It’s field trip time! Alvin and other teachers join the junior class on their annual weekend camping trip. It’s their chance to bond and have fun together, but oversharing drives a rift between Alvin and Gwen.
FOMO is real here, Evan thought when he set up tent with the other teachers and discovered that not only was Gwen with Markie that night, but Rick was there too. Gwen tried to brush it off, saying Markie was just helping her boyfriend dig a hole for the swimming pool and that Alvin wasn’t interested at all.
He wasn’t all that upset about it at first, until he talked to Rick and he revealed that it wasn’t just about digging a hole for the pool. In fact, he said they stayed there until 2 a.m. playing video games and eating pizza. Now, Alvin is extremely stingy with Gwen. They were rehearsing a song and it was obvious that he was overly critical of her singing.
Brian Jordan Alvarez as Evan Marquez and Sean Patton as Markie Hillridge © FX 2024. right
The next day, Alvin was still acting strange to Gwen, and she scolded him, saying he had no reason to be upset. She insists that if she invites Evan, he’ll say no, and she knows that about him, so she doesn’t understand why he’s upset. Evan then starts to spiral into a mental spiral and it’s incredible how he makes it all about him. He is now questioning his role in his circle of friends.
Gwen had had enough and gave Alvin a taste of his own medicine. During the show, Gwen refused to sing, saying she sounded good solo. What I found interesting was that these two acted like the students they were meant to be supervised. There remains a strong animosity between them until Gwen suffers a medical emergency. She didn’t know she was allergic to latex when Markey asked her to try night vision binoculars, and her allergic reaction was severe. Evan immediately realized what was happening, grabbed her adrenaline and rescued her. Nothing like a good allergic reaction to get people back on their feet.
Sean Patton as Markie Hillridge and Stephanie Koenig as Gwen Sanders © FX 2024. .
On the bus back, Gwen told Alvin that she was throwing another party and he should come. You would think that after all the fuss he made, he would jump at the chance, but please tell me why this guy said he didn’t want to go. Gwen screams “I told you so” at him and he laughs it off, but it turns out he just wants to be invited. Evan, there’s no need to be so dramatic – you should just say you want an invite next time, even if you won’t show up.
I’m trying to figure out who the target audience for this show is. It’s funny to me – I’m a big fan of bland comedies, but as much as I enjoyed last night’s episode, I felt like the show’s pacing was off. The flaws in Evan’s character were quickly glossed over for me. I’m glad he didn’t end up running back to Malcolm this time, so that’s a win.
What did you think of last night’s show? English teacher? Share your thoughts below or connect with me on X/Twitter @chenfordhugs.
