Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 0 USERS: N/A YOU GRADE IT Crushed Velvet
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 1 | Aired on January 13, 2007
In fact, it does so immediately, as Scott announces that the FBI showed up to arrest Ahmed's dad. The whole family goes to the window in time to see Ahmed's dad frogmarched to an unmarked car by a group of unmarked agents, while Ahmed himself -- a tall "teen" who I think is about thirty -- loudly protests his dad's innocence. Also witnessing the scene from down the street are a couple of squinty-eyed redneck types. Ahmed notices their glaring in time for his indignation to be overruled by his sense of self-preservation, and he quickly retreats back into his house. The family watches as the two dudes storm up Ahmed's sidewalk and start banging angrily on his front door. "We just want to talk to you!" one yells. "Why don't you get the hell out of my neighborhood!" Okay! Good talk! But they're still not leaving. Mom identifies the speaker as Stan, a contractor from down the street, inviting a whole slew of angry letters to the show from the contractor-American community. Dad goes to call the police, but Scott heads for the front door, speechifying, "I'm not hiding here while Ahmed gets beat up because you're scared to do the right thing." This remark should really get Scott beat up as well, but instead Dad resolves to head over there himself. Once he's out the front door, his family is still free to call the police themselves. Which is why it's kind of funny when Mom takes the kid by the hand and leads the kid over to the front window so that they can just stand there and watch Dad get curbstomped instead.
Meanwhile, across the street, the angry neighbors kick in Ahmed's door and storm inside. Ahmed's in the hallway, frightened and holding a chair defensively in front of him. Stan starts in about wanting to talk and "friendly advice," in that angry-scared voice that people use whenever the talking is just about finished. But before things can get violent, Dad rushes inside and interposes himself in front of Ahmed. "This kid's father's a terrorist," he says, which Dad denies. As for why the FBI arrested him, he says it's "because they're scared, like everyone else." Of course, nobody's more scared than Stan, who tries to push Dad out of the way. But Dad's not moving, despite being about half Stan's size, and says, "If you want him, you're coming through me." Stan backs off at this, promising, "This isn't over," as he and his sidekick leave. Once Ray (formerly "Dad") and Ahmed are alone, Ray tells Ahmed that it's safer if he stays with them until the situation with Ahmed's dad is straightened out. Ahmed tries to decline, but Ray just stood down a burly contractor and isn't about to be denied by some math geek. Update: I was wrong about Ahmed's age. He's played by Kal Penn, a.k.a. Kumar from Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle, who won't turn thirty until April.