Vince Russo's The Brand

Hello again my friends and welcome to another Trailer Park Boys episode review column. Today’s episode is titled Temporary Relief Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor and it is the second episode of the third season. Like all of my reviews, this does contain spoilers so read at your own risk.

In this episode, Randy is suspended by Barb and Lahey has to hire someone to fill in until the suspension is over. Who will be the one to get the coveted spot?

The episode begins with Lahey and Randy attempting to get one of Bubbles’ kitties out of a well. People around the park start showing up, including Barb who Bubbles informs that Lahey and Randy had left the well lid open over the weekend and Barb quickly admonishes Randy since he’s the weekend supervisor. Once Lahey gets the cat out of the well, Bubbles formally files a complaint against the two of them while Barb starts giving them a hard time about their recently poor job performance. Randy doesn’t take too well to that and starts talking back which leads to him getting suspended for 3 weeks and that if he doesn’t change his attitude by then then he’ll be gone permanently.

Brandon’s Take: A great intro to set the stage for the episode. I liked that they reminded viewers of some of the things that happened in the previous season such as Randy’s promotion to weekend supervisor and the way the park went down the tubes before Lahey got himself back together. There was also a nice forshadowing when Randy asked who could fill his spot and Ricky shows up and throws his trashbags at him and Lahey.

After the opening credits, we get a quick scene of Lahey and Randy heading home, both drinking in the car, as Lahey explains to the camera crew about the situation that he and Randy are now in. Ricky arrives at Julian’s house to ask for some money to buy a pound of weed to get his dope selling business going again but Julian mentions he only has ten grand left and he’s already got plans for it. He then tries to ask Bubbles for some money but he too is broke from taking care of the kitties in the park. Julian says Ricky can make some money working for him and this new scheme he’s got going on. We then switch to J-Roc and T who explain to the camera crew that through their connections they made in Russia when did the porno that Bubbles and Ricky starred in back in season one, they were able to bootleg vodka into the park using Julian’s money. It’s also during this that J-Roc mentions he’s got a video he’s working on for his song “Microphone Assassin.” Back with the boys, Julian keeps trying to get Ricky in on his new business venture but makes the mistake of talking down to him which upsets Ricky who then decides to go and apply for Randy’s position. Ricky then heads to Lahey and Randy’s trailer to inform them that he is applying for Randy’s position. Lahey informs him that he has to be there at eight a.m. for an aptitude test. Once Ricky agrees and leaves, Randy is worried about Ricky possibly getting his job while Lahey thinks that putting Ricky through the ringer might be fun.

Brandon’s Take: Nothing too much here, just more set up with what’s to come later with them explaining Julian’s latest scheme and how it came about along with Ricky and Bubbles’ need to try and get the position of relief assistant supervisor as well as what kind of tasks Lahey may put Ricky through.

Just before the test begins, we get a quick scene of Julian getting his money out of the bank. The applicants for the relief assistant supervisor job all gather at Lahey’s. The applicants are Jacob, Trevor, Corey, Bubbles, and Ricky. A stern Lahey tries to instill in everyone the difficulty of the job when in reality it’s not hard at all. Ricky is looking over the test and starts questioning some of the problems on there as they actually have nothing to do with the job such as having to write out the quickest way to get to the liqour store and clean stains out of khaki pants. The application process continues as a drunk Lahey tells the camera crew about how Ricky possesses none of the qualities he expects in an assistant. The next part is a contest to see which applicant can clean up the most amount of trash which Ricky wins by a landslide thanks to a car muffler. The final portion of the test is fixing a lawnmower in less than five minutes. Trevor is eliminated and he leaves in a huff with Corey quickly following behind him before his turn even starts, comically tossing the wrench over his shoulder in the process. A quick cut to another scene shows Julian showing up to get the vodka and complaining about the Roc Pile getting drunk off of it and warns them if they get busted it’s on them and they’ll owe Julian the money that was lost. Ricky ends up winning the lawnmower fixing contest and Jacob is eliminated which means it’s down to Bubbles and Ricky. Barb arrives to see who ends up getting the position and as Lahey tallys up the points, he can’t bring himself to admit that Ricky is the most qualified for the position so Barb does it for him, congratulating Ricky for being the new relief assistant while Bubbles laments his bad eyesight for costing him the position which includes a funny cut scene of Bubbles talking to the camera crew about how much he wants to be a spaceman but can’t cause of his bad eyes. Back with Ricky, he’s told to start the next morning at eight a.m.

Brandon’s Take: This was the result that was hinted at at the beginning of the show and made ven more obvious throughout the application process. I honestly like the choice cause this opens up some good comedic opportunities with Ricky working for Lahey but also a possible internal conflict with Ricky who wants to keep the position and knowing he may have to rat his friends out to do so. One of the funnier moments of this part of the show is where Ricky and Lahey are shaking hands and Ricky mentions that he’ll never be able to assume Randy’s position, referring to Randy and Lahey being a couple.

The next scene starts with Lahey knocking on Ricky’s car to wake him up as it’s already past eight and he’s got a uniform for Ricky to wear as well as laying down the ground rules which include a three strike rule which Ricky’s already used one for being late to work which includes a humerous exchange between the two when Ricky doesn’t understand the verbiage and sayings that Lahey is using. There’s a quick cut to the vodka truck getting unloaded by Lucy and Sarah before we return to Ricky and Lahey in Lahey’s car where Lahey tells Ricky he’s not happy about this arrangement and can’t do anything until Ricky screws up two more times. He quickly gets his second strike when he lights up a cigarette, which Lahey steals and takes a drag off of, and is informed that smoking is only permitted on breaks. The car stops on a street that has a ton of trash on it and Lahey tells Ricky he’s got fifteen minutes to get it all cleaned up, including the dog poo, or that will be strike three. There’s a return to Lucy and Sarah’s trailer where it’s revealed they’re helping with the bootlegging by overpricing their salon services which includes a free 40 oz. bottle of vodka to which Randy quickly deduces Julian is behind but doesn’t seem to care as he wants to get drunk and forget about being suspended. Ricky returns to a sleeping Lahey in the car to inform him he’s completed the task and asks for a smoke break but Lahey says Ricky still has other work to do and takes him to the lake. Another quick cut shows Julian giving vodka to Corey and Trevor to sell, telling them that once they sell what they’ve got to get more from J-Roc and keep Julian’s name out of the situation. He then hands them some change money and a calculator saying that if they’re short it’s coming out of their pocket. Trevor says they don’t need it cause they’re not stupid to which Julian hilariously replies, “Yes you are stupid that’s why I have to tell you this.” Back to Ricky and Lahey, they’ve arrived at the lake where Lahey says that most of the bikes that have been stripped and thrown in the lake were done by Ricky so he’s going to have to use a hook and a rope to pull them out. Before they get started, they see Bubbles emerging from the lake, carrying a shopping cart to take home, fix, and resell before going off that he has to do this to make a living cause he didn’t get the relief assistant position. As Ricky’s working, Lahey is asleep in his car and Randy’s watching all of this. Once Ricky gets all of the bikes out of the lake, he happens to find the first bike he stole for his daughter and throws it back with the intention of pulling it out later when she’s older.

Brandon’s Take: I really enjoyed this collection of segments as all of them were funny while also furthering the story. My favorite bit was Bubbles searching for shopping carts and shopping cart parts in the lake and his interaction with Ricky who was working.

When Ricky’s done in the lake, Lahey calls on him to bust Corey and Trevor as they’re spotted selling the bootlegged vodka to a park resident. Ricky runs in to bust them and demands they tell who is running the operation to which they claim it’s just them doing it on their own. Of course Ricky doesn’t believe them and starts pouring out the vodka to get them to tell him as it cuts to Julian talking about his worries with how Ricky’s acting to the camera crew and how it’s complicating his new business venture. Ricky eventually lets Corey and Trevor go which Lahey questions him on and Ricky replies that they’re not worth their time and they should be focusing on finding out who’s behind the bootlegging. Lahey agrees and tells Ricky he needs to pull over Bubbles and fine him for driving around the park with a small wagon attached to his go-kart that’s pulling shopping carts. Ricky clearly doesn’t want to do it eventually relents under pressure from Lahey. He even shows his dissatisfaction when he does do the task, pulling Bubbles over and giving him a warning. Ricky is then called over by Lahey who’s spying on Julian’s trailer where the truck full of vodka is at. Lahey then gives Ricky Randy’s walkie and says it’s a symbol of his authority in the park and makes sure to mention that Ricky is now on Lahey’s side and not to betray his trust. With the walkie in hand, Ricky arrives at Julian’s trailer where he says he knows someone in the park is bootlegging and hopes Julian’s not involved. Julian of course admits to Ricky that he’s the one behind it. As they’re talking, Randy arrives to talk to Lahey about what he learned at Lucy and Sarah’s salon. But he doesn’t get too far before Ricky calls Lahey on the walkie to do a walkie check and Randy immediately realizes that Ricky has his walkie, even with Lahey denying it, saying it’s an old one. Lahey tries to tell Randy not to worry about it as it’s just a walkie but Randy is upset that Ricky is using it cause Lahey had given it to Randy on his birthday. Julian and Bubbles then express their worry of how Ricky’s been acting and dressing and he replies that he didn’t want to and that it’s just part of his new job. Randy then tries to confront Ricky about the walkie but Ricky tells Randy to eff off in the way that only he can before returning to Lahey to tell him that Julian’s not involved and tries to say Corey and Trevor are behind it, throwing them under the bus as per usual. Randy tries to confront Julian directly about the vodka but Julian just blows him off and denies it. It’s during this that Ricky discovers his upper body’s been exposed to poison ivy and Lahey tells him he has to take his shirt off and Julian, Bubbles, and Randy watch as Lahey removes Ricky’s shirt which clearly disturbs Randy as it looks like Lahey is really trying to turn Ricky into his replacement.

Brandon’s Take: One of the best series of segments we’ve seen thus far. We’re watching the conflict in Ricky as he wants to do a good job but also doesn’t want to be a sellout to his friends. And he tips his hand as to where his loyalties lie when he tells Lahey that Julian has nothing to do with the bootlegging. The best stuff is when it’s clear Lahey’s trying to turn Ricky into another Randy and seeing Randy get upset over it. And the interaction between Ricky and Randy over the walkie was some of the funniest stuff on this episode thus far.

Next we see Julian and Bubbles emptying the vodka into an inflatable pool as a way to hide it in case the cops show up and Julian expresses his worry that Ricky might sell him out. Lahey and Ricky are driving by and Randy runs up to the car and starts screaming that it’s Julian who’s bootlegging but Ricky tries to say that Randy’s full of it and Randy says that Ricky’s covering for Julian which leads to Ricky jumping out of the car and fighting Randy while Lahey calls the cops in. Officer George Green shows up to arrest Julian while Ricky denies any involvement with the cops showing up and he sees that Julian is oddly calm and Ricky notices the pool, but not the contents of it. After searching Julian’s trailer and coming up empty, George gets upset with Lahey over there being no evidence to which Lahey concludes that Ricky must have tipped off Julian about the police and Julian destroyed the evidence before they arrived which of course was not the case at all. Lahey then says that is now strike three and Ricky is fired and demands Ricky hands over the walkie. Ricky then says he’s not fired and that he quits and takes the walkie and throws it in the pool. This enrages Randy and the two start fighting again and they end up in the pool, breaking it and the vodka all spilled out onto the ground. Once the fight’s broken up, they head inside Julian’s trailer to clean up and Julian blames Ricky for costing him ten grand. However Ricky retorts that it was Julian’s fault for not telling him what was going on and says he has no problem going back to breaking the law to make money. They all eventually sit down and Bubbles explains an idea he had been thinking about where the boys should commit small, less noticeable crimes that the cops don’t have time to mess with to which Julian agrees is a good idea which sets up the goal for the boys for the rest of the season.

Brandon’s Take: A fantastic conclusion that wraps up the loose ends left behind from season 2 and finishes setting the stage for the rest of season 3 with an interesting new plan with low-end crimes as that opens the doors for them to do much more than just bootlegging or growing and selling dope. Anytime Ricky and Randy fight each other is a good time so bonus points there. And it was really good to see Ricky not go all the way with being Lahey’s lackey as that completely contradicts his character, but having him dealing with internal conflict over his actions helped progress him as a character and made you respect him even more when he eventually chose his friends over his job. I’m honestly kind of shocked that no one noticed that the pool was filled with vodka when Ricky and Randy were fighting in it and Lahey and the cops tried to break it up. Also of note was how again Lahey called the cops and they didn’t find any evidence, something that will come to a head down the line.

Final Thoughts: 9.5/10 A very good show that, like the last one, gave a lot of good character development to Ricky while also focusing on Randy and Lahey’s relationship which will reach a turning point coming up a few episodes down the line. The humor in it was very good and the writing and pacing of the episode kept you wanting to watch what happens next.