Episode 107: New Employee

In Which: Alex casts a spell on Harper that threatens their friendship and Justin's tutoring business comes under fire from a pint-sized rival. Minimal Jalex but does include Justin giving Alex advice about friendship.



JALEXCAP
(This isn't Jalex exactly, but Jerry and Theresa's argument over Theresa not cleaning the condiments to Jerry's liking and then Jerry getting (way) more excited than Theresa over the dollar movie--all that kind of reminded me of Jalex banter.)

Alex wants to make Harper into a good waitress (see AlexCap below) so she looks for a spell to cover it. She finds a spell for a "Serving Wench" but doesn't know what one is--so she asks Justin. Justin gives her the definition (without knowing Alex's plans for Harper). Alex thinks a serving wench is close enough to a waitress. Justin worries that she's asking the question because Jerry's planning to give them a pop quiz on the medieval food service industry. Alex lets him believe that and then leaves to cast the spell on Harper.

Later in the episode, Alex finds Justin hiding from Frankie's gang (see JustinCap below). Justin's so scared that when she comes up behind him and taps his shoulder, he jumps.

Justin: Oh, it's you. Hey, you haven't seen like four or five tiny little ninjas running around, have you?

Alex: No. Have you seen really tall flowers that talk? Wait, I'm not sure what game we're playing.

Justin: Look, there's this kid Frankie--him and his little thugs are after me. They're trying to muscle in on my brain train action.

Alex [bored]: Oh, this isn't as fun a game as I thought.

Alex turns to leave, but Justin stops her and asks if she's going to see Harper. Justin explains that Harper just got a job at Gurtbarn (a yogurt shop) and that she's doing really well. Alex is outraged.

Alex: I did that! I put a spell on her to make her good!
Justin: Wait a minute! You used the serving wench spell on her. WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE. There's no pop quiz on the medieval food service industry! I crammed for that!
Alex: Are you done? Because I gotta go apologize to Harper.
Justin: Yes, I'm done.

Alex goes to Gurtbarn, but Harper isn't interested in being friends again. Justin shows up (he chased Frankie there) and when he spots Alex, he asks her how things went with Harper. Alex decides to just go ahead and undo the spell.

But when she does, it turns Harper back into a klutz and she starts embarrassing herself in front of the customers. Alex and Justin watch from a booth.

Justin: So that was your solution--make her look bad in front of everybody?
Alex: I don't know. I'm mad, I just want her to be my friend.
Justin: Well, if you want her to be your friend, you've gotta be a friend to her.
Alex [standing up from the booth]: I hate it when you're right.
Justin [grinning]: But you kinda want to thank me!

Alex: No.

Harper makes a mess when the yogurt machine starts going crazy and Alex rushes over to help her try to fix it (Justin watches and has some funny reaction shots). They craziness of the situation makes them realize that they want to be friends again. The store manager sees the mess and suggests they get their stories straight. She sees Justin chasing Frankie out of the restaurant.

Manager [about Justin]: We'll blame him.
Alex: Perfect, I've been blaming him my whole life.

End episode.

AlexCap: Alex and Harper decide that the best way to be able to spend more time together is for Harper to get a job at the sub shop. Alex convinces Jerry and Theresa to hire Harper by promising that she won't let her friendship with Harper interfere with business. Unfortunately, Harper turns out to be a horrible waitress. When Alex agrees that Harper's not working out, Jerry and Theresa tell her it's her responsibility to fire her. But of course Alex doesn't want to do it, so she decides to cast a spell that will make Harper a great waitress. The spell works--too well, as Alex finds out when Harper refuses to shirk her waitressing responsibilities in order to have fun with Alex. They have an argument and Harper leaves to take a position as a waitress as the Gurtbarn. Alex feels guilty and follows Harper there, where she apologizes and reverses the spell (all of which is covered in the JalexCap above). This episode also includes Alex and Harper's hat song: "What's that, a hat, crazy funky junky hat, overslept, hair unsightly, tryin' to look like Kiera Knightly, we've been there, we've done that, we see right through your funky hat."

JustinCap: One of the jocks, Brian, asks Justin to tutor him in history. Justin agrees and invites Brian to meet him at the "Brain Train," his tutoring business at the sub station. Justin's business is booming, which draws the attention of a rival tutor, a young, thuggish, tough-talking kid named Frankie. Frankie and Justin do battle for most of the episode, with Justin's "Underachievers" (a bunch of jocks, including Brian) against Frankie's "Enforcers" (younger kids his own age).

[All pictures are from these YouTube videos, uploaded by SweetAyano]