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WHO'S WHO
Starring
Amanda Bynes (Holly Tyler)
Jennie Garth (Valerie Tyler)
Simon Rex (Jeff)
Wesley Jonathan (Gary Thorpe)
Special Guest Stars
Penn Badgley (Jake Wood)
Samm Levine (Sheldon)
Beth Littleford (Susan)
Co-Starring
Jenna Fischer (Kim)
Jonathan Dankner (Ernie)
and Special Guest Star
Ian Ziering (Paul Cody)
Written by
Steve Molaro
Directed by
Shelley Jensen
SYNOPSIS
Holly starts work at a new job, in a business center called Copy That (similar to Kinko's).
An employee named Jake takes a shine to her, and Holly somewhat
reciprocates, but she doesn't quite
know hot to let him know she's not really interested in him. She asks for and
follows Jeff's advice, but it backfires, causing an embarrassing
situation for Holly.
Meanwhile, at Val's job, she gets the
opportunity to work with her boss Susan very closely when a new client
who represents The Philharmonic seeks a new image for the orchestra.
Susan's on a macrobiotic diet which entails eating a lot of organic
material like algae. It has one side effect, though: she smells like rancid
mushroom soup, and nobody can stand to be near her. Despite a close and
stifling limousine ride shared by the Val, Susan and client Paul, Val does indeed snag the
contract and the opportunity to be overwhelmed by Susan's foul odor for as
long as it takes her to lose the rest of that weight.
And running under the main story, Jeff and Gary
haggle over his order of new menus from Copy That (where, conveniently,
Gary also works...he'll also work in Jeff's restaurant in the
still-to-be-aired "Holly's First Job", which strangely will be
her second job now).
SHOW NOTES
"Amanda Show" writer Steven Molaro's first episode. He's one
of the four staff writers on "WILAY", and he contributed
sketches (and even appeared as an actor) in nearly all second and third
season "Amanda Show" episodes. In this episode Holly
Tyler officially becomes a working stiff, sharing crew duty with pal
Gary at an office center called Copy That. The show that was produced
following this one, "The Party", was partially set at Copy
That. The show aired before "Holly's First Job" (#175-603),
meaning that when that episode does air there should be some explanation
of the continuity warp.
Caryn Lucas, screenwriter of the Sandra Bullock
comedy "Miss Congeniality", joins the show as an executive
producer effective this episode.
It's the first truly "star-studded"
episode of the series, with a crossover appearance by another WB rookie,
Penn Badgley, as the amorous Jake, who makes an intercepted pass at
Holly. Who knows...perhaps he'll get it right next time. The other guests
of some import include Ian Ziering, who spent much time onscreen with Jennie
Garth as Steve Sanders on "Beverly Hills 90210". Here he's
Val's client, Paul. Then there's Samm Levine, the "Freaks and
Geeks" favorite who plays Sheldon, and "Daily Show" alumna
Beth Littleford as Val's smelly boss, Susan (which could possibly be a
recurring role).
Gary's surname is revealed on this episode;
it's Thorpe.
The culmination of Jeff's Amy
Teplin story is an anti-smoking message in disguise, as this episode of
"WILAY" joined the other WB Friday comedies in carrying
anti-smoking messages in conjunction with the American Cancer Society's
Great American Smokeout (which was scheduled for the Thursday following
the broadcast, November 21, 2002).
HIDING BOB
Jennie Garth, now in her eighth month as of tape date, is seated a lot
more, and now wears more black. In the limo ride her back is toward us in
the long shots, and she's shot from the chest up for her closeups.
NEXT LINE, PLEASE
VALERIE: I have to meet with my boss. I have to kiss her butt
because she finally asked me to pitch a new client with her. Then we have
to discuss the strategy for kissing the client's butt and then execute
said butt kissing plan!
JEFF: So that's what you public relations people do! Kiss butt all day!
VALERIE: And make famous people more famous!
JEFF: Hey, can you do something for Billy Bob Thornton? I feel like I
don't know what's going on in his life anymore!
JEFF: So I've had these same old menus for while and I guess I could use
some new ones! Give me your professional opinion!
GARY: Frankly I'm surprised you've stayed in business this long!
JEFF: What? They're not that bad!
GARY: Come on! Helvetica Bold? It's a poor man's font! We'll upgrade you
with a lovely palatino! Perhaps a nice 18 point -- no, no, no, no, no, 14
point!
JEFF: Just make me some without stains, dude!
GARY: You like this menu I designed, didn't you? Nice paper...and
the leather... (sniffs the cover) ...smells like a man, but feels like a
woman!
JEFF: Look, I told you, I loved it! I thought it was great! But I can't
afford it!
GARY: Ah! But what if you could? Look! Check it out!
JEFF: Ok! Question: why is the chicken ravioli now $56.95?
GARY: You make a little more on the food, and you can afford my elegant
hand-crafted menus! Everybody's happy!
HOLLY: I told Jake I knew he had a thing for me, but he denied it. Then
he told everyone what I said and now they all think I am conceited.
JEFF: Are you saying he denied the heat?
HOLLY: No, no, he liked me...he just didn't like being rejected by me.
JEFF: So he did like you, but you rejected him first, then he turned it
around to make you the object of ridicule -- my God!
HOLLY: I know!
JEFF: That kid's a genius!
NOT THE NEXT LINE, PLEASE
HOLLY: Jake...?
JAKE: Drake.
HOLLY: Don't care!
OUR REVIEW
"Copy That",
tonight's episode of "What I Like About You", featured an
interesting juxtaposition of the concept of personal space. There are
things in life that prevent two people from getting closer, some times
physical, other times psychological. Steve Molaro, the only holdover from
the cadre of "Amanda Show" scribes to cross over to WILAY, has
crafted an intriguing story where sisters Holly and Valerie
Tyler each deal with unwanted personal space invaders, each in their own
unique way. Trust me, there's a reason why Holly's kissing a guy she doesn't
like.
For Holly, her new job at Copy That, a Kinko's-style office
service center, means interactions with an all-male, all-teen staff
including Jake (Penn Badgley). When Holly is happy to see Jake getting her
coffee and fixing her copier, Jake misinterprets it as a romantic
attraction. When Holly tries to let him down easy, Jake tells the rest of
the staff, who ride her mercilessly the next day and deem her conceited.
To get the staff off her back, Holly arranges to have a picture taken of
her and Jake kissing. She calls the staff together to view a blowup of the
photo -- but it's not the photo she took. At the end of the episode, Gary
arranges to have the staff stop talking about Holly -- at the expense of
staff dweeb Sheldon (played to great comic effect by "Freaks and
Geeks" and "Not Another Teen Movie" star Samm Levine).
At Val's public relations firm, a new client
(played by Jennie Garth's old "90210" buddy Ian Ziering) has a
once in a lifetime opportunity for Val, and it entails working with her
boss Susan (Beth Littleford). But her boss has insufferably bad body odor
due to her diet (lots of organic food and kelp), and it hobbles Val's
productivity quite badly. It's a pretty weak subplot though, which
only really exists to elicit reaction shots from the guest stars and
Jennie, and
doesn't really have a payoff like the main story did. The minor
interactions where Gary (who oddly enough is also working at Copy That)
and Jeff haggle over menus for the restaurant were funnier and better
fleshed out that the "boss smells" subplot, though.
For all I've seen Penn Badgley on "Do
Over" and this episode of WILAY, he definitely displays a savvy and a
maturity that leads me to believe he can't actually be fifteen. Wouldn't
it be crushing to his fans if it were found out that he was actually
nineteen? I suppose if Amanda can play up in age, so can Penn...and he
seems decent enough a guy to have given Holly Tyler her first romantic
kiss (of the televised variety, natch). As you'll see later in the column,
all this face mashing and getting close will possibly lead to a big payoff
in March as the WB continues to position Holly as a romantically comic
teen queen.
Remember a few months ago how we said Amanda had
tools in her arsenal she hasn't been able to use as yet? Well, Amanda Bynes continues to demonstrate her special skills as an actress,
and tonight she added to that legacy with a role she's never really played
before on TV...that of Holly, the mankiller. Her body language, moves and
vocal tones make you forget she's just a mere child of sixteen as she sets
up the potentially incriminating kiss. It's
played very charmingly by Amanda and was definitely the high point of the
episode.
But the other eyebrow raiser was the payoff of the meeting scene
where Holly was set to show
the picture of her and Jake kissing. It wasn't the right picture...instead, it was a very saucy shot of Holly posed in the
apartment, looking over her shoulder, in a pink halter and a pair of jeans
printed with the word "PRINCESS" across the butt. One of Jake's
co-workers asked, "Can I get a copy of that?" quite tongue-in-cheekly.
Anyway, it was a pretty good sight gag. By the way -- can I get a copy of
that?
There hasn't been a show the likes of WILAY, on a
romantically comic basis, since "Boy Meets World" closed down a
bunch of years back. But between many of the yocks on that series there
were uncomfortably serious moments as they spoiled many a sweeps period
with more than one "very special" episode. With its Holly
storylines and the continuing story of Jeff and Val, "What I Like
About You" continues to show us that teenage love can be funny, sweet and
tragic, and "very special" -- in a good way -- all at the same
time.
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EPISODE GALLERY
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Holly's all decked out for her first day at a new job: an
office service center called Copy That. |
Gary works there too and has been proficient with their
photostatic scanner. |
Jeff eyeballs a cup he thinks has the image of Gary's thumb
on it, but that wacky Gary, y'never know. |
Jeff, at the store to get new menus for the restaurant,
wishes Holly luck on her first day. |
A coworker named Jake has brought her a latte the way she
likes it. |
She sweetly advises him that one of the copiers needs
magenta toner. |
Jeff notices Holly kind of likes Jake, and tweaks her a
little bit. |
Holly returns to the apartment after her first days, still
awed by Jake. |
Jeff thinks she should try to further the relationship. |
But Holly's already
fused his last name with her first, and has deemed it a love
that can not be. |
Jeff noticed the subtle body language between them, and
warns Holly it's Amy Teplin all over again. |
He then relates the story of Amy Teplin, whom he loved... |
...until he saw her skinny-dipping with another guy. He
carried a torch for her for awhile. |
But Jeff got the last laugh when he saw Amy at the ten-year
class reunion... |
...all that smoking she did left her short of breath and
with discolored teeth. (See sidebar) |
The next day at Copy That, Jake's back with another latte. |
You're welcome. |
Jeff, also in the store, whispers to Holly a reminder of
Amy. |
So Holly steels herself for that talk with Jake... |
...and she requests his presence in the break room. |
After shooing Sheldon out of the room, Holly and Jake have
their talk. |
This portion of "What I Like About You" is brought
to you by the word "LIKE". |
Jake confesses that he was just trying to be nice... |
...and he promises it won't happen again. End of story,
right? |
Wrong. The next day at work, Sheldon gives Holly her new
schedule... |
...and is quick to tell her he's not in love with her. |
Seems good old Jakey-Cakey spilled the beans about their
little talk in the break room! Plus, he spread the word around
that she's conceited! |
All the guys are joking about not being in love with her --
and they all brought her coffee! |
Holly sternly summons Jake to the break room for a
much-needed talking to. |
Sheldon pleads with Holly not to hurt him. |
Now Holly is the laughingstock of Copy That. All the guys
now think she's conceited. |
And she demands to know why! |
Jake gingerly explains that if word got out that she
rejected him... |
...it would destroy his status as the store's premiere
playa. |
Holly explains about the events of the morning. |
Also about Sheldon and a broom. |
He liked her, but not the rejection. |
Which makes him look pretty good in Jeff's eyes. Maybe it
would have worked with Amy! |
Holly sets the timer on a digital camera... |
...and sets up the chairs to prove she's not conceited. |
Jake enters the break room and Holly welcomes him in. |
They sit down, and Holly starts her confession. |
She's been having a lot of trouble sleeping because of the
tension... |
..."a charley horse of the heart". |
Holly purrs, "Remember what you said to me?" |
He racks his brain. Was it the magenta toner? |
He once said she wasn't bad. |
But when she's not so bad... |
...and he's not so bad... |
...it's so good. |
Good enough, but he's not in camera range. |
Location, location, location. |
That'd be the spot. |
Holly makes sure they're in the camera's sight... |
...and they kiss, long enough for... |
...the picture to be taken. |
That kiss was so good he saw a flash of light! |
But Holly felt nothing. End of attraction, end of awkward
moments. |
She does recommend Sheldon's broom for the next time,
though. |
Holly entrusts Gary with developing the photo that would get
her off the hook, #10 in the camera. |
Holly begins to explain to the rest of the Copy That staff
that she's been teased long enough... |
...and now she'll present the damning evidence to prove
she's not conceited, and that Jake really liked her. |
Damn! That is damning! |
That did nothing for any of Holly's co-workers, but any
other red-blooded American male with a pulse...now that's
different. |
Gary seems to be of the opinion that exposure #11 would have
been a better choice. |
The Tyler girls sum up their workplace adventures. |
Susan, Val's boss, will be off that macrobiotic diet again
and will start smelling like a normal person soon... |
...and Gary has set up an exhibition for the other Copy That
co-workers: Sheldon Eats And/Or Kisses Stuff! |
They won't be talking about Holly at work any more...copy that! |
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ROLE CALL: The Other Faces |
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PENN BADGLEY
(Jake Wood)
Penn is a relative newcomer to showbiz, but he already has a
high-profile gig: he plays Joel Larson, the 34-year-old salesman
fated to travel back in time and relive his youth in the 1980's
on the WB Thursday's comedy "Do Over". The
15-year-old took and passed accelerated high school classes, and
now takes college-level courses.
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IAN ZIERING
(Paul Cody)
He played Steve Sanders on "Beverly Hills 90210"
opposite Jennie Garth's Kelly. Post-BH, he has been very
proficient and prolific in the field of cartoon voiceovers. He was married for a time to
Nikki Schieler, the Playboy Playmate who became one of "Barker's Beauties"
on "The Price Is Right", but they're divorcing.
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 SAMM LEVINE
(Sheldon)
Playing nerdy, nebbish characters is second nature to
Sheldon, a veteran of NBC's beloved "Freaks and Geeks"
and "Not Another Teen Movie".
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 BETH
LITTLEFORD
(Susan)
Beth was a contributor for many years on "The Daily
Show with Jon Stewart", Comedy Central's news program
sendup, filing many satiric location pieces.
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