Everybody Hates Chris: 4.02 ‘Everybody Hates Cake’ Recap
October 12, 2008 by Chandra
Original Air Date: October 10, 2008
There are many standout moments during this episode of Everybody Hates Chris, first and foremost the scenes featuring former Martin co-stars Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell Martin. Tisha plays Peaches, a recently released ex-convict (she unintentionally aided and abetted her thieving boyfriend by sitting in the getaway car and not running away when the cops came) who also happens to be the mother of Tasha, Chris’ first and former crush from the building.
Despite Rochelle’s initial disdain for loudmouthed Peaches and her brash ways — such as barging in on the Rocks for a meal … with her man … uninvited … over an hour after they already ate — the two mothers end up having some thing in common. That would be their mutual disrespect for meter maids, as the funny scenes with them abusing their neighborhood version in identical manners show.
Meanwhile, still trying to get used to high school at Tattaglia without his best friend Greg there, Chris quickly realizes the only fellow student he has a connection with is Caruso, who still abuses him whenever possible. At least he can be happy about Home Ec, where all the girls look like they’re from Victoria’s Secret and the classroom always smells like biscuits.
Chris is a big hit in Home Ec because he knows how to cook. But the one girl he takes a liking to, Maria (Marisol Esparza), couldn’t care less, which leads to Chris striking a deal with androgynous — as in Prince, Boy George, Janet Reno, etcetera — classmate Angel (Hector A. Garcia). In exchange for teaching Angel how to cook, Angel promises to help Chris in the girl department since the female students accept him as part of their group.
Angel delivers when Maria is impressed with a cake Chris helped him bake. Yet, Chris eventually learns Maria wants help with baking to surprise her crush, the jock Dickerson, who insists that his women know their way around a kitchen. The disappointment evaporates soon, though, because the episode ends with Greg showing up at the school and turning back into a nerd after his tough guy act gets him kicked out of Bronx Academy. Caruso looks like he couldn’t be happier.
A third subplot focuses on Tonya and Drew, who land a nice paying gig feeding Mr. Omar’s (Ernest Thomas) fish while he’s away. His only stipulation is they can’t touch anything in his apartment.
Unfortunately, that responsibility is too big for Tonya. She can’t stop herself from watching her crush Danny Glover on Mr. Omar’s videotape of The Color Purple, and the VCR’s changed counter gives her away. As a result, she and her brother have to return the ten bucks they earned.
