What An Idiot / Fresh Off the Boat

TV Show

• It's revealed that Louis stole the plans for Cattleman Ranch from a Golden Saddle meeting because he wasn't willing to pay the franchise fees, which he couldn't afford. He changes just enough that they can't sue them for infringement
  You'd Expect: Louis to not have chosen a cow theme, because then it's just rubbing it in that he stole something.
  Instead: Louis does, and moves the family to Orlando, where a Golden Saddle happens to be. And it happens to be run by the same franchise owners.
  The Result: The franchise owners start vandalizing the Cattleman billboard, and poaching Louis's best employees because they can afford a higher pay raise for him.
• In "Home Sweet Homeschool", Eddie got all A's on his report card while his friend Dave got all C's.
  You'd Expect: For Dave's mother to sanction Dave for mediocrity and for Jessica to praise Eddie.
  Instead: Dave gets rewarded with a basketball playset and Jessica forces Eddie to go through cram school because of her Insane Troll Logic that his perfect grades means school is too easy for Eddie.
• In "No-Thanksgiving", Jessica rigs the raffle that Louis started for a free turkey dinner by taking out the winning ticket, and all she needs is someone to hold the winning ticket and pretend to have won randomly. Also in same episode, she confiscates Eddie's bed as punishment for Eddie not doing his homework.
  You'd Expect: Jessica to give the winning ticket to either Grandma, Emery or Evan. Or better yet, keep it for himself, she doesn't work at the restaurant anymore - no one will know she's cheating.
  Instead: She gives it to Eddie, who falls fast asleep during the raffle winner announcement because of his lack of bed. This forces her to draw out another ticket and pick another winner. However, the turkey was not prepped and cooked which is an hours-long process. Camera cut to Louis and Jessica trying to slaughter the turkey.
• "Success Perm"
  • Steve and Connie, who are the in-laws for Louis and Jessica, are visiting just to show up the Huangs. Steve wants to rub it in Louis's face that he got his dream car, and Connie is smug about how now she's the favorite child and Jessica no longer is due to Jessica moving down to Orlando. It's revealed, however, that Steve's furniture business hasn't been doing well since Louis, who was his best salesman quit and opened the Cattleman Ranch down in Orlando.
    You'd Expect: He would have told Connie about this, so they could be sensible about their finances.
    Instead: He hides it from her, and keeps showing off his so-called wealth and doing all that he can to humiliate Louis.
    The Result: Laser-Guided Karma ensues for Steve the day after he makes Louis admit that Cattleman Ranch isn't doing so well. His car gets repossessed, with the sheriff explicitly saying he knows it's not a new car because the model was discontinued a few years ago. Connie calls him out for lying to her about their finances because it could easily get them in trouble with the law.
  • Meanwhile Jessica is dealing with the fact that her mother hates her and is spending the whole visit ignoring her. For a very irrational reason, that Jessica moved with her husband down south and away from Chinatown.
    You'd Expect: Jessica to pick her battles. You can't please someone who operates on Insane Troll Logic.
    Instead: Jessica tries her hardest, and Connie still manages to show her up. Then Connie admits that it's a lot of work being her mother's favorite, meaning Jessica was stressing for nothing.
• "Persistent Romeo"
  • The restaurant starts doing well. Jessica, who is spending her evenings watching Nightly News and reading Stephen King, believes that it's time for Louis to cover his butt and prevent lawsuits. She thinks sexual harassment is a good place to start since it's a common problem.
    You'd Expect: That Louis would lead the sexual harassment seminar, or do what they do later: hire a professional.
    Instead: Jessica leads the seminar. Her anxious fervor and flirting with the staff forces Louis to hire a professional speaker to educate the class about sexual harassment. The speaker then humiliates Louis and Jessica by pointing out they shouldn't be arguing about Eddie in front of the staff, and catches them trash-talking him in Mandarin, since he speaks Mandarin.
  • Then there's the whole "Eddie getting into trouble because his slumber party dirty video" — actually one of the sexual harassment seminar videos— leading to his principal asking Louis and Jessica to give Eddie The Talk. Louis gives Eddie a meaningful, honest one about all the escapades Louis had in his youth. After he's done, Jessica asks Louis if he covered date rape. Louis didn't.
    You'd Expect: Louis would turn around and give Eddie a quick lesson on don't assault your date.
    Instead: He doesn't.
    The Result: Jessica beats up Eddie using a giant plushie to teach him about date rape. Eddie then refuses to talk to her after she refuses to apologize to him for going overboard.
• In "How to Be An American", Eddie decides that with their parents gone for the day (using the Shaq O'Neal Motors car) he can drive their old van (though he's underage to drive) to take him, his brothers and Allison to a water park. But then they forget something in their home and have to go back inside.
  You'd Expect: Eddie to take the keys out of the van or keep the doors open.
  Instead: He runs out of the van without doing either, and he even lets Emery and Evan leave the van as well. Once they return, they've been locked out of the van and are very much at risk of getting caught trying to use the car without permission. Knowing that Jessica will enact a harsh punishment for this (given she's already a very strict and unbearable mother), Evan starts panicking when Eddie can't open the car.