyone who has ever gotten married. Amanda Bynes, in her role as Maid of Honor, seems less like the total screwball and more like someone driven to maker sure everyone in her circle of friends is beholden to a high moral standard (perhaps the lies she's told earlier this season have made her more conscientious). One is led to wonder just how the less independent Holly of two years ago would have reacted if Jeff had shed his fear of commitment and actually proposed to Val, making Holly feel like the odd person out. Happily, Holly has a closer-knit network of friends than just Gary, and there are many opportunities for her to strike out on her own and live independently. Mention must be made of Tamara Mello, with a soaring and wonderful performance as Nikki. She used to hang around Leslie Grossman a lot as one of the stars of "Popular" on the WB five years ago. SHOW NOTES During the production of this episode, series star Allison Munn was primarily in the midwestern U.S. with a bunch of other actors (including Jake Gyllenhaal and Kirsten Dunst) with the "Kerry's Kids" tour, barnstorming colleges in support of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. From "What I Like About You" Fan Site at ABNOW! (http://www.amandabynesnow.com/wb/)