Cougar Town Episode 1.17 Counting on You

Two of life's most controversial debates are touched upon in this particular episode of Cougar Town. The first involves a claim by Jules that deep down every guy is a little bit gay. To prove her point, she sets a gay trap. What's a gay trap, you ask? Well, when Andy comes into the room, Jules asks him the name of the song Bette Midler sings in Beaches. He answers without hesitation. That's a gay trap. BTW, it's Wind Beneath My Wings (for anyone out there who claims they didn't know).

The other debate is about whether or not men and women can be "just friends." Grayson believes that they can't be friends without a sexual undercurrent. Jules disagrees. She aims to prove her point with Tom, a nice neighbor who's always offering to water her flowers. More on that later.

Travis is upset because Bobby didn't ask him to go on a fishing trip. Bobby wasn't sure he'd be into it, as they won't be using fishing poles. They'll be noodling. That means they must go into a muddy lake where a catfish is protecting its eggs. They'll catch the catfish by getting it to eat the noodle, which is actually their arm. Yeah, it's just as harsh as it sounds. Travis is horrified, but still up for the trip.

Bobby tries to teach his boy the joys of noodling, but Travis isn't having any of it. He wades out of the water leaving his disappointed dad behind. Bobby explains that the reason he didn't initially invite him on the fishing trip is because he knew Travis would argue about it. That never happened when he was a kid. Bobby's just not ready to admit that his boy is all grown up. Travis can appreciate that and is now willing to noodle with his dad.

Andy feels like he never gets to do anything for himself. Jules suggests that he shake things up a bit by buying Laurie's old motorcycle. This upsets Ellie, who puts the kibosh on any thoughts of her hubby riding a hog. This upsets Andy, who gets into a big fight with his wife. This, in turn, upsets Jules who gets panicked when people she cares about fight. The argument gets quite heated and Andy speeds away on his new bike. Well, he doesn't speed away right away. First, he crashes into some hedges.

Jules is having a tough time dealing with the plight of her feuding friends. Fortunately, her neighbor Tom is there to help her through it. Grayson doesn't buy it. He thinks Tom is only after one thing, and it's not friendship. He warns Tom not to mess with Jules. It's all pretty darn chivalrous. Too bad Jules didn't see it.

Ellie tells Jules that the reason she doesn't want Andy to have a motorcycle is because she doesn't want him to get hurt. Jules wants to fix the rift, but Ellie says that's not necessary. They've been through fights like this in the past. It's no big deal. Then Andy calls to say he's going to spend a few days on Bobby's boat. That's never happened before. Now it's a big deal.

Jules and Grayson make their way out to Bobby's boat to talk to Andy, who is not ready to come home. He's even planning to skip Stan's baby recital. Jules makes him reconsider. But the show is starting and traffic is a bear. There's no way he'll be able to get there in time. Unless....Vrooom! Jules and Andy speed though town on his motorcycle but end up missing the recital anyway.

A disappointed Jules returns home where Tom gives her a big hug. But then he gets a little handsy. Jules may have to concede that perhaps men and women can't be "just friends." She feels a little better when she discovers that Andy is back at home. Ellie explains that when a marriage really works, the bumps in the road don't matter. Andy says, "We have a built-in safety net because we love each other so much." Nice.

After Grayson slips a terrified Tom a note that reads "I Know What You Did," he catches up with Jules. She says, "I spent so much time trying to separate romance and friendship. I guess if you're lucky, you get both." Both she and Grayson admit that they each want that someday. That could happen. After all, didn't Grayson once say that Jules was his "Someday Girl?"