12x11 Touch of Eval(uations)

[9.0/10] I loved this from top to bottom. The A-story was great. The simple premise of teachers sucking up to students because of a new teacher evaluation system is comic gold. Louis eleading a kids’ revolto of sorts to take advantage of the situation makes sense. And the show has tons of fun with the idea, from RSR getting to go to the bathroom when he wants, to Jimmy Jr. unleashing his dance moves wherever, to good ol’ Tina mulling over whether or not to blame her teacher for poor chalkboard erasing. The gags here are pure gold over and over again.

But there’s also some truly affecting heart here too. One of the anchors of the comedy here is the dynamic between Louise and Ms. LaBonz. Louise doing everything in here power to make the most of the kids’ leverage, and Ms. LaBonz angling for that special parking spot while having to suppress her natural urge to shush and scold is wonderful character-based humor.

Only then, the episode goes to someplace real. Despite Louise writing a scathing evaluation, she realizes that the things she’s saying about her teacher are downright mean. Worse yet, she discovers that the bad grade she resents so much turned out to be a motivation tactic. Ms. LaBonz doesn’t have a personal grudge against Louise; she has a personal belief that Louise is bright but needs the prospect of anger or revenge to kick her into gear. Louise has the epiphany that it works, which is a sign of the great teacher Ms. LaBonz secretly is. Her speech over the intercom is downright sweet, the fact that it win Ms. LaBonz the parking space she so covets is the icing on the cake.

The B-story is fantastic too. Bob and Linda debate what will happen to their bodies after they die. Maybe it’s because relatives in my family had the same debate (with some of the same arguments) but I got such joy out of this one. The episode derives real comedy out of the couple’s hopes and fears for their final resting spots, not to mention Mort’s childhood and Teddy’s bequests. But as with A-story, it ends somewhere sweet, with the two of them not caring so long as they get to spend eternity together.

Overall, this is the show firing on all cylinders, with a hilarious outing that keeps the laughs coming from all characters, but which draws back both plot to someplace empathetic and sweet. Great stuff.