It’s Thanksgiving time with the Hecks and things are just as crazy as ever.
Thanksgiving used to be about family coming together, now, as Frankie says, it’s just “a pit stop on the racetrack to Christmas.” Her and Sue are getting ready for Black Friday, which is really the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. She explains that there are still deals on Friday, but the good deals are Wednesday. Thanksgiving takes second place to securing Christmas presents cheaply. While Frankie is explaining this, Axl graciously helps her out with chores around the house. He even volunteers to pick up Frankie’s parents. He’s trying to cushion the blow of telling his parents he had to drop three classes. Axl is hoping he can get his grandparents on his side. Brick asks for Frankie to make lime-green Jello-O salad for Thanksgiving. He reminds her that ten years ago she promised she would make.
On the way home with his grandparents, Axl tells them about his predicament at school. His grandfather, Tag, quickly replies, “You dumb son of a bitch,” and his grandmother hits him. She asks Axl what he was thinking and Tag says, “He wasn’t thinking. That’s the problem.” Axl’s plan to get his grandparents to help him tell Frankie and Mike backfired.
Frankie and Sue return home from shopping. Frankie says it went well, but Sue seems to be holding something back. Sue awkwardly agrees that the shopping was successful and scurries away. Axl arrives with his grandparents. He tells Brick that his grandparents are going to help him tell Frankie and Mike.
Tag informs Mike that the cruise he and his wife are planning isn’t going to happen. He explains that he lost a ton of money gambling online. At first, he didn’t even know he was gambling with real money. Mike suggests, “You know, this is the kind of thing you might want to share with a blood relative.” He asks Mike to help him make cruises sound unsafe while they are all sitting at Thanksgiving dinner to make his mom not want to go.
They all sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. Brick asks where the lime-green Jello-O salad is. Frankie explains that she forgot to make it. Brick said he knew should would forget so he made it. However, he didn’t let it sit in the fridge for four hours, so the Jell-O salad is in liquid form. As they are about to start eating, there’s a knock at the door. It’s Frankie’s boss, Dr. Goodwin. She sarcastically invited him to dinner. He didn’t quite catch the sarcastic part of the invitation. Frankie acts as though they’ve been waiting for Dr. Goodwin to arrive as she adds another table and mixes up some more potatoes. Tag continues to spill tidbits of information on how unsafe cruises are, but Mike doesn’t back him up. There’s another knock at the door. It’s Rusty’s wife Marlene and her two kids from previous relationships. The kids add the coffee table and some chairs, while Frankie tries to mix up some more food. Brick is worried he’ll have to share is Jello-O salad, while Axl is happy that there are some more people at the table to soften Frankie and Mike’s reaction when he tells them about school.
Frankie comes out with more food. Brick says, “I’m fine with my Jell-O,” as he slurps it down with a straw. Tag continues to spew horror stories of people going missing on cruises. Marlene begins to hit on Dr. Goodwin. He says, “did you need a napkin, ma’am because that’s mine,” as she pulls her hand away from his lap. She says that dentists have skilled hands, white coats, and “dirty position chairs.” Marlene adds, “Maybe I can and ly on yours one day.” Brick questions, “I’m confused. Isn’t she married to Uncle Rusty?”
Axl stands up and is about to tell his parents about college when Tag comes clean about his gambling problem. Tag claims that he wanted to come clean, but Mike told him to lie. Marlene wonders why Dr. Goodwin hasn’t flirted back. She asks if it’s because she is divorced. This is a shock to everyone. Marlene says her and Rusty divorced because of communication issues. Also, be she slept with his best friend. Drowned out by everyone’s news, Axl sits back down.
Dinner is over and Dr. Goodwin begs Frankie to let him go home to get away from Marlene. Even Frankie’s parents want to leave. Then, the news comes on. The headline is “Mayhem at the Mall” with a picture of Frankie. The video shows Frankie beating others for presents and Sue freaking out. After the video plays, they all look in shock at Frankie. Frankie goes on a rant about how everyone wants great Christmas presents for low prices, but no one wants to get their hands dirty. She says, “It’s not pretty.” At the end of her rant, Axl adds, “I had to drop three classes,” shifting the attention to him. Frankie is shocked. Axl explains that they should keep it in perspective because he has a C in music appreciation and he only shows up half of the time. Instead of yelling, Mike calmly says, “Well, it’s your life.”
Axl is nervous because Mike didn’t get angry with him. Brick is feeling sick. He thinks it’s from the potatoes, but Axl suggests, “You sure it wasn’t that pan of puss you sucked down?” It’s time to play football. Marlene tackles Dr. Goodwin even though they’re on the same team and he doesn’t even have the ball. Frankie explains that the shopping incident wasn’t a stampede, “I would call it a group hurry.” Axl repeatedly misses the ball. Mike seems fine with it. Axl asks him why he isn’t yelling at him for missing the ball and screwing up at college. Mike explains that it’s his life and he has to do what he thinks is best for him. He’s kept Axl in line for eighteen years, now it’s up to Axl to do it for himself. Frankie calls everyone in for pie. As they are walking in, Axl promises Mike that he will double up next semester and work hard. Mike’s calm reaction made Axl want to do better.
Frankie explains that families have to accept one another, “It’s a pretty safe bet somebody did something stupider than you.” As Dr. Goodwin leave, she sarcastically invites him to come back for Christmas. He misses the sarcasm once again.
image: ABC
