'Partners' Season 1, Episode 2: 'Chicken and Stuffing' Recap
by Shannon Keirnan
Rosanna enters the office as Joe and Louis are working to bring in their messages, but she tells Louis she will tell him his later. He is insistent she tell him then, and she blurts, “The laser hair removal place called, they don’t do balls.”
Joe thinks they need to be more focused on work, “Less balls, more walls,” but Louis is picking up on something from his friend. He prods until Joe admits that he and Ally have not had sex in 9 days.
They’re both working, they’re tired, he explains, but Louis is shocked. He heads off. His boyfriend, Wyatt comes in, having promised Joe that they’d be workout buddies so Joe can get in shape for the wedding, but Joe weasels out of going. Wyatt lets slip that it is his 5th year sober birthday on Thursday, but he is sure Louis and he won’t be celebrating because Louis won’t remember.
Louis, meanwhile, has rushed off to see Ally at work in her jewelry store, aided only by her socially inept cousin. He prods and pokes at Ally, as well, and finally she gets it out of him that Joe has told him about their 9 day dry run. She insists that Louis is not allowed to have opinions on her sex life with Joe, but Louis is worried about him.
“He just stood there, staring at me, like some sad, sex-deprived owl.”
He asks if she knows in his gut that she wants him, and she says she does. Triumphant, Louis leaves.
The next day at work Joe is thrilled about the amazing sex he had, but suspicious. He tries to force Louis to look him in the eyes and tell him what happened but he won’t. He warns him about interfering.
When he leaves, Rosanna comes in with a bag of dinner for him and Ally. She has been getting dinner for them all week. Louis is alarmed that Ally is not cooking for Joe.
Back at the jewelry store, after promising the inept cousin he’ll change her life, Louis tries to explain to Ally that Joe would want her to make dinner. He brings her a chicken and his recipe for it. Ally is insistent that they both work and he gets home earlier, so why can’t he make dinner?
Louis tells her the thing modern hipster chicks won’t admit—every man wants to be married to a 1950’s housewife, minus the racism. Annoyed, Ally takes the chicken and the recipe.
At the office again, Joe blows off working out with Wyatt, who, apparently, is devoid of emotional reactions to anything. Joe asks if he should remind Louis about the sober birthday, but Wyatt doesn’t want Joe to remind Louis of something that’s important to him. He tells Joe if he’s not working out, at least stay away from the sweets. He leaves, and Joe immediately calls up a bakery and orders a cake.
Ally has made the chicken—and it was not good, but Joe feels like a lucky man even though it was bland, “It was like eating an Enya CD.”
Louis just says that next time she’ll use more lemons—and Joe catches Louis.
“I make a conscious effort never to use the word zesty.”
Joe is mad, but Louis thinks that he should be grateful that Louis is there to take care of him. Joe never takes care of him.
Furious, Louis storms home, eager to vent to his boyfriend. Wyatt thanks him for sending his favorite cake for his sober birthday, confusing Louis, who has obviously forgotten. Louis is especially touched by the personalized card that “he” sent, tearing up a little over how thoughtful “he” is.
Louis goes back to the office the next day and admits that Joe does take care of him, and he’s welcome to do it any time, without asking. Joe says Louis should probably ask first, and happily, Louis goes off to get his balls de-haired at the one clinic in town that will do it.