Hart of Dixie Season 2 Episode 15 “The Gambler” Review – Nightmare Demon Lullabye

I just don’t really know what to say here.  I didn’t hate a good portion of this episode of Hart of Dixie. But I just feel like it forced my favorite character to take several humongous steps back for little to no reason so I’m mad no matter what happened in the rest of the hour. However there was this:

And we can all appreciate Wade with a guitar, right? Right. Let’s just keep that in mind later, because it’s going to get ugly.

Before we get to my review, a piece of business. Due to a turn of events we’ll get to in a minute, George (Scott Porter) sang with Wade’s (Wilson Bethel) band. So we know what that means…. you should all take a minute to rewatch Pop! Goes My Heart as nothing Scott sings will ever be as perfect as that. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Anywho. Time for a little bit of avoidance before we get to the stuff I don’t want to speak of. We’ll work up on the painful scale. Or at least the emotionally painful. In the physical painful scale, there is poor Tom (Ross Phillips) who had a bit of a run in with a couple horses in his attempt to propose to Wanda (Mallory Moye) with help from previously unsuccessful proposer, Lavon (Cress Williams). But he was wayyyy outdone. When Tom was busy getting help from Lavon, it seems Wanda was getting help from almost every other person in Bluebell with her creation of the most bizarre proposal ever – zombies in the town square singing Islands in the Stream. Which, shockingly, they never seem to do on The Walking Dead. Tom and Wanda are just the cutest little c-story characters that ever were.

Moving on up the emotional travesty scale, there’s Lemon (Jaime King). She is just so… lonely. She still isn’t ready to forgive Annabeth (Kaitlyn Black), no matter how much Annabeth stalks her with a friendly face. Of course, that may just help push AB right back into Lavon’s uber-romantic arms (do it!). Meanwhile Walt broke up with Lemon when she started making plans for next Christmas in an attempt to hold on to something, anything, in the face of losing AB. It all just led to a bit of a manic-depressive sister day for Lemon and Magnolia (Claudia Lee). I do enjoy the sisters getting to be sisters because we don’t get enough of that. But I just… I don’t know how to feel about Lemon. I feel like she’s become this extra piece and even the writers aren’t sure where to place her. She’s not a fit with George. AB seems like such a good match for Lavon. Walt was sweet, but boring. And… well, that sums up most of the male population of Bluebell. I hope they figure it out for her on some level, otherwise she’s just going to be floating with no purpose.

Okay. I’ve avoided. I’m just going to do this quick….

WHAT THE HELL?! That’s not really a review but I just needed to get it out there. I’m going to say something shocking – I almost get it. Almost. But before I get to my feelings in a hopefully coherent mini-rant, a brief recap of what happened.

Meatball, Wade’s friend, is the singer in their band and he is awful. Zoe tells Wade that and Wade gets mad but starts to question it so Meatball leaves the band. George, like I said, fills in as singer, making their band a sure shot at winning $20,000 in battle of the bands. This will give Wade the start-up money for the bar. Zoe, feeling bad for not being supportive, makes a neon sign for Wade’s bar. Wade freaks out, drinks a lot, throws George out and brings back Meatball. They lose. Wade leaves with another girl. Tansy (Mircea Monroe), who for no apparent reason hates Zoe, even feels bad and has Zoe follow her and George home.

So that’s that. Okay… time for a small does of “Melissa provides some logic.” While my problem is I feel the fallback into Wade’s old habits was extreme and out of nowhere, I will admit his turn around from pain in the ass to best boyfriend ever could be seen as the same thing. But we just wanted that to happen so we are okay with it.

That said, he has been an amazing boyfriend and Zoe, for once, did something really supportive with that sign. Now, again, some logic (Yes, I am arguing with myself… just stick with me). For Wade that sign is a literal bright shiny reminder that if he doesn’t become successful with this bar, he is not going to be worthy of Zoe. But OMG say something. To anyone. Just not the slutty brunette at the bar.

While I have logic that explains why Wade did what he did (and I’ll hold out hope that he didn’t actually do anything) it doesn’t stop me from just getting mad. Why? Two major reasons : 1-Wade has overcome so many things thus far. Zoe calling him out for having no career, the worst picnic ever, George Tucker and, worst than that, GEORGE TUCKER’S MOM. And he’s plowed on through like it was nothing – it was all worth being with Zoe. So to have him just suddenly fall off from that course seems so out of character. And 2- All signs have forever posted that the writers of this show consider Zoe and George to be endgame. It’s how they aimed the pilot, so gosh darn, they are sticking to it. And I feel that is so short-sided. I want to believe they have moved past that and when George and Zoe said to each other on that boat that they realized they may never be and would be okay with that, it was the writers saying that too. But I don’t know. This episode sure didn’t help.

What say you, my wonderful readers? I know you are going to have thoughts. So hit me with the comments. Am I over reacting? Does my logic help you to feel better even if it doesn’t help me?

Follow me on Twitter @serrae

Photos courtesy of The CW