Outsourced Episode 1.04 Jolly Vindaloo Day

In the corporate cafeteria, the "A Team" of call center reps confronts Madhuri, Manmeet, Gupta and the others at their table. They're superior reps and demand that the B Team give up their seats. Madhuri rises to leave, but Manmeet is defiant. The smug A Teamers hurl American put-down after put-down, but the Mid America gang holds their ground. The A Team vows revenge and walks off.

Rajiv begs Asha for her help: he needs to convince Todd to leave the office for the day so he can impress his future father-in-law that, in fact he is the manager. A solid career position is a requirement if he is to win his beloved's hand in marriage. He tells Todd that today is Vindaloo Day, named after the spicy dish. Asha backs him up and Todd swallows the whole story.

Relieved to have the rest of the day off, Todd saunters down the streets of Mumbai, wishing "Jolly Vindaloo Day" to everyone he sees. They look on curiously. He buys a pound of "throwing spice" – another part of the ruse – and returns to the cafeteria where he tosses some onto Charlie, his ex-pat colleague. Charlie looks up his list of Indian holidays and informs Todd he's been duped.

Todd and Charlie spy on the office; the workers are all dutifully at their desks, and Rajiv is manning the manager's desk. A well dressed gentleman enters the call center. Charlie's sure he's a headhunter and warns Charlie that he's about to lose his best workers. Todd storms into the office and confronts Rajiv and the would-be headhunter. Todd excoriates Rajiv and insists that his workers will not be going anywhere. Rajiv, he says, is merely the assistant manager and has no authority to make decisions. Rajiv is shocked. The would-be headhunter is actually the father of the girl he wants to marry. He had assumed Todd's identity as the manager to impress him. Ruined and embarrassed, Rajiv walks out.

The A Team is having its fun with the call center team. They place calls to Mid America Novelties running up orders of thousands of dollars of novelties. Gupta, Manmeet, even Madhuri are ecstatic. Big bonuses are around the corner. Until they're not. The A Team reveals itself in the window, smirking at their successful prank.

Todd is concerned about Rajiv, who hasn't returned to work. Asha explains that Rajiv has now lost face with his potential in-laws and that they will likely move ahead with choosing another husband for their daughter. Rajiv was trying to make a play for their daughter, Vimi; theirs would have been a marriage of romance, not arrangement. Todd feels terrible and enlists Asha's help to find Rajiv so he can try to set things right.

Bent on revenge for being pranked, Gupta, Madhuri and Manmeet seek out Charlie for advice on getting back at the A Team. Charlie's the perfect adviser: he got his fraternity kicked off campus, his real name isn't Charlie, and he's not in India by choice. They begin plotting. Charlie thinks setting fire to the A Team's stuff would be perfect, but the call center gang is looking for something a little less harmful. They come up with a suitable plan.

Todd visits Rajiv at his home. His despondent assistant manager explains that Vimi's family is already steering their daughter toward another suitor, Harshit. Todd can't fathom anyone with such a name, saying it over and over while laughing. Seconds later, Rajiv's father walks in. Rajiv introduces Todd to his father, also named Harshit. Awkward. Todd compounds the pain by letting it slip to Rajiv's father that the marriage to Vimi is off. Todd pulls Rajiv aside and encourages him to give it another try with Vimi's family. Rajiv is emboldened, thanking Todd for his help, then awkwardly kissing him, thinking this is an American sign of thanks.

Todd takes Rajiv to see Vimi's parents. After some all-American words of encouragement, Rajiv screws up his courage and enters the home of the woman he loves. He's treated brusquely by her father, but manages to get out that he truly loves Vimi and has since he was nine years old. He may not be a manager yet, but he will provide very well for their daughter. Rajiv is shown the door. Despondent, he tells Todd how poorly it went. But as he talks, Vimi herself comes outside. She's delighted with how Rajiv stood up to her father. Yes, she's promised to Harshit, but she will derail that plan by claiming he inappropriately touched her. Love appears to be a conquering force after all.

Back in the cafeteria, there's a showdown brewing over who will sit at a favored table. The A Team is all bravado, threatening Manmeet, Gupta and Madhuri. After a brief stare-down, the Mid America team backs off. But as the A Team sits, their table and chairs collapse, spilling food everywhere. They've been pranked par excellence, thanks to Charlie's inspiration and Mid-American ingenuity.