foil
Even watching the previews for this episode made me uncomfortable, and after the argument scene in the actual episode, my further discomfort convinced me that the actors had done a good job. The writing leading up to the fight was also part of that discomfort, as the gift-giving and gift-returning scenes are of the type that usually stir up the same type of discomfort I felt later. The dialogue of the argument, with the exception of the single joke and the initial low-blow badmouthing, escalated at a frighteningly realistic pace. Luckily, the episode did not forget about the comic relief, Jack and Karen. The transfer of the kiss, along with another reference to an imaginary love affair between Grace and Karen, kept the plot from dragging. Jack and Karen's purpose of plot regulation was exemplified in this episode.
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