GCB -- Turn The Other Cheek
This episode was absolutely hilarious. I can't decide which couple I like best: Rip and Carlene or Blake and Cricket. Anyway, it's time for Rip and Carlene's annual wedding vow renewal. This year the them is Gone With The Wind. Meanwhile, Blake's getting a case of empty nest syndrome and he wants to have another baby, which isn't music to Cricket's ears.
Luke invites Amanda to Carlene's renewal ceremony, but she initially turns him down because the bad blood between them. However, Gigi gets Amanda to reconsider, which sets into motion a set of circumstances that will end with Carlene getting shot and Amanda flashing her breasts.
Sharon is really looking forward to being Carlene's matron of honor and is planning the ceremony like a general about to go into battle. When Amanda comes over to accept a date with Luke, the Plastics insist Luke's date can only be someone in the wedding party. So Carlene takes away Sharon's matron of honor role and gives it to Amanda.
Sharon's crushed because she has so little in her life that being Carlene's matron of honor is a huge thing for her, but she hides her hurt and instead tries to get back at Amanda for taking it away, instead of Carlene the one who took it away from her. She delights in Amanda giving the wrong present to Carlene at her shower. Amanda gives her a vibrator while everyone else gives Carlene a holy statue. And when all the wedding party heads off for a hen party, Amanda is dressed to the nines while the rest of the girls are dressed in hunting gear. This is Texas, after all. They don't do fancy bachelorette parties, they go hunting.
Things come to a head, or should I say a tail, when Amanda accuses Carlene of making her matron of honor to make her life miserable. For Carlene's part, she was actually trying to turn the other cheek, because she felt guilty for blackmailing Amanda to stay away from Luke. The girls come to verbal blows and Amanda throws her rifle on the ground and it goes off, shooting Carlene in one of her butt cheeks.
Meanwhile Heather is trying to get back into the Plastics good graces by sucking up to them, again. The other girls are willing to give her a chance, but Cricket intends to make Heather work for it. Cricket gives Heather a break when Heather points out Cricket does have maternal instincts when she can't go through with killing a deer while they're out hunting.
One of the reasons Cricket was so opposed to having another child if she felt she had no maternal instincts. Blake had done most, if not all, of the mothering when it came to their daughter. Another reason Cricket was opposed to having another child is she felt now their daughter was almost grown, Blake might want to end their marriage so she could go live his life the way he wanted to. When Blake assures Cricket he's happy in their marriage and wants to up for another 18 years, Cricket agrees to have another child with Blake.
Meanwhile, Rip is standing over the doctor's shoulder watching every move he makes as he removes the bullet from Carlene's butt cheek. He's a little worried when the doctor wants to see if she can still clench her butt cheeks. He's vastly relieved when she can still do it. I think it has something to do with sex.
When the Plastics give Amanda a hard time for shooting Carlene, to make them see that this isn't so bad, she mentions who Luke lost Carlene's original marriage license. Carlene didn't know about that and this sends her into a tizzy as she realizes she's been living in sin with Rip for years. When an upset Carlene belittles Sharon making so much over matron of honor, Sharon finally has had enough and storms out.
Luke and Amanda have some issues when Sharon spitefully tells Amanda that Luke has had a different date for everyone of Carlene's wedding renewals and has broken up with them shortly afterwards. Luke gets pissed that Amanda won't ever try to see he's changed, while she expects everyone to see that she's changed.
In a bizarre twist of fate, Amanda finds Carlene's marriage license and rushes down to file it, where she runs into Luke trying to do the same thing. The clerk is an old school mate of Amanda's she belittled in high school. He won't file the license retroactively unless Amanda pulls up her top and shows him her boobies. She's obliges and she and Luke get back together.
Carlene makes up with Sharon and makes her matron of honor, again. The wedding is an absolute hoot with Carlene dressed as Scarlett. She tries to scamper down the aisle but has to stop mid-stride when she feels a twinge in her wounded butt cheek. She perseveres and makes it down the aisle to Rip who picks her up in his arms and spins her around.
Carlene/Rip and Cricket/Blake's marriage are the direct antithesis of each other. Carlene and Rip have a great sex life, but he's the boss. The only time Carlene defies him is if she thinks it goes against the Lord. Cricket and Blake have more of an equal relationship. They seem to be best friends and aside from the sex thing have this great relationship. They're a living example that sex isn't everything in a marriage. They fulfill their sexual needs outside the marriage but still have a wonderful relationship together.
The show seems to be finding it's groove and it just keeps getting better and better with each passing week. In a strange way, the Plastics are like the girls from Sex and the City. Carlene is Carrie, Heather is Charlotte, Cricket is Miranda and Sharon [if Samantha had married and didn't embrace her sexual freedom.]
