Cougar Town Episode 2.14 Cry to Me

There's a circle of love swirling around the cul-de-sac on Valentine's Day eve. A Jules-initiated spree of good cheer comes full circle when odd neighbor Tom delivers some homemade sticky buns. Of course, Tom's not allowed to stick around to enjoy the buns with Jules and the crew. That's just the way it is.

For Grayson, Valentine's Day is a reminder of the day his dad died. He doesn't want to talk about it with anyone. Not even Jules. Think she's gonna stand for that? Nah. But the G-man simply won't break. Soon Jules initiates a circle of anger that culminates when Tom sucks back all his sticky buns with a giant outdoor vacuum. Those things must wreak havoc on the filter.

Jules must find a way to make Grayson cry. What better time to do so than on the anniversary of his dad's death? So sweet. A trip down memory lane using photo albums and anniversary videos has no effect. Jules wants to know what her boyfriend's dad was like. Grayson says, "He was pretty cool." Still no tears though.

Bobby helps Andy brainstorm for ideas on what to do for Ellie for Valentine's Day even though she claims to hate the holiday. For Ellie, February 14th simply means it is seven weeks after Christmas. So why do so many of her idiot neighbors still have their lights up? It's beyond annoying, though not as frustrating as Ellie's anti-Cupid attitude is to Andy. The guy's a showman. It's in his nature to want to wow her.

Kirsten wants a sexy picture for Valentine's Day. Travis immediately starts thinking of where he can scrounge up a shot of Ryan Reynolds riding a horse. Actually, Kirsten would prefer a sexy picture of her boyfriend. No problem, right? Laurie's an old pro when it comes to boudoir photos, so she's more than happy to hop over to the other side of the camera. The initial photo shoot does not go well.

Laurie wants Bobby to take her to a nice restaurant where he can fake dump her so she'll get a free meal. He says, "The old bitch-n-ditch. I'm in." Those two are set for V-day. But Travis, Andy and Grayson still have issues. Laurie says they should "give the women what they want." Sounds like a plan. It's also catchy lyrics for a new tune.

OPERATION: ALWAYS GIVE THE WOMEN WHAT THEY WANT is a go. Grayson tells Jules they'll forgo their fancy dinner plans to stay home and talk about his dad. Andy decides to celebrate Valentine's Day with Bobby. And Travis sucks it up by giving the sexy photo thing another try. But at the end of the day, Grayson can't go through with the whole crying thing. So sad.

Ellie crashes Andy's romantic night out with Bobby. She screams, "When I said I didn't want to do anything tonight, it didn't mean I wanted to be alone while you acted like you just got a rose on the gay hillbilly version of The Bachelor." As far as we know, no such show is in development.

Ellie storms off and Bobby heads over to help his son in a second sexy photo shoot. It's even more awkward than the first with Laurie serving as a blindfolded consultant and Jules wanting some keepsake shots with her bare-chested baby boy. The end result is a horrifying shot of Trav with a rose stuck between his teeth. Kirsten appreciates the effort. She just can't look at the photo.

Andy's plan to throw Ellie off balance by wooing Bobby works like a charm. He drags her to the center of the cul-de-sac to celebrate Valentine's Day in the most romantic way. He created a giant bonfire to burn every neighborhood Christmas decoration that wasn't put away. Tom's oversized reindeer never had a chance.

As for Jules, all she really wants is for Grayson be different with her than he is with everyone else. Actually, he is. When Ellie asked about his dad, he didn't want to talk about it. But when Jules asked, he said his father was pretty cool. Grayson didn't say much, but it actually meant a lot.

Valentine's Day night gets even better when Grayson lets Jules watch him watch Field of Dreams. The part where the son plays catch with his dead dad always gets to him. If you play it, he will cry. And he does. Happy Valentine's Day!