The New Normal: Halloween in March

Let's talk about timing. Those of us who closely follow the descriptions of episodes were curious when NBC would eventually run the Halloween episode that was pre-empted because of SuperStorm Sandy last October. Sometimes, a comedy can hold over something like that, as holiday episodes tend to be in and of themselves. But, in this case, Goldie being pregnant won't work next season, so the storyline would be out-of-place anywhere it landed, though it might have made the most sense to just air it as soon after Halloween as possible. But, what's done is done... at least we finally see where Rocky and Jane first hit it off! Not only were they getting drinks, but they were doing so while trying to pass as cross-dressers! I found the Nicole Richie sequence odd... Bryan doesn't normally prance around with celeb friends, so why have her there?

The New Normal "Para-New Normal Activity" (S01E18): The first thing Bryan talks about is how you get to invite who you want to Halloween, which he sees as a "gay Christmas," only you invite your friends. [funny, as it winds up being the Thanksgiving episode where everyone struggles with their true families. another reason it would have been good to try to keep the true production order.] Bryan heads to a "celebrity pumpkin patch" with Nicole Richie, who then joins the family to carve pumpkins, as does Clay, who has shown up unexpectedly. [five on that couch is tight!]

Because Bryan doesn't like everyone choosing their own costumes (because Rocky went as the mother from Precious once, now David is subjected to playing characters like Russell Brand to Bryan's Katy Perry), he decides that they should go as Honey-Boo-Boo's family: David as Sugar Bear, Bryan as Mama June, Shania as Honey-Boo-Boo, and Goldie as Chickadee. [hahahahaha!] But, David thinks they should go as a sports team and refuses to conform, formulating his own Tom Brady costume. And, Rocky is assigned to be Matt Lauer. [haha as Lisa Ling and Lucy Lui getting mixed up!] After dressing up, Shania doesn't like the idea, thinking a Frankenstein family would be better because it's "stitched together." [don't get me wrong... I love how smart that kid is, but this is ridiculous.] David maintains sticks with Tom Brady and Rocky chooses to go as Serena Williams. Jane, immune to Bryan's reign, shows up as Endora from Bewitched, though Goldie, Clay, Shania, and Bryan go with the Frankenstein theme. [I totally wasn't going to get Endora without more eye makeup and the voice, LoL.]

Trae Patton/NBC

Other things this episode? One of the guys' friends' sons wants to go as Bruce Vilanch or a fairy, but his father doesn't want him to be teased and suggests a Ninja Turtles costume. In the end, father and son dress as fairies. [awww!] Clay teaches Shania to throw eggs at people's houses, then decides to drop the custody case because the "right thing" is for Shania to be with her mother in California, not him in Ohio. [mature! but what was with the knock at giving fruit instead of candy??]