Starring
Amanda Bynes (Holly Tyler)
Jennie Garth (Valerie Tyler)
Simon Rex (Jeff)
Wesley Jonathan (Gary Thorpe)
Guest Starring
Michael McMillian (Henry Gibson)
Anicka Haywood (Jill)
Ryan Starr (Pam)
Written by
Caryn Lucas
Directed by
Shelley Jensen
EPISODE SYNOPSIS AND REVIEW
Ever since Henry Gibson stumbled into Holly
Tyler's life via the men's room this past January, we've been waiting for
a moment like this where he can shake his quirky, nerdy persona and
develop into a full-fledged beau for Holly. Over the last few days it's
been looking more and more like we are going to experience more kisses
like this. This was the grace note to Season One of "What I Like
About You", very sweetly wrapped for us by Caryn Lucas, one of the
guiding forces behind the creative team of "The Nanny". Her
first episode, "The Talk", delves into familiar late-season
territory for WB sitcoms: whether or not Holly should rush into a deeper
relationship with her boyfriend or let things follow naturally. Once again
trust is an overriding theme as Val, while not trusting Holly, finds she
can't even trust herself.
"Greetings from Tucson" and the late
"Raising Dad" had late-season episodes dealing with whether
their heroines should dabble in sex, as did tonight's season finale of
"Grounded for Life", but only "What I Like About You"
makes the experience truly funny as it shows Val Tyler at her hypocritical
best. While not as blatant, it still explores many of the issues that make
the romance dance intriguing.
Things happen pretty fast and somewhat
explosively. We are greeted with a cram session between Holly and Henry in
her bedroom, which almost leads to the first kiss until they're
interrupted by Val. Then comes that talk, over lunch at B-91. Holly is not
happy about the restrictions placed on her by Val, most notably the one
where since Holly and Henry don't seem to be in a committed relationship,
they can't be at the apartment alone anymore. After Holly leaves, we meet
Jeff's new girlfriend, Pam (Ryan Starr of "American Idol" fame),
and Val and Jeff have their first major interaction after they went their
separate ways as they rag on the pseudo biker-chick. The spark between the
two exes is rekindled. While all this is going on, Holly and Gary have a
movie date, and when Jill busts it up, Holly goes back to the apartment
and finds Jeff walking around 34C in a towel and Val in a robe. He claims
he's fixing the shower, but Holly knows better. So Holly learns Val
can't even follow her own sex advice.
There is a scene here that leads us to believe it
may be final between Jeff and Val...might Simon Rex not be in the equation
next year, leaving Valerie free to follow her heart? But before Holly and
Val patch things up, Holly and Henry share that first kiss as shown above
-- in the men's room of B-91, where they first met.
And with that first kiss between Holly and Henry,
we iris out on the first season of "What I Like About You". In
major defiance of many TV critics and message board naysayers, it actually
did run a whole season. 22 whole episodes -- NOT SIX. Repeating -- NOT
SIX. Congratulations to the WILAY cast and crew for that. We were very
pleased that the producers saw quite early that the series wasn't going to
last long in its then-current form as a "Lucy" clone, and after
the Episode That Wasn't ("The Not So Super") passed before the
cast to a collective groan, the entire show was retooled to position Holly
as a sweetly romantic lead, less prone to outbreaks of physical comedy.
Jeff changed from a bit of a twerpy guy to a sensitive guy with
convictions -- convictions that led to his breakup with Val -- and the
maturity to abide by them. Gary was given romantic strength midway through
the season after moonily lusting after Val for most of the first three
episodes. Val is less jittery, more confident, but still needing to be
shown the way by little sis. All four principals tonight proved they're
the real deal, as well as the two auxiliary cast members Michael McMillian
and Anicka Haywood. If it weren't for the directional shift, we'd never
have had scripts like the absolutely brilliant "The Game" or the
touching "The Breakup" or tonight's season finale. And the most
shocking thing of all, but not terribly surprising -- on a show originally
tailored for a younger teen demographic, who could have ever predicted
that the 22nd and final show of the season would have as its focal point
sex?
This is the first episode written by one of the
series' executive producers, Caryn Lucas. The very talented writer of the
feature "Miss Congeniality" and "The Nanny", she'll be
working on the tweeny-bop feature "Princess Boot Camp" for
Disney this summer. She's had a bit of a roundabout route to her current
post, with a large game show background. She worked for Reg Grundy
Productions in the 1980's on their stateside shows "Scrabble"
and "Time Machine". Before that, she was a staffer on
"Family Feud" who, on one 1979 telecast, actually hosted a
question ("Name a food with the word 'French' in its name") when
host Richard Dawson was having problems with his bruised ribs and had to
have them treated offstage. She signed on to WILAY shortly after the
ouster of original executive producer Michael Goldman, and under her watch
the characters, scripts and situations of the series have all improved.
And tonight she contributes a script for the first time ever, one that
gives us so much to look forward to on two fronts: how far Jeff and Val
will go to patch up their relationship after their shower liaison (if they
ever really did break up -- we don't trust any season finale with a shower
scene for some reason), and of course the now "serious" tone of
Holly and Henry's coupleship.
She makes sure all six main regulars show up to
share in the fun, and stocks the episode with all that makes this series
special. The weakest aspect of the show is just using guest star Ryan
Starr as nothing more than window dressing.
But above all, Ms. Lucas makes sure she gave us
what we want to see as far as series star Amanda Bynes is concerned...a
light, funny, spirited performance that makes every guy watching -- no
matter what age -- seem young again to appreciate the charms of a young
woman who is the kind of gal we never really knew in high school. She's
the standout tonight, as she was many Friday nights this first
season...and it'll be a damn shame if we never get to see Episode #2-01 a
short nineteen weeks from today.
SHOW NOTES
Appearance of Ryan Starr with no lines is perhaps a first for the
show. This show was taped out of sequence allowing series semi-regular
Michael McMillian to tape the Fox pilot "Luis", which as of this
airing was not on the Fox schedule but a good candidate to make it. A
scene using the Rialto exterior set taped for the episode, but not used,
featured Holly and Gary passing a "What a Girl Wants" poster and
making comments about it.
NEXT LINE, PLEASE
HOLLY: Please explain. I'd love to hear it.
VAL: What happened here is complicated.
HOLLY: Uh-huh.
VAL: And...well, all right. You remember when you were four and you
had that little blankie?
HOLLY: This is gonna be good...
VAL: You and blankie spent a lot of time together. But then it came time
for the two of you to go your separate ways. Remember how upset that made
you? Remember how upset you were that one night that we let you and
blankie sleep together one last time to say goodbye?
HOLLY: Yeah...but why did you have sex with Jeff?
ROLE CALL:
The Other Faces
RYAN STARR
(Pam)
Ryan was one of the earliest evictees from the
first season of "American Idol". Now a sometime actress, she
makes frequent appearances rooting on, among others, Wesley Jonathan at
Hollywood Knights charity basketball games.
|
|
EPISODE IMAGES
|
Holly and Henry are studying for exams, and Henry poses a toughie
in the category "World War II".
|
He needs to know the name of the Axis power that rhymes with
"Bitaly".
|
Holly now knows the correct answer is Italy.
|
With that right answer, Holly wins the right to be kissed by
Henry. Or does she?
|
He pulls back, but she wants to be kissed.
|
So as Holly sets up the jackpot prize package...
|
...Valerie returns to the apartment, and hears that Holly and
Henry are chattering away in her bedroom.
|
She tries to be cool about it...
|
...but still, her curiosity is piqued.
|
The object of the game is to answer Henry's jackpot bonus question
correctly...
|
...and all this will be yours.
|
Henry asks the big showcase lightning round question.
|
Holly buzzes in -- and she's right!
|
But before the big payoff, Val barges in! Game over!
|
Val didn't expect the studying to take that sudden turn.
|
Holly says goodbye to Henry, a little embarrassed to be in that
situation in front of Val.
|
Gary's next to drop in, and he and Holly are readying for another
fine movie starring that master of the martial arts, Jackie Chan.
All together now...
|
CHINESE!
|
Holly wants to go, but she's already promised to Val for the
evening (and promised to see it with Henry over the weekend).
|
Gary notes that since he started seeing Jill and Holly started
to date Henry, it's been tough to be friends like they once were.
|
After the bedroom incident, Val thinks it's time she and Holly
had "The Talk" (from the television show of the same
name).
|
Gary invites them over to B-91 for that, so they can go to the
movies when he gets off.
|
But Val hasn't been in B-91 since she broke up with Jeff. Gary
assures Holly Jeff won't be there.
|
Holly does make a musical request to
make the sex talk go down easier.
|
It's time for that famous talk, over chocolate fudge cake.
|
Val loves fudge.
|
As does Henry.
|
That's all the sex talk you need!
|
She's happy the talking's over with...
|
...but Val hasn't really broached the subject yet.
|
Holly listens to the details of Val's first time, at age 24.
|
She stresses that she was in a committed relationship at that time
in her life.
|
But Val stresses that she only delved into a sexual relationship
because she was prepared.
|
Val stresses that sex is wonderful, magical, almost
mystical...
|
...and the right preparation -- and the proper level of commitment
-- is what makes it happen. It's a connection.
|
And Holly seems to have connected with Val.
|
But then, Val's talk gets less mystical...
|
...she forbids Holly to be alone with Henry, unsupervised, in the
apartment. Holly gets up to leave.
|
Gary tries to shoo Val out the back door because Jeff has just
walked into B-91.
|
The two strike up a conversation about...
|
...Pam, Jeff's new girlfriend. R-r-r-r-r-owwww-r!
|
They generally dish on her smarts and her washboard stomach, and
in doing so draw a little closer than before.
|
"Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" is now playing, and Holly
is bemoaning the restrictions placed on her by Val after their
"talk".
|
Holly plays out the scenario Val
would imagine if she and Henry were in 34C unsupervised.
|
One of Henry's good points is that he's so respectful toward
her...that's what she can't understand.
|
Gary is a little rueful for breaking up her date with Henry.
|
He tells her that if Henry called her, he'd let her go to Henry.
|
But of course it doesn't work the other way as Gary's sweetheart
Jill illustrates.
|
Not long until Gary is spirited away from his movie date, leaving
Holly dateless.
|
So the movie date busted, Holly heads back to the apartment.
|
There, she finds Valerie in a bathrobe, with the shower running.
|
Val is merely taking a break from her shower. (How'd her hair get
dry so fast?)
|
Then the shower turns off, as if by magic.
|
Val tries to explain that the plumbing is taking a break.
|
Then Jeff pops up and sees Holly's back home. Busted! (or would
that be "Chested!")
|
It's one thing to talk the talk...
|
...but Holly sees now Val doesn't play by those rules.
|
Holly tries to wrangle an explanation out of Val.
|
She listens to Jeff attempt to explain he was taking a shower
there because the plumbing in his apartment is fouled up.
|
Val explains that she and Jeff aren't really together
anymore.
|
Holly's very quick to put three and three together.
|
After the lecture, Val sees that she's a hypocrite.
|
After her description of what sex was supposed to signify, Holly
thinks Val's two-faced, Yeah, yeah, yeah!
|
After Val likens Holly's blanket fixation to the lack of closure
in the relationship between Val and Jeff...
|
...Holly sees it really isn't the same thing at all.
|
Val can't trust Holly and Henry because she can't trust herself.
|
Holly still doesn't understand why she'd have that shower fling
with Jeff.
|
Val chalks it up to being silly.
|
Sure does tarnish the memory of that blankie!
|
Next day, Val realizes what she did, after she said to Holly, was
wrong.
|
And the indiscretions can't happen again between Val and Jeff.
Meaning, no more flings.
|
Since Val and Jeff haven't budged one inch on their marriage
views, they won't be seeing each other on a sexual basis
anymore.
|
So, no more of this.
|
And definitely no more of this -- until the next time.
|
Holly and Henry are having dinner at B-91, and they both agree not
to eat the last French fry. They leave it on the plate as a symbol
of their consideration.
|
Henry points out that the love for Jeff and Val is still strong
and won't die without a fight.
|
Time for that last French fry after all!
|
Henry gets to thinking how sad he'd be if he had to break up with
Holly over something as trivial as sex.
|
Holly clearly digs his confidence and his swagger.
|
But Henry stops all that praise, and urges Holly to follow him.
|
Not a trick like last week when Val told Holly to stay there and
follow her.
|
She'd follow him to Antarctica at this point. We know where this
is going, right?
|
Uh, maybe not. It's the men's room at B-91, where it all started
for Holly and Henry. ("Girls Night Out")
|
Henry's always thought of himself as a little shy, and fearing
doing the wrong thing, is a bit afraid to express himself.
|
|
Holly isn't.
|
See how easy it is to express yourself?
|
And it gives Henry the confidence...
|
...to express himself.
|
Let's all ride that express at least once in our lives.
|
But Holly has another special request -- this
time, to Henry, for Kiss #2.
|
And now it's time for Holly to reconcile with Val.
|
Val apologizes to Holly for her behavior toward Jeff.
|
Val tells her that it won't happen again, and that she trusts
Holly.
|
And Holly pledges she won't do anything with a guy until she's
ready.
|
Don't look now, but...
|
...she thinks she's ready.
|
Or maybe not! GOTCHA!
|
One last thing...
|
...that final confirmation of Val's first time...or
not.
|
Happy with Val's revisionist history, we leave Holly on the couch
for the summer. See you next year, darlin'!
|
|
PROMOTIONAL IMAGES from the WB
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
