Starring
Amanda Bynes (Holly Tyler)
Jennie Garth (Valerie Tyler)
Simon Rex (Jeff)
Wesley Jonathan (Gary)
Guest Starring
Leslie Grossman (Lauren, 3rd app.)
Anne-Marie Johnson (Olivia)
and
Dan Cortese (Vic, 2nd app.)
Co-Starring
Scott N. Stevens (Dave; his third app.)
Doug Budin (Lance)
Irene White (Kris)
Jessica Chaffin (Geena)
SHOW NOTES
This episode originally aired on April 4, 2003, the same
day Amanda Bynes' second film, "What a Girl Wants", premiered.
The WB tied in the film's release with a special contest offering one
winner a trip to London for the August premiere of the film, which will be
attended by Amanda.
Viewers were instructed to watch the show and look for the Union Jack, the
British flag, in the show. The flag appeared tacked on the wall in
Valerie's office, as shown here.
Lauren's story about "Webster" is a
backhanded reference to Emmanuel Lewis, one of the celebrity housemates
earlier in the season on "The Surreal Life".
Three performers return, most notably Dan Cortese
as Val's boss Vic. Also back is Leslie Grossman as Lauren. Even though
Jeff's old restaurant is no more, Scott N. Stevens (who was Jamie the
waiter in "The Parrot Trap" and "Valentine's Day") is
back as Dave, one of the Harper and Diggs flunkies. He could wind up being
the George Petrie (who appeared as a myriad of characters on "The
Honeymooners") of "WILAY".
The behind-the-scenes shots of Amanda were
compiled from a behind-the-scenes look at "A Day in the Life of
Amanda" which ran on "Access Hollywood". Originally
scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, it was rescheduled for Friday, April 4 to
coincide with that night's airing of "What I Like About You" and
to give an extra bump to "What a Girl Wants".
THE BEST OF LAUREN'S OFFICE STORIES (Joined in Progress)
"...so I bent over, looked him in the eye and said, 'I
don't care if you were Webster! Nobody snaps my thong!"
"...so that's when I learned that laxatives don't really care if
you're on a date!"
NEXT LINE PLEASE
JEFF: What's up, buddy?
GARY: You hit on my mom?
JEFF: I didn't know she was your mom! I just saw her sitting there and I
thought, "Whoa! That is..."
GARY: No! No! No! Do not! Hey, that woman gave birth to me, OK? I'm
her Baby G! You can't go on a date with my mom! What's the matter with
you?
JEFF: All right, I'll call and cancel...
GARY: You can't cancel on my mom! What's the matter with you?
OUR REVIEW/SYNOPSIS
On a day where Amanda Bynes staked out more ground in
the American Box Office Universe, we were reminded of her power on the
small screen. There are very few days where talk of a new episode of
"What I Like About You" will not dominate any Amanda-led
conversation, but you're lookin' at one of them. In a couple of days,
Amanda's name will be newsworthy again, especially if "What a Girl
Wants" hits that #1 slot in the Box Office derby. But it all started
on TV, a medium Amanda hasn't grown too big for, thankfully.
"What I Like About You" was never meant to be a
workplace comedy. But the contributions of staff writer Steve Molaro have
given it that option. His first two entries into the genre were "Copy
That", establishing Holly's mini-career at the copy center with
plenty of back room intrigue and a little office romance, and "The
Game", one of the season's standout episodes with Holly knowing more
about how an office is really run than most people who work there. Molaro
and Kirker Butler have now followed it up with "Loose Lips", a
crisp and cracking tale about gossip.
Holly returns to Harper and Diggs to work the mailroom,
and "Loose Lips" (with a little encouragement from said Holly) seem to be ruining Valerie's at-work reputation
and relationship between her and boss Vic (Dan Cortese, in his second
appearance). Nearly the first thing that happens after she returns to
the PR firm is she becomes the Mailroom Gossip Source, talking about how a
co-workers who went on medical leave for her wisdom teeth came back two
cup sizes bigger. Holly learns from Lauren (another fine job by Leslie
Grossman, this script's go-to girl for a wisecrack or non sequitur) that
Val doesn't come up in office gossip for the simple reason that she likes
to keep to herself. Holly then encourages Val to hang with the office gang
at the bar after work one night. Loosened up with firewater, Val lets on
that while in college, to make money, she starred in a piece of cinema
called "The Bartender", which, in post-production, became a
pornographic film called "The Butt-Tender". More embarrassing is
that when Vic walks Val back to 34C, they very nearly kiss, but pull back
just in time. Of course, that info is just too good for Holly to keep, so
she doesn't, only to curb suspicions that Vic and Val are having an
affair. Val strives to keep the next day at work a purely professional
manner, but Vic is just too, umm, alluring and Val gets rather flustered
-- and tempted -- at his little show. While trying to sort out who kissed
who with Vic, Val kisses Vic, the flirtation ends, professionalism sets in
again, and Val promises to tell Holly -- off the clock
While all this Harper and Diggs intrigue swirls,
Jeff and Gary find a little tension in their friendship. While tending bar
at B-91, Jeff sets up a date with a hot woman, but goes through with it
anyway -- despite learning that the woman is Gary's mother, Olivia
(Anne-Marie Johnson of "Family Matters", looking very nice these
days!). He simply can't get past the fact that she is his buddy's mom,
especially when they arrive at her place and he sees an oil portrait of
Gary hanging on the wall. Even so, the date went well, they had a good
time, and Gary and Jeff wind up laughing about it.
Across the board, the actors in the main
storyline excel. Lauren Grossman and Dan Cortese, as Val's workmates,
solidify their position as Harper and Diggs' instigators of choice. Jennie
Garth lifts Val up another level tonight as she's caught up in that
age-old dilemma of staying professional in the workplace while being
physically attracted to a superior. As in "The Game", Amanda
Bynes' Holly is allowed to have a mature place in the office machine.
Amanda's top scene tonight is when Holly lets on about her own office
fantasies about Vic, and play-act what his lips would look like while
kissing Val. On the periphery, the subplot, given its usual amount of
space, is also charming, with the still beautiful Anne-Marie Johnson a
treat to see again.
|
|
Episode Gallery -- Main Story
|
Will you look who's back at Harper and Diggs! It's Holly!
She's now working in the mailroom.
|
Part of her new job at the PR film is to make sure all the
interoffice mail -- as well as Lauren's outeroffice mail -- gets
in the right hands.
|
Especially Lauren's special mail order needs. But enough about
that.
|
Val instructs Holly that she's to stay professional and blend
in.
|
But how can you blend in when you're born to stand out? (I
heard that line somewhere...)
|
And if you thought Holly was going to blend in, you're a boob.
|
Holly notices that the office clique never really includes
Val...
|
...and Holly wants to know why Val isn't a part of H&D's
social underbelly.
|
Lauren explains that the perception of Val is that she's a
bore.
|
Holly thinks it'd be a good idea to invite her out for a
Wednesday bull session at the local pub.
|
But Val refuses. Lauren shrieks, "Shocker!"
|
When pressed by Holly, Val explains that she never socializes
because she wants to keep her ties to the other workers
professional.
|
Holly encourages Val to mingle and mix, and she agrees it
might be fin at that.
|
After all, Val's under a pretty big shadow.
|
Drinks flow and stories are swapped as Val joins the
after-hours crowd.
|
Even Val's boss Vic is in on the fun!
|
Lauren sets up a storytelling contest, and each one is urged
to come forth with their most embarrassing moment.
|
Val tells a story about an old boyfriend, a film student, who
cast her in a small role in a cheapie called "The
Bartender".
|
But after his funds ran out, a studio financed it under the
stipulation it be turned into an X-rated film, "The
Butt-tender".
|
But things get bizarre when Vic walks Val back to 34C...
|
...after an awkward goodnight, Val and Vic lean into each
other -- as if to kiss!
|
Wow! What was that all about?
|
And conveniently perched on the couch is Holly, ready to hear
all the gory details of Val's office outing.
|
She thinks that that almost-kiss of theirs was awesome!
|
But Holly doesn't quite grasp the concept of an awesome
almost-kiss.
|
Val explains that they moved in close, and there was a moment
where each probably thought about kissing the other.
|
Holly, proven a little infatuated with Vic herself, wants to
know how his lips looked in kiss mode.
|
|
Talk about loose lips! (Holly in kiss mode doesn't look half
bad either!)
|
Val is able to confirm, yes, for Vic's part, the lips did
part.
|
Val also confesses that when her mind wanders, Vic is there
moving furniture around.
|
Holly wants to know if he's sweaty.
|
And then Holly confesses to some mind
wandering of her own.
|
Even though she fosters feelings for Vic, Val pledges to keep
it professional tomorrow at work.
|
But before that, Holly needs some more details to fire
up her own fantasies.
|
Get your clang clang on!
|
Here's what you need to know about the next day at work. That
would be Vic.
|
And that would be Val, keeping it professional. Or not.
|
Things get worse as Vic leans in on Val as they inspect
Rolling Stone pics of Xtina...
|
...and they reach their worst as Vic actually starts moving
furniture -- and sweating!
|
Elsewhere in the building, Holly reveals another
fact about Val's star turn in "The Butt-tender".
|
When others join the group and state that Vic and Val are
having an affair...
|
...Holly decides to set the record straight. Vic and Val are
not romantically linked...
|
...and all that happened is that they almost kissed last
night.
|
That's enough for the flunkies, who run upstairs to spread the
news even further.
|
Not even Holly can urge Lauren to cause a distraction.
|
Holly warns Val about the "Val and Vic" rumors.
|
But Holly gets an earful about what just happened in her
office.
|
Holly assures Val that she put the affair rumors to rest, and
that wouldn't be brought up again.
|
Lauren asks Val about that "almost kiss".
|
Even though Holly told the truth, it'll still get people
talking and wondering.
|
Especially since there's another co-worker there who claims to
be kinda hot for Val. (Hmmm...)
|
Val speaks to Vic, and they both agree that that attraction
during the almost kiss as mutual, and any hanky panky is wrong.
|
Val also tells Vic that they should pact to make their work
experience totally professional.
|
And of course, they seal it with a kiss.
|
And in come Holly, just after they kiss!
|
As Vic leaves, Holly needs to know what just went on.
|
Val won't tell Holly the Harper and Diggs Mailroom Girl, but
she will tell Holly, her sister, after work.
|
Quittin' time! Yabba dabba doo!
|
|
Sub-Story: Jeff dates Gary's
mom
|
Jeff is not only managing at B91, his new restaurant, but
tending bar as well.
|
He picked a pretty good day to start -- scope out Olivia, his
first customer! Ni-i-ice!
|
They start connecting on topics about why it's called "Melba
Toast". (If you must know, it was named for a
legendary Australian operatic diva, Dame Nellie Melba.)
|
As if by magic, pleasantries and phone numbers are swapped,
and Olivia and Jeff set up a dinner date.
|
Jeff sees Olivia and sees a wonderfully romantic, beautiful
woman.
|
When Gary sees Olivia, she sees...his mother.
|
Gary can't believe that Jeff's gonna date his mom!
|
He does demur and set up guidelines for him to follow, with
fork-style consequences if he doesn't.
|
Jeff's trying to stay within the guidelines, but Olivia
invites him in anyway.
|
But Jeff cuts that short since there's a room feature that
dominates, and will put a damper on any after dinner activities.
|
And it would be hanging on the wall.
|
Even though Gary gives future dates his blessing, Jeff doesn't
think there'll be any more. Gary thinks he's a good friend, but a
stepdad???
|
|
Bonus! Amanda behind the
scenes from "Access Hollywood" (April 4, 2003)
|
"Access Hollywood" junior correspondent Skyler
Rose...
|
...backstage with Amanda Bynes!
|
Amanda arrives at the Warner Studios each weekday (she works a
five day week) at 7:30AM, and begins her school day. That's her
term paper.
|
|
Amanda getting those "loose lips" of her all glossed
up!
|
What will Amanda wear tonight?
|
Her onscreen wardrobe is the envy of every teen girl.
|
Amanda interviewed on the B91 set.
|
"See ya!"
|
|
