"The Great Race" is an episode in the third season of Reba.
Competitive rivalry sparks after Jake gets Reba and Brock registered for the 5K marathon for the school fundraiser. While Reba is too busy training under Van's supervision for the marathon to cook for the family, Cheyenne takes over the culinary duty and enlists Barbra Jean's help.
Trope in this episode:
- Dramatic Pause: Cheyenne make the announcement about her homemade dinner this way."Dinner will be ready in a few minutes... *look at the kitchen behind her before turning back* just as soon as the meat stops boiling."
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Played for Laughs. Jake is not enthused about getting people to sign up for a 5K race as a school fundraiser, so Reba teaches him a new sales strategy — only to become the first target of said strategy and roped into signing up.Jake: What am I supposed to say to people to get them to sign up for this dumb race?Reba: Just tell them how fun it is.Jake: They won't believe me.Reba: Sure they will. You've got an honest face. Just smile when you say it.Jake: OK. (smiles) Mom, will you sign up for my fun race?*Cheyenne casts a look of dawning realization*Van: Oh, you are so busted.
- Lethal Chef: This is where Cheyenne proves to be absolutely terrible at cooking, despite Barbra Jean's attempt to help her.
- Early on, Barbra Jean's report on Cheyenne's progress ends with her asking Reba whether she has a fire extinguisher available.
- Later, Cheyenne gets too distracted talking to Kyra (admittedly, Kyra provokes Cheyenne with topics Kyra knows Cheyenne loves to ramble on about) to stir the pasta sauce.
- Then, Cheyenne quits on the attempt at cooking a chicken due to her refusal to take out the innards.
- Cheyenne somehow made meat boil.
- Finally, Cheyenne fails to notice a loaf of bread she had placed inside the oven, getting it completely charred as the result.
- At this point, Barbra Jean is reduced to drowning her sorrows at her complete failure, and she mentions how she taught her niece how to cook lasagna when she was six years old and worked at a church summer camp where she taught blind kids to cook, and she still couldn't make any progress with Cheyenne. When Reba comes home and Barbra Jean explains it, Reba simply agrees and says she's been there.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the marathon ends, Brock insists on claiming he let Reba win and Reba accuses Brock of being a Sore Loser in return. Just as Reba and Brock are on the verge of a 5K race rematch, Cheyenne makes an announcement about her homemade dinner. This prompts Reba to suggest that they change the content of the rematch to a race to the nearest pizza place instead, with the loser footing the bill. Brock agrees to the terms at once, and the episode ends with them starting the race and running away from the house.
- Tempting Fate: Overlaps with Hoist by His Own Petard. Jake expresses frustration about his struggle to get people signed up for the 5K race school fundraiser to Reba, so Reba suggests a sales tactic to him, only for Jake to immediately use said sales tactic on her and get her roped into signing up for the race. It gets worse for her when the only other person Jake manages to convince into signing up for the race is Brock.
