“Finally, Bluebell does something right.” Zoe was thrilled with the unexpected snowfall on Monday night’s episode of Hart of Dixie, but the rest of the town had a different opinion, which set up the premise for the show: snow equals bad luck.
It was a simple way for the writers to throw a little chaos into the usual back and forth flow of this primetime, Southern fried soap opera. However, it was the tried-and-true overarching theme of love (and the chaos that comes along with it) that really made things messy.
Lavon was excited that his parents (guest stars Ernie Hudson and Valerie Pettiford) were coming to town for a visit from Houston, and prepared to introduce them to Didi. Zoe was skeptical (as was I) whether it was too soon for that. But Didi was more worried about meeting Lavon’s parents on a snow day, because she thought the cursed white stuff would ensure that Ernie and Carolyn Hayes would hate her. Are we supposed to love Didi because she’s quirky and fun and sticks her foot in her mouth all the time? When she pulled out the “Those who can’t do, teach ...” cliché with Mrs. Hayes, I winced.
But Lavon’s parents had bigger fish to fry: Carolyn had met up with her high school boyfriend Dwayne again via Facebook, and was leaving Ernie because Dwayne “made her feel young again.” (If only there was a quarter collected for every time someone said that on TV.)
Lavon was right on the money when he said, “Okay, so you hit a rough patch. No reason to give up.” Carolyn’s proclamation did seem like a daytime talk show cop out. But sudden changes can go both ways, and as the Hayes parents reunited in their imitation Bora Bora suite (courtesy of Wade), Lavon realized he was still in love with Lemon. We knew LaLemon’s romance hadn’t gone sour yet. But poor, chatty Didi.
It was no surprise then when, after battling car trouble and the stormy weather, Lemon and George decided to hold off on eloping and have a real weddin’ after all. Good thing, because Dr. Brick Breeland probably wouldn’t have been able to remember the union anyhow. Now Lavon can interrupt the weddin’ Wayne’s World doin' The Graduate style: Lemonnnn!
Thinking back to the episode’s title “Snowflakes & Soulmates,” I wonder who Zoe Hart is destined to be with. I kind of want to see Zoe with George. But then again, after Wade said, “If Judson was your true love then he’ll come back,” and Zoe replied, “For the record, Judson was not my true love." In that moment, we could clearly see that the chemistry between her and Wade (which is hinted at several times in every episode) is a loose thread begging to be tied.
A quick note on the show’s villains: I love how the Breeland’s are starting to transform. Turned out Mr. Breeland had a heart after all (and not just because he bled). He knew that Zoe was feeling slighted by her dad, and said very matter-of-factly, “If it’s any consolation, it’s his loss.”
Also, as we saw in last week’s episode, his daughter Lemon can actually be quite personable when she lets loose. I think a major part of what makes her such a stick in the swamp is that she’s with the wrong guy. George is great, but when Lemon is with him, she’s too anxious to please.
In the end, Lavon summed it up when he said, “Bluebell’s snow day, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.” Sure, the town lost Internet access for a few hours, but the drama raged on.
Extra Didis:
• “Maybe they’ll share a bowl, and end up suckin’ on a piece of pasta like those dogs.” - Didi re: Lavon’s parents’ anniversary party.
• “This is not how it went on Dr. Phil” - Didi, after the slideshow catastrophe.
Hart of Dixie airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CHCH and 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
Thoughts? Comment below.
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Rachel Harvey has always had a love-hate relationship with TV. While she’d rather be reading, she often finds herself enthralled in the latest teen drama with her daughter. When she’s not watching Degrassi, The Vampire Diaries or The Secret Circle, she succumbs to 30 Rock, Harry’s Law, Parenthood, and can’t help but love Glee. Rachel is studying English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.
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