Room 104 – Oh, Harry

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

This week’s episode of “Room 104” takes us into what feels like the dark side of sitcom television with a semi-catchy theme song and predictable storylines. Even the show begins just as though the series has been a sitcom all along. It’s obvious that the story will go askew somehow. We open to the main story with Linda (Erinn Hayes) and her children Jules (Sadie Stanley), Maddie (Skylar Gray) and Will (Jason David) continuing to make the best of their living quarters in Room 104. The house that Linda and her husband Harry (Kevin Nealon) bought is currently under repair and so the temporary housing has become a topic worthy of canned laughter and sarcastic quips.

As Jules bemoans the fact that she cannot get into the bathroom, Linda goes in to find Harry in the tub in his pajamas, sipping coffee and reading his newspaper while donning a pair of earmuffs to provide some peace and quiet. Once Harry finally emerges to join the family at the table for breakfast it’s clear that Harry has forgotten an important event: Linda’s birthday. As Linda storms off into the bathroom with the headphones, Harry calls a family meeting to help put together a memorable birthday for Linda. Even though the children remembered by producing homemade cards from their pockets, Harry is going to bring them in to collectively surprise Linda with a great day.

However, in the midst of trying to locate decorations for the celebration, Jules opens the closet door and a bowling ball rolls off the top shelf hitting Harry in the head. When Harry comes to the reality of his surroundings comes to light. Where he was in the sitcom bubble before being hit in the head, that bubble has now burst and Harry now questions everything going on. Jules, Maddie and Will continue to play the scene as though nothing has happened, but Harry is aware that everything is fake. Confused by their inability to break character, Harry goes into the bathroom to take refuge and encounters Linda, who is now in the tub with her nose buried in a magazine.

Upon inspecting the reading material in the bathroom, Harry finds a script in the pile for the show he is in right now and conceals it in his bathrobe before heading back out. Now in the main room, the resident maintenance man Charlie (Ron Funches) has come to fix the fridge and the children working on their mother’s birthday surprise. Watching the characters in play, Harry pulls the script from his pocket and watches as Charlie and the kids act out the lines in real time. The reality is too much for Harry and he begins to snap, which brings Katie back out into the room. From the canned laughter to the scripted lines, Harry has had enough and decides to call a family meeting in the bathroom.

As the family gathers in the bathroom Harry shares that he does not feel like anyone is taking him seriously and that he needs to get out of Room 104. While the family continues to throw in typical quips and remarks Harry gets even more serious with them, admitting that he doesn’t know who he is. In a consensus of understanding, Harry’s family says goodbye and allows him to leave the bathroom. Unfortunately, in a series of comical events Harry ends up tripping over a toy on the floor and tries not to fall and fails. In the final scene Harry’s family convenes around him on the floor, exclaiming “Oh, Harry!” as the camera pans to the audience laughing and clapping to signal the end of the episode.