Jacqueline asks Kimmy to help her plan a dinner party where she can confirm if her husband, Julian, is cheating on her.
Titus teaches Kimmy the valuable lesson that you can belong anywhere as you long as you believe or act like you do. It's an absurd premise in the opening teaser. They treat themselves to a fancy restaurant and don't get kicked out despite not ordering anything, talking to a banana like a phone and typing away on a cardboard cutout of a computer. They get away with it because they just speak in gibberish and their waitress just doesn't want to deal with it. The funniest line comes when Kimmy says "Beyoncé" in place of thank you. It was a heightened take on the premise but it help establish what this episode is going to be about."Kimmy Goes to a Party!" is the most successful and funny episode of series so far because it largely keeps things to one central location. The problems that Kimmy, Titus and Jacqueline have to deal with are all located at this party. That allows them all to interact in amusing ways while they still all have their own things going on. Jacqueline throws this party in order to catch her husband Julian cheating on her in front of all of his friends. Kimmy and Titus are willing to help her because this party also presents wonderful opportunities for them because it's an environment of which they typically aren't a part.
Kimmy and Titus show up to the party in outfits that he fashioned together from objects around the apartment. He notes that it's the alliance the gay community has with everyone else - to give them makeovers when they desperately need it. It works too. They both look fantastic at this party and as if they really belong amongst these high society types. Kimmy sees it as her own Cinderella story. She's given the opportunity to attend the party and look pretty and interact with these people as someone else - Kimberly Tiara VonLobster. She catches the eye of an attractive man named Logan. They bond because she acts like she has this posh lifestyle. It's a lot of fun for her. And yet, it's just another fantasy for her. She is there for Jacqueline when she needs her for her grand plan of the evening. But Kimmy very much gets caught up in the performance of it all. At times even she is surprised by the words that come out of her mouth and that is used to the most phenomenal comedic effect. That tongue action she showed Xan was amazing. Of course, this fantasy doesn't last long for Kimmy because Xan needs to ruin her life because she thinks Kimmy is such a weird person. Logan learns the truth about Kimmy and promptly leaves which saddens Kimmy. And yet, he returns the next day and sees her in her normal attire. He actually likes that she has no idea who he or his family are. Xan wants to believe that Kimmy is just a scheming gold-digger. That would at least be an explanation. That's not Kimmy at all though. She doesn't know who Logan is and she doesn't really care either. Things are vice versa with him as well - which may come in handy should Logan ever learn that Kimmy is one of the mole woman.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline is so certain that her husband is cheating on her. She doesn't want to be seen as crazy or like his first wife. She just needs to know the truth - and embarrass him in the process. She designs this elaborate setup where the woman she thinks is sleeping with him is seated across the table from him. He'll be unable to stop from doing some foot action underneath the table. So, Jacqueline simply sprays some talcum powder on the floor that way it will show up on his clothes later and expose him for the fraud he really is. But things don't go Jacqueline's way. He stands and there is no powder on his pants. He then reveals that he and the woman have been working on a robotic program that then enters the room and captures the complete attention of the party. It's a low point for Jacqueline. She was so certain that he was gone for so long because he was cheating on her. So, she needed to take out her anger on the one thing that he was actually spending all of his time on - the robot.
Jacqueline gets some assistance from Titus - in their first major pairing of the show. Titus too has grown resentful of the robot because it has stolen the spotlight away from him. He was nervous about performing for these people. Kimmy gave him a confidence boost and then he learned that a Broadway producer was at the party. He began singing "Let It Go" from Frozen and I broke out into laughter. The robot takes away his chance of being the center of attention. It is the shiny new thing and both Titus and Jacqueline don't like being replaced. Even though it's just a robot, it is very perceptive of the world around it. Jacqueline and Titus need to eliminate this threat to their way of life. It's obviously heightened with Jacqueline killing it by throwing water in its face and the two trying to bury it in the backyard before anyone finds out what happened. It doesn't really go according to plan. The robot isn't so easily destroyed. But trying to hide the robot doesn't impact the characters all that much either. Titus is still able to impress the producer. He just happens not to be a producer and instead is the owner of a restaurant on Broadway where the waiters sing. That's a gig Titus will gladly take because he only has two dollars in his banking account (and it takes 3 dollars to get that money in physical form). And then, Jacqueline does get confirmation later on that Julian is cheating on her - it's just with their therapist which makes for one really awkward emergency session.
Some more thoughts:
- "Kimmy Goes to a Party!" was written by Robert Carlock and directed by Nicole Holofcener.
- Kimmy losing her shoe when she tried running away from Xan and Logan was a little too much with the Cinderella parody.
- I love how strongly the show has committed to this foot fetish between the Voorhees.
- I'm really hoping that Titus' new job will open up some better stories for him.
- Kimmy: "I feel like Cinderella. And the birds and mice are helping!"
- Titus: "Why do robots keep getting in the way of my dreams?"
