The theme of this episode is evident in Joanne and Noah’s debates. The two have vastly different approaches to conflict. Noah believes you should accept what you cannot change and move on, while Joanne thinks you should talk about your issues and confront them head-on. This debate is what drives the episode and leads to some hilarious and heartfelt moments.

Be warned: spoilers ahead.

This episode begins with the new senior rabbi of Noah’s congregation. The new rabbi, conveniently named “Big Noah,” gives a passionate sermon that the congregation eats up. Even Lenny, Noah Roklov’s friend, talks about how much he enjoyed the sermon. Noah’s mother, Bina, played by Tovah Feldshuh, a champion of this head-on style of confrontation, pulls Noah Roklov aside and asks why he’s not coming to Shabbat. Noah tells Bina that he’s not coming because Joanne isn’t invited, so he refuses to go. Noah explains that he’ll be spending his Shabbat with Joanne because he considers her a part of his family now.

After the title card, Morgan, Joanne, and Noah go to a farmer’s market. Here is the first instance in which we see the difference between Joanne and Noah’s confrontation styles. Joanne insists that she and Morgan go to his rival rabbi’s sermon to boo him, while Noah insists they accept that he didn’t get the job and move on. Morgan decides that she’s going to come to Noah’s basketball game to try to talk with Lenny more. Now that Lenny didn’t ask for Morgan’s number, Morgan finds him more desirable. Joanne suspects that Noah’s mom blames her for Noah not getting the senior rabbi position, but Noah changes the subject and moves on —as he always does.

At the basketball game, Noah starts his pregame ritual by touching a tree and saying he’s leaving his preoccupations there. He says this is a tradition his whole team follows so they can focus on their game. Joanne tells Noah that she doesn’t believe in suppressing her emotions and instead likes to confront them. Noah refuses and says that he wants to “transfer,” or suppress, his feelings at the tree. Eventually, Joanne gives in and touches the tree for Noah. Joanne and Noah compromise on what to do about Bina, with Joanne saying she won’t confront her but will write her an email during the game.

At the game, Bina makes a surprise appearance. Her entrance is hilariously tuned to the song “London Bridge” by Fergie. Bina tells Noah that she’s there simply because she’s making up for the time she’s missing out on during Shabbat, but we know she’s really there to confront Joanne. Joanne and Bina talk on the side of the court. Bina tells Joanne that she’s upset at her because Noah refuses to go anywhere that Joanne isn’t invited, and Joanne shoots back, telling Bina that she should get used to seeing her around. The two end their confrontation unresolved.

Sasha and Esther leave the game early to try to recover from their awkward love triangle between them and Morgan. Morgan talks to Lenny about why he didn’t want her number. Lenny tells her that she’s harsh and doesn’t seem actually to want to be in a relationship right now. This leaves Morgan stunned. Morgan runs to the bathroom to calm down. In the bathroom, she runs into Bina, where the two have a surprisingly heartfelt and funny conversation about Joanne and Noah. Morgan tells Bina that Joanne tried to break up with Noah so he could get the job —a fact Bina did not know. Bina tells Morgan that she really respects her and her indifferent attitude. The two leave the interaction, both feeling more resolved about their different social problems. Sasha and Esther take edibles at a park and discuss how hard marriage is. Esther talks about how she’s jealous of Sasha’s relationship with Morgan. Sasha assures Esther that he was just friends with Morgan. They end their discussion on a positive note, agreeing to try harder in their marriage.

When the game ends, Joanne, Bina, and Noah congregate at the tree. Joanne asks Bina for forgiveness once again because Bina now knows that Joanne tried to get Noah the job. The discussion shifts to Noah because he’s still harboring his jealousy toward rabbi Big Noah. With a little convincing from Joanne, he lets out how upset he is about losing the job. Seeing this, Bina begrudgingly invites Joanne to Shabbat. The episode ends with Bina and Lenny walking out of the game. Bina tells Lenny that she asked Joanne to Shabbat only to destroy their relationship —already building stakes for the next episode to stand on.

This episode was compelling because its theme was so intrinsic to the plot. A lot of comedy shows struggle with what actually makes them funny, leading to a wide variation in jokes per minute from episode to episode. This show does a great job of combining the episode’s themes with its comedy. Each character takes on one side of the suppress vs confront style of conflict. Joanne is a confronter, as are Bina, Morgan, and Sasha. Lenny, Noah, and Esther are all suppressors, needing to be prodded by their opposites to address their issues.

This episode also shows us how similar Joanne and Bina are. They both confront problems in the same way, care about Noah and his career, and share very similar, strong, and independent personalities. The writers could have easily given them opposite personalities, but the problem is that doing so would give both of them a real reason not to like each other. The fact that they’re so similar shows they should actually get along, and it’s only their preconceived notions about what is best for Noah and how mothers treat their sons’ girlfriends that divide them. This episode was a hilarious and heartwarming watch, and is a masterclass at combining theme and plot to create comedy.

Rating: 9/10