'Outmatched' Episode 6: Kay's bullying past plays spoilsport with Marc's admission in specialized school
Spoiler Alert for Season 1 Episode 6 — 'Bullying'
When Mike (Jason Biggs) and Kay (Maggie Lawson) are called in by their Marc's (Jack Stanton) principal, they automatically assume that Marc was the victim. When they finally talk to the principal, they learn that Marc is the perpetrator and that he bullied his teacher.
In a conversation with the rest of their family, the parents agree that Marc needs to go to a school more suited to his needs. However, on realizing that they could not afford sending a third child to a private school, their daughter Nicole (Ashley Boettcher) suggests to her parents to consider a specialized public school that's free.
Sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately for Mike and Kay, Marc's one-time bullying incident seems problematic in their attempt to convince the head of the school to give Marc admission. The real issue is that the head himself, Dr Walker, was bullied by Kay when they went to school together. He directly rejects Marc's application.
Kay does not believe that she was a bully and reminds Mike that she was voted the class clown for her pranks, to which Mike says that the most popular clowns are known for either terrorizing Gotham or living in sewers and feasting on children.
Kay wants to make amends so she can help Marc get into the school but she does not remember who Walker was. As her friends and Mike try to help by reminding her of all the pranks she pulled, Kay realizes that they now sound cruel to her.
So, Mike and Kay decide to invite Walker home for dinner but in the process they also try to tell Marc that he needs to be kind to people, "even if they're dumber than you". However the parents' words are turned around as Nicole and Brian (Connor Kalopsis) teach Marc "to be mean by being nice".
When Walker comes over, Kay and Mike try different ways to figure out who he is. Kay finally confesses that she does not remember him and that she is sorry for what she did. When Walker mentions that he couldn't forget the "election speech", Kay finally remembers.
She pulls Mike into the kitchen and tells him that it is Andy Walker, to whom she slipped a bunch of laxatives in his water right before his senior year election speech. Mike remembers the incident and how the whole stage had to be cleaned up. He tells her to apologize. However, Kay is now adamant that she will never apologize to him.
It turns out Walker was a creep in high school and Kay was standing up for her friend. When her friend rejected Walker's advances, Walker lied that she cheated off his test and got Kay's friend kicked out of school.
However, understanding that she is a parent now, Kay admits that she has to apologize to Walker, though Nicole and Brian disagree. When she tries apoligizing to him, Walker acts smug and says Kay was jealous of his "success and intelligence". Unable to stand watching Walker belittle their mother, Nicole and Brian make fun of him. Walker decides to leave saying that Marc is the best of the lot. However, Marc whispers something in his ear, causing Walker to cry before he left.
When Kay and Mike worry about Marc's "academic career", the latter comes in, saying that he will apologize to his teacher and be nice, saying, "If you could be nice to Dr Walker for me, I can be nice to a teach for you."
While all's well that ends well, Kay and Mike's attempt at teaching their kids that bullying is wrong somehow reverses in the last moments. Sure, Walker may have deserved it, but was that the lesson the kids needed?
'Outmatched' airs Thursdays at 7.30 pm CST on FOX.
