By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell
Bobbie (Reba McEntire) and Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) are going over a spreadsheet to eliminate unpopular dishes from the menu. She also has an idea to ask Emmett (Rex Linn) to introduce a plant-based dish to the menu. Bobbie is dubious, but tells her to go for it. Then, Gabby (Melissa Peterman) comes over and laments that she needs a project to keep Steve (Pablo Castelblanco) busy because it’s his “slow time.” Bobbie and Isabella think that he has to be occupied during this time of year or else he’ll just drive everyone else crazy trying to “help” them. He was trying to help Emmett, but based on Emmett dragging him out of the kitchen by his collar his assistance left a lot to be desired. Emmett tells him to stay out of the kitchen and tells the women that Steve is their problem now.
Bobbie reminds Steve that she told him that if he doesn’t have any accounting to do at the tavern, he doesn’t need to come in. But, Steve says, his therapist thought it’d be a good idea to get out of his comfort zone. But his attempts at helping, Gabby points out, that his “helping” is making everyone else uncomfortable. Bobbie suggests that he get a hobby, but he’s unsure of what that would look like. Gabby suggests being a magician, and Bobbie suggests going to a movie. Takoda (Tokala Black Elk) comes over with a flyer for a commercial and suggeststhat Steve give acting a try. He reminds Steve that he used to put on one-man plays for his stuffed animals, and Steve agrees to think about it. The commercial is for a mattress store, and Bobbie says it couldn’t hurt to check it out.
Isabella pitched her idea for a new appetizer to Emmett, and he agreed, but he isn’t super thrilled about how much input Isabella wants to have. She thinks since it was her idea, she should get to test whatever he comes up with, but Emmett is pretty used to having the final say in the kitchen. Gabby advises Isabella not to poke the bear with Emmett because of how much pride Emmett takes in his kitchen. But Isabella thinks that Emmett would appreciate honest feedback. Gabby and Takoda agree that this won’t end well.
Steve goes into Bobbie’s office and tells her that he went to the audition. Bobbie is hoping that it went well and that it’ll keep Steve busy for a month or two. He hasn’t gotten the part yet, so Bobbie wonders what part Steve is trying out for. He’s auditioning to play a customer who can’t sleep and recruits Bobbie to be his scene partner. At first Bobbie says she’s busy, but acquiesces after Steve says he needs this. Now, she’s on board to help him make a tape for the director and company.
Bobbie is now helping Steve with his audition tape and it seems that they’ve been at it for a while. Bobbie points out that this was supposed to help Steve out of his comfort Zone and Bobbie is comfortable in hers. He pauses the tape again after getting halfway through the scene, much to her frustration.
Outside of Bobbie’s office, Emmett is letting Isabella try his take on the armadillo egg. Gabby is nervous about how this is going to go and tries to hint to Isabella to give the egg a positive review. Isabella calls it bland and Takoda and Gabby are horrified. They try to do damage control, but Emmett is shocked and walks off in disbelief.
Bobbie leaves her office and Takoda teases her about being Steve’s co-star. Bobbie still isn’t happy with the role and asks for whisky. She vents to Takoda about how demanding Steve has been and wonders why anyone would choose to be an actor. Takoda offers to take Steve off her hands for a bit because he finds it funny when Steve gets all worked up.
Isabella goes into the kitchen and tries to smooth things over with Emmett. She tells him she respects him enough to be blunt with him. Emmett responds that he definitely got the blunt part, but Isabella wants to be sure that the respect came across, too. He puts another armadillo egg in front of her and asks her to taste it. She does and this time she says it’s fantastic. When he explains what he changed, Isabella tells him that he’s a genius, and Emmett says he can be when he’s pushed. Emmett admits that most of the staff is too afraid of him to push him to be a better cook, so he appreciates Isabella’s honesty. He adds that Happy, her father, was the only other person who really challenged him to be better, and he was blunt, too. Because she never got to know him, she appreciates knowing she has something in common with the man and Emmett tells her that things only changed for the better at the tavern because of him. Isabella hugs him, and she learns that her father wasn’t much of a hugger.
The audition tape taping continues, and Takoda warns Steve that his phone (acting as a camera) is running out of battery. With that in mind, Takoda says it has to be their last take. Gabby says the lights and camera remind her of her childhood. Takoda says he didn’t know she was a child actor, but Gabby explains that she wasn’t. However, she did compete in beauty pageants growing up. She offers to help and Steve tells her that she doesn’t have to bother other people just because she’s bored, which Takoda and Gabby find boring. They finish the tape and Gabby tries to make them watch her do her old pageant routines.
Bobbie agrees that the dish that Emmett made is good enough for the menu. She tells Steve to put good thoughts out into the universe, and things will work out. Takoda answers a phone call from the commercial’s director, and it turns out that they want Takoda and not Steve. It turns out that Takoda has the perfect voice for selling mattresses, and Steve is pretty disappointed.
Later, Bobbie is trying to reassure Steve that he’ll get the next commercial he auditions for. But Steve says he’s done because being a great actor is a skill only a few people are blessed with. Bobbie tells him he got out of his comfort zone and did something that scared him, and he should be proud. But Steve points out that it didn’t work out. Still, Bobbie tells him that everyone fails, but you can’t let it keep you from trying. Plus, she admits that she was afraid when she started managing Happy’s Place, but it’s one of the best decisions she’s ever made. She encourages Steve to keep doing things that scare him. But Steve worries that being an accountant might be as good as he gets. He just wants to know he’ll be loved by his friends even if this is the best he can do. Bobbie laughs at him and tells him he’s nowhere near his limitations.
The next day, we learn that Takoda got the part and Steve is okay with it. He even agreed to help him rehearse. Steve shares that he came to the conclusion that he isn’t meant to act; his favorite part of the whole experience wasn’t acting, it was being behind the camera: He’s going to direct.