Season Four

Credits | Summary | Quotes | Did You Notice?

"Von Trapped"

by Episode Guide Writer Sarah I.

Episode #8.10 | Original Airdate 01/05/2006

Written by Gail Lerner | Directed by James Burrows | Eric McCormack (Will Truman) | Debra Messing (Grace Adler) | Sean Hayes (Jack McFarland) | Megan Mullally (Karen Walker) | Shelley Morrison (Rosario) | GUEST CAST: Taye Diggs (James) | Steven Petrarca (Ralph) | Jennette McCurdy (Oldest Girl) | Gigi Goff (Littlest Girl) | Nick Nervies (Boy) | Jennie Fahn (Mom #1) | Candy Ford (Mom #2) | Julie Fleischer (Mom #3) |

Summary: "The hills are alive with the sound of music." Or, at least Manhattan is.

The "Sound of Music" sing-along is back in town, and our fab four couldn’t be more excited for it. Grace and Will dress up like Maria and Captain Von Trapp, Jack is in lederhosen, and while Karen isn’t dressed as a "Sound of Music" movie extra, she goes along for the ride. But while Grace, Jack and Karen enter the theatre together, Will is nowhere to be found. It turns out, he ends up at the theatre on 3rd and 9th, not the theater on 39th, which is where the sing-along is being held.

While Will still thinks he’s at the right place, a man named James walks up to him. Mistaking him for an usher, James gives Will his ticket for the 7:40 showing of "Memoirs of a Geisha." Soon after, Will’s cell phone rings. Grace is on the other line informing Will that he’s not where he should be. After hanging up the phone, Will and James get to talking, and Will decides to stay a little longer.

Back at the sing-along, Jack becomes infatuated with Ralph, who runs the concessions counter at the theatre. In true McFarland fashion, he is immediately in love with Ralph. Grace recruits Karen to get seats in the first row of the balcony, leaving her to be alone. After Karen leaves, a mother enters with her three girls and leaves them with Grace, which is just the start of the Grace Adler child care service.

Jack and Karen take their seats. Karen pulls out a flask full of liquor (and just a drop of the soda Jack brought for her). After downing it, she tosses the flask over the balcony, hitting someone below her. The person she hit complains to an usher, who reports it to the manager. The manager makes an announcement over the P.A. system, saying that they will not show the film until they find out who threw the flask, and when they find out who threw it, they will press charges. When Jack and Karen try to make an escape, Karen reveals that her name was on the flask, and now they don’t know what to do.

While taking care of the now seven children left with her, Grace discovers that they have never seen the movie. She decides to teach the children the songs of ”The Sound of Music.” After teaching the kids one song, she calls Will, who is still talking to James, telling him about Karen. After Will hangs up, James realizes he’s ten minutes late for his movie. They say goodbye without exchanging numbers or any mention of meeting again.

Will finally arrives at the sing-along. They try to find Karen, who is nowhere to be found. They suddenly spot her as the last in a line of nuns that walk by. Will decides to go talk to the manager. When he comes back, he has Karen’s flask, but he threw paper clips in the manager’s face in order to get it. The whole gang is in danger (Grace because the manager heard her singing), until Rosario comes to the rescue, dressed as mother superior. She leads them to a closet to hide.

Soon after hiding, they are discovered by Ralph, who turns on Jack and tries to hand them over to the manager. They run out of the building just as James enters to try to find Will. But it seems that Will left a little too early, and James is not able to catch him.


Quotes
GRACE: Do you think people can tell I'm Maria, even though I don't have my Captain Von Trapp?
KAREN: Of course, honey. You make a perfect Maria. You're sweet and perky, and you're obviously not cut out to be a nun.
[GRACE STOPS SMILING.]
KAREN: Because you're a whore.
GRACE: Thanks, Karen.
KAREN: And a Jew.
GRACE: Yeah, I got it!

----

GRACE: [INTO PHONE] Well, get here as fast as you can. I'm all dressed up as Maria. I look like an idiot without you.
WILL: [INTO PHONE] While I, in a Viennese captain's uniform, fit right in at the 7:40 showing of "Memoirs of a Geisha."
----

GRACE: You go and save seats in the front row of the balcony. I brought marionettes to dangle over the orchestra during "Lonely Goatherd."
[GRACE HANDS KAREN A BAG.]
KAREN: [SIGHS] You know, honey, if you put even half this much energy into finding a man... Nah, probably still wouldn't work.
----

GRACE: [INTO PHONE] Where are you?
WILL: [INTO PHONE] I think I met someone!
[CUT TO GRACE AT THE SING-ALONG.]
GRACE: [INTO PHONE] I don't see how that's possible, because every gay man in the city is in this theatre. There's so much lisping going on, it sounds like someone poked a hole in the lobby.
----

JACK: Okay, let's make a run for it.
KAREN: Honey, we can't. My name was on that flask.
JACK: You put your name on the flask?
KAREN: Yeah. It says "Karen Walker, Bikini Inspector." I got it on spring break.
JACK: I hardly saw you that trip. You were so into your "Rich Women Gone Wild" shoot.
----

GRACE: Have you never seen this?
[THE CHILDREN ALL SHAKE THEIR HEADS 'NO'.]
GRACE: It's just-- It's a-- It's just the best movie ever! What kind of parents do you have?
OLDEST GIRL: Well, they left me here with you.
----

WILL: [INTO PHONE] Hello?
GRACE: [INTO PHONE] Where are you?
WILL: [INTO PHONE] Oh-- I'm-- I'm on the train.
GRACE: [INTO PHONE] Yeah, it doesn't sound like you're on a train.
WILL: [INTO PHONE] Well, I am.
[WILL MAKES WOOSHING SOUNDS.]
GRACE: [INTO PHONE] Don't do fake train to me. I taught you fake train.
WILL: [INTO PHONE] I taught you fake train!
JAMES: That's fake train? Sounded more like fake dishwasher.
WILL: When would you ever need fake dishwasher?


Did You Notice...
~This episode is the first of the season to have the 8pm timeslot.
~Shelley Morrison previously played a nun in "The Flying Nun" TV series.

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