Mandy worries about Georgie's wellbeing as he starts to realize he may not have everything under control. Meanwhile, Missy (Raegan Revord) gets into trouble at school, adding pressure to an already stretched Georgie.
Quote from Missy Cooper
Missy Cooper: [sighs] I'm not pregnant, I just got suspended. Mom doesn't know, she thinks I'm in school right now. With you gone, Sheldon gone, I'm alone a lot. It's way easier to get away with stuff... ...but it kind of sucks. [exhales] I really miss you. [sniffles]
[cut to Missy crying in the passenger's seat as Georgie drives her home:]
Georgie: Feel better?
Missy Cooper: No, you jerk!
Quote from Connor
Connor: Good news, got the vacuum tube.
Audrey: Ooh, that's great, honey.
Connor: The, uh, owner of the store was a roadie for Bob Seger. He's got a cat named Night Moves. She had a lot of nipples.
Mandy: That's a weird thing to say.
Connor: It was a weird thing to see.
Quote from Connor
Connor: Mother, can I borrow your car?
Audrey: Why?
Connor: I need to drive to a music store in Houston to get a 12AT7 dual-triode vacuum tube for my amp.
Audrey: I need my car. Does it have to be today?
Connor: If I wait too long, they might sell out.
Mandy: No one's buying weird vacuum tubes but you.
Connor: If you could only hear how foolish you sound.
Quote from Jim
Jim: Well, here's an idea, how about you take some night classes, brush up on your computer skills and get a nice, cushy office job?
Mandy: Office job? Why did I spend six years getting a degree in Communications?
Jim: I asked that question for six years.
Mandy: Well, I'm not giving up on my dream.
Audrey: No one's saying that.
Jim: I am.
Quote from Ruben
Ruben: Hold this.
Georgie: What is it?
Ruben: Transmission fluid recirculator.
Georgie: Hmm. Got it.
Ruben: Do not let go.
Georgie: Why? What'll happen?
Ruben: Bad things. Very bad things. [walks off]
Georgie: Where you going?
Ruben: Be right back.
Georgie: Okeydoke.
In a cemetery, Georgie stops by his dad’s grave to talk to him. He says he visited his mom and sister the other day and they’re doing good, all things considered. He mentions having to send Sheldon a box of his Underoos because he couldn’t find the same kind in Pasadena. Georgie adds that CeeCee is almost standing now - she kind of looks like George Sr. after a case of beer. Mandy is looking for a job as a TV reporter, “which has been, let's just say, a hoot.”
Flashback: Mandy comes home to find Georgie warming up a bottle for CeeCee. He asks how the job interview went. Mandy says it didn’t go at all. They hired a 22-year-old ditz instead. They only chose her because she’s “young and perky.” Georgie points out that Mandy’s perky. Mandy scoffs, “I’m young, too!”
Back at the grave, Georgie insists life is good. “I've got it all under control,” he says, then wavers, “Yeah. All under control.”
When Georgie arrives at the tire store, he stops by Jim’s office. Georgie asks if Jim has given any more thought to Korean tires. Jim appreciates the idea, but says his dad fought in Korea and it just feels wrong. Jim then asks if Georgie locked up the night before. Georgie says yes… until Jim holds up the keys he found that morning. Georgie is relieved nothing was stolen, and Jim tells him to be more careful. Georgie explains he was rushing to pick up his sister, who had a “friend thing,” because his mom had a “church thing.” Jim understands. Mistakes happen. Georgie tells him not to go easy on him just because he’s his son-in-law. “I screwed up, let me have it.” Jim thought he was letting him have it. Georgie insists he’s being too nice. Jim apologizes for that, which annoys Georgie even more. Jim finally ends the conversation by telling him to open the store. “Just open the store…,” Georgie prompts. “Dumbass,” Jim adds. “Was that so hard?” Georgie says as he leaves.
In the McAllisters’ living room, as Mandy helps Audrey fold towels, Audrey says she overheard Mandy and Georgie fighting last night. Mandy accuses her of eavesdropping. “Eavesdropping is when you want to listen. Overhearing is when you have no choice,” Audrey says. Mandy insists it’s normal for couples to fight. Audrey counters that she and Jim never raise their voices. “‘Cause you squashed the life out of him?” Mandy asks. Audrey says it’s because Mandy married a child: “You cannot expect him to understand… anything.” Mandy defends Georgie, explaining it’s just been tough looking for a job. Audrey asks if she’s considered the local paper instead of TV. Mandy scoffs. Her face is on-camera talent.
Mandy and Audrey’s conversation is interrupted when Connor comes in to ask if he can borrow Audrey’s car. He needs to drive to a music store in Houston to get a 12AT7 dual-triode vacuum tube for his amp. Audrey says she was planning on doing chores today, but Connor is worried they’ll sell out. Mandy jokes nobody else is buying weird vacuum tubes but him. Audrey relents and hands him her keys, saying she’ll do her chores tomorrow. Mandy tells her that instead of worrying about her and Georgie, she might want to worry about Connor. Audrey insists there’s nothing wrong with her son. “Mom…” Mandy says. “Nothing!” Audrey snaps.
At the tire store, Georgie finds Ruben under a car working on the shock absorbers. Georgie asks if he ever worries about getting crushed under there. When Georgie says he has nothing better to do, Ruben asks him to hold an “important” part of the car: the “transmission fluid recirculator”, warning him not to drop it or “bad things will happen.” Ruben walks away, saying he’ll be right back. Thirty minutes later, Georgie’s arms are aching and he calls for Ruben. Jim comes onto the shop floor with the phone, telling Georgie it’s his sister. Georgie says he’ll call her back since he’s busy holding the “transmission fluid recirculator” for Ruben. Jim asks what that is. Georgie explains Ruben said bad things would happen if he let it fall. Jim tells him there’s no such thing as a transmission fluid recirculator. “Then what am I holding?” Georgie asks. Jim has no idea.
As Georgie walks into the front of the shop on the phone, he asks Missy if everything’s okay. She says she needs him to pick her up from school. After he asks why their mom can’t do it, Missy explains she doesn’t want Mary to know she’s been suspended. When Ruben comes back in, Georgie tells him the prank wasn’t very nice. Ruben snickers. Still on the phone, Georgie asks Missy why she was suspended. She says it’s not a big deal and tells him to just come get her. Georgie says he can’t just drop everything, he’s working. “Forget it, I’ll hitch,” Missy says. “If I never see you again, don’t blame yourself.” Georgie says he’ll be right there. On his way out, he grabs some antacids. He then decides to take the whole container, just in case.
As Georgie drives Missy home from school in his dad’s old pickup truck, he asks what she was thinking. She says she didn’t want to take the test. Georgie suggests she could’ve just skipped class instead of pulling the fire alarm. “Next time, I’ll know better,” Missy says. Georgie tells her there shouldn’t be a next time. He asks how she expects to keep this from their mom, given the school is going to call home. Missy imitates Mary on the phone: “Hi, this is Mary Cooper, Jesus loves you. What’d she do? Don’t you worry, I will pray the devil right out of that rascal.” It worked last time. Georgie tells her she’s got a good head on her shoulders, and she should try using it. Missy says he sounds like their father. Georgie chalks it up to genetics, which makes Missy laugh. That’s what her test was on. As Georgie, now visibly stressed, pops more antacids, Missy asks what’s wrong with him. He says it’s just something he ate. Missy suggests he try smoking weed. When she offers to get him some, Georgie downs a few more TUMS.
That evening in the McAllisters’ kitchen, Jim suggests Mandy take night classes, brush up on her computer skills, and look for an office job. Mandy wonders why she spent six years getting a Communications degree if she’s just going to work in an office. Jim says he wondered that for six years. Mandy insists she’s not giving up on her dream. Connor walks through with the good news that he got the vacuum tube, and gives an overly-visual description of the strange cat the store owner had. After he leaves, Mandy asks if they’re still pretending he’s fine. Audrey insists her son just has a unique view of the world. Jim says “unique” is the word they’ve agreed to use.
After Georgie gets home, Jim asks if everything’s okay with Missy. Georgie says it was just “girl stuff.” Mandy is surprised Missy would talk to him about that, but Georgie points out he has a wife, a daughter, and… he knows Audrey. As he sits down to eat, he asks Mandy about the job search. When Mandy mentions widening the hunt to Houston or even Dallas, Georgie is stunned. Moving? He quickly gets agitated. Medford is his home, and he’s staying there. Audrey thought he’d be more supportive of Mandy’s career. Georgie snaps and accuses her of being behind this. She’s always interfering. Mandy, who rarely takes her mother’s side, tells him to calm down. Jim wants everyone to take a deep breath. Georgie doesn’t; he storms out and slams the door.
Outside, a sweaty Georgie slumps into the driver’s seat of his pickup truck, clutching his stomach. Then he grabs his arm.
At Medford Community Hospital, an even sweatier Georgie - his usually curly hair flattened - arrives at the front desk and says he thinks he’s having a heart attack.
In a hospital room, Dr. Hill gives Georgie the good news: his heart is fine. He was probably having a panic attack. Georgie doesn’t think that sounds right. Dr. Hill explains that panic attacks can mimic heart attacks: chest pain, shortness of breath. Georgie says he did down a whole bottle of TUMS, so maybe it’s TUMS poisoning. The doctor asks if he’s been under a lot of stress. “I guess,” Georgie says, adding it’s nothing he can’t handle. Dr. Hill explains that high anxiety can cause physical symptoms. Georgie scoffs, describing anxiety as “some New York nonsense.” Dr. Hill assures him even Texans get anxiety. “Maybe them hippies in Austin. Not here.”, Georgie replies.
That night in Jim and Audrey’s bedroom, Jim says he’s worried about Georgie. Audrey wonders why he’s not worried about her. She’s the one Georgie snapped at. Jim says losing his temper isn’t in Georgie’s nature. Audrey asks whose side he’s on. Jim insists there are no sides. Audrey says that’s all a marriage is: warfare. She thinks Georgie and Mandy’s marriage clearly won’t last, so the sooner it’s over, the better. Jim reminds her that her father hated him, and they’re still together. He says Georgie is more on the ball than she gives him credit for, mentioning how he’s been trying to convince Jim to carry Korean tires. Jim admits the tires are actually better. Audrey asks why they don’t stock them then. “We just don’t,” Jim says. When she presses, he admits it’s because their Goodyear rep promised him a ride on the blimp.
Meanwhile, in the McAllisters’ living room, Mandy calls Missy to ask if Georgie is there. Missy immediately assumes they had a fight and wants the gossip. Mandy says it was just “two adults seeing things a different way.” “And then arguing about it till one runs away?” Missy asks. When Mandy reluctantly agrees, Missy says she used to run away a lot as a kid. “He’ll grow out of it.” Mandy asks about Missy’s trouble at school. Missy doesn’t want to talk at first, but Mandy says she’s there if Missy ever does. Just as Missy starts to open up, Georgie arrives home, so Mandy quickly ends the call.
Mandy asks Georgie where he’s been. He says he was just driving around. Until eleven o’clock? Mandy presses him to say what’s going on. Georgie doesn’t want her to worry. Mandy points out that saying that only makes her worry. Georgie explains that he had chest pains and went to the hospital. “Oh my God!” Mandy exclaims. “See? Now you’re worried,” Georgie says. He tells her it wasn’t a heart attack. The doctor said it was a panic attack. Mandy immediately sees how that could happen, given everything on his plate. Georgie tries to shrug it off, but Mandy spells it out: he lost his dad, he has a brand-new baby, his sister’s struggling, his wife is unemployed, they have no money… and her mother bothers him daily. “Put it that way, it’s a miracle I’m still alive,” Georgie jokes. Mandy tells him he needs to cut himself some slack. Georgie says that’s easier said than done. Given that the doctor said his heart is fine, Mandy suggests they go “find out” in the bedroom.
The next morning, when Georgie walks into the kitchen as Mandy and her parents eat breakfast, he apologizes to Audrey for his outburst the night before. An unusually agreeable Audrey says they should forget it ever happened and have a nice breakfast. Georgie quickly realizes Mandy told them about his panic attack. Mandy admits she just wanted them to take it easier on him. “Well, that’s what families do, Georgie. We support one another,” Audrey says, laying it on a bit thick. Jim adds that plenty of men struggle with emotional stuff. “I find what’s most helpful is eating healthy and exercise,” he says while holding a slice of bacon. Georgie thanks them for their concern but insists he’s fine.
Back at the cemetery, Georgie sits at his dad’s grave and admits he might not have everything under control. “Truth is, I’m flying by the seat of my pants, and my pants are on fire. I’m stressed out all the time.” He wonders how his dad did it. How he made it all look easy. “Fine, don’t tell me.” Georgie stands and places a hand on the headstone. “This was good. Thanks for listening.” As he turns to leave, he pauses and adds, “Hey, maybe you can ask the big guy to keep an eye on your daughter. Send an angel, get her in the Army, something. Hurry.”
Another day at the cemetery, Georgie brings Missy to their dad’s grave. Missy says it’s weird, but Georgie insists talking to their dad will make her feel better. He didn’t tell their mom about her suspension, so the least she can do is talk to their dad about it. After he tells her to “have at it,” Missy says not with him listening, so Georgie walks off. She starts by claiming she’s pregnant and the father is her math teacher. “What?!” Georgie yells from off-screen. Missy knew he was listening. After Georgie apologizes and moves farther away, Missy tells her dad she’s not pregnant, she just got suspended. “Mom doesn’t know, she thinks I’m in school right now.” Sitting by the grave, she tells her dad that with him gone and Sheldon gone, she’s alone a lot. It’s easier to get away with stuff, “but it kind of sucks.” After a breath, she adds, “I really miss you.” Cut to Missy crying in the passenger seat as Georgie drives her home. He asks if she feels better now. “No, you jerk!” she sobs.