“First Night Away” is an obvious choice for the title of this episode where the happy couple spends their first night away from their baby; pretty clever, right? The real treat in this episode is that we get to see Ava, whom I’ve warmed up to considerably, babysit. Normally her antics are still a little over the top, but this time around it was just the right amount of absurdity. It may be the subplot to the parents’ first night away, but this definitely is the best part of the show.
Ava is jealous of Kevin (guest star Jason Lee), who is at the top of their emergency contact list and she’s not even on it, and when she meets him and gives him a pop quiz in front of his daughter, she completely stays oblivious to the fact that he is an amazing person who teaches CPR. Later, right on cue, she is forced to call Kevin for help and the two bond over Ava’s sad choices of meals: pizza alone for dinner, breakfast, and lunch.
Meanwhile, Reagan and Chris check into a swanky hotel that happens to be holding a high school homecoming dance (damn, mine were always in my school’s courtyard with terrible lighting and crate paper) and decide to ‘chaperone’ it so they can dance to get into the mood for later. They request ‘their song;’ I was more than excited to hear Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” come blaring out of the speakers. Unfortunately, just as they’re about to finally have sex, after six long weeks, they find one of Amy’s socks. Thus the mood is ruined. The Brinkleys miss their daughter and want to talk to her, but have to rush back home after Ava doesn’t answer the phone.
This is where both plots merge, but it’s a little too late. While the entire show was entertaining, it’s a little anti-climatic. It’s cute to see Ava and Kevin share a very cutesy intimate moment, but because Jason Lee is just a guest star, nothing will come of it. Also, Reagan and Chris’ escapades are played off as a joke that they’re happier to have slept an entire night and the sex was just okay. Sure, the episode wasn’t just about the two having sex and more about their first night away, but the entire set-up didn’t pay off at the very end.
