S'Mothered

S'Mothered
Season	6
Episode	4
Total Episode Count	105
Written By	Emily Cutler
Directed By	Sean Kavanagh
Production Code	6AXT04
Air Date	October 18, 2019
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"I thought it would be bad for my mom and my girlfriend to hate each other, but them liking each other is so much worse." — Eddie Huang

"S'Mothered" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of Fresh Off the Boat. It first aired on October 18, 2019.

Synopsis

Eddie faces his fears and finally introduces his girlfriend, Tina, to his mom; Louis searches for his next passion.

Plot

Eddie tells his friends that he does not want Jessica and Tina to meet

At school, Eddie Huang and Tina Masterson discuss their six months of being in a relationship. Trent Masterson mentions that Louis loves Tina, prompting Dave Selby to ask what Eddie's mother Jessica thinks. Eddie replies that Jessica hasn't met Tina and that he doesn't want them to meet, citing that they are both strong women with strong personalities and that he fears his mother would ruin his relationship. The next morning at breakfast, Louis mentions the love between Eddie and Tina at breakfast, causing Jessica to point out the word "love"; while she was aware he was in a relationship, she did not know it had progressed to love. Eddie attempts to deflect the situation by asking Evan and Jenny if they are doing anything, and Evan responds that he and his grandmother have decided to take up meditation. Eddie then asks Louis what he is up to, and Louis reveals that he is designing new napkins for the restaurant.

Eddie and Tina discuss after-school studying

After school, Tina suggests that they study at Eddie's house instead of her own, and Eddie replies that they cannot since the house is being fumigated. Tina responds that Eddie had said the same thing the week before and that she wished to meet his mother, although Eddie informs her that she met Louis and Jessica was just Louis with longer hair. Tina realizes that Eddie does not want her to meet Jessica and asks why, prompting Eddie to lie that he does want them to meet but that they cannot since Jessica is out of town indefinitely. Just then, Jessica calls out to Eddie, having decided to pick up Eddie from school, prompting Eddie to bid Tina a haste farewell before rushing to the family minivan.

Emery observes Louis for an assignment

Trent heads to Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse after school, where he and Louis peruse their new napkins, which feature various Orlando landmarks. Louis notices Emery observing them and writing down notes, and Emery explains that he is shadowing Louis for a hero's journey character study for drama class. While Trent is gushing over the napkins, Louis replies that he feels restless, citing that he is now 40 years old and with Cattleman's is running itself, he wants to find something else to do. Emery suggests that Louis takes an aptitude test to determine a new career path.

Jessica and Tina meet each other

Jessica is listening to Amy Grant at home when Evan approaches her, informing her that he would be meditating in Jenny's room and asks not to be disturbed. Moments after, Jessica hears the door bell ring and opens the front door to find herself face-to-face with none other than Tina, who introduces herself as Eddie's boyfriend and announces her intent to get to know Jessica better. Eddie stumbles onto their meeting and panics, hastily introducing the two before trying to get Tina to go to a movie with him. Instead, the two women decide to spend time with each other, informing Eddie that his presence is not required. As Eddie leaves, Jessica asks Tina what intentions she has for her son, only for Tina to reply asking what intentions Jessica has for her boyfriend.

Louis prepares to cut Marvin's hair

Louis has decided to become a barber and has begun cutting hair at Cattleman's. Marvin initially agrees to have his hair cut by Louis, but after seeing Brian Pew complain about how Louis messed up, decides to leave his hair as-is, thanking Louis for the 'cut' and even tipping him. Dejected, Louis states that barbarism isn't as fulfilling as he hoped, citing that he has the talent but not the will after Trent praises him for giving him a shave. Louis adds that Orlando already has a high number of barbers per capita, to which Emery replies that Louis knows a lot of Orlando facts.

Eddie runs into the garage and interrupts Evan and Jenny's meditation to notify them of Tina and Jessica being together in the same room, fearful of an argument. Listening through an air vent at Jenny's suggestion, Eddie hears a slap and rushes into the kitchen, thinking it has escalated into a physical bout. However, he discovers that his girlfriend and his mother have become friends, realizing their common personalities, and that the sound he heard was simply their high-five.

Louis decides to try being a tour guide

Meanwhile, Louis has decided to try being a tour guide driver, giving a tour of Orlando in his minivan to Emery, Marvin, Honey and her two kids. Honey and Marvin are not interested in the tour, although Louis persists, refusing to pull over when Honey states she needs to pee and even asking her to keep her babies quiet when they start crying. In his fervor to finish the tour, Louis even runs a stop sign and continues to issue facts until Honey swiftly tells him that no one cares and orders him to pull over. Back at the Huang house, Eddie is forced to study in his room alongside Tina and Jessica, who criticize Eddie's study habits gleefully, much to Eddie's annoyance.

Louis fails to be a motivational speaker

With his sojourn as a tour driver coming to a halt, Louis ventures into becoming a motivational speaker, although telling a crowd at the Orlando Recreation Center about his accomplishments at Cattleman's does not give them any positive encouragement. Bored and finding the speech pointless, the crowd begins to disperse while Louis laments that he cannot be a motivational speaker and help others find the next chapter in their lives if he cannot even find his.

Jessica and Tina have become friends

Back in Eddie's bedroom, Eddie is trying to study when he overhears his mother discuss her first kiss to Tina, and covers his ears as she describes it. He huffs that he is trying to study and is shocked at that statement coming from his mouth, and believes that he needs a break. He invites Tina for a milkshake, only for Tina to invite Jessica as well. During the car ride, Tina discusses how they need to increase Eddie's course load for his senior year and the two women praise each other, further irritating Eddie.

Eddie listens to Tina gush about Jessica

The next day at school, Tina continues to talk about Jessica to Eddie. As Eddie regroups with his friends, he discusses his relationship strain and comes to the realization that since he finds his mother and girlfriend being friends worse than if they hated each other, he would have to break them up. Emery heads to Cattleman's Ranch where he finds a dejected Louis pondering over the napkins. Louis sadly informs Emery that he wanted to try something new only to fail. Emery then tells Louis that he quit Drama class after being unable to secure a part, much to Louis' shock. Louis tells his son that he cannot quit something just because it didn't work out the first time and that he should stick to it, adding that if he quit prematurely, he would be missing any opportunities that would arise in the future. Emery replies that it is good advice and that Louis should heed it himself, adding that he did not actually quit Drama but merely made up the story to inspire Louis to not give up on finding his passion, and Louis thanks Emery for his support.

Jessica and Tina observe Eddie's antics

Eddie returns home and has Evan wheel in Jenny, intending to have her play music, although Jenny is asleep. Upset as he thought she was meditating, Evan pushes the button himself, playing Amy Grant's music. Eddie then exclaims that Tina hates Amy Grant, whom Jessica loves, and asks Jessica if she is going to just take being told she is tasteless by a high school girl. The two women are confused as they haven't said a thing, but Tina points out to Jessica that Eddie, with a subtlety of an elephant, is attempting to cause friction between them to split them up. Angry, Tina asks Eddie what is wrong with him, citing that first he didn't want her and Jessica to meet out of fear they wouldn't get along, only to try and divide them once they did.

Jessica tells Eddie to never weaponize Amy Grant again

As Tina heads to the kitchen, Jessica asks Eddie why he didn't want them to meet, and he reveals it was because he feared Jessica would ruin his relationship, only to do so himself. Jessica tells Eddie that she only made the effort to get closer to Tina because she knew how much Eddie liked her; when Eddie asks how she could have known that when he never spoke to her about Tina, Jessica replies that his decision to not tell her about Tina is precisely how she knew he cared about her. Jessica notifies Eddie that she reckons he likes Tina because she is similar to her, and adds that another thing they have in common is that they care about Eddie. She then tells Eddie to go make up with Tina, but not before making him promise never to weaponize Amy Grant again.

Jessica eavesdrops through the air vent

Eddie heads to the kitchen where Tina is packing up her things. He apologizes to her, believing they would be breaking up, although Tina adds that if she were to break up every time he did something stupid, they would never have lasted. Tina tells him that she too had only warmed up to Jessica because she was his mother and she wanted them to get along, and the two make amends. Jessica heads to the garage to listen through Jenny's air vent, smiling as hears their reconciliation, only for Jenny to shut the vent and demand that she get paid a dollar per minute for vent usage.

Emery and Louis meet Tom Anderson

Louis and Emery are cleaning up at Cattleman's when they are approached by a man named Tom, who has come in search of Louis, having been inspired during Louis' motivational speech at the Orlando Recreation Center. Tom tells Louis that he is starting a new business, a website where a person has their own space to post pictures and notes that they can share with friends and family, and asks Louis if he'd like to invest. However, Louis scoffs at his idea, Louis adding that no one would look at pictures of other people on the computer and dismisses him, chuckling and referring to Tom as an idiot.

Cast

Main Cast

• Randall Park as Louis Huang
• Constance Wu as Jessica Huang
• Hudson Yang as Eddie Huang
• Forrest Wheeler as Emery Huang
• Ian Chen as Evan Huang
• Lucille Soong as Jenny Huang (credited as Grandma Huang)
• Chelsey Crisp as Honey Ellis
• Ray Wise as Marvin Ellis

Recurring Cast

• Trevor Larcom as Trent Masterson
• Prophet Bolden as Walter Stone
• Evan Hannemann as Dave Selby (credited as Barefoot Dave)
• Dash Williams as Brian Pew
• Isabel Oliver Marcus as Tina Masterson

Guest Cast

• Nick Peine as Tom Anderson
• Anthony M. Bertram as Ted
• Tyler Capri Clark as Shelly
• Kaitlin Sullivan as Clarissa

Quotes

Eddie: Well, I'm off to see Fight Club. Jessica: No R-rated movies. Besides I heard Brad Pitt's character is imaginary. That's just lazy writing.

Louis: Speaking of emotions, Trent tells me you and Tina are going strong. Young love makes my heart skip a beat. I hope that's what it is. Jessica: Love? Eddie: Please. Me and Tina just bump into each other sometimes. But, you know, I bump into a lot of people. Long limbs, narrow hallways, you do the math. So, Evan, anything new with you? Anybody? Big G? Evan: Thank you for your interest, Edwyn. Grandma and I are going to explore the ancient art of meditation.

Eddie: Hey, how about instead of studying the French Revolution at your house, we can go to the mall and experience French culture at Au Bon Pain? Tina: You're trying to get out of studying. Eddie: Je guilty. Tina: Tell you what. To mix it up, how about we study at your place this time? Eddie: Uh... uh, I wish we could, but... my house is being fumigated. Tina: Again? You said that last week. I was looking forward to finally meeting your mom. Eddie: Well, you've met my dad, and he's basically just my mom with shorter hair, so... Tina: You don't want me to meet your mother, do you? Eddie: I'd love nothing more! Alas, she's... out of town. Indefinitely. Jessica: Eddie! Tina: Isn't that your mom over there? Jessica: Eddie! Tina: Calling your name. Eddie: A lot of ladies call my name. You'll have to get used to that.

Louis: [to Emery] I hope you're not a spy for the health department. Seriously, Evan got grounded for that.

Evan: [to Jessica] I'll be in Grandma's room practicing mindfulness. If you need me, maybe stop for a second and think, "Do I really need anything?"

Tina: Hello, Mrs. Huang. I'm Tina. I thought it was time we met. Jessica: Well, if it isn't the mysterious, overly-confident girlfriend. Tina: I prefer to think of myself as your son's better half. Three-quarters, really.

Jessica: Tina, what a pleasure to meet you. Tina: The pleasure is all mine. Eddie's been dying for us to meet, right? Eddie: Yes! Tina, Ma. Ma, Tina. You've met. Uh, let's go to a movie! Tina: You're not wearing pants. Eddie: It's a look. Let's go! Jessica: Nobody's going anywhere. I'm gonna take this opportunity to get to know your special little friend person. Tina: That's why I'm here. To get to know your special little mother. Person. Jessica: Your presence is not required.

Jessica: Now that you're here, without calling, I'd be delighted to hear your intentions toward my son. Tina: And I'd be delighted to hear your intentions toward my boyfriend.

Louis: My talent isn't in question. Let's just say, I have the skill, but not the will. Emery: That's me and making baklava. Louis: Besides, Orlando already has a surprising number of barbers per capita. The Caribbean-adjacent crosswinds are basically rocket fuel for hair follicles.

Evan: I was just about to sink into my ocean of truth. Eddie: Who cares?! Mom and Tina are meeting for the first time! We're at DEFCON 5! Evan: Uh, I think you mean DEFCON 1? DEFCON 5 means peacetime. Jenny: What sense does that make? 5 should be worse than 1. Eddie: Focus! Two heavyweights are in the ring. It's like Roe versus Wade in there! I need to hear what they're saying. Does anyone have a glass so I can listen through the wall? Jenny: That only works in the movies. Just eavesdrop through the air vent like a normal person. Eddie: Sounds heated. Guess it's back to kissing my pillow. Which I never did, ever.

Jessica: Speaking of firsts, did I ever tell you about my first kiss? Tina: You'd better be about to! Eddie: No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Jessica: ...an overall sensation of wet. Eddie: Can you guys please keep it down? I'm trying to study!

Tina: [to Eddie] You're okay with me being friends with your mom, right? You're not afraid of a little harmless female bonding.

Eddie: I thought it would be bad for my mom and my girlfriend to hate each other, but them liking each other is so much worse. Dave: Life's curveballs, am I right? Eddie: I mean, I barely get time alone with my girlfriend anymore. Trent: Silver lining? I'm friends with your dad, Tina's friends with your mom, we introduce my sis Tracy to your grandma, and we've got ourselves a dinner party. Eddie: What am I gonna do? At the rate they're going, Tina's gonna ask my mother to prom. Brian: Not gonna lie, I'm into that.

Louis: Hunting ground of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy? Well, this was unwise. You don't have to check up on me, I'm fine. I rolled the dice on something new, and they came up snake eyes. Emery: Are snake eyes bad? Louis: I don't know. I think so. Snakes are bad. Emery: Well, I just came by to tell you I'm quitting Drama. Louis: What? Why? Emery: I auditioned for 42nd Street, and I couldn't do a high kick. Guess I'm bad at acting. Louis: Son, you can't just give up because things don't immediately go your way. Emery: I just really wanted it to work out. Louis: And it will one day. But only if you don't give up. If you walk away, how will you ever know what wonderful opportunities might be just around the corner? Emery: That's good advice. Maybe you should take it. Louis: Me? Emery: I'm not quitting Drama. I made up that whole story. I kick great! Louis: Whoa. Emery: Yeah. I just want you to keep hunting for your next challenge, no matter how long it takes. You deserve to find your passion. Louis: Thanks, son. Your support means a lot. You get your high kick from your old man, you know. My side of the family is famous for our loose groins.

Eddie: You're basically saying my mom has no taste. Tina: I haven't said anything. Eddie: Are you just gonna sit there and let this high school girl tell you you're tasteless? That's not the fiery Keds-kicking tempest I know. Tina: Tempest? Jessica: Eddie, what is this? Tina: He's trying, with the subtlety of an elephant, to cause friction between us. So what? You're not okay with us hanging out? You lied to me? Eddie: I plead the fourth. Jessica: Oh, he's so close to knowing stuff. Tina: First you don't want us to meet, and then when we do and get along, you try to ruin it? What's wrong with you? Evan: Whoa, feeling a lotta red auras in here. Jessica: You didn't want me to meet Tina? Eddie: Of course not. You have strong opinions which you express hourly at peak volume. Jessica: It's called confidence. It's a gift. Eddie: I'm sorry. I just thought you might ruin my relationship.

Jessica: I just wanted us to get along because I knew how much you liked her. Eddie: How? I barely told you about her. Jessica: That's how I knew.

Tom: Louis Huang? I've been looking for you! I was actually at the talk you gave the other night. My name's Tom. Louis: Were you the one who threw the smoothie at me? I was taken aback. Those are not cheap. Tom: You've inspired me to chase my dreams, and I was thinking maybe you'd like to invest in my new business. Louis: Well, I'm flattered. Lay it on me. Tom: It's a website where a person has their own space to post pictures and notes that they can share with friends and family. Louis: Uh, they can already do that through a little company called The United States Postal Service. Tom: Well, I mean, this is– Louis: I'm gonna have to pass. Thanks for stopping by. Keep thinking. Tom: ...Okay. Emery: Oof. Louis: Can you imagine? Who wants to look at other people's photos on the computer? That's so dumb. Oh, gosh. What an idiot.

Gallery

Episodes

Fresh Off the Boat – Season One
Episode 1 "Pilot"	Episode 2 "Home Sweet Home-School"	Episode 3 "The Shunning"	Episode 4 "Success Perm"
Episode 5 "Persistent Romeo"	Episode 6 "Fajita Man"	Episode 7 "Showdown at the Golden Saddle"	Episode 8 "Phillip Goldstein"
Episode 9 "License to Sell"	Episode 10 "Blind Spot"	Episode 11 "Very Superstitious"	Episode 12 "Dribbling Tiger, Bounce Pass Dragon"
Episode 13 So Chineez

Fresh Off the Boat – Season Two
Episode 1 "Family Business Trip"	Episode 2 "Boy II Man"	Episode 3 "Shaquille O'Neal Motors"	Episode 4 "The Fall Ball"
Episode 5 "Miracle on Dead Street"	Episode 6 "Good Morning Orlando"	Episode 7 "The Big 1-2"	Episode 8 "Huangsgiving"
Episode 9 "We Done Son"	Episode 10 "The Real Santa"	Episode 11 "Year of the Rat"	Episode 12 "Love and Loopholes"
Episode 13 "Phil's Phaves"	Episode 14 "Michael Chang Fever"	Episode 15 "Keep 'Em Separated"	Epsiode 16 "Tight Two"
Episode 17 "Doing It Right"	Episode 18 "Week in Review"	Episode 19 "Jessica Place"	Episode 20 "Hi, My Name Is..."
Episode 21 "Rent Day"	Episode 22 "Gotta Be Me"	Episode 23 "The Manchurian Dinner Date"	Episode 24 "Bring the Pain"

Fresh Off the Boat – Season Three
Episode 1 "Coming from America"	Episode 2 "Breaking Chains"	Episode 3 "Louisween"	Episode 4 "Citizen Jessica"
Episode 5 "No Thanks-giving"	Episode 6 "WWJD: What Would Jessica Do?"	Episode 7 "The Taming of the Dads"	Episode 8 "Where are the Giggles?"
Episode 9 "How to Be an American"	Episode 10 "The Best of Orlando"	Episode 11 "Clean Slate"	Episode 12 "Sisters Without Subtext"
Episode 13 "Neighbors with Attitude"	Episode 14 "The Gloves Are Off"	Episode 15 "Living While Eddie"	Episode 16 "Gabby Goose"
	]
Episode 17 "The Flush"	Episode 18 "Time to Get Ill"	Episode 19 "Driving Miss Jenny"	Episode 20 "The Masters"
Episode 21 "Pie vs. Cake"	Episode 22 "This Is Us"	Episode 23 "This Isn't Us"

Fresh Off the Boat – Season Four
Episode 1 "B as in Best Friends"	Episode 2 "First Day"	Episode 3 "Kids"	Episode 4 "It's a Plastic Pumpkin, Louis Huang"
Episode 5 "Four Funerals and a Wedding"	Episode 6 "A League of Her Own"	Episode 7 "The Day After Thanksgiving"	Episode 8 "The Vouch"
Episode 9 "Slide Effect"	Episode 10 "Do You Hear What I Hear?"	Episode 11 "Big Baby"	Episode 12 "Liar Liar"
Episode 13 "The Car Wash"	Episode 14 "A Man to Share the Night With"	Episode 15 "We Need to Talk About Evan"	Episode 16 "Ride the Tiger"
Episode 17 "Let Me Go, Bro"	Episode 18 "Measure Twice, Cut Once"	Episode 19 "King in the North"

Fresh Off the Boat – Season Five
Episode 1 "Fresh Off the RV"	Episode 2 "The Hand That Sits the Cradle"	Episode 3 "Working the 'Ween"	Episode 4 "Driver's Eddie"
Episode 5 "Mo' Chinese Mo' Problems"	Episode 6 "Sub Standard"	Episode 7 "Where Have All the Cattlemen Gone?"	Episode 8 "Cousin Eddie"
Episode 9 "Just the Two of Us"	Episode 10 "You've Got a Girlfriend"	Episode 11 "Driver's Eddie 2: Orlando Drift"	Episode 12 "Legends of the Fortieth"
Episode 13 "Grand-Mahjong"	Episode 14 "Cupid's Crossbow"	Episode 15 "Be a Man"	Episode 16 "Trentina"
Episode 17 "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"	Episode 18 "Rancho Contento"	Episode 19 "Vice Mommy"	Episode 20 "Nerd Watching"
Episode 21 "Under the Taipei Sun"	Episode 22 "No Apology Necessary"

Fresh Off the Boat – Season Six
Episode 1 "Help Unwanted?"	Episode 2 "College"	Episode 3 "Grandma's Boys"	Episode 4 "S'Mothered"
Episode 5 "Hal-Lou-Ween"	Episode 6 "Chestnut Gardens"	Episode 7 "Practicum?!"	Episode 8 "TMI: Too Much Integrity"
Episode 9 "Lou Wants to Be a Millionaire"	Episode 10 "Jessica Town"	Episode 11 "A Seat at the Table"	Episode 12 "The Magic Motor Inn"
Episode 13 "Mommy and Me"	Episode 14 "Family Van"	Episode 15 "Commencement"