Central Park – Hat Lucheon

By: Paige Zinaman

Birdie (Josh Gad) recaps what’s happened while also dropping hints about what this episode is about. He sings about Paige (Kathryn Hahn) cracking the case because she’s a “journalism lady.” Birdie mentions that the city, even though it’s being a little dysfunctional, will still be putting on their annual hat luncheon one such luncheon where Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.) will be the keynote speaker while also mentioning that public speaking is a nightmare for Owen. Inside the Tillerman home Paige and Owen are talking about calling the plumber since their water is off. Paige sits down at the table with her computer trying to find Leo Shallenhammer (Fred Stoller). She’s talking to Owen about how something is off because she can smell it when Molly (Kristen Bell) enters making the remark that it could be her since the shower isn’t working. It’s at this time Cole (Tituss Burgess) comes into the kitchen telling his family he’s going to need a long serving fork, gloves and their prayers as he tries to clean out the toilet. Molly, who is grumpy about the lack of shower, asks Owen how his speech is going. Birdie comes back and informs the audience why Owen is giving the speech and who it’s for.

Back inside Owen is telling Molly that the speech isn’t going good at all and that he hates speeches as he’s not good at them. Paige tries to appease him by telling him otherwise, but he disregards her and continues to tell everyone of past speech mishaps. Paige then asks Molly and Cole to help her out trying to find Shallenhammer on social media. Molly takes control of the computer and asks Paige questions. She then finds him on Facebook. Paige tells the kids to go get their swim stuff and their MetroCards so they can go meet up with Shallenhammer at the spa where they can “get clean.”

On the way to the spa Paige starts singing with Molly and Cole about getting the job done because “Mama’s got this” and the kids tell her that they are proud of her for being hot on the case. As they continue their walk to the spa Molly and Cole discover that Paige can speak Polish. It isn’t that great, but she is very committed to trying to speak it. Meanwhile, at the Brandenham Hotel, Betsy (Stanley Tucci) is having a staring contest with Shampagne who loses as Helen (Daveed Diggs) comes in saying to Bitsy that Mr. Garth (Andrew Daly) has arrived with his hats for the hat luncheon. Bitsy tells him all the things she hates so he can find the perfect hat for her. Birdie pops on to tell everyone that Bitsy is going to the luncheon because she has a sneaky plan to come between the Park League and City Hall. Bitsy tries on so many hats before finally landing on one that has a rain cloud over it. Owen walks through the park running into Birdie who ends up telling Owen that if he starts to bomb the speech then he should start singing about the people in front of him.

Back at the spa Paige is lounging with Molly and Cole when she decides that they should get beat by tree branches as a massage.  She then goes looking for Leo, leaving the kids at the massage tables which Molly points out quite sarcastically that it’s probably the right idea to leave them there. Paige finds Leo in the sauna. She sits besides him where he realizes who she is as she starts talking to him and finally discovers that the mayor was the one who told Leo to vote. He mentions that it’s off the record, which launches them into a is it or is it not only to find out one of the other members in the sauna is a lawyer. The layer explains if Leo says it then it can be off the record. Leo tells her that she should go bug the mayor in his place of relaxation and ask him questions. Paige gets the bright idea to go to the luncheon and corner the mayor into answering the questions for the quotes she needs. She goes to get Molly and Cole and they are all but told to leave quickly .

The next day Paige and Owen are getting ready for the hat luncheon when Paige asks Owen if he’s finally over his nerves. He opens his jacket and shows her the third shirt that is now ruined by excessive sweat. Paige thanks Owen for getting her into the luncheon to which he asks if she’s going to cause a scene. She says, “Ask him a couple of questions, get my quote and get out.” Paige tells Owen that they are going to be “storm rocks” – two serious people doing serious jobs – only to be stopped mid sentence by Molly who puts the hat on Paige’s head that they just finished making…a hat that includes a working train track. Later in the park Molly and Cole are sitting on a bench in the park as Molly draws her comic book that once again features Brendan (Eugene Cordero). Cole and Molly talk about her missing Brendan because he’s not been seen around the park lately. It’s then that Birdie notices a kite flying and gets Molly to look at the sky and see the kite as well. Molly and Cole take off in the direction of the kite and once close enough Molly changes her mind because she doesn’t want to seem so weird. Cole devises a plan on his own to help Molly.

The luncheon is underway and Owen arrives trying to think about the future and not the failures. He starts to rap a song about staying focused, reminders so he can get through it. Paige finds the mayor and asks him questions to which he says that she can get in touch with communications but still continues to not answer questions. Bitsy arrives and starts her plan by tipping her hat on Owen’s pants and then making it seem like he peed his pants. Cole and Molly “casually” bump into Brendan, but it soon turns awkward as Molly rambles out random words but manages to ask Brendan to get ice cream with them. Brendan agrees on the condition that Molly shows him her drawing book, she agrees only after ice cream that they agree to sneak into the luncheon for. While at the luncheon Helen meets with another lady who seems to be in on what Helen is doing with Bitsy while Bitsy makes it where everyone starts an argument over the park. She starts rumors and whispers to different sides of the people in attendance, fueling her plan along quicker. Soon enough the Park League and the City Hall start a food fight as the mayor hides away under the table. Paige finds the mayor and starts grilling him to talk to which he admits to it and shares, “We think we can do better.” Unknown to both Molly and Cole we see that Brendan seems to know Bitsy a little more than they thought before he changes the topic. Once she’s gotten her quote Paige butts the mayor in a paddle boat to get away like she promised. Cole rushes off as Molly and Brendan talk. Molly puts her number in Brendan’s phone and gives him a quick kiss. This causes an allergic reaction from the ice cream she ate. Thankfully, Brendan quickly uses his epi pen and runs out of the park. Back at the luncheon Owen delivers the best speech to date, mostly due to the crowd being too tired from fighting each other to make him nervous. He asks Paige if she got her quote to which she tells him she did. They go for ice cream. Birdie pops back up as the episode closes excited that Owen took his advice on the speech.