SkimIt
A baby shower rains Bryan and David with lavish, but unwanted gifts that they decide to donate to charity. Could this decision lead them to becoming daddies sooner than they planned? Meanwhile, Rocky reveals a hidden side of herself, and Clay and Shania conspire to give Goldie a special party of her own.
The New Normal starring Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9:30 pm ET.
There’s No Avoiding a Baby Shower
Rocky (NeNe Leakes) decides to throw a baby shower for Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha), despite the fact that the guys previously agreed that they didn’t want one. Shania (Bebe Wood) decides on the theme, an early ’80s party scene, and they guys reluctantly go along with it as long as no one brings gifts. Rocky agrees, but of course disregards their wishes.
The guys know they’re going to be buried in high-end baby goods, since they already have a room full of gifts, and the shower is sure to bring more. David decides they can simply donate them to charity afterward without telling anyone, prompting David to call him an “evil charitable genius.”
Meanwhile, Jane (Ellen Barkin) and Rocky agree to go in together on a gift when Jane admits she’s short on cash because she hasn’t sold a house yet. Rocky says Bryan and David have given her a lot, since Bryan got her started in her career, so she wants it to be something really special. In true Los Angeles excess style, they decide on mink onesie pajamas.
Clay (Jayson Blair) shows up at the shower to support Goldie (Georgia King), much to Jane’s chagrin. His perceptiveness, which started last week, is apparently going to continue. He realizes that Goldie is feeling a bit melancholy because she never had a baby shower of her own when she was pregnant with Shania, and now she’s at one that’s being held for someone else, even though she’s the one who’s physically pregnant. Shania notices, too, although Goldie says it’s okay because “when you were born Nana got me a bus pass, so that was pretty neat.”
A Decadent Parade of Gifts
Rocky does some bonding with a baby brought to the shower by one of the guests, despite a “no children” admonition. Meanwhile, the guys marvel over gifts like a French claw-foot baby bathtub, a New Guinea walnut custom made bassinet, and a Swarovski crystal-studded potty training seat, as well as the mink onesie. Bryan says, “We’ll cherish these gifts for the rest of our days,” but in reality he and David whisk everything away to an adoption agency almost as soon as the party is over.
Gerald, the agency manager, is haughty about their donation, seeing them as a rich couple giving frivolous items to charity to ease their guilt. They also meet another worker, Susie, who’s juggling a bratty boy named Malcolm, who makes Jane’s acid tongue seem like it’s coated with honey, and a cute baby girl named Nikki.
The Writers Pull Off a Surprise
At home, Bryan and David discuss adoption, which they originally decided against because they wanted a biological connection to their child. They now decide they have a lot to offer and agree to become foster parents to Nikki. Before they return to the agency, Jane and Rocky show up with a chinchilla bib to go with the onesie and discover what happened to the gifts. They storm off to the adoption agency to reclaim their item. At the agency, Rocky immediately fawns over Nikki, while Malcolm remarks that people are always drawn to the babies.
Later, when the guys get there, Gerald reveals that Nikki has already been placed. Guess who her new foster mommy is? That’s right … Rocky! I could see that coming from the moment she bonded with the infant at the baby shower.
However, there was one unexpected surprise on tap. Bryan and David remember Malcolm and ask if they can foster him. Gerald reveals that the super-brat is actually his son. Between the kid’s previous hints about wanting to be adopted and the fact that he’s African-American, while Gerald is white, not to mention his stereotypical bratty quips, I’ll admit that the writers pulled a fast one on me.
Yep, Another Happy Ending
Back on the home front, Clay is babysitting Shania, and the two collaborate to give Goldie a baby shower, or at least a small party to cheer her up. They improvise decorations, although Goldie calls them out on using paper towels as streamers, and have a nice little family celebration. Clay points out that, while he didn’t get her a gift, Shania is the best gift of all. Cue the “Aw, how heartwarming.”
Meanwhile, Rocky reveals she never told David and Bryan that she was working toward fostering or adoption because she was afraid Bryan would think it would interfere with her work. He promises to support her in any way possible, including construction of a nursery on the set of “Sing.”
The guys still want to help the adoption charity, so they end up giving their time. In the big happy ending that’s become a staple of this show, we see them happily painting and playing with the kids, while Rocky nurtures little Nikki at work in lovely new nursery.
Best Lines
“I need to buy the boys a baby gift, and I can’t think of a thing that child needs, outside of an actual mother.” – Jane
“He/me is making you his/my specialty: American chop suey. Now, it’s mostly a Chinese dish, but the hot dog chunks make it American.” – Clay
