Big City Greens – “Rent Control” and “Pool’s Gold” Recap

Today’s episode of Big City Greens picks up right where we left off, catching up with new permanent houseguest of the Greens, Gloria, and also following the quest to find the best pool in Big City.

Rent Control

When we last left the Greens, we saw Gloria moving into their home after losing her job at both Big Coffee and Wholesome Foods. After wallowing in despair in the Green’s basement, Gloria gets a call from her parents, which Tilly answers. Problem is, Gloria hasn’t answered their phone calls in years, mainly because they compare her to her highly successful cousin, Emily. Her parents track her phone and decide to come for a visit.

Gloria figures that since the kids got them into this mess, they must help her convince her parents she’s successful. After touring the home, and through a series of lies, Gloria passes herself of as Cricket and Tilly’s Mom, Bill's Wife, and the owner of the Green’s Home. Saying that her life is worse than they thought, Gloria’s parents try to leave as Remy shows up to play with Cricket and Tilly…in his limo.

Gloria asks Cricket if the limo belongs to Remy and they end up getting Remy in on the rouse, to take Gloria’s parents to her “second home,” which in actuality is Remy’s house. Now more impressed with Gloria’s life and her “success,” including a failed high dive into a pool of dense metal gold coins, Gloria’s parents say they’re ready to go home and brag about her daughter, giving her “10 Emilys out of 10.”

As her parents leave, Gloria realizes that her parents never bragged about her before and confronts them about it. They say they always used Emily to inspire her to do better, and that the stress would help her succeed, citing Remy’s mansion as proof of this. Gloria comes clean and says everything was a lie, when her parents realize they pushed her too hard. Over dinner with the Greens, her parents tell her they are proud of her and are surrounded by good people. Even though Bill is still adamantly telling them he is not married to Gloria.

This episode guest stars Amy Hill (Magnum P.I.) and Keone Young (Star Wars Rebels) as Gloria’s parents.

Pool’s Gold

Cricket, after not showering before entering the pool (the water gets you clean), is enjoying the pool, the greatest pool in Big City, before someone tells him that it’s not, saying the pool at the apartment building that happens to be next to the Green’s home is the best pool in Big City. After Bill tells the family they should just stay at the pool that they are already at, everyone (except for Bill) decides to leave and head to the other pool.

Bill stays behind and participates in an Aquarobics class when a small child springs a leak in their floaties and starts drifting toward the deep end. Bill saves the day and rescues the child, who had apparently lived a full life with no regrets, becoming the local hero and doted upon with beverages, gifts, and phone numbers from impressed ladies.

Over at the apartment building, the Greens are trying to figure out how to sneak into the pool. Tilly comes up with a clever disguise and character to play while going into the building when one of the residents calls the Greens over asking them to join at the pool. Cricket, while enjoying the water that doesn’t taste like bleach, comments that this really is the best pool in Big City. Once again, to his dismay, he is told that there is a better pool at the Spritz hotel complete with two water slides and butler service. The Greens (Less Bill) decide to try and use that pool and leave the one at the apartment building.

Knowing using this pool is a greater risk, the Greens head to the Spritz, only to discover the elevator to the pool needs a key card to access. They decide to use the air vents to travel through the hotel and get to the roof, and just before splashdown are caught by hotel staff and are put under hotel arrest for breaking international pool law. While locked up, Cricket realizes that his quest to find the best pool in Big City has ruined their pool day together and schemes an idea.

Meanwhile, Bill at the original pool is overwhelmed with his beverage offerings and gifts. The child he rescued has an offering, a gallon gulp soda and climbs on his raft to give it to him. The added weight of the soda is overwhelming and the raft, Bill, and child, begin to sink. Bill, unable to move due to the beverages and gifts, can’t save the day again but all is not lost. Mark the local hero (who we’ve seen once before) rescues everyone, and all the attention is now off of Bill.

Back in the hotel closet where the rest of the family is being held, Cricket has flooded the room thanks to the nearby sink to create a makeshift pool day for the rest of the family when the hotel employee that caught them tells them they’re free to go. Cricket asks if they can stay and enjoy their new pool, with the employee just shrugging and leaving them in there.

Big City Greens is available to stream now on the DisneyNOW app, and airs on the Disney Channel.  

Tony Betti
Originally from California where he studied a dying artform (hand-drawn animation), Tony has spent most of his adult life in the theme parks of Orlando. When he’s not writing for LP, he’s usually watching and studying something animated or arguing about “the good ole’ days” at the parks.