Hey folks! Sorry for the delay of the Marry Me recap. I had a sick kid on my hands. Now that the little guy is feeling better (thank you, antibiotics!), I am free to share the hilariousness of this week’s Thanksgiving-themed episode.
Annie decides that now that she and Jake are “engagely-weds” (Give it a chance. It’ll catch on) they should host their first Thanksgiving together. She never had a traditional Thanksgiving growing up because her dads always took her to Ibiza and she really, really, really wants to host a classic, Norman Rockwell-style Thanksgiving. Jake is reluctant because his mother, Myrna, always hosts Thanksgiving, and she does it flawlessly.
As Jake talks about his mother’s delicious food in a baby voice, Kay informs him, “That’s not a good look.”
Jake can’t say no to Annie, so he gives in but when it’s time to break the news to his mom over dinner, Jake chickens out and runs to the bathroom while Annie suggests the change of venue.
Although Myrna is obviously shocked and disappointed, she recovers quickly and agrees as long as she can contribute to the dinner. As a matter of fact, she would love to buy the couple a table! Their empty dining room makes her sad. This is when I paused to think: How does Annie expect to host a dinner, let alone a classic, Norman Rockwell dinner when she doesn’t even have a table! But then I remember that I shouldn’t overanalyze it because it’s a lighthearted comedy and let it go.
As Annie and Jake leave Myrna’s house, Jake is stoked that the conversation went so well, but Annie drops some knowledge on him. Offering to buy them a table is Myrna’s way of one-upping Annie. Annie explains that now that she and Jake are engaged, she and his mother are locked into a lifelong chess match to determine who is the most important woman in his life.
“The war between wife and mother-in-law is a tale as old as Everybody Loves Raymond,” Annie informs him.
She convinces Jake that the table is about more than the holiday. It’s permanent and full of judgment. Jake doesn’t seem convinced, but he agrees to tell his mother that they don’t want her to buy them a table.
Annie may have won that battle, but the war wages on. The next day, Jake comes home after breaking the news to his mother and reports that Myrna was fine with Annie and Jake buying their own table. There’s no animosity at all. In fact, she is sure that this will be “the best Thanksgiving ever.” Jake is clueless, but Annie knows that Myrna just upped the ante. Now the pressure is on to literally deliver the best Thanksgiving ever or they will all die! Metaphorically, of course. Luckily, Annie has found the perfect hand carved Mahogany table. The only thing left to do is find some next level recipes that Myrna would never attempt. Jake tries to calm Annie down but Annie is in survivor mode. As Cypress Hill‘s “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like that” plays in the background, Annie instructs Jake to take her sweaters out of the oven while she works on a shopping list. Annie proceeds to mean mug and dance in front of the computer while Jake looks on, obviously frightened.
Later, Annie is furiously cooking while venting to Kay and Dennah about her war with Myrna and Jake’s lack of understanding.
“I mean, Jake thinks I’m overreacting but…”Annie starts.
“Annie, she said ‘Best Thanksgiving ever,'” Dennah says in support.
Kay chimes in. ” Yeah. There’s no other way to interpret that than ‘Die, bitch!'”
They hold hands in solidarity as Jake comes home. He couldn’t finds some of the exotic ingredients on Annie’s shopping list. He sees that the kitchen is a mess and Annie in a panic, stirring empty pots and, despite being warned by Kay and Dennah to tread lightly, suggests that they call his mother for help. Welp, That did it. Kay and Dennah slowly back out of the apartment while Annie and Jake have it out.
Meanwhile, Gil, Kay and Dennah go shopping for their contributions to the feast. Dennah graps napkins. Kay gets ice. Gil is stopped in the dairy aisle while he is buying cheese for the cheese and cracker platter he is contributing to the dinner.
The guy at the cheese counter offers him a taste of gouda and when Gill accurately notes a “kiss” of walnut in the cheese, he moves on to cave-aged reblochon. Turns out that Gil has an amazing palate. Some in the cheese community may even call him a prodi-cheese. The cheese counter guy invites Gil to a speak-cheesey, after hours illegal cheese tasting club. Gil takes Jake along, who thinks the whole thing is a bit ridiculous, but Gil is glad to finally find something that he is good at. Unfortunately, they aren’t there long before the place is “raided” by two oblivious security guards looking for a place to smoke a joint.
Since getting advice from Gil didn’t work, Jake decides to go straight to the source and talk to his mother about it. When he shows up unexpectedly at her door, he smells freshly roasted turkey. When he sneaks into the dining room to take a look, he sees that his mother has cooked an entire back-up Thanksgiving dinner. She is trying to undermine Annie. The threat is real!
Jake runs home to tell Annie that she was right all along. He finds her sitting in the corner drinking cooking sherry in her pajamas, the pressure of preparing a Thanksgiving extravaganza obviously having got to her. Jake rallies Annie by insisting that, though he didn’t believe her before, he is on her team now. Together, they stay up all night, cooking dinner and taking shots. Soon Gil and Kay come over with the exceptionally rare and illegal cheese he procured.
“I can’t tell you where I got it,” he starts, “but let’s just say…”
“No one cares!” Kay interjects. And then they both jump in to help cook.
Twenty minutes before Myrna is due to arrive everything seems to be coming together. The turkey is in the oven. The buffet table is beautifully set. Dennah finally brings the napkins and remembered to put on her bra. And then everything falls apart.
The table delivery guy shows up with a minature version of the table that Annie thought she was ordering. It seems she didn’t check the dimension on the table she ordered online. Oops. As they fret about that, Kay interrupts them to announce that all the food in the kitchen is on fire. As Annie and Jake try to rescue the food, the doorbell rings. Kay peeks through the peephole. It’s Myrna!
Minutes later, the whole gang, including Annie’s dads are awkwardly sitting around the minature table while Annie serves them the only food they have that is still edible: Gil’s cheese and crackers, and some gravy. Myrna asks what kind of cheese they are eating and Gil tells everyone that is brie made from a farm raised, 18 year old. Human. Female. That’s right. It’s cheese made from breast milk. Naturally, everyone freaks out and puts their plates down on the table at the same time and it crashes to the ground. It’s over. Annie gives up.
“Look, I think we can all agree that this is the worst Thanksgiving ever.” She says.
“Except for the first one, if you’re Native American,”says Kay. Right, except for that one of course.
The point is that Annie knows that she has lost and Myrna has won. No one does Thanksgiving like Myrna. No one takes care of Jake like Myrna. Myrna will always be the most important woman in his life.
Myrna takes the high road and instead of basking in her victory, she shares a story her first disastrous dinner and apologizes for making it so hard on Annie. It’s part of the Thanksgiving tradition to try to undermine your daughter-in-law. Yet. she assures Annie that there is no one she would rather turn her son over to and the two ladies hug it out.
Then in her final move, she announces that she has an entire back-up Thanksgiving dinner in her car if anyone’s interested. As everyone else runs out to get the food, Annie and Myrna fight over who gets to hug Jake the most. It never ends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
