SYMP Watch: Episode 83 - High and Inside

B.S. Rating:

We knew it was going to be a special episode when McGill started with a joke about afterbirth pie.

For the first time in a very long time, the entire SYMP posse was gathered for a session at the big, brown, cluttered table. And what a session it was. Light on prep and substance, heavy on insider tidbits and Andy-shrieks.

It was like having the first staff meeting after Christmas vacation without the boss. Lots of stories, little focus, random asides, silly giggling. In other words, pretty much a typical show.

In fact, we had quite a disagreement over what the title of this post should be. Here are some of our rejected titles for this episode:

• “Simply Insider”
• “Sting Like a Caterpillar”
• “Oxygen Suck with a Saliva Chaser”
• “Who Wants to Be a Brazel-aire?”
• “It’s All About Us”

We would’ve gone with the last title, but only if they had cut out everything but the couple of minutes in the middle where they talked about us. Of course, then they could have earned the last half banana slug in this week’s show rating.

But SYMP isn’t about earning anything. Apparently, working at SB isn’t about earning anything either, unless you’re a senior pastor or whatever it is that Fields is.

As always, we were distracted by the table items. The flash of Brazel’s head at the beginning of the show was startling, but what really had us nervous were all the fluids on the table. Not only did Matt and Josh have bottles of yellow VitaWater, while Jana took care of a pink, but there was an empty pink by Griff, with the rest of the VitaWater case positioned by McGill. Add DF’s soda cup, and we were really glad that Sarti’s water had already broken, otherwise there could have been a VitaFlood.

Time for the stand-out quotes from this episode:

• Jana: “I’m not bitter…I am bitter.”
• Doug: “…green with jealousy”; Matt: “Jealousy is chartreuse.”
• Andy (in a fit of laughter): “ahh….trogolyte…ahhh”
• Andy (feeling the need to update everyone on his personal hygiene): “I’m sweating”
• Griff (asking the question everyone has wondered): “Which is more valuable - a good salary or friendship with Doug?”

Here’s another disagreement we’re having. Perhaps you could help us out. If the SYMP gang were superheroes, like the Fantastic Four or the Justice League, which superhero would each of them be?

Our biggest disagreement at the moment concerns Monsieur Matt. While there have been reasons given for Hellboy, Bucky, and The Sandman - to name a few - we are currently leaning towards Superman. Yes, we know, that might be overdoing it, but M&M’s move in the middle of this episode, when he got serious, leaned back, and took off his glasses - well, it just made us think of Clark Kent, and how he only really gets powerful when he takes off his glasses. Granted, McGill is more “Man of Super Soft Angel Food Cake” than “Man of Steel”, but that’s our opinion for now.

What do you think? Is Fields the real Superman? And is Griff a superhero or sidekick? And is Brazel a superhero friend, or an outcast that is secretly planning the overthrow of the Purpose Driven Cartel?

Whew. We’re sweating, too.