Talk and Think is the season 2 premiere and eleventh episode overall of Pork and Konjac, written by Andrew Gottlieb and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Elliot Strange. Worn over Alyson demeaning her, Mace tries to prove herself by vandalizing a car owned by a conservative, unaware he is mentally unstable as he becomes a laughing stock through a series of events and wants revenge. Kate and Josh get into a fight and Alex attempts to mend their bond to ensure Kate would be well enough for Muriel's birthday celebration.
Plot[]
Muriel and Sumi visit a new restaurant, one occupying the space of a former one Muriel frequented Both find the seating arrangements to be uncomfortable, their cocktails watered down and their orders to be salty, things escalating when Muriel is charged for a slice of cheesecake she didn't ask for and was goaded into getting. Both lament the circumstances, as they were hoping to find a good restaurant to treat their respective families for Muriel's upcoming birthday. Both head home to relax, only to be confronted by a tearful Kate, she had recently broke up with Josh after a fight and is in a negative state. Fearing she won't be well enough for the birthday dinner, Muriel tries to contact Colleen to help her through her grief, only to be redirected to Alex after she had finished an online therapy course.
Having lost a coin toss, Mace travels to the grocery store to pick up some ice cream. She would encounter Alyson and Drew confronting a customer complaining about the store selling American flags made in China. After Mace defends the man who wants to just leave without an argument, Alyson and Drew chide her for it. Mace would accuse Alyson of putting her down unjustly, with Alyson daring her to partake in an act of liberal activism to prove her wrong. Mace discovers a car belonging to a man who she had clashed with while trying to park, and discovering he had previously spoke on a public access show in favor of Donald Trump, she decides to vandalize his car, this in spite of Alyson and Drew attempting to talk her out of doing something irredeemable.
Mace would draw on the car's doors with a crayon and the man, Marty Burke would accuse her of vandalism. Mace would defend herself, claiming that her means of doing so could be easily cleaned off. Marty would claim otherwise due to seeing an object in her pocket shaped like a knife. The confrontation catches the attention of others, soon the police as Mace would empty her pockets revealing she only had the crayon on her, also wiping off the drawing she did on the door. Passerby's begin taunting Marty after he still insists Mace had a knife, soon going harder after calling Mace a racial slur. Mace returns to Alyson and Drew regarding her deed, realizing she had gone through with it due to their insistence they would agree to grant her a favor in return, to which Mace would hold off on until the right opportunity.
The next day, Alex is briefed on Kate and Josh's dilemma and she would question both regarding the breakup. Josh would claim that he made a passive joke regarding a movie Kate wanted to watch, and she snapped at him, escalating after he commented on her other tastes. Josh refuses to reconcile until she would apologize for overreacting. Moving onto Kate, she would explain that Josh was more curt regarding his comment on Kate's favorite movie, only for him to escalate things after Kate refused to be critical of at least one bad thing she enjoyed. Alex attempts to get the two to meet up, but Kate winds up misinterpreting the directions and Josh, catching onto Alex's plan feigns illness.
Reports of Marty's public breakdown circulate, turning him into a local pariah. People begin to make fun of him, with one notable incident having him being recruited for Trump's political base, only to be confronted by a man in a crayon suit, among other crayon-related razing. Marty would develop a growing hatred for Mace and prepares himself to get revenge on her. Meanwhile, Alex attempts to get more info from Kate and Josh but neither are willing to come forward. She would instead approach either of their friends, them revealing that Josh and Kate met during a screening of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, where Kate had angered a previous boyfriend due to her refusing to let him razz on the film and he would convince an usher, Josh, to take his place. Feeling this moment could potentially reignite their relationship, Alex decides to prepare a screening of the film and recreate their meeting, only for it to backfire and lead the two to further drift apart and become emotionally despondent.
Mace begins to feel guilty for what happened to Marty after catching wind of the public's mockery of him, and attempts to make things right. Taking advantage of Alyson's promised favor she would take her, Drew and most of their friends with her as potential backup if things go wrong. However upon getting to his home he would confront her brandishing a knife, intent on killing her. The group would commandeer a limo as Marty goes after them. Alex would inform Muriel and Sumi that Kate is still upset, and she would learn about the party the two planned. Now desperate to make things right, Alex would confront either while trying to avoid revealing the surprise, only to get frustrated at their refusals and ultimately tell them the truth. The two would begrudgingly agree to go to the party to keep up a good appearance.
The two would arrive at the party and try to make no mention of their dating situation. After settling, Muriel would reveal that she and Sumi had become engaged, the party being meant to act as a way to inform immediate family members. The news would be met with mixed reactions, particularly Colleen due to her closeness to her biological father. Muriel would reveal she had kept her original wedding ring as a means to honor his memory, while reaffirming that he wanted Colleen to be happy in life. Mace and company would enter the restaurant, hiding in Muriel's group as Marty comes forth, threatening Mace. The group try to create a diversion to escape, only for Marty to catch Mace. Marty would get knocked out by a newcomer, who is revealed to be Sumi's ex-husband Tong. Tong would admit to being behind a number of calls made to Sumi earlier on, that he was seeking reconciliation. Sumi would deny him to Kate's bewilderment, and she would explain both had broke up over a disagreement regarding a movie. Realizing their situation mirrors her own with Josh, the shock would be enough to drive the two to apologize and mend their ties. The reconciliation is enough to encourage Sumi to allow Tong to maintain some presence in her family's life.
The police would arrive to take Marty away, as Mace attempts to explain what led to everything happening. However at the prospect of getting arrested herself she would pin all the blame on Marty, to the disapproval of everyone else as Mace is denying responsibility. Wanting to prove them wrong Mace would key a nearby car with the intent of accepting responsibility, only to back out when the driver lashes out and chases after her, as the remaining group focus on their meals. The next day Alex visits Kate and discovers she and Josh had reconciled, much to her bewilderment due to the extent of their initial fight.
Toward the end, Mace prepares for a drive, only to find her tires had been slashed by Marty
Cast[]
- Julie Rei Goldstein: Alex
- Stephanie Hsu: Mace
- Sarah Michelle Gellar: Colleen
- Wyatt Cenac: Anthony
- Olivia Thirlby: Alyson
- Charlie Day: Drew
Also Starring[]
- Kathy Kinney: Muriel
- Ming-Na Wen: Sumi
- Joy Osmanski: Kate
- Corey Brill: Josh
- Steve Agee: Donovan
- Jane Wiedlin: Charel
- Aaron Paul: Stuart
- Kathleen Wilhoite: Mercury
- Morgan Kibby: Stacy
- Olivia Hack: Olivia
- Jake Hoffman: Newton
- Mary Mack: Joanne
- Jason Harris Katz: Warner
- Danielle Harris: Amy
- Kirsten Schaal: Joyce
- Janice Kawaye: Anna
- Daisuke Suzuki: Neven
- Romi Dames: Thelma
- George Takei: Tong
- Mary Lynn Rajskub: Natalie
- Alex Ryan: Ferris
- Aubrey Plaza: Rachel
- Elizabeth Gillies: Donna
- Linda Cardellini: Alison
- Olivia d'Abo: Rhonda
- Justin Shenkarow: Tommy
- Jon Heder: Burt
- Tina Majorino: Elma
- Michelle Tratchenberg: Fiona
Special Guest Star[]
- Troy Metcalf: Marty Burke
Trivia[]
- This episode reveals Kate's favorite movie is The Adventures of Pinocchio.
- Marty Burke's name is an amalgamation of two characters played by James Keane. Marty Green from Hey Arnold! and Sam Burke from Todd McFarlane's Spawn respectively. Keane was considered to play the character but he couldn't be contacted in time.
- The episode would indirectly predict a protest centered on the vandalization of Teslas due to CEO Elon Musk making a Nazi gesture during a rally, due to Marty owning a Tesla in this episode.
- Corey Brill, Troy Metcalf and Jason Harris Katz both previously starred together in the unsold pilot Welcome to Eltingville.
- Corey Brill and Joy Osmanski are both married in real life.
Stinger[]
- Joanne: Was that valve or vage?
Quotes[]
- Kate: Kareshi to kenka shite wakaremashita
- Sumi: Kate's boyfriend broke up with her after a bad fight.
- Kate: Kare wa watashi no sukina eiga o mitakunai kara, soshite nagaiai watashi no shumi ni gaman shite kitakara to watashi ni donarimashita
- Sumi: He snapped at her because he didn't want to watch her favorite movie and breaking over a year of bad taste.
- Kate: Soshite kimi wa, kono kuso mitaina koto o zenbu bakuro suru no ni kyōryoku shi tenai.
- Sumi: And I'm not making her feel any better by revealing private info- BAKA!
- Muriel: Kate, is there anything we can do to make you feel better? I hate to put myself up like this but I need you to be, you know, on the up and up for my birthday this Saturday.
- Kate: I'm never gonna be okay until he apologizes or he chokes on his mainstream... stuff!
- Tong: There was a martial arts student named Bae-Shon. He was a capable student, but always fumbled whenever it came to the final test. After many failures his sensei asked why he would sabotage himself, and he would reply, because I'd be Master Bae-Shon.