You know Blake, he went to Northwestern.

Once and Again – Cat-In-Hat
Random but related: I was looking through a catalog at work yesterday and saw a one-sheet for the DVD release of Across the Universe. There was a large picture of Evan Rachel Wood, and damn if she didn’t look almost exactly the same. Anyway, it’s become clear that I prefer the episodes that revolve around the Sammler family so hopefully I’m in for a treat. We open with Karen and Leo in bed, while B&W Karen talks about how she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing. Rick calls and she lies about being at work. Leo wakes up and tells her she’s cute, and Karen says, “That’s not really an adjective that I get a lot.” Leo is good for her.

And woah, Adam Brody! In much the same role as ever, but this time he’s a jock and music geek. And … WTF?!? Rilo Kiley?!? Eli and Adam Brody run into Blake and Jenny in a guitar store and keep making references to Northwestern. I’ll have to look that up. Considering that she got her start in Troop Beverly Hills, Jenny Lewis is a terrible actress. Ha.

Leo shows up at the Sammler house unannounced and Karen’s dirty little secret is out. Rick and Lily also happen to stop by, so everyone knows. Eli wants to go see “Blake’s band” – they have yet to name the band, which is weird – but the show is at a bar so Karen says no. Eli goes behind her back to Rick, leaving out key details, and Rick gives him permission. Unfortunately, Leo takes Karen to the same show, where she is thrilled to be carded. Naturally, Eli runs into Karen and, because he’s a dick, tells her she’s too old to be there. Finally, at this point, Jenny says, “We’re Rilo Kiley” as they leave the stage. Too bizarre.

Jessie is going for her black belt in Tai Kwon Do, and is set to spar against a cute boy who is flirting with her. When she beats him, he starts treating her like crap. Jessie decides not to take the black belt test, but then she realizes she’s being stupid, takes the test, and gets her black belt.

Once and Again – My Brilliant Career
Lily is easier to take when she’s not acting like a princess, but not by much. In this ep we see her floundering in her new job as personal assistant to Christie, the young, high-maintenance editor of a hip magazine. Christie doesn’t trust Lily with any real work, which annoys Lily. Christie is irritated by Lily’s incompetence yet jealous of her for having a life.

Also in this ep, we discover that Jake and Tiffany are still together. And Grace accidentally discovers that Jake started dating Tiffany while he was still married to Lily. It’s pretty awful, and Jake is forced to put on a happy face for Zoe, who has no idea what is going on.