Recap / Corner Gas S 4 E 07 I Witness

"Next time don't be afraid to bid, or take a trick, or follow the most basic of instructions that I spell out for you."

A Plot: Davis forces Karen into delivering a talk about the inaccuracy of eye witness testimony. Wanda gets wind of it and wants to help, but is afraid that simply offering to help will make her seem like a know-it-all, so she tries to trick Karen into asking for her help instead.

B Plot: Hank suddenly decides that his lifelong dream has been to become a rodeo clown. With no rodeos close by, Hank works to distract people harassing Davis instead.

C Plot: After Oscar claims he will no longer be Emma's bridge partner, Lacey steps in to take his place. Much to Lacey's surprise, Emma is overly-competitive when it comes to bridge, and Lacey's woeful ineptitude at the game brings out Emma's nasty side.

Tropes Referenced:

• Blah, Blah, Blah: This is what Lacey hears any time Emma or Oscar try to explain bridge to her. Something similar happens to Brent (see Shout-Out below) when Lacey explains her conflict situation, causing him to miss the fact that she's going to confront Emma.
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: After Hank decides he's going to change his life by finding a new profession, Brent jokingly asks him if he's going to become a spaceman, a fireman, or a space fireman.
  Hank: As much as I respect those guys, no.
• Brick Joke: Related to the example directly above. Much later in the episode, when Hank's rodeo clown dreams fall flat and he is looking for a new career path, Brent, again jokingly, suggests space fireman.
  Hank: I looked into it, I'm too short!
• Call-Back: This is not the first time Hank has had a new lifelong dream, this time being brought about by an "epiphany" he had while shagging golf balls at the driving range.
• Flashback Cut:
  • Oscar's "proof" that Emma asks him to do stuff all the time includes a quick flashback to her simply asking him to pass the milk at the breakfast table.
  • Lacey talks up her experience playing cards, claiming her mother said she had card sense.
    Child!Lacey: Hey, Mom. Do you wanna play cards?
    Lacey's Mom: Well, you don't have fashion sense, a sense of humour, or a sense of direction, and no common sense. Maybe you have card sense.
    [Cut back to the Ruby]
    Lacey: I had a... very supportive mother.
• Insistent Terminology: Lacey claims that eavesdropping on Oscar and Emma's conversation isn't "nosiness", it's "thoughtfulness".
• Missing Steps Plan:
  Wanda: I'm going to manipulate Karen into asking for help by showing her how much I know about psychology.
  Brent: I see. So your plan to not come across as a know-it-all is to act like a know-it-all. That's quite the twistaroo.
• My Life Flashed Before My Eyes: Parodied. Hank has this happen in the Cold Open, but they are all mundane things, showing that his life has been pretty lackluster. He even has a flashback to a moment that had just happened.
  Brent: Was that last one from like 30 seconds ago?
  Hank: It was a magical time.
• Never Mess with Granny: When Brent finally realizes that Lacey's plan is to tell Emma off, he quickly sends Rodeo Clown Hank in to distract Emma while he pulls Lacey to safety.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot:
  Emma: Thoughtful would be trying to help me find a new partner.
  Lacey: Emma, you and Oscar have a lot invested in this marriage.
  Emma: A new bridge partner.
  Lacey: Oh.
• Pun-Based Title
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness:
  Wanda: Obviously the Stroop Interference was a little too esoteric for Karen.
  Brent: The word "esoteric" is a little too esoteric for me.
• Shout-Out: Brent's interpretation of Lacey's long-winded explanation about Emma is imagining what she would say as Wonder Woman.
• Sore Loser: Emma at bridge.
• Stealth Insult:
  Emma: What I need is someone to play bridge with, that I don't care that much about. [Beat] Do you play bridge, Lacey?
• "Stop Having Fun" Guy: invokedEmma is a really bad one when playing bridge, insisting on perfect play and berating Lacey for not following her every instruction to the letter. However, when Wanda becomes Emma's bridge partner and suggests some even better strategies than the ones Emma uses, Emma just tells her to shut up and stop being a know-it-all.