This week seemed like it was going to go so well for Whitney! She and Todd were going to take on New York! What could go wrong? Besides everything, I mean. Because everything went wrong. Really, everything.
The purpose of the trip, other than giving a rickshaw driver in Grand Central Park a sprained groin muscle, was for the Super Besties to take a dance class with the Fitness Marshall. He’s a guy who films dance-oriented aerobics videos on YouTube, and it was going to be great! Right up until Todd started puking.
This is his puke face, and he pukes not once but twice. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This trip wasn’t so hot even before the puking.
After Whitney’s mom told her about all the men in New York watching girly videos or something moderately nuts, Whitney packs and gets on her flight.
Todd is so looking forward to this — but he’s already acting a little weird. He makes a big deal out of Whitney buying two seats on the plane, which I don’t understand at all. Really, Whitney is doing the best possible thing for not only herself, but anyone who might have ended up in the seat next to her. Don’t ruin it, Todd!
Once they get to New York and check into their hotel, Todd starts to really let Weird Todd out to play. First off, he is horrified when the hotel room he books only has one king-sized bed.
Sure, it wasn’t what he ordered and it’s not what he expected, but maybe acting like Whitney touching him will cause him to break out into a fatal case of cooties is a bit much.
Whitney doesn’t seem as offended as maybe she should be after Todd starts ranting about bugs and rats and other things that apparently come from sleeping next to a friend while in New York.
Whitney should be paying attention. It isn’t the first red flag being waved in her face.
During dinner, Todd has a really awesome idea — let’s steal choreography for the dance battle!
Maybe he’s forgotten that he’s saying this in front of a camera, but that’s fine. Off Whitney’s expression of mild horror (she still doesn’t realize she’s dining with Weird Todd yet), he back-pedals to being “inspired” by other choreography, which is what every hack filmmaker in Hollywood says as they rip off a storyline from a classic film.
There’s a ferry trip, but quickly we get to the big draw (and the big problem) of the trip — the class with the Fitness Marshall.
Whitney is vibing Caleb, the Fitness Marshall, and feels their souls touch through Britney dance moves or something. And Todd, who is perhaps trying way too hard, works himself up into puke mode.
Don’t you love it when reality TV cameras follow someone into the bathroom?
Anyway, Todd is a wreck — so he doesn’t immediately notice when Caleb pulls Whitney aside and asks her to be in his workout video the next day.
Of course she can! But can Todd come? Caleb makes a face like she’s suggested everyone dance naked.
No, no Todd cannot come. There’s only room for one person… and that person is the one who didn’t throw up twice during the class. Whitney even tries to explain that Todd is really a good dancer who doesn’t vomit all the time, but there’s no point.
So, then it’s time to tell Todd, who will of course be disappointed. But hey, he’ll shake it off and be happy for his friend, won’t he?
No. No, he will not.
In fact, he’s furious. Tell him you can’t go, Whitney! We have plans! These plans do not seem to include anything important, like Hamilton tickets, so I suspect they were shopping and walking and maybe getting lunch, so Whitney refuses to change her mind.
Todd sneers, “You want me to be happy for you? I’m bleeping furious,” stalking off as Whitney gets red-eyed and weepy.
In the cab ride back to the hotel, Todd gets far worse — inching right up to saying, “He only picked you because you’re fat” without completely saying it.
Whitney can’t believe he’s being such a jerk, but it’s pretty obvious he’s upset at himself.
Instead of shining in class, he puked his guts out and looked like a sweaty disaster — and even before he started puking, he looked pretty ridiculous. He’s jealous and he’s angry, and he’s taking it out on her — but won’t even cop to it.
The next day, Whitney foolishly asks Todd — no, begs Todd — to come to the filming of the video. He clearly has a great time.
He refuses to take video with Whitney’s camera. He claims to be “thrilled” not to be in the video, given that the choreography is so lacking.
He is being a sour, nasty piece of work — and when Whitney calls him on it after class, he makes it clear he never wants to talk to her again, though Greensboro is a small town so maybe they’ll see each other. Gee, the flight home is gonna be great!
Todd apparently thought if anyone was going to shine in the Fitness Marshall class, it would be him — and while there’s something to the idea that the Fitness Marshall picked Whitney for his video for reasons that had nothing to do with her performance (but had everything to do with the fact that she’s the star of her own show on TLC, but no one’s supposed to say that), his decision to be a big baby about everything should just show Whitney she can choose better friends.
Greensboro may be a small town, but it can’t be entirely peopled by whiny, self-important jerks.