Central Park – Hot Oven

By: Paige Zinaman

Molly (Kristen Bell) and Brendan (Eugene Cordero) are texting each other as they sit in their respective bedrooms. As they send emojis that only they understand, Molly starts singing about finding her soulmate and about how she can’t believe he’s actually hers. The song goes on to say that their love is so complex, even if they don’t talk in person with each other. Molly sings about that they are in a perfect relationship, Brendan joins in on the song making this song a duet about how they both agree that they are perfect for each other. Birdie (Josh Gad) arrives to clarify that their “relationship” might not be as perfect as they seem and that it might not be considered a relationship. He then tells the audience that Bitsy (Stanley Tucci) has a big surprise for both Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Paige (Kathryn Hahn).

During dinner Elwood (Rory O’Malley) walkies Owen to let him to know the blacksmith is done with the repair to the Vanderbilt Gates and that he’ll be installing them tomorrow. Owen thanks Jimmy (James Adomian) for fixing the gates and asks Elwood if there was anything else. Elwood tells him that Jimmy made him a sword and asked if he could keep it. Owen and Elwood sign off for the night as Molly makes her way downstairs with her phone in hand. Paige tells Molly that she was afraid they were never going to see her again, but also worried about their data plan. She asks Molly if she was upstairs texting Brendan the whole time to which her daughter responds with a love sigh – the one that Paige points out that she gets from her father. It’s Owen who brings up that Molly seems to really like Brendan to which Molly gets really awkward and throws the words back in his face before apologizing to Owen and tells them that she really like Brendan a lot. Cole (Titus Burgess), who steps into the mix, tells everyone that Brendan is a good egg and that he should come over sometime. Paige jumps on board the train and tells Cole that his idea was great and that it sounds fun and asks Owen what he thinks. He agrees and tells Molly that Brendan should come over the next night for dinner since it’s pizza night. Molly, who doesn’t want them to meet, starts listing off reasons why it wouldn’t be a good idea. Owen tells them that he has a trick to get the oven to cook the pizza through to which they point out that it doesn’t sound safe. Owen explains to them that it wouldn’t be online if it weren’t safe. After the whole debate they agree to have Brendan over for dinner.

Meanwhile, Bitsy is in her room making sure everything is ready to go for tomorrow, which is an article in the paper on page four that is going to have the Park’s management freaking out. She hangs up the phone and turns to face Shampagne who has once again peed on the bed. She pages Helen (Daveed Diggs) and tells her to call the pet therapist because it’s an emergency. As the lights shut out around the park and everyone goes to bed, Birdie is playing his violin straight into the next day. Helen greets the dog therapist, Augustus (John Early), at the door and tells him what’s been happening with Shampagne. Helen asks the therapist what they have to do to make the situation so bad they have to get rid of Shampagne and cut him out of every will where he may be mention. This starts the therapist on a song about the “TOSGANO…This One Sucks. Get Another One.” He tells Helen that a way to get there is to get Shampagne to bite.

As Augustus and Bitsy sit down to talk about Shampagne, Owen and Paige have read the letter that was published about the Central Park management. Owen is upset as he paces the living room telling Paige that he works his shorts off for the park. Paige tells Owen that they need to do something and takes out a pen and draws a mustache on Bitsy’s photo. Molly and Cole who are at school during this whole letter mess are dealing with Molly’s problems about having to invite Brendan to dinner. Molly tells Cole that the whole thing is going to be a nightmare and that they live in a weird house. She tells him that the whole thing was his idea he’s going to help get them out of an awkward situation. When they get home, Molly goes over what her parents should and shouldn’t say in front of Brendan and goes to open windows because of the pizza dough smell. Paige offers Cole five dollars to ask questions for her since Molly told her she’s not allowed to be a reporter at dinner. Back at the Brandenham Hotel, the emergency pet therapy session is coming to a close as Augustus teaching Bitsy how to communicate with Shampagne. As Augustus goes to leave, Bitsy offers him triple what his other clients will pay so he can stay and fix what’s going on with Shampagne.

In the park Molly meets Brendan explaining to him that she doesn’t really live around the park, so she had to meet him in order for him to get to the house. They walk up to the castle as Molly explains to him that she lives there and most of the stuff that people say about the castle is just myths. It’s at this point that Brendan tells Molly that his family is rich. Molly assures him that it’s okay because there’s like two types of rich and starts listing them off. Brendan begins correcting her on the truths. Molly apologizes and tells him that when she said rich jerks she meant it as a compliment. Brendan brushes off and tells her that it’s okay and that he’s sorry he didn’t tell her and that it’s sometimes kind of embarrassing. He goes on to tell her that people get weirded out when he tells them he’s a Brandenham…this causes Molly to stop in her tracks and freak out. Birdie, who was hiding in the bushes, pops up asking when everyone remembered the foreshadowing he did earlier and that this was it. Molly tells Brendan to wait outside and races inside. She shares with Owen and Paige that they have to cancel dinner. Cole points out that Brendan is outside to which they all ask Molly what they are going to do. She states that the dinner is uncancelled. Brendan comes inside and is meeting Owen and Paige. As Molly and Cole stand off to the side she tells him that Brendan is a Brandenham and that their parents can’t find out because they’ll freak out as they were already drawing on Bitsy’s face that morning. She tells Cole that they need to find that and get rid of it or everything’s ruined. Paige starts asking Brendan questions which causes Molly to do her Chewbacca voice and immediately jump in to distract Brendan from their parents. Birdie is giving an update through the kitchen window when Owen spots him and asks what he’s doing. Birdie tells him that he was just passing by and smelt something good. Owen shows him the pizza he’s making. Birdie soon asks Owen if something is burning to which Owen tells him that he tricked his oven to going to 800-900 degrees. He turns to put the pizza down and notices the oven on fire. Owen starts to panic asking how he’s going to make the pizza when Birdie tells him that he can get one at the pizza shop. This is something Owen takes offense to. Owen grabs the pizza and runs out telling Paige that he’ll be back soon. She tells him that they get it and that something was burning. She wonders if she needs to order some chicken to which he tells her no and runs out the door.

Back at the Brandenham Augustus is helping Bitsy and Shampagne go through their issues as Helen looks up ways to make Shampagne bite so they can get rid of them. Helen tries to aggravate Shampagne into attacking Bitsy. After tossing the bag at them Augustus tries to take the session another way. Bitsy gets into a sitting position and Augustus picks up Shampagne and tells her that he’s going to put the dog in her lap. He asks if he has a favorite toy. Before Augustus can continue Helen tells them that a storm is moving in and starts flickering the lights. Bitsy lets out a sound of pain when the lights come back on. Bitsy tells everyone that Shampagne bit her. Augustus looks at her hand and notices that the bite marks are a human bite mark and not one of a dog. Augustus and Helen go back and forth bickering when Bitsy tells them to leave the room so she and Shampagne can be alone because they are creeping her out.

As everyone is waiting for Owen we see Paige and Cole start asking Brendan the questions she wanted the answers to. As he starts Molly does the Chewbacca sounds and he immediately stops and asks another question. Meanwhile, Owen and Birdie make it to Jimmy’s shop and tells Jimmy he wants to put the pizza in the forge. It doesn’t take long before the pizza is done and Owen is running out to make it home. Molly is still trying to get Cole to stop asking questions while Paige is encouraging them. While they’re talking Owen comes through the door with the pizza only for it to fall on the floor. As Owen tells everyone that it’s okay for them to not eat it, Brendan takes a bite and tells everyone to eat some as they are pleasantly surprised to find that it’s in fact the perfect pizza. After dinner Molly is walking Brendan out when Paige shoots up telling him that he can’t go until she knows something about him – even if that was his last name or age. He tells Paige that he’s not thirty and just thirteen years old and that his last name is Brandenham. They tell Brendan that he didn’t do anything personally and that they’re sensitive after the paper ad. Brendan asks what they’re talking about and as they tell him he asks if the paper said anything about her wanting to buy the park. Molly tells Brendan that she guesses that they’re enemies now to which Paige is quick to dismiss saying that they can be friends or whatever they wanted to be.