Lucky Hank Episode 5 Recap: Dinner Party Cold War

English department dinner guests turn into vultures of opportunity… As Hank & Lily trade piercing verbal jabs over her job offer in New York on Lucky Hank Episode 5.

“The Clock” features Hank sinking into a childlike vulnerable state, pleading “How is leaving me not about me?” to his wife. In a way we never really saw Bob Odenkirk express as Saul over Kim Welxer. But should have.

This Lucky Hank Season 1 Episode 5 Recap contains spoilers for “The Clock”.

Sometimes a bad day can’t find its rock bottom, it just keeps getting worse. Hank sees a flash of light on the kitchen counter from his wife Lily’s cell phone. The message? An intimate worded text from her ex-boyfriend in NYC, Tom.

Leading Hank to hint at the text to Lily, who immediatley admits Tom kissed her in New York but “it meant nothing” and she “pushed him away”. Of course, Lily didn’t really push the encounter away last episode.

Bob Odenkirk as Hank and Mireille Enos as Lily in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Hank grows ever more suspicious of his wife when his dinner party guests corner Lily about her NYC job offer. His mind wandering to a possible affair when Lily begins to push back on the idea of using the offer as leverage for Railton College.

In fact, Hank goes outside to reassure himself that “she loves” him. When there’s doubt… There is no doubt.

Sharks sensing blood in the water

Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke and Alison Araya as Joanie in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Paul Rourke grows jealous walking around Hank’s house, particularly the view of the lake. He starts lobbying Lily to take the job in New York so he can purchase the house from them. To Hank’s surprise, Lily does more than humor the offer.

Mireille Enos as Lily, Haig Sutherland as Finny, Suzanne Cryer as Gracie Dubois, Arthur Keng as Teddy, Alvina August as June, Diedrich Bader as Tony, Bob Odenkirk as Hank, Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke, Alison Araya as Joanie, Nancy Robertson as Billie Quigley and Shannon DeVido as Emma Wheemer in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 4). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Hank continues to play the good host, putting up a toast for his wife’s NY job offer. The two begin to spar over the idea of moving to New York, while the department seeks Hank’s chairman job.

Wildcard:Hank secretly calls over daughter Julie to convince Lily not to move but the plan backfires. As Lily instead convinces Julie to go to New York with her.

Bob Odenkirk as Hank in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Finally, Hank has enough and says even if Lily does take the job offer, he’s going nowhere. The room goes dead silent.

Alison Araya as Joanie, Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke, Bob Odenkirk as Hank, Shannon DeVido as Emma Wheemer, Mireille Enos as Lily, Arthur Keng as Teddy and Diedrich Bader as Tony in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 4). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Lily decides to use Hank’s words against him, bringing up a game called “percentage of happiness”. She brings up Hank previously saying he’s only 20% happy. Meanwhile, Grace is beside herself, 95% happiness over getting a piece published in The Atlantic in comparison.

When a clock isn’t just a clock… But an ‘old friend’

Diedrich Bader as Tony and Bob Odenkirk as Hank in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Prior, Hank had called Tony over dinner… But actually, he needed Tony to help him move his father’s clock into the house.

We see flashbacks of the clock throughout the episode. Soon, the truth is revealed. After Hank’s father left them as a child, Hank tried to take himself out by hanging when the clock struck 12:00.

The plan failed when the rope pulled the lamp it was attached down with him, and Hank’s father ran in to discover the failed attempt. Instead of embracing Hank, he called in Hank’s mother… Who told him they would never speak of what happened again.

Mireille Enos as Lily and Bob Odenkirk as Hank in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

During the couple’s cold war over the dinner party, Hank insinuates that maybe Lily should go stay over Tom’s place in Brooklyn. Half serious, half mocking. Hank relents and apologizes for bringing Julie into the clash.

Then the sound of the clock is heard while the feud boils over.

Suzanne Cryer as Gracie Dubois, Arthur Keng as Teddy, Alvina August as June, Diedrich Bader as Tony, Mireille Enos as Lily, Bob Odenkirk as Hank, Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke, Alison Araya as Joanie and Shannon DeVido as Emma Wheemer in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 4). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Hank begins to cry uncontrollably, “How is leaving me, not about me?” and collapses. Lily goes to comfort him but the memory of what happened with the clock is flush back. Hank is devastated at the memory and emotionally drained. The dinner party concludes on the spot.

Side Plot: Avina and Teddy’s Open Marriage

Diedrich Bader as Tony in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Tony notices Avina is flirting with him and Emma tells him Avina’s in an open marriage with Teddy. Leading Tony to try to dance around the etiquette of flirting with a married woman in an “open relationship”. At first Teddy seems lukewarm on the idea, seeing Tony as ‘desperate’.

Eventually, Tony decides it’s not for him and he’s quitting pursuit. Only for the couple to ask Tony if he’s sure about it? Prompting this response from Tony, “Oh come on!”

This side plot is notable because the two explain that they briefly went long distance relationship for their careers. And this was the so-called “solution” that made Avina happy.

An ominous crystal ball for other faculty members looking to embrace jobs in different cities… Or more directly, pursue interviews at Arlyle.

AMC’s Lucky Hank Episode 5 Cast: Principle Actors

Mireille Enos as Lily, Haig Sutherland as Finny, Suzanne Cryer as Gracie Dubois, Arthur Keng as Teddy, Alvina August as June, Diedrich Bader as Tony, Bob Odenkirk as Hank, Alison Araya as Joanie, Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke, Nancy Robertson as Billie Quigley and Shannon DeVido as Emma Wheemer in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 4). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Bob Odenkirk as William Henry Devereaux Jr (Hank)
Mireille Enos as Lily Devereaux
Olivia Scott Welch as Julie Devereaux
Diedrich Bader as Tony
Alvina August as June
Arthur Keng as Teddy Washington-Chen
Suzanne Cryer as Gracie Dubois
Cedric Yarbrough as Paul Rourke
Nancy Robertson as Billie Quigley
Shannon DeVido as Emma Wheemer
Haig Sutherland as Finny
Chris Diamantopoulos as Tom (voice in phone call – not visually on-screen)
Alison Araya as Joanie (Paul Rourke’s wife)
Jennifer Spence as Ashley
Mark Krysko as Young Henry Devereaux
Starlise Waschuk as Young Laurel Devereaux
Roman Kinsella as 8-Year-Old Hank
Aiden Longworth as 14-Year-Old Hank

* Regular cast that does not appear in Lucky Hank Episode 5:

Sara Amini as Meg Quigley
Anne Gee Byrd as Mrs. Deveroux (Future)
Jackson Kelly as Bartow Williams-Stevens
Oscar Nunez as Dean Jacob Rose

We’ll have more Lucky Hank recaps and reviews as the season continues, stay tuned!

More Lucky Hank Coverage on The Natural Aristocrat®

Suzanne Cryer as Gracie Dubois in Lucky Hank (Season 1, Episode 5). Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC

Be sure to read:

– Sara Amini Interview: Meg Quigley on Lucky Hank, Academia

– Lucky Hank Episode 1 Review: Outstanding, Emmy worthy opener

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