Claire and Mitchell's mother, Dede, drops in for a surprise visit and is determined to make amends with everyone she offended during what has been deemed "the incident" at Jay and Gloria's wedding. Needless to say, no one is thrilled to see her and everything comes to a head when the whole family shows up to dinner at Claire's house.
Tropes:
- Betty and Veronica: Dede (the Betty) competing with Gloria (the Veronica) over Jay (the Archie).
- Birds Are Bad News: When Dede arrives, a bird slams into the window and Gloria states that it's a bad sign.
- Dirty Old Man: Gloria's uncles who were drunk and kept patting Claire on the butt at Gloria's wedding.
- The Dreaded: Nobody wanted to spend time with Dede when she arrived in town.
- Never My Fault: Dede refuses to take responsibility for her marriage failing. For years she blamed Gloria and repeatedly attacked her in a drunken rage even though she and Jay met years after they divorced.
- Noodle Incident: Dede getting drunk and ruining Jay and Gloria's wedding. Appropriately titled "The Incident".
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Things are bit strange as Claire is watching in disbelief at Luke and Haley, who are playing but not arguing. Phil walks in and asks why they aren't trying to hurt each other. Claire says she doesn't know but she is afraid to move in case it stops. Phil also in disbelief asks Claire what's happening.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Dede mocking Gloria with a faux Latin accent while drunk. Everybody is appalled by her behavior.
- Shout-Out:
- De De, during her speech at Gloria and Jay's wedding, makes a comparison with Gloria saying that Jay couldn't wait 10 minutes to run off with Charo, referring to the Spanish-American actress who married a very much older man.
- De De talks about Ricky, an ex-boyfriend of Claire's, and she says that he looked like Charles Manson.
- Jay refers to Manny as Rambo after he put fire on a kid's bike because Jay told him that he had to get even for the prank the kid did to him.
- Shower of Love: Gloria invites Jay to join her in the shower, to which Jay reminds Gloria that there is a gun in the garage and if he ever says no to that question, she should shoot him with it.
- Too Much Information: Dede, talking to Mitchell and Claire, her children: "Anyway, until I'm past this whole wedding debacle, I can't be intimate with [Chaz, the man she's moving in with]. We do things to each other; we use our hands..."
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Jay and Gloria; also, Mitchell and Cameron, as Dede is only all too eager to point out
