Recap / Corner Gas S 5 E 10 Knit Wit Of The Month

A Plot: Lacey and Brent have a laugh about the ridiculousness of employee recognition when you only have one employee. To Brent's dismay, however, Lacey breaks their "pact" and names Josh her Employee of the Month. To counter this, Brent names himself Employer of the Month. This annoys Lacey as well as Wanda, who wanted Brent to give her some recognition. Lacey makes Wanda Customer of the Month to make up for Brent, and things go downhill fast.

B Plot: When searching for a hobby, Hank joins Emma's knitting group and pesters Emma to help him out. Emma tries to get Hank to leave, assuming he is annoying everyone in the group, but her assessment is not as accurate as she thinks.

C Plot: Oscar takes over the seniors column for the Dog River Howler, and his articles are as cranky as expected. Davis and Karen decide to help him out, as it keeps him occupied and prevents him from annoying people in person.

Tropes referenced:

• Big Eater: The Ruby's profits actually suffer when Brent is actively not eating there. Lacey tries to force Wanda into picking up his slack. This includes three chili dogs and a whole pie.
  Lacey: I didn't realize how much the Ruby depended on him on slow days. I mean that man can pack it away. Oh, I'm talking like he can eat. I mean he can really pack it away.
• Blank Stare: Emma gives one to Davis when he surmises that, since Mrs. O'Hanlon's death led indirectly to Oscar having something to do and not bothering other people, it's "great that she's dead".
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: While discussing potential subjects for Oscar's newspaper column, Davis suggests dog poop, garbage cans, and dogs pooping in garbage cans.
• Brick Joke: After Lacey puts up a Customer of the Month photo for Wanda, Brent remarks that someone will probably draw a mustache on it or blacken out teeth. He then asks for a marker. At the end, when Brent has reluctantly made Wanda Employee of the Month, he shows Hank her picture, which has a mustache and blackened teeth, presumably done by Brent.
• Description Cut:
  • Lacey claims Josh was whining about the Employee Appreciation thing, so she gave him the award. Cut to earlier, where Lacey is the one whining, whereas Josh seems pretty indifferent about it.
  • Twice Lacey claims Wanda is a great customer, only for an immediate montage to prove she's a terrible one.
• The Ditz: Similarly to the "goat cheese omelet" from a previous episode, Hank seems to think a model train club includes models and trains.
• Employee of the Month: Lacey puts up an Employee of the Month plaque for Josh, her only employee. Wanda starts feeling unappreciated because Brent won't make her Employee of the Month at the gas station, but when it looks like Brent has agreed with the idea, he instead names himself Employer of the Month. Lacey tries to make Wanda feel better by naming her Customer of the Month, leaving Brent feeling unappreciated as a customer and he decides to no longer eat at The Ruby. Soon Lacey discovers that Wanda is a really disruptive and ungrateful customer and that The Ruby relies on Brent's patronage to get through slow days. Brent settles things by making Wanda Employee of the Month and returning to eat at The Ruby, but he makes sure to draw graffiti on Wanda's plaque just like he warned her would happen.
• Failed a Spot Check: Oscar complains that he can't find the seniors column in the newspaper. Emma then points out that the obituary of the lady who wrote the column is the main article on the front page. He still doesn't get it.
  Oscar: Oh, she writes those now? Good for her.
• Finger Gun: Lacey does some to Josh, which he returns, to prove making him Employee of the Month has boosted morale.
  Lacey: Hey Josh-a-roo!
  Josh: Hey Lace-a-roo!
  Brent: I think I'm gonna lose my Lunch-a-roo.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Emma assumes the knitting club thinks of Hank this way, which is why they act strange. It turns out they actually think of Emma this way because her constant complaining about Oscar. They still aren't very fond of Hank, but they'll gladly take him over Emma.
• Hypocritical Humor: In the Cold Open, several scenes show Hank just hanging out with Brent, doing absolutely nothing except maybe making random sounds. Then Brent offers a suggestion:
  Brent: You should get a hobby.
  Hank: Sure, but who's got the time?
• I Have This Friend: Wanda claims to Brent that a guy shopping at the gas station thought she deserved the Employee of the Month award. Brent doesn't believe her for a second, having overheard her practicing the "conversation" in the washroom earlier.
  Wanda: Oh, that guy also wanted to know what kind of gift you were getting me.
  Brent: Tell "that guy" nothing.
  Wanda: [perturbed] That guy also thinks you're a tool.
• Lethal Chef: Brent may not be a particularly bad cook, but because he eats all his meals at the Ruby he doesn't keep much food around the house. So when he gets into an argument with Lacey and stops eating at the Ruby out of spite he has to choke down sandwiches such as pickles-and-jam and olives-and-sour-cream for lunch. He pretends he thinks they are delicious in front of Lacey but obviously has trouble getting through them.
• Mathematician's Answer:
  Hank: Hey, Brent. You seen your mom?
  Brent: Lotsa times.
  • Also, Lacey deliberately gives a series of these in the Obfuscating Stupidity moment below.
• Mirror Character: Emma complains to Hank that Oscar always "yaps on and on" while she's knitting. Then it turns out that the other knitting club members dislike Emma because she always yaps on and on about Oscar while they're knitting.
• Mistaken for Profound: When Hank claims knitting doesn't look hard because you just move needles around and make a ball, most of the knitting group laughs because they assume he has to be joking. Only Emma seems to know that he is dead serious and is just that stupid.
• Mocking Sing-Song:
  • Right after Lacey and Brent have had a conversation about how lame it is that Phil is giving his only employee an appreciation lunch, Lacey then brings over the cake Phil ordered:
    Lacey: [with a disingenuous smile] Look who's being appreciated! All right!
  • Lacey later does a similar thing to Brent when he complains that she chose Wanda over him as Customer of the Month.
    Lacey: Awww. Does my choice bug you? Are you bugged? You look bugged.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Brent questions Lacey about the Employee of the Month photo she has put up, but Lacey pretends to not understand what he's hinting at.
  Brent: What the heck's that?
  Lacey: What?
  Brent: [pointing directly at the photo] That!
  Lacey: The wall.
  Brent: ON the wall.
  Lacey: Paint.
  Brent: We're gonna get to it eventually.
• Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Davis and Karen assume Oscar to be dead, because it's several hours into the day and they haven't gotten any complaints from him yet.
• Stealth Insult:
  Oscar: [following Fitzy down the street] Who's going to write the seniors beat? How am I supposed to know what the seniors are doing?
  Fitzy: Well, one of them's driving me nuts.
  Oscar: See? That's the kind of thing that should be in the paper.