This marks the first of two consecutive episodes featuring Ana as Season 7 approaches the homestretch. Here; Ana tries to get the attention of a boy in her math class named Dylan (guest star R.J. Williams; who voiced the title character on the 1986-88 NBC Saturday-Morning Cartoon Kissyfur and played delivery boy Ricky on a couple of episodes of Full House during Season 4 but is perhaps best known as the voice of Kit Cloudkicker on the 1990-91 cartoon TaleSpin).
We start with opener "The Girl I Used to Know" (with Brian taking over the saxophone); after which we see Flip walk in and stumble - dropping some magazines; mostly fashion (to Kenny and Eric's confusion; Flip then explains he's recycling them). While Robin offers to take some of them, Ana clearly is staring off into space. Why is soon apparently, as Robin tells Haylie that Ana has a crush on a boy in her math class named Dylan, who is - among other things - on the honor society, captain of the school's tennis club and editor of the school yearbook. Ana then runs to say hello to Dylan, but he walks by...and when Kenny and Eric return soon afterwards, starts moving around randomly trying to pass her actions off as "expressing herself". The guys aren't convinced and head to the stage ("The Great Pretender"). Back at the counter (which has a "Recycling Old Magazines" sign up); Robin and Haylie start working on ideas to help Ana get noticed by Dylan. This time when Dylan walks in, the girls try acting casually (though Ana's magazine is upside down). Dylan notices Ana this time and asks if he could take her to a charity event at his parents' country club; which Ana agrees to (though blurting out that she had been to one before where she used to live)note . Dylan is going all out, handing Ana an invitation and planning to send a corsage and even a chauffeur to pick her up at 6:30. Ana then starts panicking; begging her cousin Robin and fellow bandmate Haylie for help, at which point the gears begin turning in the youngest member's mind as she turns her copy of "Modern Beauty".
In the breakroom; Ana - despite an attempt by Eric to cheer her up - is still in panic mode; while Haylie is still pushing for a makeover (Eric jokes that she might have meant like Frankenstein's Monster. As that's not the case; Eric and Kenny soon exit), handing Ana some magazines while Haylie heads to the computer to find etiquette tips, setting up a brief montage as part of "The Great Pretender" repeats before we move to "You Need a New Attitude" (taking place in an Imagine Spot set at the country club, complete with milk toasts and Ana doing the running man); at which point Ana begins having second thoughts about going at all; setting up "Individuality"; after which Ana - with Robin and Ana toting several dresses - declining their help in order to go as herself.
The others are waiting to find out how things went (with Haylie, unaware Ana had just walked in, still wishing Ana took advantage of the makeover offer) before Ana shares how it went (getting her corsage, chauffeur arriving on time, she got to walk around the country club and saw the band playing inside - though she didn't go in; Dylan was waiting and they ended up dancing outside briefly {as Dylan chaired the event, they wouldn't have been together much}). Dylan then arrives and wants to talk with Ana (presumably alone, as Robin has to yank Haylie away from eavesdropping), saying he wasn't embarrassed about Ana's not having been to a country club before and inviting Ana for that very reason, setting up an impromptu dance at the P*lace (unaware the others are watching) before we go to closing number "Waiting for Love".
Songs performed in this episodenote :
- “The Girl I Used to Know" (Brother Beyond cover; lead vocals by Kenny)note
- “The Great Pretender” (Jimmy Parkinson covernote ; lead vocals by Ana and Kenny)
- “You Need a New Attitude” (Kids Incorporated original; lead vocals by Kenny and Ana)
- “Individuality” (Kids Incorporated original; lead vocals by Ana)
- “Waiting for Love” (Alias cover; lead vocals by Ana)
Tropes associated with this episode:
- The Ace: Dylan comes from a wealthy family; is on the Honor Society; is school yearbook editor and captain of the tennis club.
- Green Aesop: Flip is running an effort to recycle old magazines.
- Imagine Spot: "You Need a New Attitude" takes place at the country club; complete with milk used for toasts.
- Just the Way You Are: The primary aesop of the episode.
- The Makeover: Robin and Haylie plan on doing one for Ana, though it's ultimately abandoned before anything can happen.
- Pygmalion Plot: Part of Robin and Haylie's attempt to prepare Ana for the charity event at the country club includes attempts to work on Ana's manners and poise.
- Right Behind Me: Haylie complains about Ana not taking some of the ideas she and Robin were suggesting for a makeover, unaware that Ana had returned from the charity event she was at with Dylan.
- Rushed Inverted Reading: Ana, attempting to act casual when Dylan walks by, holds her magazine upside down.
- Token Rich Student: Possibly Dylan, since we aren't given much info on the band members' backgrounds.
