Judith and Alan decide to send Jake to a therapist after realizing he might be having a hard time dealing with their divorce. Original airdate, April 19, 2004.
Tropes:
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick:
- Alan giving reasons why Jake doesn't want to talk to anyone about: "Girl problems, or somebody's picking on you, or you're the only guy in gym class without hair on his testicles".
- Charlie giving reasons why Jake doesn't want to talk to anyone: "Peter pressure, bullies, skipping class to drive to Tijuana with the school nurse".
- Brick Joke: The prune juice Jake drinks to help him go. By the episode's end, he's running to the bathroom in the middle of a jam session.
- Extreme Omnivore: Berta recalls how her youngest daughter once ate a whole can of Play-Doh. Which constipated her for two weeks.
- Foreshadowing:
- Jake being cranky.
- Jake never using the bathroom once.
- Jake not eating any of his favorite meals.
- Berta asking if Jake is constipated.
- Freudian Excuse: Judith, Charlie and Alan all drop these to each other as excuses for why their Harper family is insane and blame each other for Jake's condition.
- Girl of the Week: Vicki for Charlie.
- It's All About Me: Judith constantly reminding Alan that she threw him out because he was sucking the life out of her and tells Jake, "Mommy has a right to be happy".
- Mundane Solution: Jake is acting sullen and irritable, and his parents have him meet with an expensive child therapist, believing that he's depressed over his parents getting divorced. Much of the episode is about everyone trying to get to the bottom of Jake's attitude, assuming it has to be something psychological. Berta resolves the situation immediately by giving him a bottle of prune juice to drink, clearing up his constipation, and with it his depression.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Jake being sullen and uncooperative for days.
- Only Sane Man: While the adults think Jake is depressed due to the divorce, Berta is the only one who figures out correctly that Jake is actually constipated.
- Potty Emergency: Jake, as a result of drinking prune juice.
- You Need to Get Laid: Charlie jokes that Jake needed this when he awakens the next morning no longer cranky.
