"Room Parents" is the second segment of the second episode (and the fourth story overall) of Close Enough.
Synopsis[]
When Josh volunteers at Candice's school, Emily becomes suspicious that another parent is trying to seduce him.
Plot[]
Josh, Emily and the other parents at Chamomile Elementary are all seated during the annual Parent-Teacher conference with the Teacher - Timothy Campbell - apathetic to the displeasure of the parents attending.
Josh volunteers to be the room parent for Emily's Class for the whole year despite Emily repeatedly telling him that he does not understand the severity of the situation.
Josh's impending task is to organize the fundraiser to build a new playground. Upon loading his car he is approached by a woman who is visibly infatuated and enamored with him. The woman introduces herself as Billy's mother, Nikki, and offers to be Josh's co-room parent, to which Josh agrees.
The next morning, Josh is dubiously engaged on his phone in conversation with Nikki, which leads Bridgette and Alex to believe that Nikki is attempting to seduce Josh. Emily initially dismissed the idea that Josh was being tempted, but changed her mind upon realizing how oblivious Josh could be. After enlisting the aid of Pearle, Emily decides to spy on Josh to see if he is having an affair. Although Emily was unable to catch them in the act, she was not happy with their flirtatious behavior.
Emily confronts Josh the following night about Josh's supposed affair, Josh denies that he was having an affair but he admitted he was acting callously and he was starting to see through Nikki's seductions. He informed Emily that he was invited to Nikki's house the next morning; Josh and Emily decided that they will both go and relieve Nikki of her duties as a co-room parent.
They do just as planned the next morning, Nikki insists that they have a taste of her "killer" apple tart despite their differences. As Nikki regroups in her kitchen Josh decides to get acquainted with Billy who was watching TV. Josh and Emily horrifyingly discover that Billy was literally a rag doll all along.
Nikki approaches them with the promised tart and pulls out a handgun from inside the pastry, which made Emily question Nikki as to why she had gone through all the trouble of baking a tart around a gun.
After holding Josh and Emily at gunpoint, Nikki ties them up, and goes on to reveal that she had dedicated her life to stealing money from school fundraisers by taking advantage of simple-minded male room parents, and referred to each of the people she scammed as "a Josh." Nikki then leaves to steal the fundraiser's money.
Emily manages to grab hold of her phone and orders a plastic knife via a food delivery app so she could cut herself and her husband free. The food delivery does come as expected, but Emily was given a plastic fork instead of a knife. Nevertheless, Emily frees her husband and herself.
Josh and Emily arrive at the fundraiser to stop Nikki, but she already had possession of the money and made her way to a children's novelty train.
Josh and Emily safely evacuate the children off the train and give chase to Nikki. Things take a dangerous turn when Nikki starts shooting at them with the aforementioned gun. Emily takes Candice, the last child on the train, and falls off into Pearl's surveillance van, leaving Josh to recover the money.
Josh tussled with Nikki and pulled a bait and switch, replacing the money with Billy. Nikki felt betrayed and started screaming at Billy and strangling him.
All the while the novelty train had gone off track and onto an incomplete highway because of Nikki's recklessness. Josh unhinged the train engine from the wagons and let the entire engine, with Nikki inside, crash into a building, causing an explosion.
Josh triumphantly returned with the money and the parents reveled in a successful fundraiser. Mr. Campbell then quickly instated Josh as "room parent for life", and escaped in his car.
Characters[]
- Josh Singleton
- Emily Ramirez
- Nikki
- Candice
- Pearle Watson
- Timothy Campbell
- Parent-Teacher Meeting Attendees
- Bridgette Yoshida
- Alex Dorpenberger
- Randy Watson (non-speaking role)
- Ethan (non-speaking role)
- Maddie (non-speaking role)
- Mia (non-speaking role)
- Trish (non-speaking role)
- Post Pals Delivery Worker
- Train Ride Conductor
Trivia[]
- The plastic knife that Emily orders from Post Pals - but never receives - costs her (at least) $5.
Pop Culture References[]
- The song "Crazy On You" by Heart plays during the montage in this episode.
Production Errors / Goofs[]
- In the scene where Emily visits Pearle for help with spying on Josh, the close-up on Emily shows the background of the inside of the house, even though she is outside.