- “Your heart's not broken. It's only growing.”
"The Gene & Courtney Show" is the seventh episode in Season 6, being the ninety-fifth episode overall and the 2016 Valentine's Day special.
Plot[]
Gene and Courtney get their big break when they are asked to be the new hosts of the morning announcements, but their romantic history threatens to get in the way. Meanwhile, Tina's attempt to play Cupid goes tragically awry when she volunteers to spear-head the Valentine’s Day carnation fundraiser.
Synopsis[]
It is breakfast at the Belcher kitchen the Monday before Valentine’s Day on that Friday. Tina is folding up a box as part of the “Donation 4 Carnations” project for the school, whereby students can write another’s on a card in an envelope to buy carnations sent to the person whose name is on the envelope on that Friday for a fundraiser. Tina brings up how two weeks earlier, Bob had agreed to pre-order 250 carnations, but it is obvious that he forgot and excuses himself. At school, the morning announcements during homeroom by Ms. LaBonz are dull and bore the students and teachers to the point where Gene and Courtney start complaining out loud and making up their own rhymes to mock it, to the delight of their classmates. In the halls later, the two continue to entertain the other students, which gives Mr. Grant the idea to give the morning announcements to Gene and Courtney for a one-week trial pending approval from the school’s higher officials. The next day, Doug drives the two to school, excited that Courtney is now in a life of show business. Mr. Grant explains that the angry Ms. LaBonz will do the first half of the announcements then the two will do the second half. Despite a jealous LaBonz withholding a last-minute announcement to trip them up, their singing, rhyming and comedic material wins over the students.
At Courtney’s home that night, the two are brainstorming out more jingles and rhymes when they notice that they are holding hands, but despite their surprise, they lean toward each other and proceed to kiss. The next morning, Courtney and Gene’s flirty banter with each other disturbs the Belchers, and Doug holds Gene back in the car at school, sternly reminding him of the time Gene broke Courtney’s heart literally to get close to Doug’s’ music equipment. However, Gene says that this time he really like-likes Courtney, and feels happiness, placating Doug. Before the morning announcements, Mr. Grant realizes what’s happening, and tells them to keep it professional. But heir sweet talk on the morning PA is not a success, with other students noting that their energy dipped a little. Ms. LaBonz uses this to her advantage the day before Valentine’s, doing her section of the morning news using a rhyming dictionary and Ms. Merkin to play bongos in the background, as Gene and Courtney miss the start of their segment, and their shoddy improv and talking about sending each other carnations loses the students. Mr. Grant warns them that they can’t miss work and personal relationships, and that if they fail the last day of trial run, then ‘’The Rest of the Announcements With Gene and Courtney Show’’ is over.
At lunch in the cafeteria, Courtney is worried about how the show bombing since they started like-liking each other again, while Gene is not worried. Courtney says that they can’t do both, and both decide to do the show than continue on (although Gene was in the middle of saying to keep the relationship before Courtney said her part). That night, Gene is unable to sleep, thinking of his and Courtney’s relationship, and writes something down. On Valentine’s morning, the two do their rhyming and singing routine again, but Gene brings up a new announcement to sing on his own, a heartfelt piece about the two, about breaking up but not being sad as “your heart’s not broken, it’s only growing”. The song makes even Zeke cry, and Ms. LaBonz admits she is impressed, and Mr. Grant says their morning annocunements will be there to stay. Gene offers to shake Courtney’s hand, but she plants a kiss on his cheek, as it’s Valentine’s Day.
Tina sits at a table in the school halls to get donations for the fundraiser, but Jimmy Jr. is hesitant to write a card, and Tammy and Jocelyn try to find out how many carnations they got despite the box for envelopes being locked. The next night, Tina attempts to peek at the envelopes inside the box to see if she got any carnation cards, and Louise offers to pick the lock. After emptying the box, Tina finds that not a single envelope is addressed to her, while others like Jocelyn have as many as four. Louise offers to steam the envelopes open to see who wrote to Jocelyn without destroying it, and despite knowing they shouldn’t, Tina agrees. However, when Louise returns, she finds Tina has ripped open every envelope in a state of panic, which is a problem as the envelopes only say who they are to, and the cards only say who they are from. Linda hears the noise and finds out, and the three plan to match the handwriting to put the cards back in the envelopes. Back at school, Tina is upset at being a failure and not getting a carnation, with Linda matching up cards to envelopes at the restaurant while Bob tries to order carnations discreetly. On Valentine’s Eve, Linda seals the last envelope, and Tina is still upset that not a single card was found for her. On Valentine’s Day, Tina is dressed as Cupid and delivering carnations to students in class, and while depressed after delivering the last one, Jimmy Jr. appears and gives her a rose (as he couldn’t order a carnation while she was always at the table). Tina kisses him.
Bob’s attempts to buy carnations are hindered over the week due to the supplies being limited as everywhere, form flower shops to gardens, have sold out of them for Valentine’s. Eventually Teddy suggests that Bob go to the flower market, where florists get their supply, which is only open from 3 to 5 a.m., and goes along with Bob. At the flower market, Bob and Teddy find a rough scene, and find a seller who offers to get them carnations without having florist licenses for 20 dollars. As Bob needs 250 red, the flower wholesalers add on holiday and other fees, with Teddy not helping by saying Bob is desperate to pay whatever they want. After, Bob has the carnations but is upset with an oblivious Teddy over how much he had to pay. As Linda and the girls arrive at the school with the cards, Bob and Teddy arrive with the carnations. As Tina and Louise head in, Linda asks Bob if Teddy helped him get last-minute flowers, and Bob guesses there was trouble with the cards. They both admit they didn’t get anything for the other, but decide to go make out instead.
Cast[]
Starring |
Also Starring |
Videos[]
External links[]
- "The Gene & Courtney Show" on IMDb
- "The Gene & Courtney Show" press release via The Futon Critic
- "The Gene & Courtney Show" script via Springfield! Springfield!
- "The Gene & Courtney Show" review at The A.V. Club