Cougar Town – It’s Jules’ birthday … and a gift competition

The first thing I noticed about this episode of (Modern) Cougar Town was just how easily Ellie turned to the truth gun, and sang its praises, even getting others to join her in its usage. This is the same Ellie who continually mocks Jules’s finger guns.  A truth gun is merely a one handed finger gun used solely to gain truth from your victim. I wanted to smack Ellie, and you needed to know that.

There was so much going on in this episode with Jules’s birthday, the competition for the best gift, seeing Andy as Keyser Söze and Bobby nearly drowning in a neti pot, it’s difficult for me know where to start. I’m going with the neti pot, because although I’ve never almost drowned using one, I find them to be one of the most horrifically painful little devices known to man. Poor Bobby didn’t know what the hell he was getting into when Travis gave him one, and conquering it as father and son to “Hero” by Enrique Inglesias had me laughing out loud.

Here’s the part where I get fruit tossed at me … Although I know who Keyser Söze is, and did see The Usual Suspects, I saw it only once. All I really remember is that Kevin Spacey was the dude who masterfully made up the entire movie based upon items posted on a police bulletin board (or something). Ellie has always hinted to the group various reasons she is married to Andy, although they are not the usual couple. In “Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It),” we see a completely different side to their relationship. Ellie always comes off as the high strung and demanding bitch of the marriage, but it seems Andy has her wound tightly around his little Cuban finger! Seeing this new dynamic in action made me love both of them even more, and I have a new respect for Andy. He’s not just half of a bromance with Bobby Cobb … but he is full on romance with Ellie Torres!

As for the birthday, it really came down to the wire in the gift category. In a stunning, cunning move on Laurie’s part, she tricked everyone and proved she really did know something about Jules that no one else did, and it was how much she wanted a charm bracelet. She easily lead everyone astray while keeping the big reveal for herself, ingeniously wrapped inside of a box of cookware, keeping even her supposed “partner” Grayson in the dark. Well played for the girl they so often disregarded as slutty and stupid. Well played, indeed.

In the end, Andy won his heart’s desire to go dancing for Jules’ birthday and even to get to know her a little better in the process. They became actual friends on Jules’ 42nd birthday, and he is no longer just her best friend’s husband, and therefore a friend by proxy, but the real deal. Little dude has some moves and they dirty danced well together, much to Ellie’s chagrin.

The final scene, with the finger guns of truth being pulled and slung around the room was perfect. After all the in-fighting and cajoling we do behind the scenes at CliqueClack, it is my hope we can get the guns flying someday.Truth guns — may they never be cocked at your head.

Two elegantly simple quotes:

“I wanna know who finished the wine without opening another bottle.” – Jules

“Once you go Andy, all the rest are blandy.” – Ellie

Clacked by Carissa Pavlica
on Nov 04, 2010 @ 08:13 EST5EDT