Episode 8: “Call Me Señor Don Gato”

Episode Recap:

Everyone is at the bar except for Randi, who is dialing in virtually. Max is playing a recorded version of one of his original songs from his phone. Everyone at the bar seems to love it, but Randi’s reaction seems less than enthusiastic. Max tries to get more feedback but Randi hangs up before he gets the chance.

Carter’s son CJ is on a fancy ski trip that Carter’s ex-wife’s new boyfriend, Xavier, is paying for. Carter is triggered by this but keeps his cool because he’s going to have a brand new pair of sneakers ready for CJ when he gets back from the trip. He’s going to a midnight limited supply sneaker drop to get the shoes, and his cousin Darren is covering for him at the bar again. Kat offers to wait in line with Carter.

Kat and Carter are in line. They start telling stories about themselves that the other doesn’t know. They’re bonding.

Randi is at the apartment in a robe, excited to have the place to herself for once. Sheila shows up thinking Kat would be there to offer her a distraction from the breakup with Preston. She starts complaining to Randi, who was foolishly hoping to have a peaceful night to herself. Oscar knocks on the door. He forgot his phone at the apartment and is swinging by to grab it. Oscar starts complaining about his boss giving Oscar’s truck to his son-in-law and switching it out for a smaller, smellier truck. Randi is peeved, but she suggests that Oscar and Sheila go to a bar and vent/distract each other since that will satisfy each of their needs. Just when she gets them to leave, Max knocks on the door to ask Randi what she thought about his song. He sits down and plays it for her again.

Kat and Carter in line. CJ calls Carter so he steps out of line to take the call. Kat says she’ll hold their place but then sees a cat in the street and leaves the line to get it out of harm’s way.

Randi doesn’t love Max’s song. Max is upset and is about to leave when Phil walks in saying he has an emergency with the cookies he’s making. Naturally, he needs Randi’s advice.

Kat gets back to the line with the cat, but the guy behind her who she had previously bonded with is no longer letting her back in. She thought she could trust him but she thought wrong.

Any legitimately unfair tragedies that befall Kat bring me a sinister amount of cathartic joy.

Sheila and Oscar are at the bar. Sheila tells Oscar he’s too nice and that he needs to stand up for himself to his boss.

Randi tells Max that the song doesn’t sound like Max. She asks if Max likes the song, and Max says this is the type of song that sells. Randi says “you can guess what people want but never know for sure, and since there’s no guarantee you should ultimately just do what you want.” Max is appreciative of Randi’s feedback and leaves. Phil comes back looking for advice on his cookies again.

Kat and Carter finally make it back to the front of the line, but they’ve run out of the shoes for the size that they need. Carter is upset and storms off.

Sheila accidentally sends a text from Oscar’s phone to his boss telling him off. They come to the cafe to tell the group, just as Oscar gets a text from the boss asking him to call immediately. The group suggests different fake stories but Randi says he just needs to own it.

Kat and Carter are sitting on the curb. Kat apologizes for losing their spot in line for the shoes. Carter says it’s been a tough day overall, which is why he’s really upset. Apparently Xavier proposed to his ex-wife hours earlier, which has been a lot to process. He’s upset because it feels like his ex is “winning” the divorce and moving on much faster than he is. Kat tells a story where the moral is to relinquish a sense of competition in order to find real happiness. Carter appreciates the message.

Oscar gets off the phone with his boss. The boss was mad but respected the frank conversation. Now that Randi has solved everyone’s crises, she says it’s finally time for her to get some time for herself.

Kat and Carter are about to walk back home, but as they’re heading out the bouncer at the sneaker store recognizes the cat Kat recently rescued and is carrying. Apparently it’s the cat owned by the sneaker store owner. She convinces the bouncer to give her his own pair of sneakers in exchange for the cat. It all works out in the end.

Dancing and the end of the episode.

Memorable Quote:

Carter to Kat: “I took choir in middle school but was terrible at it. Sister Mary Ellen used to always say that I was sent by Lucifer to test her.”

Episode Score: 6/10