Fresh Off the Boat recap: Week in Review

When it comes to a lice infestation, the curveball in the form of the tiny insects will mess up everyone’s schedule. Eddie nearly missed out on the contentious student/faculty basketball game, potentially dooming his classmates to double math homework for the rest of the school year. Evan nearly missed out on his favorite thing ever: school. Jessica nearly missed out on the deadline to submit the renovated home to a popular real estate magazine.

“Week in Review” was one of the funniest Fresh Off the Boat installments of the season — and much of that is due to these little things called lice. Jessica banishes Eddie and Evan outside when she realizes they have an infection. She insists her eldest picked up the bugs while drinking soda at Dave’s. “You’re telling me lice see an innocent child in a dirty home, drinking a sweet soda, and they don’t want in on that?” she volleys back to Louis. “Lice live for that. They’re the pedophiles of the insect world.”

It’s incredibly poor timing for Eddie because his class is counting on him. The kids are preparing for the annual basketball game against the teachers — which they lost last year. Trent, the assumed coach, won’t have that happen again: They’re going all out for the pizza win. But Eddie gets a little too personal in his trash-talk with Mr. G (guest star Al Madrigal). The math teacher threw down the gauntlet for Eddie: Score a basket on him in the game, and the whole class is absolved of homework until summer vacay hits. However, if Eddie fails, the preteen will be slapped with double the workload — later escalated to the whole class facing the same fate. Which is especially problematic when he’s stuck at home with lice.

Trent skips class to convince Eddie to attend the game, despite the infestation. When all hope is lost, Eddie makes good on his dramatic entrance — scored, once again, by Grandma and a boom box — with six seconds left. He sinks the bucket, winning not only no homework, but also the gloating pizza party. All in a hustler’s day.

Jessica is having her own problems: She’s obviously bothered by the lice in her scalp, but her submission to the real estate magazine was put at risk by Louis fleeing to Honey and Marvin’s to avoid lice. The act was sensible in a vacuum, but his logic — that his career superseded hers — was flawed and rooted in Marvin’s antiquated post-war sensibilities (he thinks women in the workplace will last “10 years, tops”).

It was one of the most hurtful things Louis has said to his wife. As Honey helps Louis realize, Jessica has a lot going on: She has a side business. She looks after the home. She cares for their three kids and Louis’ mom. Louis snaps photos of Jessica and Honey’s flipper house, then returns home to apologize. Team Jessie-Lou forever.

Now it’s time for the weekly dose of nostalgia in these recaps, the ’90s moments, ranked:

7. Macarena: Brian wants everyone to refresh the steps. Walter complains he recently learned the Tootsie Roll and was better than the group pipsqueak, whose retort slayed: “I’m a little white kid flirting with scoliosis: that’s your bar?”

6. Ford Explorer, Eddie Bauer edition: The math teacher apparently drives one of these bad boys, according to Walter. The wheels are so cool, Jadakiss shouted them out in a Ma$e song.

5. “I Got 5 on It” by Luniz: What an intro song for Eddie. Totally fitting of the drama and dragging Grandma along for the ride.

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4. Pat Riley chic: Trent copies the appearance of the most successful basketball coach of the ’80s with his own spin: that silly Browns jacket stays.

3. “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” by OutKast: The delousing montage was scored to the early music of Andre 3000 and Big Boi. It made me irrationally happy.

2. Kordell Stewart: Slash was a college football freak turned NFL marvel. He was more of a pure athlete than real quarterback. His foot speed wasn’t what caught Louis’ eye. It was the wrist accessories.

1. Joan Lunden: Grandma was reading the TV Guide with the former Good Morning America co-host gracing the cover. Her résumé is crazy impressive. This week, the WWE announced she would receive the 2016 Warrior Award at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony for her breast cancer battle. What a badass.