Sometimes it’s nice to know that somebody’s there. Even the most secure, attachment-free individual can find a sense of comfort in not being alone or in having someone confirm their feelings through their actions. The world can be a scary, lonely place these days and if you don’t have to go through it alone, it can make all the difference in the world. On tonight’s episode of Suburgatory, Tessa found the value in someone answering her cry for help, while Dallas and George discovered that not every first date needs to be equipped with bells and whistles.
First Date Jitters
After agreeing to go on her first date with George at the Halloween party last week, Dallas is dealing with the nerves that come at the beginning of any new relationship. Things are changing for her and even though it’s for the better, it’s taking her a bit to adjust to the idea of seeing George in the same way that he sees her. The day of the date, Dallas and Dalia get a beauty regiment to die for – all mud masks and manicures to up Dallas’ confidence for later. Dalia gives her mother a compliment that surely helps her mindset, rattling off a (genius) list of what George lacks that Dallas’ other boyfriends didn’t before informing her that he’s the one that should be nervous.
That night, George comes over and before he can see Dallas, he gets a load of her entrance, which is some weird(ly awesome) combination of an old WB promo and a music video, complete with a red carpet and a wardrobe change. He wants to take her to a smaller restaurant to eat meat, but she rules against it and opts for a place that serves lobster bisque. At the restaurant, George runs into a problem bigger than trying to help Dallas out of her complicated pony eyelash-lined coat: her unlicensed life coach Tabitha (pronounced Tibet-itha), who will be joining them for the meal. As expected, having Tabitha around doesn’t exactly scream romance for the fledgling couple, what with his several bird stories and need to touch every piece of bread in their elaborate basket. Tabitha does try to talk to George about his relationship with Dallas, but by the end of the night, he refers to them as a “clustersnuff” and walks away without George’s e-mail.
When George walks Dallas home, she opens up about her feelings for him, standing in the rain and telling him that she never had a chance to pick a guy. They always picked her and she never had to worry about not having someone, but the day that she met George, she knew that she had to have him – she made her pick. He appreciates her finally being real with him and reminds her that that is the only way they’ll make it as a couple before kissing her and dropping the umbrella, at her behest.
Babysitting Blues
As a thank you to Carmen for her outstanding work with Opus during the past couple weeks, Noah wants to take her out for a night out at the opera; fittingly, he’s taking her to see Carmen at the Chappaqua Opera and needs to find a sitter for the night. Tessa volunteers herself due to a need for cash and eventually, Noah relents and hires her for the job. Before leaving for the opera that evening, he tells her about the security system being down and the attempted burglary that he thwarted recently, while Carmen fills Tessa in on Opus’ love for Phil Collins.
While watching TV to get her mind off of things, Tessa hears a knock at the door – the Hillside Electrical Strangler, a man responsible for strangling…electrical problems in the neighborhood. He had received a call (that came from inside the house) and had his van outside, but Tessa gets too scared to answer and retreats to the bathroom with Opus once he leaves. She tries to call Lisa to get help; Lisa, however, has another thing on her mind, as she’s feeling guilty for not telling Ryan about the adoption. When she told him that she’d give him whatever he wanted, right as she gave up her room to him (and the boot in Monopoly earlier), he responded that he wanted Tessa. Rather than helping her friend, Lisa sends Ryan to Noah’s house in order to unburden herself from carrying around such a major family secret.
Ryan runs the entire way to Noah’s and once he gets there, he tells Tessa that he thinks he’s dying. Lisa had been nicer to him lately and this one time, he saw a movie where a guy coughed and then died, so he’s convinced that he has Ryan’s Disease. While planning the infamous Ryan’s Song (a mostly instrumental to be played at his funeral), he quieted down a fussy Opus, which makes Tessa kiss him (with a closed mouth). Although he would have liked her to put her tongue in his mouth, he’s on top of the world about her kissing him and thanks Lisa for her role in helping the “perfect evening” happen once he returns home.
Additional thoughts and observations:
-Seriously, Dalia’s “rant” about George being the one that needs to be nervous is the best. The best. You can watch it here.
-I loved the hearts on Dalia’s red top. Just tacky enough.
-Also funny: Tessa’s “I could kiss you” once Ryan gets there, followed by Ryan putting his hand in her face to reject her.
-The final conversation between George and Dallas is a good example of why I like them so much as a couple.
–Next week on Suburgatory: Dalia tries to break away from the KKK, while George and Dallas get intimate and, as always, it’s a production.
