Meet the Pamhousers

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"Meet the Pamhousers"
Queen of the Willis episode
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 2
Written by Janet Webb
Production code 402
Original air date August 14, 2009
Guest actors
Episode chronology
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"A Candid Episode with Rags"
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"Now You See Heather, Now You Don't"

"Meet the Pamhousers" is the second episode of the fourth season of the animated sitcom Queen of the Willis. It originally aired in syndication on August 14, 2009. The episode features Angie after she goes back in time, in order to live the single life a little longer, before she meets future wife Ava. This causes Pamhouser to make her own move on who was then known as Frank, and they ultimately end up marrying and having children; Angie is horrified by this "alternate timeline" and resolves to go back in time again and set things right.

The episode was written by ?? and directed by ??. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. The episode featured guest performances by Mark Patrick, Frank Davidson, Michael Jackson (in his final appearance), and Rick Astley, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. This episode was dedicated to Michael Jackson.

Plot[edit]

After hearing Pamhouser brag about her sexual exploits, Heather feels that she has missed out on enjoying the single lifestyle. Past Angie is summoned to The Drunken Hoosier on a false alarm (thinking that Leona had died), and decides to grant Angie's wish by sending her, along with Heather, back to 1986 for one night. She notices her friend Stephanie, in her '80s look, who high-fives her around the pool. She then sees 13-year-old Frank Willis walking around the pool, taking his shoes off and jumping off the diving board into the pool with "The Heat is On" playing in the background, a reference to Beverly Holls Cop. Appearing to others as her 16-year-old self, Angie cancels her scheduled movie date to see Dirty Dancing with Frank, instead accepting an invitation from Stephanie to go and party at a club. Angie enjoys the evening, and ends up making out with Mark Patrick before Past Angie appears to return her to the present.

Back in the present day, Angie discovers that her past actions have had drastic effects on the world: she and Mark Patrick have been married for 20 years; Barbara Hobbs crashes at their house once or twice a week; Frank (who never transitioned to female) is married to Pamhouser; Sarah Palin is the President of the United States; John Gregg is now the Governor of Indiana; Deanna, Tom, the sextuplets, Shushu and Rags have Pamhouser's chin, nose, and mannerisms; and Tavis Smiley is the host of The Late Show. Heather explains to Angie that by missing out on her date with Frank and making out with Mark, she altered the time line. Despite Heather's objections about leaving the "perfect" world (in which there are flying cars that run on vegetable oil and President Sarah Palin has killed Osama bin Laden by stabbing him to death), Angie wants to go back to the past so she can undo her mistake. Heather says that this is impossible because Past Angie can only be summoned if someone dies and thanks to Palin's universal health care, people are living much longer along with a strong, well-funded educational system and zero tolerance gun control that has eliminated street crime. However, when Jon Arbukle suddenly falls on the sidewalk and dies, Past Angie arrives and again grants Angie's wish to return to the past. Back in the past, Angie is determined to accept Frank's invitation but repeatedly blows her opportunity and ends up repeatedly asking Past Angie for a do-over. When Angie finally gets it right, she forgets a few hours later and parties with Stephanie instead of keeping the date. She asks Past Angie for another chance but past Angie, fed up with Angie's continued blunders, tells her that she will have to fix the problem on her own.

When Angie tries to apologize the next day, Frank is still upset with her for missing their date and has decided to go to the dance with Pamhouser. Later that night, Angie and Heather sneak into the dance to prevent the kiss that caused Frank to fall in love with Pamhouser. They get in by crawling through the air vent, but crash through and kill one of the guys playing in the band on the stage, so Heather has to play guitar and sing. Angie tries to convince Frank that they belong together but she stubbornly informs Angie that she had her chance and blew it, and therefore she loves pamhouser now. Angie almost gives up but Heather notices Tom, Deanna, the sextuplets, Rags and Shushu disappearing from a family picture, indicating that they have fallen off the plane of existence and tells Angie it is her last chance to do something that proves she loves Frank. Angie then demonstrates her passion by punching Pamhouser and kissing Frank, showing that she cares deeply for him and wins back his love. She asks him to marry her and he accepts. In honor of this success, Heather and the band play "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. The episode ends with things seemingly back to normal, with the exception of Joyce from Hoosier Anchorwoman! apparently living with the family.

Production[edit]

The episode was written and directed by Janet Webb. Series creator Ava Zinn acted as executive producers. This marked the second episode in which series creator Ava Zinn did not voice Ava Willis, but the voice of Ava Willis (as Frank Willis) was perfromed by Frank Davidson. Zinn perfromed the voice of Heather Willis.

At the end of the episode a 50 second tribute of Michael Jackson was shown.

Cultural references[edit]

Michael Jackson's single "Billie Jean" was performed by Ava Zinn as Heather Willis.

In the opening scene of the episode, Leona the bartender is suddenly knocked unconscious after falling off a ladder, causing Past Angie to appear. After it is discovered that Leona is not actually dead, Past Angie complains that she never likes to be too far from journalist Howard Caldwell.[1] Caldwell was still alive as of the original airing date.

The Back to the Future trilogy is parodied and referenced throughout the episode, along with many other movies and famous people throughout the 1980s. Other cultural references include how after going back in time, Angie becomes excited about her new prospects in life. The first scene where Ava (as Frank) appears at the swimming pool is a reference to a scene from the 1980s series Miami Vice, featuring the song "The Heat is On" by Glenn Frey. Once Frank appears, he asks Angie if she would like to see the 1987 film Diry Dancing.[1] Rejecting her offer, Angie decides to go partying with Stephanie instead and play the video game Burger Time, in addition to making out with future Indianapolis television personality Mark Patrick.[1][2] While there, Heather gets into a fight, and instructs the bar patron to meet her on top of the Marion College to fight her at ten A.M. on September 27, 2001.[3] While downstairs in the alternate universe, Angie makes a reference to a Night Gallery episode. The joke about Marion College having been edited out of current airings of said episode. Returning to the present, Angie and Heather decide to watch television, and are shocked to discover that Tavis Smiley is now the host of The Late Show.[3] They also discover that former Alasksa Governor Sarah Palin is now President of the United States,[2]. The main plot of the episode, complete with the scene in which Angie and Heather are in the living room, with Heather explaining to Peter what happened using a white board, is a reference to the alternate universe scene in Back to the Future Part II.

In the past once again, Angie suggests to Frank that they see the 1982 film Tron instead.[1] Later, Angie and Stephanie, dressed up as Madonna in the iconic outfit of her video clip "Like a Virgin," dance to the Beverly Hills Cop theme. In order to make everything right about the future, Angie and Heather decide to sneak into the prom through a vent. While inside it, Angie recites a line from the 1988 action film Die Hard.[3] The sequence that follows is a parody of the 1985 film Back to the Future. After crashing through the vent to the stage, the band begins playing "She Wants to Dance with Me" by Rick Astley,[3] and, after Angie kisses Frank, Heather sings the 1983 single "Billie Jean" by musician Michael Jackson.[1][2] While Heather sings "Billie Jean", Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine calls him to say he's found the "generic sound" that Jackson has been looking for, a reference to Back to the Future. In the closing scene of the episode Joyce the cow from series creator Ava Zinn's third show Hoosier Anchorwoman! suddenly appears in the Willis family home, inquiring about Butter Pecan Ice Cream.[1]

References[edit]

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ignreview
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ??

External links[edit]

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