Carpoolers"Lost in America"
Original Air Date: February 26, 2008
Jeff L. - TwoCents Staff Writer
Dougie is driving the gang and they’re waiting outside Gracen’s house but it’s Marmaduke (and Leila) who head toward the car. Marmaduke is wearing a suit and the guys in the car flip out because there’s nowhere near enough room in Dougie’s tiny car for five people. They try locking him out, but Gracen shows up and tells the guys that Marmaduke has a meeting at the bank and he’s riding in with them. Everyone crams into the car and Marm offers up his pet sounds CD for their listening pleasure. Note, I didn’t say Pet Sounds (the famous Beach Boys CD) because this is a CD of actual pet sounds – including a fabulous chicken solo.
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ReplyDelete"Lost in America"
Original Air Date: February 26, 2008
Jeff L. - TwoCents Staff Writer
Dougie is driving the gang and they’re waiting outside Gracen’s house but it’s Marmaduke (and Leila) who head toward the car. Marmaduke is wearing a suit and the guys in the car flip out because there’s nowhere near enough room in Dougie’s tiny car for five people. They try locking him out, but Gracen shows up and tells the guys that Marmaduke has a meeting at the bank and he’s riding in with them. Everyone crams into the car and Marm offers up his pet sounds CD for their listening pleasure. Note, I didn’t say Pet Sounds (the famous Beach Boys CD) because this is a CD of actual pet sounds – including a fabulous chicken solo.
Marmaduke drags Gracen to his meeting at the bank. He’s applying for a loan to buy a medium-sized flock of sheep for his lawn mowing/grazing venture. The bank seems perfectly willing to fork over the cash, as long as Gracen co-signs the loan – which is something Gracen hadn’t considered doing. Gracen refuses and Marm is denied the loan.
On the ride home, the gang are giving Gracen a hard time about not supporting his son. Dr. Laird is especially upset. He thinks Marmaduke needs to chase his dream like he did when he was Marm’s age. Aubrey agrees, recalling fondly his days on the road with his Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band Soil, Breeze and Embers. Dougie can’t fondly remember when he was a crazy twenty-two year old, because he is twenty-two and he never had a wild phase.
Back home, things haven’t gotten better for Gracen. Leila gives him a hard time as well and Marm overhears his father making fun of his get-rich-quick schemes and decides to run away from home. His parents ask where’s he’s going to go and he tells them somewhere where he’ll be appreciated – a place called America. He doesn’t know where he’ll be this time tomorrow. Maybe Chicago. Maybe umpiring a Little League baseball game. Maybe dead. But no matter where he’ll be at least he’ll be alive. He then empties the entire refrigerator before leaving.
The next day, Gracen tries to take advantage of having the house empty, but Leila is worried about Marmaduke. She thinks by now he’s joined a cult or worse – a renaissance fair, but Gracen assures her that he wouldn’t fall for that twice. They decide to call his cellphone, but the rooster ring tone can be heard coming from Laird’s house. The rush over and find Marmaduke serving breakfast to Laird. Marm tells Gracen that time has been unkind to him and Gracen says Marmaduke was supposed to be getting lost in America, but last time he checked Dr. Laird’s house was in America. Laird and Marmaduke have even developed their own secret father/son handshake.
The next morning, Laird is teaching Marmaduke how to fly a kite, which Gracen did when Marm was four, but without any flare. Dougie shows up and he’s going through his wild phase. He’s got flame magnets all over his car. On the ride in, Laird tells Gracen that he’s going to invest in Marmaduke’s sheep mower business. Dougie thinks maybe he’ll invest as well since the idea is crazy and he’s a wild man now. One of the flame decals comes off and covers the windshield and everyone freaks.
Later, Laird and Marmaduke share their first “sex talk.” All ladies are potentially naked ladies and don’t look down a woman’s blouse, the sleeves work much better. Over at Aubrey’s, he finds his old Soil, Breeze and Embers costume. Termites have eaten his platform shoes and one of his kids suggests that he throw them away, but Aubrey freaks out and tells them he can’t throw them away because he had a life before the kid and the kid runs off crying.
The sheep arrive and the sheep mowing business is off to a rousing start. On the way into work, Gracen spots several lawns being sheep mowed. Marm waits until he see’s the Carpoolers pull up before whipping out a wad of cash to tip the mailman. But across the neighborhood trouble is brewing. The sheep are eating all the grass in their paths. Marmaduke takes off for Tijuana. Over at Aubrey’s he’s throwing out his old costume when Dougie pulls up to show off his new car spoiler and lightning bolt magnets. He spots Aubrey’s costume and tries to grab it but Aubrey won’t let him and he runs off with it.
Gracen goes looking for Marmaduke, but the angry mob of sheep mower customers is also on the warpath. Dougie, Cindy and the baby are out for a ride, wearing their orange jumpsuits and fuzzy hats. Marm is out hitchhiking, but Gracen is the first one to stop. They have a heart to heart in the middle of the road and Marm takes off running for home. Gracen offers to drive him, but he refuses. He runs all the way home. He’s worried that his ex-room is now a pilates studio or a shrine to him, but he wants it back. Leila is overjoyed. Marmaduke gives his dad $20 and tells him that if he’s going to stay there he needs to start paying rent. That $20 will be for the first year.
The next morning, Dougie shows off his new nitrous tank as Marmaduke (pants-less) and Leila wave them goodbye in the driveway. The show ends with Aubrey giving a concert for his family wearing his old costume and then the Carpool all join in singing along.