‘Perfect Harmony’: High notes from episode 5 ‘It’s Electric’

Folks are getting their wires crossed this week on an “electric” episode of Perfect Harmony.

The fifth episode of Perfect Harmony is titled “It’s Electric”. The name is fitting for more than one reason. Electrician Wayne is called to Arthur’s houseboat to check the faulty lights. Both Wayne and Arthur are “stunned” by a surprise visit from Arthur’s father-in-law Tinsley (played by special guest Kurtwood Smith). Wayne is convinced the flickering lights are caused by ghosts. Meanwhile, Arthur and Tinsley get in to a showdown about ownership of the houseboat.

Everyone is gearing up for Singles Night/Afternoon (the elderly crowd insists on an earlier start time!). Reverend Jax has chosen Arthur’s photo for the event flyer, which angers father-in-law Tinsley in the recent wake of Jean’s passing. Ginny is avoiding Dwayne because she feels awkward about his proclamation of affection for her in episode 1. Cash tries to score points with a cute girl but struggles to keep up with the “Electric Slide”.

Let’s take a look at the ‘high notes’ from Perfect Harmony episode 5.

Will they or won’t they?

We may have a classic case of “will they or won’t they” with Ginny and Dwayne. Dwayne reveals a romantic interest in Ginny in the pilot episode. Wayne struggles to accept the idea of his best friend dating his ex-wife. Over time the two best friends reconcile, but that does not mean Ginny is open to the idea of dating Wayne.

Ginny is not ready to consider a romantic relationship with Dwayne. She tells Arthur it is a timing issue and uses a pickling analogy to express her hesitation. Ginny does not want to sacrifice her friendship with Dwayne for for the possibility of something more.

Ginny finally gets up the courage to tell Dwayne that she is not ready to date. Before Ginny can share her thoughts, Dwayne confirms that he “had” feelings for Ginny but thinks they should focus on their longstanding friendship. Dwayne has been seeking a dance with Ginny to relive their younger dancing days, not to woo her. The friends resurrect some crowd pleasing choreography to “Whoomp There It Is”.

Ginny may be relieved that Dwayne also wants to be friends right now. Or, is she is also a little jealous when she sees Dwayne kissing new gal pal Georgia at the end of the dance? Hmm . . .

The care is there

Arthur and father-in-law Tinsley are at each other’s throats. They are arguing over ownership of the houseboat. Tinsley fusses at Arthur being on the Singles Night flyer (even though that was Reverend Jax’s idea because Arthur fits a “demographic sweet spot” appealing to multiple age groups, ha!) Arthur criticizes Tinsley for not visiting Jean’s grave earlier.

The truth is they are both mourning the loss of Jean. They open up about their feelings at Jean’s graveside. Tinsley discovers that Arthur has been the one sending him care packages from the church. Tinsley reveals that his absence stems from how difficult it is to face his grief. The two grumpy guys are able to “find some common ground” as Ginny suggested.

“Wayne’s World”

Wayne describes the impressive prowess of Arthur’s father-in-law to Reverend Jax and Dwayne. Wayne calls Tinsley “as lethal as I’d be if I still had my Bowflex”. We can only imagine, Wayne!

Wayne aims to impress by timing a football pass to Cash with the arrival of a bus of incoming singles from a neighboring church. The problem is he keeps mistaking other vehicles for the bus. Poor Cash is running back and forth to recreate the pass. Take it easy, Wayne! Let Cash save that energy for the dance floor. When the bus finally arrives, Wayne misses it completely.

Wayne continues to entertain with his unconventional parenting methods. Cash is struggling to keep up with a cute dance partner during the “Electric Slide”. Wayne adjusts the music to slow down the tempo of the song and create a more suitable dance opportunity for Cash’s dance moves.

Side ‘Notes’:

• Attention Perfect Harmony fans: Cash is wearing hair product this week. Nicely done, young man!
• #ScarfWatch update: Arthur sports his signature scarf again for making it five weeks in a row.
• Ginny models several different outfit ideas for Singles Night in what Adams describes as a “Pretty Woman montage”.
• Wayne reminds Cash that labels don’t matter when he describes himself as a “2” compared to Ginny’s “14”. I agree that ratings are for the birds, but it certainly is fun to see the usual boastful Wayne being modest.

Perfect Harmony masterfully combines heartfelt moments with hilarious hijinx and clever dialogue.

The new NBC comedy is advertising a Halloween-themed episode for next week’s October 31st air date. Who knows? Maybe we will find out if there really are ghosts behind those flickering lights on Arthur’s houseboat.