GCB: News Jobs for Amanda & Sharon?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Another episode where Amanda's children are barely seen. Sharon and Heather have small parts as well, as this installment focuses mainly on Amanda and Cricket, with a side-story of Carlene, her family, and Gigi. I don't see the latter lasting long, though, unless Burl and Gigi are going to become a couple before a suitable period of mourning. Of course, the former doesn't really last, either, as Amanda has already bowed out of working with Cricket and Blake. I'm okay with it, as I didn't see her making that great of a fashion consultant anyway. Plus, Carlene's immediate return of Amanda's laptop didn't further that story arc, either. The only new thing that really happened this episode that will carry over? Andrew bought some land in Texas and Sharon wants to work outside the home. Disagree?

(ABC/KAREN NEAL)

GCB "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" (S01E04): Amanda wears high-waisted slacks and open-toed shoes to church, horrifying Carlene and Gigi. [because they feel like women must wear dresses and men must wear suits in the presence of the Lord, as seen to the right.] That's not the most shocking thing for Gigi, however... Carlene's uncle Burl comes back to town with his wife, Bitsy. It quickly becomes apparent that Burl has been harboring feelings toward Gigi for years. [so it's the older generation of Zach being married to Sharon but caring for Amanda...] Gigi throws a "Come as Your Favorite Texan" bash, complete with a wide variety of barbecue available. Even the local opera lends its costumes to the attendees. [what money won't buy! more on the party later, though...]

Blake asks Amanda to work as a fashion consultant for his company, which is trying to relaunch a 70s brand of jeans, Western Ho. Amanda is worried about what Cricket will think, but goes ahead and proposes a design for the modern woman by borrowing pockets, stitching, and tapering from old styles. [if Gigi was so upset that Amanda was taking the jeans out in public, why was she keeping them in her home?] They immediately go into production to make ten pairs for Amanda's Boobylicious friends to model, as there's a business meeting the next day. Amanda witnesses a guy giving his number to Blake, so Amanda lets Blake know that she doesn't judge. It's clear that Blake is considering confiding in her, but Cricket makes sure to tell him that, while she can handle Amanda being around, she doesn't want her too close. [if we believed the first part, the second would work, but I don't think anyone buys any of it.] "LordLover87" leaks photos of the jeans to a Christian website, so the business may suffer a $25M loss, especially because Cricket doesn't want to issue an apology. [I wasn't sure whether or not to be suspicious of this, but I definitely should have taken Cricket's actions more seriously...] Amanda is shocked that she isn't the scapegoat, but she still tries to help by asking Andrew to figure out the identity of "LordLover87." Caruth Industries soon loses a big client, but Amanda has another potential solution: rename the brand to "Western Hosannah," which would appeal to the same people who were offended. [I was impressed with her idea, though I don't know that it would fix things.] 

The pastor suggests that Sharon and Zach swap places for a week to learn to appreciate one another. So, Sharon tries to do odd jobs around the church, and although she breaks a nail and it takes her all week, she does finish a bookshelf. Proud of her independence, she feels belittled when Zach tells her that she makes too much work around the house for herself and that he just needs to learn to thank her more often. Sharon decides to keep her job at the church as an assertion of her ability.

Rip asks Carlene to steal Amanda's laptop so that he can continue to search for information on Bill, but Gigi catches her snooping. [why would she cut out the stain from her shirt?] Carlene manages to smuggle out the computer between her knees (and under her skirt). [I'm impressed that she made it down the stairs like that!] When she gets home, however, her son has his pants down and is looking at the Western Ho jeans online. See, he's not allowed to bring the "family laptop" upstairs, as he had previously been caught ordering "subversive books" like Harry Potter. [who has a "family laptop" in 2012? seriously...] Carlene decides this was a punishment from God, so she returns the computer before Rip can download the hard drive (which would have been password-protected anyway...).

Andrew is heading to Alabama to check out a property, so Heather is desperate to find him a suitable parcel locally. [even though he's only been back for a short time, I guess Heather really has the hots for him, huh?] Burl is ready to see a large chunk of land that he and Carlene own, but Carlene wants to buy him out and build an all-Christian housing complex, which is against a fair housing law. [I know that Carlene is accustomed to getting around laws, but thinking that this would work is ridiculous!] Heather winds up working out a deal with Burl, and Andrews is so thrilled that he gifts her some ornate earrings. [who can spot new earrings from across the room? that darn Carlene!] Burl tells Carlene that he sold the land for twice what it is worth, and she's bummed. [duh. but let's move on.] 

[Now, back to that party!] Sharon dresses like Anna Nicole Smith, but then changes to Mary Kay, to fit her new, "independent woman" mode of thinking. Amanda is dressed as Farrah Fawcett in her famous red swimsuit. Bitsy dresses as Barbara Bush and asks Gigi to play Laura, which she agrees to after Burl encourages her to be nice to his wife. [the Laura Bush looked very realistic.] Anyway, Andrew gives Amanda the cell number to LordLover87, but when Cricket answers the phone, Amanda is shocked. [ooooh... tricky GCB! I thought maybe it would be Carlene, but Cricket makes more sense.] Amanda tells Gigi what happened, then shares that Cricket and Blake have an open marriage. [the first secret I was fine with, but why tell Gigi (a gossip) about Blake and Cricket??] Amanda then talks to both Cricket and Blake and tells them that she can't stay on as a consultant, though she wishes them luck in the endeavor. [I guess that's the tactful way to get out of it?] Amanda comes across Carlene at the party, off in a corner praying for guidance. Amanda says that she'd hand off a similar situation (walking in on your son), and pawned off the problem to his dad, which she can no longer do. Carlene seems genuine for a moment, then takes the opportunity to ask if Bill's funeral was open-casket, and Amanda says that it was. [for Carlene and Rip, this means that Bill likely isn't hiding around in South American somewhere.] Bitsy confronts Gigi about Burl's feelings, then announces that they'll be going back on a world tour. Before anyone else finds out, however, Cricket and Blake come across a passed out/dead Bitsy. [heart attack? choked on some food?]