Summary of Fish Out of Water
Tess stops by Henry's office to see if he's free for lunch. Audrey pops her head in and invites them to a dinner party (sorry so last minute) for that very night that she and her husband Cesar are throwing. Henry and Tess eagerly accept, and after Audrey has left they express how excited they are to be invited to one of Audrey and Cesar's famous dinner parties. It could make Henry's career. All sorts of interesting and exciting people could be there. Then Audrey pops her head back in and asks Henry to make sure that Ian is there as well. Henry is worried that perhaps Audrey only invited him to make sure that Ian showed up, but hey, he doesn't mind being used if it gets him into the dinner party.
Henry goes by Ian's apartment to make sure he's coming to dinner. Ian and Jake are getting ready to eat take-out Chinese food. Henry asks if Ian got a call from Audrey inviting him to a last-minute dinner part. Ian says no, but two weeks ago he got this stupid invitation in the mail that says R.S.V.P. regrets only. Henry tells Ian that this means that since Ian didn't R.S.V.P., Audrey thinks he's coming. Ian says he didn't R.S.V.P. because he didn't have any regrets. Henry keeps trying to convince Ian, promising to protect him from Audrey's flirting (she's happily married anyway) and from annoying people Ian doesn't want to talk to. Henry also says that Tess will be there and Tess is a blast at parties. Tess shows up at that moment looking like hell. She was at Bergdorf's trying on dresses for tonight when she started to get very ill, she thinks from the sushi at lunch. She also bought two sizes of the same red dress, in case the throwing up made her fit into a smaller size. Audrey calls to confirm with Henry. Henry says that Ian will be there, but Tess can't make it. Audrey says there has to be an even number, so Henry has to bring a date. Maddie walks in and Henry decides to bring her.
Henry, Maddie (wearing one of Tess's red dresses) and Ian show up at the dinner party, Henry bearing a bottle of wine and coaching Maddie on how to set him up to socially sparkle. Audrey opens the door, and Ian gets the credit for bringing the wine. Henry is trying to work the crowd, and Ian is getting more and more frustrated from being hounded by a shallow movie executive and avoiding Audrey's advances. Cesar, Audrey's husband, is blatantly gay, and shows off his vicious but beautiful salt-water fish. Ian keeps trying to hunt down Henry, and when he finally does, Henry completely ignores him and hands him his glass to get him another drink. As revenge, Ian fills Henry's glass from the fish tank, including a fish, and give it to him. Henry takes a sip, freaks out with he sees the fish, and spills it on the floor. He tries to pick it up and get it back in the glass, but it bites him and he accidently throws it across the room. He runs over and finds Maddie who's drinking a big glass of water. He takes the water and gets the fish into it just as Cesar is starting a toast to his beautiful wife, Audrey. Cesar is offended when he sees that Henry is holding a glass, but not drinking to his toast, so Henry drinks, carefully covering the glass with his hands, and then has to quickly turn around and spit the fish back into the glass... he also gets a bite on the inside of his mouth for his trouble.
Henry and Maddie are in the bathroom, and the fish is in the sink, and they're trying to figure out what to do. Maddie remembers that it's a salt-water fish, so Henry runs out to get salt and grabs Ian as well, who is desperately trying to scare away the shallow movie executive. They put salt in the sink for the fish, and Henry insists that Ian distracts Cesar while he gets the fish back into the tank. They're about to execute this plan when Tess shows up at the dinner party with Jake. Jake is just there to make sure Tess got there safely (she still looks like hell), but when Cesar sees Jake he insists that he stay. Tess gets offered sushi by the roaming waiter, and immediately runs to the bathroom. She gets in there with Henry and Ian and Maddie (and is upset to see Maddie wearing her dress), and tries to put water on her face from the sink, and is more upset when she realizes that is fishy too. Henry puts the fish into Tess's purse, and they go out to the fish tank. The only way Ian can distract Cesar is to ask him in front of the entire party if he is gay. Henry gets the fish into the tank, Cesar blows off the question about his being gay, and all seems well. Henry raises a glass to the happy couple, Audrey and Cesar, and comments that they are as happy as these two fish in the tank. Cesar laughs and says at least he and his wife don't need a plastic partition to keep them from tearing each other apart. As everyone exits for the dining room to start dinner, the gang looks in the tank and realizes that they put the fish on the wrong side of the partition.
back to episode info