The acting and writing in the introductory scene seemed vague and disconnected, until I realized the scene's purpose of setting the scene for someone to look in on the Heffernans' home life. This situation was excellent in illuminating classic social behavior using Carrie as a model. Until the end of the episode, there was not even a hint that the neighbors didn't like the Heffernans. They had very few lines and contributed very little to the plot, except for what Carrie created them to be - and her own insecurities made her hate them for no fault of their own. I only wish I knew why that was so entertaining to watch.