Vice Principals Recap: The Field Trip

Vice Principals goes solo

Three episodes in and Vice Principals is already beginning to feel a lot more like watching a high school drama rather than a comedy about the faculty members. Dr. Brown returns this week in a smaller sympathetic role as a disheveled woman trying to hold what little she has left together, as well as the idealistic Ms. Snodgrass who is slowly beginning to fall into the “girl next door” role. Meanwhile Gamby has transformed into the insecure bully of the group with Russell becoming the well-liked leader who both pities and laughs at Gamby’s faults.

“The Field Trip,” separates Russell and Gamby to focus on the latter’s quest of befriending Ms. Snodgrass. While the show seems dedicated to tell the story from Gamby’s point of view, this episode definitely suffers from the lack of Russell. Walton Goggins is a huge part of what makes this show work.

This episode introduces three new teachers as well, the eclectic Ms. Abbott (played by Edi Patterson), the laid-back Mr. Carter, and the effortlessly cool Mr. Hayden. Gamby immediately gets off on the wrong foot with them after forcing his way onto their field trip by threatening to cancel the entire thing. Immediately from his introduction, Hayden is cemented as the perfect foil character, by riding his bike down the hallway as well as casually joking with students compared to Gamby’s constant lecturing about the rules. It comes as no surprise that on the trip, Gamby becomes aggressive and jealous of Hayden due to his own insecurities as well as his unpopularity with both the staff and the students.

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After receiving a highly detailed binder on Ms. Snodgrass, Gamby takes the leap from a pathetic man desperate for friends to a full on stalker. Yet Gamby is a man who genuinely believes Snodgrass likes him, despite the look of discomfort which always crosses her face whenever he talks to her. Jealous that he has become an outsider to what was once his family, he triumphantly tells his ex-wife Gale that he will be taking a trip with a “lady-friend”. It’s far from the actual truth, but it’s what Gamby needs to believe.

Gamby attempts to hang out with the fellow teachers but after Snodgrass declines the invitation, he chooses to “spend his time working” rather than get drinks with the only coworker who even gives him a chance, Ms. Abbott. Of course, he immediately walks in on all of his coworkers eating dinner where he chides them for not even inviting him to eat. This leads to Gamby has realizing he’s hit a new low. But that doesn’t promise growth.

Not everyone has an agenda against him, but Gamby can’t comprehend that life isn’t always fair.

Thankfully, the students have stolen his wine which leads to the disappearance of two drunken teenagers. Once again, Gamby walks in on the teachers hanging out in Mr. Hayden’s room for drinks, but this time he is able to look like the “hero” by holding off on calling the cops and instead allow them to look for the missing students themselves.

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Partnering up with Hayden to search, Gamby takes the opportunity to question him about his motives for planning the trip in the first place. Accusing him of having a crush on Ms. Snodgrass and turning her against him, Gamby comes off as an insane man who refuses to face the reality of his situation. Not everyone has an agenda against him, but Gamby can’t comprehend that life isn’t always fair. It’s easier to believe that Hayden is a manipulative lothario rather than the alternative.

Feeling like all is lost, Gamby spends his early morning time sadly looking through the gift shop. To his delight, Ms. Snodgrass comes and apologizes to him for her harsh words the night before and offers to help him look for a souvenir for his daughter. He’s so ecstatic that he easily buys a ridiculously expensive wooden horse, and also believes that they’re friends now.

The lack of Russell made it clear that Walton Goggins is the strongest asset on the show now.

Returning to the bus, he saves her a seat and is once again disappointed to see her sit with Ms. Abbott instead leaving him to sit with an inconsiderate student who would apparently rather sit with his vice principal than one of the other empty bus seats.

While Gamby may be the more fully defined of the two, the lack of Russell made it clear that Walton Goggins is the strongest asset on the show now. The scene where he not only makes fun of Gamby for his sad romantic pursuit of Ms. Snodgrass is one of the strongest interactions of two characters on the show thus far. Despite the lack of a certain profanity this week, Goggins has proven that he can deliver any line that it somehow oozes both charm and malice.

Next: The Night Of Recap: Difficult Choices

Next week it appears that Vice Principals will be taking on school spirit week which hopefully means that both Russell and Gamby will use the ensuing prank war to mask their own nefarious schemes.

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