Monday, April 30, 2012

GCB: BBQ Time!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I have to hand it to GCB this week. I didn't care about large portions of the episode, but they finally got their corny titles and phrases to fit the show and they managed to have a wholesome lesson that multiple townspeople took part in. I mean, c'mon, "Braise the Lord" is pretty funny. And, the episode actually managed to work in the fact that Amanda has children. Sure, we had to push aside the Luke-Amanda and Gigi-Burl storylines to do it, but I thought it was a nice change of pace. Of course, we can't drop Carlene's condos or Sharon's meal baskets, but the bigger picture revealed that this was a decent episode. The previews for the season finale sure don't look all that great, and I'd be lying if I said I'm behind the show getting renewed. It has until the 15th to "wow" folks...

GCB "Adam & Eve's Rib" (S01E09): There's a big barbecue competition coming up between various churches, and for our Dallas friends, the men usually do the competing while the women cheer. Things change when Laura wants to help and is turned down because "it's a man's game." Amanda, not wanting her daughter to think that there are certain things that women cannot do, starts her own team with her daughter. [Laura wanting to serve tofu was hilarious!] Gigi joins in, and Amanda invites Heather, who is afraid that men won't look at her if she does so. [how hard is it to find a man who believes a woman can BBQ??] Amanda struggles not to burn briskets in a smoker before remembering her late father's advice - you have to use good wood. So, Amanda and Gigi go to a thicket, which turns out to be on Cricket's land. [of course.] Luckily, Cricket is willing to let them take some wood from a pecan tree, as she also has a daughter who should learn that women can do anything. [though it's not like we see her.] Sharon, upset that her husband has donated a car to the winning team, joins in to be in charge of sauces, upon the condition that she keeps the car as her personal prize. [not a bad way to help things, though I'm sure others will question it!] After meeting a butcher who will give the team some good meat (Carlene bought out almost all of the Wangus beef in the area), Heather agrees to join the team. [that whole shenanigan about nobody faulting Heather for dating a lowly butcher was crap, though. you know they talked about it as soon as she wasn't around!]

Carlene later crawls through the doggie door at Gigi's to sabotage Amanda's brisket (you know, because it wasn't enough that she was hosting a spa day during the BBQ to tie-up any women interested in BBQing), but decides against it at the last minute. When Gigi's dogs go after her, she hides in the pantry, carelessly leaving the refrigerator door open. So, the dogs get the brisket. Carlene turns over a new leaf after hearing Amanda tell Gigi that she wants to set a good example for Laura, so Carlene offers up more meat, in exchange for being allowed on the team, too. [yeah, you want to set a good
(ABC/ERIC MCCANDLESS)
example, but your daughter has to wear an apron, rather than a fitted shirt that doesn't even show cleavage? don't play fair or anything. and how do you have a rabbi as a head judge? we know that the teams can use pork, so that judge can't even eat everything...] Spicy Racks ends up winning, the only females in the competition. There don't seem to be any hard feelings, despite the fact that a few of the women had husbands on losing teams.

A few different side stories are also going. In one, Cricket is hunting down a prize-winning stud to impregnate her horse. She pays handsomely, despite the advances of the owner. When they meet a second time, she is a little more accepting of his flirting, but still holds back. She considers making a move, but seeing a photo of her and Blake stops her. In the end, they kiss anyway. [I like Cricket's business plots but not her personal plots.]



Carlene has come up with a model and video for her Condos for Christian Living project, which she now wants to build on a reservation in Oklahoma. However, Ripp tells her that the Lord spoke to him and told him to keep it in Mexico. This may be a ruse of sorts, though, as we also find out that Ripp sent Andrew to go to Juarez, Mexico to track somebody. [ridiculous. season finale next week...]
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