In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
Down to one car, the roommates make a convoluted plan to get everyone where they need to be one night, which includes Tyler picking up Jose from the gym while the others are at dinner. Tyler, however, is swayed by the (amazing-looking) dessert and company of Zach's parents and just decides to not go, so John heads out instead. His panties now sufficiently wadded, he unloads on Tyler the day, who is too busy baking to care. After a reception at the salon for Olympic Swimmer Amanda Beard tanks (Tyler remembered to bake but forgot to invite any guests), he cries crocodile tears and explains to John his emotional fragility. Amazingly enough, John forgives him for everything and tells him with a straight face how much this means to really understand what Tyler is feeling. If you hear any retching, that's me watching this sad display. Meanwhile, Janelle and Svet have some Quality Bonding Time of their own and dance out their issues. Okay, so I made that last part out. They really just mumble their way through a conversation and somehow come out with a better understanding of one another. up, everyone holds hands and sings Kumbaya. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
Previously...Janelle and Tyler hated Svet, the Milan died, and Mystic Tan had a bunch of water damage.
Praise the deity of your choice; Mystic Tan is open again, Ricky having replaced a bunch of damaged goods. There to work, hang out, and socialize are the gang and Zach's parents and sister, who are in town to see what kind of depraved life their son is currently living. Tyler prissily asks them when they're leaving, and is thrilled to realize that they'll be in town for "a cocktail event on Friday with seven-time Olympic medallist Amanda Beard." I don't quite know how he does it, but he manages to puff his scrawny chest out with importance as he says this. The family sounds duly impressed that the uber-swimmer will be there to promote her new line of Speedo swimwear. Coincidentally, this is a pretty big campaign -- I've seen billboards of her that are the size of entire buildings, so Speedo's not kidding around. How they came to believe that this crew would do a good job of things is beyond me. Tyler interviews that the hurricane basically destroyed the business, so this is their one hope at breathing some life back into the shop.
Svet and Paula head home in the lone working vehicle. Once there, they get a ticked-off call from Tyler, who's mad because they didn't give him a ride home. He needs to "get home to use the internet for the Speedo sell." Doesn't that just sound all important! They head back out to pick him up and sit in some traffic. Svet does her makeup as Paula says that this whole Amanda Beard reception is going to crash and burn because no one is going to know about it. I guess that means she's not on the committee, or something, since one would think that it might behoove her to figure out a way to let people know about it. I don't get it.
When they arrive back, Tyler is sitting with his face in his hands looking morose and doesn't even get up until he can piss and moan dramatically to Paula about how rude they are and how put out he is. That sloshing is the sound of me, swimming in a pool of my own tears at this sad story. Diva finally leaves with Jose. As they're on their way to the car, Zach realizes that they've gone, and quickly says goodbye to his parents, since he's supposed to get a ride home, too. Jose asks Tyler about this, and Tyler basically says that he couldn't give a rat's ass because he needs to get home. The darling little pot actually tells Jose he's going to leave without Zach. If there is anything I loathe, it's people who make up rules for people and how they should live their lives, but then don't actually live by those rules themselves. Watching this little windbag makes me want to throw something at the television, and I'm not even near the actual action of this episode. Fortunately, Zach makes it to the car before Tyler can actually leave him behind.