SkimIt
An open house invitation to a new country club opening has put the Weavers and the aliens in a tizzy. While the Weavers have preconceived notions of the negativities involving snooty country club types, they secretly want in. The aliens feel that this invitation is a step in being accepted in the bigger, outside world and they also want in. However, when only one family is asked to join membership, there are some hurt feelings with a number of questions regarding race and social classes that need to be answered.
The Neighbors starring Lenny Venito, Jami Gertz, Simon Templeman and Toks Olagundoye airs on ABC at 8:30 pm ET.
What's In Your Mailbox?
The Weavers find out that the aliens have been reading their mail everyday and have just found out that both families have been invited to a new country club opening at a nearby golf course. The aliens are thrilled to find this invitation because they have never been invited to anything from the outside world before, except for invitations from the Weavers. The aliens feel that this is a sign of acceptance but the Weavers have some mixed feelings about it. The Weavers try to explain that many country clubs are filled with white, snobby, upper-crust people and it is not something that they should partake in.
Race On Earth
When Debbie Weaver (Jami Gertz) tries to explain about the social classes on Earth, the aliens seem completely perplexed. Jackie Joyner-Kursee (Toks Olagundoye) explains that they took on human forms that spanned the entire human spectrum but can't really tell the difference between humans. The aliens seem completely confused about the fact that they themselves are different races. Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo) tries to study what race is and comes up with different stereotypes that they think they should be adhering to. They start thinking that maybe the reason why they haven't been invited to things is because they haven't been adhering to the stereotypes of the human forms they've taken on. The result is everything from pop culture references that has Jackie saying, "What you talkin' bout, Willis?" at inappropriate times and Larry Bird (Simon Templeman) not being able to dance well.
Acceptance
Even though the Weavers gave negative reports to the aliens about how the country club is an undesirable place to go, they wind up going to the open house themselves and even sneaking out to do so. Once they see the country club, they decide they definitely want to be members but the problem is that the aliens followed their scent and came to the country club open house too. In an attempt to be accepted into the club, the Weavers try to distance themselves from the aliens and speak using big words to try and impress the other members. When the aliens start making spectacles of themselves and their newly acquired stereotypes, Marty Weaver (Lenny Venito) tells Larry that he is not special and that the country club gives out open house invitations to anyone with a mailbox. Larry is hurt that his friend wouldn't think his family wasn't good enough for the country club. To make matters worse, the club accepts Larry and his family but rejects the Weavers. It turns out the club is a progressive-thinking club that goes out of their way to welcome mixed families.
The Real Reason
Debbie tries to look at the rejection by the country club as a good thing. She suggests the money they were going to spend on the membership go towards building a hot tub in the back. Since Marty seemed to be most excited about the indoor pool at the country club, she thinks this will make him feel better. However, Larry is really going out of his way to rub it in Marty's face that he was not accepted into the country club. Not only does he flaunt his guest passes in Marty's face but he mails pictures of himself at the country club. While Marty may seem disappointed about the indoor pool and Larry may seem like he's just trying to gloat, the real reason behind all this behavior is their own feelings of rejection. Larry feels hurt that Marty didn't think he was special enough to be invited to the country club and Marty feels hurt that he didn't come from the best of neighborhood and the country club members may have looked down on him.
Works Out In the End
When Debbie reveals to Larry that the reason the country club was able to look beyond their strange behavior was because they had a racially mixed family, Larry storms off to the country club and quits. He makes a grand gesture and says it was a mistake not to ask the Weavers to become members because they were the first family to accept them when they came here. The Weavers make up with their alien neighbors and the whole country club fever nonsense is settled. While Jackie had her identity as a black woman defined by her stereotype, Reggie had his Asian stereotype and even Larry had his stereotype as a wasp; Dick Butkus (Ian Patrick) seemed to be saddened about not having his own stereotype. However, he quickly changed that by simply changing his outer form into a young Hispanic boy. Don't you just love happy endings?
Best Lines
"Guys, you can't go through our mail. A person's mail is a private thing." - Debbie Weaver
"Oh yes, that's why it's placed by a stranger in a box and left at the end of the driveway unattended. Silly Fools!" - Larry Bird
"We are all equal. Some of us are very equal, some are middle equal and some are barely equal at all. They barely deserve our scraps." - Jackie Joyner-Kursee
