Melissa & Joey: Wanting to Date Another

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

"Nerds and Normals shall not hook-up." Apparently, this could be in the Bible, as far as Lennox is concerned. I find it incredibly amusing that she doesn't consider herself a nerd... after all, she has done quite a few nerdy things, like writing a play and running a blog. But, anyway... I thought that the past few episodes have really been pushing the point that there IS a sexual tension between Mel and Joe that neither one of them wants to acknowledge. This episode even had an outsider make a comment about their relationship, but that's still not enough for them. Problem is, I don't want them to get together... at least not for a while yet! I think that would change the show in so many ways, some of which could be detrimental to the comedy. The gag about Mel trying to act like she could cook while using Joe's tips the entire time has been seen before but still managed some originality - especially when it came to removing the giblets! 

Melissa & Joey "Eat, Pray, Date" (S02E09): Mel comes home from an auction where she bought a dinner with herself. [this woman can be SO STRANGE!] She and her date, Travis, are hungry, so they dig into the leftovers in the fridge... and Mel lets him believe that she prepared all of the meals. Joe overhears but doesn't burst her bubble. [good for him.] However, Travis wants her to cook for him, so she watches Ratatouille to prepare. [um, what now? how are we supposed to believe that she could possibly hope to use that movie to cook??!?] Joe takes pity and tries to teach her a few things, but she's squeamish when it comes to sticking her hand into a chicken. [not gonna lie, I was freaked out the first time I did that, too... but I was like 20, LoL.]

http://abcfamily.go.com

The family likes Mel's first meal, and Joe sets up the kitchen with cheatsheets for Mel's date. [am I alone in not wanting to wear a pretty dress to cook? I still want that dress, tho. and is she really making the exact same thing two nights in a row and STILL needs cheatsheets all over the place?] Travis was supposed to bring the chicken, but there was a salmonella outbreak so he brought lobster and crabmeat. Mel panics and interrupts Joe's massage to get him to agree to live-stream directions to her in the kitchen. [how often does he prepare lobster that he has a recipe memorized??] She has to keep sending Travis on errands (like lighting EVERY CANDLE IN THE HOUSE), but only a few steps in and her plan is destroyed. Well, Joe comes in and covers the basics for her but Travis walks in as Joe is leaving, so Mel has to come clean.

While this is all going on, one of Lennox's friends shows an interest in Ryder, and Lennox begs Ryder not to follow up on it. He is interested but doesn't know what to do about Holly. He thinks he can two-time them, but things start to fall apart when Holly finds out about Noelle via video-chat. [just how big of a tool is Ryder? that boy needs to learn to lie better!] Lennox uses reverse psychology to get Ryder to go back to Holly, and we're back to norm!