Aliens in America: 1.15 ‘The Muslim Card’ Recap
April 29, 2008 by Chandra
Original Air Date: April 27, 2008
JUSTIN becomes Mr. Know It All after dinner one night when his fortune cookie tells him he’s “the excellent judge of character.” RAJA, however, definitely doesn’t know much about character, at least when it comes to girls. As a result, his niceness and compassion for those who are ostracized allows one painfully irritating student named MINDY WEINBLAU to ensnare him, seemingly forever at first. Everybody else just wisely runs in the opposite direction whenever Mindy approaches.
When Mindy — nicknamed Mental Mindy and whom Justin describes as overbearing, needy, and compulsive, her good qualities — asks Raja to sign her petition against anti-petitions or whatever, Raja’s kindness obliging initiates an alarming pattern. He volunteers to be her study partner in their Italian class when nobody else will, and then agrees to help her at her volunteer job working with the elderly one Saturday, thereby giving Mindy the impression that they’re falling in love.
Although Justin warns Raja repeatedly that he shouldn’t get too friendly with delusional Mindy, it takes a while for the message to finally sink in. Raja returns from the day volunteering with the elderly overwhelmed by how insufferable Mindy is. He becomes even more disgusted when Justin shares what Mindy told him about the X/NC-17/R-rated dream she had of a shirtless Raja riding a horse.
The last straw comes when Mindy informs their entire Italian class she’s in love with him. But, instead of telling Mindy point-blank that he doesn’t like her, Raja wusses out and plays the Muslim card, explaining they can’t be a couple because of their “insurmountable” religious differences.
Meanwhile, FRANNY and GARY have a character dilemma of their own when new neighbors TED and LESLIE Becker stop by. The couple win the Tolchuks over with Ted’s love of sports and Leslie’s love of eating out, but the love disappears for Franny at least when the Beckers reveal they came over because the law requires them to tell residents Ted’s a registered sex offender. He served six months in jail after the high school sweethearts were caught in bed together at his college when he was 19 and she was only 17. They’ve since been married 15 years.
The explanation, along with Ted’s season tickets to Bucks games, is sufficient to calm any unease Gary has. So, despite Franny’s protests that Ted is technically Mr. Molesterburg and a rapist, the Tolchuks proceed with the dinner together at the restaurant. Ted’s acceptance and Leslie’s support when another neighbor approaches the Beckers at the restaurant and throws a drink in Ted’s face while warning him to stay away from local children convinces Franny that the Beckers deserve her compassion.
It turns out Mindy can play the Muslim card, too, however, and to Raja’s shock and dismay, she arrives at school the next day dressed in a burqa and with the news that she’s converted to Islam. Mental Mindy is now Muslim Mindy. When Mindy is waiting for Raja at the Tolchuk’s after school, he’s finally resolved to do what he must: tell Mindy to her face that they are not, have never been, and will never be a couple.
Mindy turns the situation right back on Raja, though, questioning how he can dump her after all she’s done for him. Ted and Gary come across the street and see the two arguing, prompting Ted to reveal he would never have bought a house in the neighborhood if he knew people like Raja lived there. Incensed Gary responds that Ted has some nerve, considering he’s a rapist (Go, Gary!).
