The Greens have been back in the country for a bit now, and the latest episode marks a true return to form for the series since their return with wacky and hilarious antics filled with heart, regardless of the location..
Pie Hard
For the first time since we’ve been back in the country, it’s time to head to Downtown Smalton to get a taste of the bigger city lifestyle again. Downtown Smalton however only takes up about the length of a city block, but serves as home to Patti’s Diner and the General Store, which are important for today’s episode.
Gramma is back with her family for the time being, and is out on the town with the family but Tilly is hungry but her favorite chef, Patti (read: NOT Gramma) is ready to take on the responsibility of providing a great meal.
With the return of the Greens to the country, we are seeing old friends for the first time in the series, and Patti is definitely one of them. Tilly loves her food, and she clearly knows Bill because despite his debate over what he’s going to have today from the menu, he is served his “usual” upon arrival – a cold liverwurst sandwich.
This sets Cricket off in a rage of jealousy. He wants a “usual” too! Bill warns him though, it's his own personal prison and he may get stuck with something he never liked in the first place – like the Liverwurst sandwich.
Tilly wants thee BEST pie, Patti’s blueberry pie, and this infuriates Gramma who sets out to destroy Patti. Unfortunately, someone else ordered the last piece of pie, so Gramma is ready to go home and make Tilly her own pie. Patti though is ready to whip up a new one from scratch just for Tilly.
Remy is in the adjacent general store, not eating, but shopping for a country gift for Vasquez, and the lack of “Vasquez” license plates sends him into a flurry of confusion wondering what to get him that he would like best. Mugs? Locally Sourced Pens? Keychains?
Cricket is brought his new usual, a meatwich, before Patti heads back to start making Tilly’s pie. Tilly is grateful and tells her grandmother that Patti might just be her favorite baker (read: NOT Gramma) and her pies deliver a spiritual experience. Gramma sets out to see how Patti accomplishes this and heads into the kitchen herself to confront Patti. Once in the kitchen, and passing a literal wall full of “best pie” awards, Gramma challenges Patti to a bake-off.
Cricket is still trying to establish his own usual, with a new server at the restaurant, Wayne, having a hard time remembering the order. While he can write it down, sure, Cricket won’t let him because it defeats the purpose of having a usual. So, we get a bit of a jaunty tune, and Wayne disappears to bring him another meatwich which he now remembers thanks to the song. Cricket Green now has a usual.
In the kitchen, Patti and Gramma have completed their pies, with Patti’s having a crust caricature of Tilly baked into it. While that showmanship doesn’t impress Gramma, the flavor does when she takes a sample and keels over, floating into Pie-Valhalla. She knows now that Tilly can’t eat this pie, or she’ll never let her Gramma bake for her again. The two begin fighting and the rumble rolls out into the dining room. Tilly wonders what is going on between the two when Gramma comes clean and explains that she is jealous of her fondness for Patti when she is the one that is supposed to cook and provide for her.
Remy, who has cleared out the General Store and has an armful of gifts for Vasquez comes back into the diner and slips on spilled water (from the fight) and Gramma throws her pie out of her arms in order to save Patti’s, shocking everyone with the sacrifice. Tilly may not need Gramma, but she needs her favorite pie. Regardless of Pie, Tilly will always need her favorite Gramma. Awwww.
Rat Tail
It’s breakfast time and Cricket is wearing a hat that he’s been wearing for a while now. The family likes the new style, but truth is, as Cricket announces, that he’s been covering up his latest accessory. He’s been growing a rat tail. We’ve seen different hairstyles on Cricket before, but this one might possibly be the most ghastly, and his mother agrees.
Tilly and Bill are both impressed with it, but Nancy is disgusted and lies about it. She pulls Bill aside to say they need to do something about it, but Bill points out that Nancy literally just said Cricket should have the freedom to express himself. She doesn’t want to say anything about it because she doesn’t want to be a harsh critic like her father was with her because she hated him for it.
It’s fun to see Nancy in this episode because then we see where Cricket gets some of his scheming abilities from as she comes up with various plans to get Cricket to get rid of his rat tail.
Elsewhere in the house, Gramma is knitting when Remy stumbles upon her and asks what she is doing. She explains the sacred art of knitting and how mastering stitches takes time— but Remy has already knitted a kitty scarf thanks to his strong gamer thumbs. Gramma has a prophecy that foretold of someone like Remy, who would inherit her knitting needles, but needs the right skills, so it's time to put Remy to the test.
Nancy takes Cricket into town to visit her favorite place, the Barber shop, to keep up on the latest trends and styles. The barber is outside sweeping and sees the rat tail and is wildly impressed, even rounding up more townsfolk to see the perfect rat tail. Others then go to the barber demanding they make their hair look the same. Nancy’s plan has backfired.
Gramma is knitting/working out with Remy, giving him knitting challenges, like beanies and infinity scarves, and decides the boy is ready. He now has to knit the perfect glove. Gramma can’t do it right because she always knits five fingers by mistake. Remy is ready to accept the challenge.
Nancy catches Cricket watching TV and realizes that he is highly susceptible to subliminal advertising, so she concocts another scheme to plant the idea of Cricket cutting off his own rat tail in his head. This works slightly, with the boy realizing that he wants a different look, but not in the way Nancy wanted. Enlisting the help of Remy and his new skills, Cricket now has an extended rat tail that can literally be used as a jump rope, complete with tiny bell attached.
Nancy is so disgusted she starts seeing her Dad in the rat tail telling her to just tell him how bad it looks, and push him away the same way that her dad did. She runs off screaming, having a bit of a breakdown. Speaking of breakdown, Remy has been locked in a room in the dark, knitting tons and tons of gloves trying to master the perfect glove. Gramma talks a bit of sense into him and he realizes it's not about the four or five fingers…it was about the one piece of yarn and sees everything coming together in his head. He’s done it. The perfect glove. Gramma gives him the golden knitting needles and he excitedly throws them up in the air, getting them stuck in the roof. Luckily, Cricket’s rat tail can help out with that.
Nancy is outside in the rain, still seeing her dad in the puddles telling her to criticize her son. She can’t do that, but what she can do is sneak into Cricket’s room and cut it off herself! As she’s extending the rat tail to cut it, that little bell rings and wakes up her son, who discovers her plot. Finally, she comes clean and says it's hideous. Cricket actually is the more mature one in this moment asking why, if she didn’t like, she didn’t say anything herself. After all, there’s so many things that his Dad criticizes and disapproves of and he still is rather fond of him, so he’ll be okay with his mom too.
Remy is also in the room, enjoying the heartfelt moment while knitting his own tissues to wipe away his tears.
This episode of Big City Greens is now streaming on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW app. You can also catch up with earlier episodes and seasons of the series, now streaming on Disney+.