Necessary Roughness 2.04 ‘Slumpbuster’ recap: Illegal holding down field

 “Don’t beat yourself up.  That’s my job.”
Necessary Roughness opens with a teaser.  We think Dr. Danni is finally getting some from MattyD, but surprise, it’s all a dream where Dr. Danni thinks she’s pregnant and her kids are appalled that she could be so irresponsible and get knocked up by Trainer Guy.  Uh, Lindsay, I’m glad your hair’s back to normal, but it’s Hottie Trainer Guy.

Isn’t it weird how Dr. Danni’s nightmare is most women’s dream. Not her two teenage kids though.  We all consider them nightmares.

At Hawks Central, MattyD is running TK ragged and he’s not feeling it.  Our favorite Bad Boy Hottie Receiver wants some time off, but Hottie Trainer is not having it.  MattyD promises TK an experience he’ll never forget with a woman named Simone.  TK is thrilled.  Ah, TK, this show is on the USA network, not HBO or Showtime.  I think you’re going to be disappointed buddy.

Dr. Danni shows up at the Hawks after a meeting with her case of the week (COTW) client.  She wants sympathy from MattyD, as the COTW is a pain in the ass (literally, he slapped her ass!).  MattyD gives her some and then they commiserate about their mutual Bad Boy problem: TK.  Dr. Danni’s worried because TK still isn’t talking shooting, but MattyD thinks he’s found a woman who can help them solve their problems.  Dr. Danni asks if he’s part-time pimp but before he can explain the Pittmans are having domestic issues in the hallway.

“Cease and decease my ass!”
Gabrielle knows Marshall is trying to devalue the team to buy her out at an unfair price.  She’s handled it intelligently; she went to her lawyer and put a stop to Marshall’s power trip.  From now on, both owners have to agree on all changes.   Based on the screaming match in the hallway, I’m sure this is going to work out great for everyone!

TK opens his door expecting to find a French escort named Simone (okay he doesn’t say that – but you and I know that’s what he thought).  Instead, there is a lovely Asian woman who speaks no English.  She walks in like she owns the place and TK tries to explain she’s not what he expected and he likes to be naked when he’s rubbed down (damn, how I wish this show was on HBO sometimes!), but Simone ignores him.  He dons the “sumo Santa pants” and begins her work.  She wants to start on his gun wound, but TK isn’t having that and I don’t blame him.  That wound looks painful; I wouldn’t want people rubbing on it either.   TK is really not feeling this now, but Simone lets him have his way this time and works her magic and he’s a Simone convert.

The Pittman war is getting ugly.  Gabrielle had the bank freeze the check and now TK isn’t getting his money.  For some reason, TK’s agent is taking this up with MattyD.  Hey, dude, I feel ya.  I’d be looking for excuses to talk to Hottie Trainer too.  Unless it was about my money, then I’d be a grown up and have the lawyers work it out.   TK has a great coach, trainer and shrink, but man he needs some help on his management.  The agent throws a fit and threatens MattyD with losing his future Hall of Famer.  MattyD points out that it’s necessary for TK to work on his rehab (he leaves out the part where TK wont be a in the HoF if he doesn’t which was kinder than I’d have been), but the agent doesn’t seem to realize what’s best for his client and storms out after a threat.

MattyD is pissed and goes outside to take out his aggression on a basketball hoop (which is on the football field for some odd reason).  While MattyD dunks, Ray Jay shows up looking for Dr. Danni.  He wants the training tapes his mom promised him to help Ray Jay with film class.  Nice to see Ray Jay’s school isn’t cutting the extracurricular classes.  MattyD takes this opportunity to offer to help as well as build a relationship with his secret girlfriend’s son.  Dr. Danni shows up and she’s not too happy about it, but Ray Jay thinks MattyD is the man.  After Ray Jay runs off, MattyD and Dr. Danni are about to have “The Talk” about their secret relationship, pregnancy dreams and where this is going but Marshall Pitmann blocks with a text.

It’s always the children interrupting grown up time on this show!!  I think MattyD is relieved this time though.

“I’m flattered you think of me as normal.”  “It’s a relative term.”
Pittman wants Dr. Danni to testify that Gabrielle is clinically insane in front of the league.  Oh Lord.  He really does plot like a middle school child.     Pittman tells Dr. D that Gabby has overdosed on pills and wine (or as Hollywood likes to say, was treated for exhaustion and dehydration) and also attempted to stab him with a letter opener.  Oh Marshall, Dr. Danni’s been in a room with you alone before.  She understands that second one.  Dr. Danni tries to rationalize with crazy which never works and refuses to be bribed by Pittman’s offer to get the IRS off her back.  Dr. Danni has principals, Marshall! Watch the show!

Oh, I should probably also mention that Nico is still spying on Pittman and heard the whole conversation.

Dr. Danni finally gets a grown up date with MattyD in a nice restaurant and they discuss kids.  Dr. Danni still thinks that door is shut for her where as MattyD still hopes to play hoops with his kid one day.   MattyD thinks they should wait before freaking out, see if they even get to the place where having a kid together becomes an option.  I agree with him.  With the exception of Nico, no one even knows they’re dating! Dr. Danni worries because her kids will fall in love with him and if it doesn’t work out, they’ll be heartbroken.  Oh, Dr. Danni! It wasn’t you – it was your ex, the cheating scumbag! No beating yourself up, remember?

TK is still getting rub downs from Simone except for this one, his agent is sitting around and riling him up about the 7 million dollar check hold.  Geesh, how is this supposed to be relaxing? Simone agrees with me and throws agent guy out and goes back to working out TK’s knots.

At TK’s next appointment with Dr. Danni, he complains about Simone’s inability to leave his shooting wound alone.  Dr. Danni points out that if he doesn’t talk about what happened, doesn’t let Simone do her thing, he will never get better.  Dr. Danni must be taking her own advice because when she gets home she stares at Lindsay and Ray Jay and wonders if maybe she shouldn’t close the door on the baby thing.

“All business and no foreplay.  Times really have changed.””
Nico has problems.  Bigger problems than possible baby issues.  He has Dr. Danni meet him in the usual spot (his car) and offers her a dollar to be his therapist.  Please, therapy is like $500 an hour Nico.   Of course Dr. Danni says yes, she’ll keep their conversation privileged.  Turns out, Marshall Pittman has flipped his nut.  He’s talking to himself about all the ways he can piss off Gabrielle in front of the league (with such gems as calling her Lady Pittman and asking how many athletes she’s bagged).  While he sounds like an idiot, I don’t get Nico’s concern until he admits to Dr. Danni that this has happened before and Marshall required hospitalization for his drinking and paranoia.  Therapy virgin my ass, Mr. Pittman!  Dr. Danni explains that she can’t treat him, he’s her boss, but she’ll talk to him.  The best thing, she tells Nico, is for the trial to go away.

Nico trusts that Dr. Danni is right and schedules a meeting with Gabrielle in a dark parking lot. Seriously! Nico wants her to pull the cease and deceased so that Marshall will pull the league trial.  Gabrielle isn’t having it.  Also, she doesn’t want to be just friends with Nico.  Who would? He’s a Hottie!

No one’s home at Dr. Danni’s, so MattyD is going to leave some training DVDs for Ray Jay at the door when Lindsay shows up all emotional, talking on her cell about being the only one not invited to something.  Poor Lindsay.  That totally sucks.  In addition to all of this, Lindsay’s locked out of the house.  MattyD to the rescue!  He helps her pick a window lock so she can get in and gives her sage advice along the lines of “it gets better.”

Well, MattyD is way too popular with the Santino kids.  This isn’t going to go well for Dr. Danni.  Kids can never be this happy with the person their mom is dating.

Simone is back, doing another TK rubdown, trying to massage the wound from the shooting.   When he refuses yet again, Simone has had it and leaves.  TK is pretty much flabbergasted that she’s not respecting his boundaries and called his bluff.  I’d feel bad for him, but let’s face it, he needs a Simone in his life.  Otherwise, he’ll turn into someone closely resembling Dr. Danni’s case of the week.

“Don’t act like a virgin in a whore house, you’ve done far worse.”
Marshall wants Nico to get him Gabrielle’s medical file pertaining to her “exhaustion.”  Nico tries to help Marshall see he’s having another episode, like he did in Berlin.  They should cast a young Nico and do a spin-off show.  I bet it would be all Neal Caffrey con man meets Michael Weston man of action.  But back to 2012 and Marshall and Nico’s current situation.  Marshall is pissed when he figures out Nico has been spying on him, accuses him of being in cahoots with Gabby and fires him.

TK’s agent is over, explaining that TK doesn’t need the Hawks.   TK’s agent apparently has no idea of who TK is.  TK points out that he has a Hawks tat on his ass and he has no plans to go anywhere.   The agent tries to push him towards Philly and the stress gets to TK.  His muscles have frozen up and he literally can’t move.   TK calls Simone for help.  To her credit, she comes back and helps him start recovery the right way.  He’s even ready to begin talking about the shooting with Dr. Danni.

Someone’s pounding on Dr. Danni’s door in the middle of the night (she has kids people!).  It’s a drunken Marshall Pittman with a case of the munchies.  Dr. Danni tells him to postpone the hearing tomorrow; he suggests running over Gabrielle with a car.  Yeah, he’s definitely going to need medication.  Marshall tells Dr. Danni the story behind the Nico/Gabby/Marshall triangle which is basically that Nico was with Gabby first, but Marshall swept in with his money and charm and bought her.  Lovely.  Marshall admits he fired Nico and Dr. Danni tries to get him to understand yet again that he needs help.  Instead, he grabs some beers for the road, let’s us know he isn’t driving (Thank God!) and thanks her for the chicken and leaves.

Dr. Danni gets a call from Marshall the next day, asking her to be at the trial, so she’s sitting in.  Gabrielle begins her testimony and Marshall tells her that she’s right and he just wants her back.   The league offers to give him a few minutes to get himself together, but Marshall isn’t hearing anyone.  Instead he pontificates about his love for Gabby like a 16 year old in their journal (or I guess on their tumblr page these days).  Marshall begs to try again and Gabby tells him that it’s over.  Everyone holds their breath, wondering what Marshall will do next, and he surprises us all by just walking out.

After all that’s gone on, Dr. Danni needs a reason to smile, so she asks MattyD to tell her something funny.  He leads with the story about helping Lindsay break into their house.  That doesn’t really amuse her, but MattyD surprises her.   He wants a family, but he knows for sure he wants one with her, in any form.   He loves her and her kids.  Aw.  Yup, this is going to get complicated.

Marshall shows up in Nico’s car.  He asks Nico to talk care of his team while he’s getting the help he needs and they both apologize.  Aw.  I’m going to miss crazy, irrational Marshall Pittman but I bet Nico’s happy he wont have to bug his office for awhile.

COTW:  This week, Dr. Danni is helping Julio “Gonzo” Gonzales, a baseball MVP in a bad slump.   Adam Rodriguez, who plays Gonzo, is one of the hottest men on TV so Necessary Roughness stays on trend there.  However, they put the guy in a fur coat.  Why? Why do they think this is hot? I’m by no means Tutor Girl Vegan, but a mink on a man is just not sexy.  Gonzo has swagger for days, but is kind of a jerk.  I mean, it’s one thing to boast about your batting titles, but to brag about a Vanity Fair cover? Aren’t you supposed to care more about being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, sir?

Gonzo continues his douchey ways.  He wants Dr. Danni to talk to his slump buster, a plus sized lady named Denise who he beds in order to regain his mojo.  Lovely.  Denise recently met someone and so Gonzo isn’t getting any nookie. After a few attempts to help Gonzo bust his slump without degrading anyone, Dr. Danni decides Gonzo is too much of a jerk and refers him to see someone else.  Whether he did or not, we don’t know.  All we do know is that Gonzo gets arrested for soliciting plus sized women outside a Jenny Craig.  Geesh.  What a prize.  Dr. Danni’s back on the case and figures out that Gonzo has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is different than just being a narcissist like most sport stars and celebrities.   Actually he’s a womanizing ass, but whatever.  Gonzo doesn’t like hearing this and fires her again!

Still, his batting average hasn’t improved and so Denise calls Dr. Danni to explain.  Their relationship was more than just sex, Gonzo was really sweet sometimes.  Dr. Danni realizes that Gonzo’s problem is pretty simple; he’s heartbroken over losing Denise.  When she tells him, Gonzo agrees but doesn’t know how he’ll ever recover.  Dr. Danni points out that he can find love again, with someone else; he just needs to work on it and agrees to stay on as his therapist.  Hey, she owes the IRS a lot of money, gotta pay the bills.

So Necessary Roughness fans how do you think the season will play out?  Is Gabby going to make a move on Nico, now that Marshall is out of the picture? Is this the last we’ve seen of Mr. Pittman?  Will MattyD be able to woo Ray Jay and Lindsay as well as he did their mom or will the teenagers ruin mom’s love life?  Is TK going to be able to move on from the shooting now that he’s opening up?