Dinner with the Parents – Season 1 Episode 5 “Shiva” Recap & Review

Shiva

Dinner with the Parents Episode 5 begins with the Langers hosting a Shiva for their uncle. Nana corrects Jane, who is unfamiliar with Jewish practices, about covering the mirrors. They break out into an argument, which Harvey manages to resolve.

David welcomes Jenny home, and he is also introduced to her boyfriend. Entering the house, he sees Gregg talking to elders and trying to lure investors for his music festival. At this point, they tell Grandpa they aren’t familiar with Aunt Edna and Uncle Reuben.

At that moment, Gregg receives a call from Oscar at the venue, only to discover that he has a catering gig at his own home. Gregg attempts to back out, but Oscar threatens to fire him. Soon enough, Rachel realizes Gregg is with the caterers but agrees to help him. On the other hand, Paul annoys Jenny by constantly analyzing the health issues of the people around him. Tamara catches David looking at Jenny and offers to help him make her jealous. David rejects her offer, but she proceeds to laugh at everything he says, drawing Jenny’s attention.

Harvey overhears two women talking about Reuben and realizes he is a collector of mugs. Interested in getting a hold of them, he inquires and finds out about Aunt Edna. He then takes off, looking for her. In the meantime, Jane tries to impress the rabbi, painting a very devout Jewish image of herself.

Oscar orders Gregg to wear a hairnet and serve wine. On the other hand, Gregg tries his best to not look like a caterer. Grandpa then introduces him to Bronstein, who is a wealthy businessman. Gregg convinces Bronstein that the hairnet is a tradition, and he gets him to wear one as well.

Harvey finally finds Aunt Edna and overhears her talking about Uncle Reuben. Harvey intervenes, attempting to persuade her that he shares a close bond with her uncle.

While Jane tries to blend in with the other Jewish women, Nana tries to expose her, but Jane paints her as a crazy woman.
Meanwhile, David makes progress with gaining Jenny’s attention. Tamara suggests that they feed each other strawberries, creating a distasteful spectacle for others to witness. They immediately leave to go into the washroom.

Gregg has a good conversation with Mr. Bronstein, but Oscar calls him on duty. Oscar sends him out to announce the brisket.
In the washroom, David finds out Tamara’s intentions with him. Just then, Jenny opens the door and sees them standing face-to-face. An uncle also sees them together. Tamara instantly kisses David, and she makes it look like they are in a relationship.

Meanwhile, Jane becomes the center of attention among the ladies by performing weird dances. While Gregg builds a rapport with Bronstein, Oscar intervenes, apologizing for Gregg’s misbehavior. An argument breaks out between Gregg and Oscar, and Gregg proves that he is a part of the family.

Meanwhile, the rabbi makes Jane recite the prayers. Unfortunately, Jane isn’t able to keep up the devoted Jewish woman façade she had been putting up, and she completely butchers the Hebrew prayers. Following that, Nana recites the prayer and impresses people.
Aunt Edna offers Harvey Uncle Reuben’s mug collection and asks him to gather everyone’s attention. She begins to read his final letter but is unable to do so because of the emotional trauma. She asks Harvey to take over instead, and it turns out the letter exposes how Uncle Reuben misused the funds from the donations for personal pleasure.

The gathering is disappointed to hear this. Following that, Oscar asks the family if they know Gregg, revealing that he is a caterer. Following this, Bronstein storms out of there in disappointment.

The Episode Review

The show excels once again in this episode, as the characters engage in various activities to achieve a desired outcome, adapting and pushing boundaries to impress others. This episode takes it to a completely different level, while we painfully watch the Langers hit the axe on their own foot with their people-pleasing approaches.

However, it is here that we lose interest because of content repetition. The Langers getting themselves into trouble while secretly trying to do stuff is exciting and keeps you at the edge of your seat, but at this point, it has become quite repetitive. Hopefully, future episodes will introduce some variety in delivering humor.