Her Embarrassed of Caveman

"Her Embarrassed of Caveman" is the first broadcast episode of Cavemen.

While Joel struggles with other people's attitudes about his caveman-sapiens interspecies relationship, Andy tries to deal with his lingering feelings for his ex-girlfriend Susan.

This episode's synopsis contradicts much of the unaired pilot and so, it can be considered the first canon episode.

Synopsis
Friends Joel, Andy, and Nick are attending a party hosted by fellow caveman Maurice. Instead of mingling, Joel is incessantly sending and receiving messages; Andy is likewise distracted, standing in the back and calling his ex-girlfriend Susan back home, having just moved to San Diego as a result of her cheating. Joel and Nick force Andy to hang up, but his feelings for Susan remain strong. Back at their apartment the next day, Andy is still moping over Susan, which Nick claims is preventing him from getting his dissertation done. In the meantime, Joel is still receiving messages from his mystery girl Kate; Nick reads and responds to one dirtily and receives a favorable response before Joel grumpily takes back his phone and goes to work.

At Nörskbild, Joel is training a new employee named Ray when two (Homo sapiens) girls arrive. One of them is revealed to be Kate and Joel leads her away to Nörskbild's bed display for a practical demonstration, making out in the unoccupied half of a bunk bed. Back home, Nick is "working on his dissertation" when Andy's heated phone discussion with Susan "distracts" him; finding him hiding in the closet to call her in secret, Nick tells him to get up since they are going to see the city. When Andy tells him he thought he had to work on his dissertation, Nick says he cannot do it since he is now out of the zone, plus regarding the fact that Wikipedia is under construction. Returning to Joel at work, he and Ray discuss Kate, whom he reveals is his girlfriend, amazing his co-worker. Joel explains he is keeping Kate a secret because Nick is strongly against inter-special relationships.

While out, Nick discovers that Andy has a fanny pack full of traveler's checks and convinces him to go shopping. Arriving home to loud grunting which has upset his landlady, Joel finds his roommates have gone on a spending spree. While they are engaged in playing video games, Joel lets Nick in on the fact that Kate is a sape. Nick is furious that Joel would stray outside his species; but while Joel defends their relationship, Nick points out that Kate has been keeping him hidden from her friends, suggesting she is ashamed of having a caveman boyfriend. The next time he sees her, Joel tries to discuss this with her, but has trouble confronting her due to her beauty.

After talking through the situation with the others (including Maurice) over a squash game (during which Nick further provokes him), Joel decides he will confront Kate at her girls' night. Driving to the restaurant and interrupting the serving of their meals, Joel tells Kate in front of her friends that he will not be hidden away. However, it turns out Kate has dated several cavemen before and was only keeping Joel from her friends until she was sure the relationship was going somewhere. Joel is understanding and the pair reconcile. However, Nick soon plants a seed of doubt in Joel's mind when he suggest that Kate's history of dating cavemen is the result of a caveman fetish.

ABC summary

 * Joel attempts to hide the fact that he's dating a "sape" - aka Homo sapien woman - from best friend Nick, brother Andy and friend Maurice, but also feels that she may be embarrassed to tell her friends that she's dating a caveman. Meanwhile, Andy comes to town to get away from his girlfriend, who cheated on him, on "Cavemen," TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 on the ABC Television Network.

Allusions

 * Nick mentions that a waitress carrying a rack of ribs so heavy they can tip over a car just is not funny; while it is not mentioned by name, he is describing a scene from the ending sequence of The Flintstones; the man he is talking to replies, "Yabba-dabba-doo!"; in response, Nick says, "Don't. Ever."
 * When Andy is drunk dialing Susan, Nick says he and Joel will have to "go in Saving Private Ryan-style".
 * Nörskbild is a parody of IKEA, which has a similarly unique naming scheme for its products.
 * The cave-weatherman is wearing an Uncle Sam hat; at one point, he says, "I want you to pay attention." This is a reference to the best-known Uncle Sam media, the "I want YOU for U.S. Army" recruitment poster.
 * When Nick finds Andy hiding in the closet, he addresses him as R. Kelly, the rapper behind the popularly ridiculed Trapped in the Closet, a mixed-media "rap opera" whose production has spanned several years and which involves multiple characters (all played by R. Kelly) hiding in closets.
 * Nick mentions he is unable to make progress on his dissertation because Wikipedia is under construction. Wikipedia is a collaborative online encyclopedia; most colleges discourage its use as a primary source.
 * The social networking site "FaceSpace" is mentioned by Nick; this name is a portmanteau of Facebook and MySpace.
 * Nick complains that an upset Andy will be playing James Blunt music all weekend. Blunt is a singer known for his gentle lyrics, falsetto delivery, and piano accompaniment. He is best known for the single "Goodbye, My Lover." His music is popular, but has received a muted critical reception.
 * At the squash court, Joel becomes increasingly frustrated by the situation with Kate, which manifests as him yelling at Nick. Nick calls him "Bobby Knight," the college basketball coach known for his violent outbursts off and on the court; he famously threw a chair onto the court during one game.

Music

 * Tone Lōc's "Funky Cold Medina": Playing at Maurice's party.
 * OK Go's "Here It Goes Again": Playing in the restaurant after Joel and Kate discuss why she has been keeping him a secret.

Quotes
Nick: Who's Kate? Joel: Stop reading my texts. Nick: Is she nice? Joel: Yes, she's very nice. Nick: Good sense of humor? Joel: Right, yeah. Nick: She ... big up top? Joel: What? No, she—she's f— Nick: Huh? Joel: She's fine. Look, I'm not gonna talk to you about how she is up top.


 * [Ray is trying to operate a sofa bed.]

Ray: Ow! Damn it, I got pinched! Joel: OK, Ray, what did you do wrong? Ray: I didn't believe in myself. Joel: ... Number one. Number two, you didn't push down on the lever.

Ray: You know, you totally bailed on my orientation, all right, you spent all your time with that blonde customer—who, by the way, she doesn't buy anything. She just walks around, she's probably stealing. Joel: Actually that's um, that's not a customer. Ray, that's ... that's my girlfriend. Ray: What?! That blonde girl's your girlfriend, the hot one?! Why didn't you tell me?! Joel: Well, I actually—I haven't told anyone yet. Ray: How do you not tell people that, Joel? She's so hot. If that were my girlfriend, I would glue her to my body.

Leslie: I'm not passing judgment, Nick. Joel: I'm Joel. Leslie: Nuh-uh! [laughs] Oh my God. I'm sorry. Maybe one of you guys should tie, like, a piece of colored ribbon in your hair. I do that, when I'm traveling, to my suitcase. It's so much easier for everybody.

Goofs

 * When Andy realizes he should be calling Susan while playing Wii Sports Golf, he drops the Wiimote, depressed. In the next shot, he throws the Wiimote onto the couch before walking away.