We also get a heartwarming moment where Derek informs her that, while Jerry is reviving the My Fair Lady and wants him back to direct it, he turned the offer down to ride this particular bullet train from conception to production.

Once more with the damned adoption subplot: Frank tells Julia he wants to go back to teaching science (because that courtyard won't get a bocce court built for free), and at first he doesn't show up at Adoption Support Group where Julia is reading the letter she was required to write to the mother of their prospective baby. But then he does show up! And Julia's letter is declared to be the best of the group! Because everything Julia writes is the best! Even though this kind of activity really shouldn't be a competition!

Finally, after one last round of debate -- Eileen, you may have heard, thinks Karen is a star; Tom, you'll be pleased to know, thinks Ivy deserves it -- the role of Marilyn is cast. Tom gets the pleasure of heading down to Heaven & Earth to tell Ivy that she got picked! They, along with Dennis the other friend who's a girl, head out to the cabaret for drinks, where Ivy is called to the stage to sing Carrie Underwood's thematically appropriate "Crazy Dreams." I really like it when Tom just stands off at a distance, or sometimes leans against a doorway, and looks on lovingly at Ivy. Who couldn't use someone like THAT?

So Karen's in bumstown, having gotten dumped for the role. But something tells me the ingénue lead of this series still has a shot at being a part of this production. I'm calling it now!

Joe R wonders if doubling down on the "Idol" thing, re: Carrie Underwood, was the best idea. He can be reached for lavish praise and nothing but at joseph.reid21@gmail.com, and you can listen to him yammer on to his heart's content on the Extra Hot Great podcast.