108/Maid About You

Show Outline

Jamie feels like she and Paul live in a pigstye, so she wants to hire a maid to come in once a week and clean. Paul doesn't because he feels like they should be able to clean the place themselves. But Jamie hires one anyway using a recommendation from Fran. The cleaning lady (Masha, played by Beata Pozniak) turns out to be a Russian woman who's "a cleaning machine". One problem, she takes Paul's attempt to make small talk (and help cleaning, and making tapes of "Hazel") as a romantic gesture. Paul, in spite of Jamie's observations, doesn't think Masha even notices him - until they find a black velvet painting of Paul in their bedroom. Masha, who feels both guilty and rejected, won't return to clean. So Fran tells Paul he has to break up with the maid ("what do you wear to break up with your maid?"), with a little help from Jamie.

Commentary

This episode is really cute. It's funny watching Paul flirt, not realizing "the hell he's putting her through". Selby also makes another brief but funny appearance. But to me, the best scene, though, is when Paul is trying to explain to Masha why he's not such a great guy, while Jamie is in the background coaching him. This is a pleasant episode which from start to finish, Masha is cute, Paul and Jamie are cute. Overall, this episode has much going for it. I give it a deserving 8.