Up All Night - 1x07 - Parents

Slowly working my way to catching up. Bear with me folk(s).

So Reagan's parents drop by for a surprise visit, pretty much reverting Reagan back all the way to her adolescent state. It's an episode premise we've seen before, but let's face it, it's cliche for a reason: it happens to all of us. Not all of us, however, were used as unwilling subjects by our psychologist mothers so they could write highly praised (if apparently clueless) texts on the 'correct' way to raise children. In a complete coincidence, the specter of grim death is also a recurring theme in this episode.

They're totally looking at themselves down in the corner.

Truth be told, it was less a surprise visit, than a completely unwelcome emotional ambush by Chris. Feeling that icy grip of inexorable mortality that an online death clock and a surprisingly specific Sports Illustrated lifetime subscription brings, he gets wistful about life, and unilaterally decides that Reagan should have a better relationship with her folks. So when Reagan's parents Skype to tell them that they'll be in town for some big banquet for the aforementioned book, Chris takes the opportunity to invite the elder Chafin's to stay with them in familial bliss. Reagan does not take well to this, as one might expect, as it ruins her more mature well thought out "hide behind the couch when they Skype and pretend we're spending the weekend in Vegas with an infant" plan. (Amusingly enough, Reagan's hilarious freezy-stuttery-Skype's-going-through-a-tunnel act coincided exactly with my HD signal crapping out, so it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. I love it when that happens.)

It seems that being mortifyingly invasive and public about Reagan's awkward years isn't enough for Angie. She also insists on portraying the "perfect" parent she claims she was in her book. Perfect in the clinical sense, anyway. Think less June Cleaver, more Dr. Spock. In a Cialis commercial. She effortlessly moves from giving Reagan a full psychologically-approved kiss on the lips, to assuming they have ghee for their "exciting Indian feast". She brought her own cumin! Yeah, I can see how that gets super annoying after seventeen seconds, never mind years.

Yeah, I totally get the lack of forgiveness now.

Realizing, however, that her own negative feelings about her mother could lead to Amy developing negative feelings about her, Reagan decides to at least make an effort, and offers to accompany Angie to her book party, leaving Chris and Dean to a Guy's Night In. Book party bonding turns out to be a spectacular failure, since Angie is more interested in attending to her adoring fans (read: middle aged men more than a little interested in Reagan's first sexual experience) than actually bonding with her daughter. When she announces that her *next* book is going to be about Amy, Reagan flips her drunken lid and, very publically, puts the kibosh on that. Then she goes home, locks herself in her room, and cries while blasting Depeche Mode. Eh, I get it. Later that night, however, she spots Angie getting up to take care of a crying Amy and the sight of her being genuinely nurturting and caring makes Reagan realize that maybe she'll be an okay grandma after all.

Guy's Night In pretty much consisted of Chris first being completely freaked out by Dean's prying, insightful psychological questions into every comment her makes, and then to finally trying to pry some pearls of wisdom (or at least perspective) vis a vis the whole "dying in 21 years" bombshell anonymous corporations have dumped on him. Dean's professional advice turns out to be: drink. Drink a lot. Chris seems okay with this. Hey, whatever works, Dead Man...

The angry mob has a standing 2pm every Thurs. with Ava

In Ava-land, her sound guy died, and she barely knew his name. Apparently she has a habit of identifying her staff mostly by their function. "Sound", "Lights", "Hair". I can't believe it took this long for the staff to rebel. Incensed by her lack of genuine emotion over the passing of their colleague, the staff just straight up starts sabotaging her. Not that it really takes much effort. Apparently she doesn't even check her own hair before going out on stage. In the end, she seems to smoothe things over by dedicating a video tribute to the late Dale. Unfortunately all they have is one group picture and his W-2 form. Eh, you tried.

We hardly knew ye. Also the IRS is going to be auditing your dependents now.