Extended Family – Season 1 Episode 8 “The Consequences of Loaning Your Dad Money” Recap & Review

The Consequences of Loaning Your Dad Money

Episode 8 of Extended Family season 1 revolves around Jiim’s father Bobby and his bar. Lately, he has run into trouble, like many other small businesses across the US. Business is down and the amount of loans Bobby has outstanding is concerning. To increase footfall, he requests Jim to get Trey to send someone from the Boston Celtics to the bar for a “meet and greet.” Jim is apprehensive given how it would appear from the outside. He already dreads asking Trey for anything. But this would take the ball in terms of impact. 

Regardless, Jim understands it is the right move to help out his father and he agrees. Trey is dealing with his own issues. The Celtics are on an eight-game losing streak and Trey has grown acres of facial hair on his face to “reverse the juju.” Hearing Jim’s case, Trey agrees to do an event with a new Slovak player, Yuri Kabilska. After a few months, Yuri’s heroics change the fortune of the Celtics. They are now on a winning streak of eight games and Yuri has had a big role to play in it.

His newfound popularity has also worked well for Bobby’s bar. The footfall has drastically increased and Bobby has also been allowed to charge a premium from customers to see the new hoops star. However, Yuri himself is apprehensive. On the meetup day, he refuses to come out from the walk-in cooler. He is deep in prayer as Bobby sends Jim to resolve the issue. Yuri reveals to Jim that before coming to America, he was training to be a priest.

He feels that by his actions, he is “letting God down.” Jim tries to explain to him otherwise. He says that win or lose, it is all part of God’s plan. Yuri is convinced and goes out to meet the fans. However, when one of them confronts him about his lackadaisical form in the previous two matches, Yuri blames God for not giving them the outcome. He posits that after the ball leaves his hand, it is up to God to make a score. This stirs up controversy. Overnight, Yuri goes from a celebrated hero to a despised villain in the media.

Jim is attacked from all fronts – by Trey, Julia, and Bobby. This has become a PR nightmare for the Celtics, while Bobby has lost his loyal customers, who demand a refund for the event. Yuri is invited to the nest by Trey, where Jim tries – unsuccessfully – to change his mind. However, Julia takes over and it looks like the situation can be salvaged. At the press conference the next day, Yuri sticks to the script…until he doesn’t. Trey casually tells him, “Yuri, you must finish what you started.”

And that is interpreted as a call back to the priesthood by Yuri. Midway through the media interaction, Yuri expresses his desire to quit professional basketball and move back to Slovakia to finish his training. The Celtics’ once again find themselves in the midst of a losing streak due to Yuri’s departure. When Bobby presents yet another check to Jim – by selling his blood – he grows serious.

Jim explains to Bobby that he gave money to him not as a loan but as a gift. Jim presents a list of instances when Bobby paid for him but didn’t ask him back for money. And in doing so, Bobby remembers that Jim, in fact, owes him more. 

The Episode Review

Episode 8 is yet another instance of gross miscalibration on the part of the writers and the makers. The central idea is so diluted by the end that it is difficult to remember in the first place. The lack of humour is deafening and gnaws at you as the actors try to make something of the dud jokes. If there were no laughing track, you wouldn’t even know when the show is trying to be funny. The lack of cohesion in this episode is shocking…but then again, Extended Family has been consistently lowering it with every new one.