Slowly but surely, Hank’s trial date approaches. That court hearing not only pertains to the statutory rape charge at hand, but in a way for all his shortcomings over the years. Hank’s ambivalent appearance towards it all finally starts to crack with only a couple days separating him from his fate.
“Another Perfect Day” kicks off with Abby and Hank having a drink on the eve of his trial. Despite Hank’s muted nervousness, Abby assures him that she’ll get him through the trial. As Hank heads up to his hotel room alone, he discovers that his key card has been deactivated, later learning that a $25,000 hotel bill has resulting in him getting evicted from his hotel room.
With seemingly nowhere to go, Hank ends up sleeping outside in his car. Becca finds him parked outside their home the following morning, confused as to why her drunken father is passed out in his convertible. After fumbling to explain himself, Becca invites him come upstairs, backed by Karen’s approval. Hank jumps at the chance, as always, to return home.
Hank sits down at breakfast with his lovely family, trying to play the role of ‘responsible’ father. “So is there anything new I need to know about?” he asks. “Latest developments? Any new I need to be kept abreast of…” Hank can’t even get through that sentence without laughing at his own crude puns about breasts. Karen suggests that she should start teaching Becca to drive, but Hank chimes in against Karen coaching her since she’s a “terrible driver.” The three end up taking part in the driving lesson, presenting them all a rare family moment in the Moody family.
Meanwhile, Hank couldn’t get in touch with Charlie to crash at his place, as he has been too busy sleeping with his sex-crazed real estate agent. Marcy calls Charlie, asking him to come have dinner with her and Stu—a request that Charlie initially resists. He eventually agrees, albeit reluctantly and under the condition he could bring a date in spite of Marcy.
Charlie and the realtor show up at Stu’s home for the dinner date that no one really wants to have. Marcy jabs into Charlie’s newfound sexual freedom, as she barks “I’m so glad that the slut-parade continues.” The two lightly quarrel as if they both want to be back together, but neither caring to make the first step to mend their relationship. At dinner, Stu breaks the ‘news’ that Marcy and him are having a baby, but Marcy continues to keep silent on who the father of the baby actually is.
Karen offers Hank a chance to stay the weekend, in part so that they can make sure he makes it to his Monday morning court date. He offers to make Karen dinner, but she has plans with Ben for the evening. Instead, Hank gets assigned babysitting duty with Becca and her bandmates. After cooking some of his signature, artery-clogging ‘cheese sensation’ for the girls, he doses off from his food coma, giving the Becca the chance to sneak out with his car.
Hank wakes up to a phone call that Becca has totaled his Porsche. Becca and Pearl are alright, but the situation land Hank an earful from Ben about being irresponsible. “What the fuck happened to them?” Ben asks. “I thought you were keeping an eye on them.” Karen defends Hank, agreeing that the girls would have tried to pull the same move on her as well. On the bright side, the accident brings the family closer together than at any point this season, although under the wrong circumstances. Becca and Hank bond, while Karen continues to understandably doubt Hank. While it isn’t the most memorable episode, “Another Perfect Day” moves closer to the season’s tipping point with the trial ahead. Next week’s episode should determine much about the course of the show’s future direction.
Stray Observations:
• “Here’s to you keeping my black ass out of San Quentin.” – Hank toasting Abby on the eve on his trial.
• “You couldn’t find a floozy to take you in?” – Becca questioning her father on why he’s sleeping outside in his car.
• “Get a load of black Jesus. Does he turn water into whiskey too? Heal the sick? Yeah, he does…” – Hank’s response to Ben’s purchase of a car for his daughter.
• “You’re a terrible driver…like an Asian woman, with Alzheimer’s, with no arms or legs, steering with your tongue.” – Hank on Karen’s driving.
• “Don’t laugh, you’ll just encourage him.” – Karen
• “If by dating you mean entering her a semi-regular basis, then yes.” -Charlie responding about his date.
• “At least I don’t have to worry about fixing the headlight anymore.” – Hank on his car being totaled.
• “I don’t want you to be guilty, I don’t them to look at you that way. I want them to know how great you can be.” – Becca worrying about her dad.
• “You just made a mistake, a really terrible mistake. But we all do. Look at me I take a breath and I make a mistake. But we just get up and shoot for another perfect day.” – Hank’s words of wisdom to his daughter.
• “I’m currently accepting blaming for everything—volcanos, earthquakes, oil spills, steroids, rap music. It’s all my fault.” – Hank