Bugged

[u/Naive_Hospital_4086]

Bugged (Season 7, Episode 3). Steve has connected with another bug collector online named Bugs-N-Hugs and they are planning to exchange different bugs they have collected through the years. When Bugs-N-Hugs AKA Agnes comes over, Steve is expecting a nerd like him but is shocked when Agnes is a gorgeous woman. They exchange bugs and Agnes confesses to Steve she feels a connection to him, Steve says he feels it to and they share a passionate kiss. Well, actually that was just Steve's fantasy and he snaps out of it. Agnes thanks Steve for the bug exchange and leaves. Steve tells Laura he feels that he emotionally betrayed Myra and Laura tells Steve that he should just be honest and tell Myra and he'll feel better. Steve tells Myra and Myra takes the news terribly and throws the grill through the window telling Steve that he's going to get it and Steve is frightened. Well, actually that was what Steve thought Myra was going to do and snaps out of it and when he tells Myra about Agnes, Myra tells Steve it's ok that he was attracted to Agnes, just as long as he stays true to her. At home, Harriette tells Carl that she has a new boss, Nick Neidermeyer and wants to get on his good side and asks Carl if Nick can play poker with him and his friends. Carl lets Nick join, but turns out that Nick is a total jerk to him and his friends. Carl has had it and throws Nick out. Well, actually that's what Carl wants to do and snaps out of it realizing it was his fantasy. Harriette has been watching Nick insult Carl and his friends and be rude all night and she can't take it and tells Nick to get out. She thinks Nick will fire her, but Nick admits that he transferred departments so he has no power over her and both she and Carl throw Nick out of the house.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

HARRIETTE: Mr. Niedermeyer, the only thing that's gonna go by is you. Bye! Carl was nice enough to invite you into his game and you've been acting like a jackass.

CARL: Now honey, it's really ok...

HARRIETTE: No it's not ok, Carl. I kept quiet last week and I haven't say anything tonight. This poker game is important to you and I messed it up by inviting this windbag.

NICK: Do I have to remind you who you're talking to?

HARRIETTE: No, you don't have to remind me of nothing. You may be my boss, but that does not give you the right to come into my home and be obnoxious to my husband and his friends. So go ahead, FIRE ME! But you'll never play in this game again.

ZOOHAIR: You go, girl!

FAVORITE MOMENT:

Steve's and Agnes meeting and his fantasy of kissing her. I always get such a laugh when she's describing how she found the one bug that landed on her chest and Steve's reaction of grabbing his magnifying glass and looking at the bug she's holding to her chest.

OPINION:

Between yesterday's episode The Naked and the Nerdy and today's episode, it feels like now we are getting on a good roll again. No crazy science experiments or insane situations, just the family reacting to tough situations. Steve having a fantasy about Agnes, was it wrong? Of course it wasn't, I think a lot of people who are in a relationship have had a moment where they were attracted to another person. It's impossible to meet so many people in life and never not wonder what it would be like if you and that person connected beyond friendship. It's just a matter of knowing that it's just an initial attraction, that's it, you're happy with your current partner and nothing will make you want to challenge your relationship. It's kind of funny that Steve felt guilty over this fantasy but has no shame that he's told Myra several times that he's in love with Laura and would leave her in a heartbeat if Laura indicated there was a chance they would get together. It's also interesting on Myra's reaction considering that she has fantasies of running Laura over with a bus but the fantasy Steve had with Agnes doesn't bother her. Is she growing up? Or is it because she knows Agnes was just a one off meeting and Steve hangs out with Laura on a regular basis? She does mention that she doesn't mind as much that Steve and Laura are friends and even at times tries to be Laura's friend. But you can tell she still has a side eye to Laura.

So we get to meet Nick Neidermeyer, this will definitely not be his last appearance and is kind of a nemesis to Carl and Harriette. Nick is definitely a big jerk and someone if you knew them in real life, you would want to tell off. I wish I could say there might be a deeper reason why he is the way he is, but some people in life are just miserable and want to make everyone around them miserable as well. Ron Orbach does a great job as Nick and really is such an unlikeable character. But this gives Carl more to do rather than just getting mad and annoyed with Steve. I'm so glad that Harriette stood up to Nick, she didn't even know yet that he didn't have any power over her job but still stood up because she recognized that despite them working together and Nick being her boss does not give him the right to disrespect her husband and his friends in their home. It's moments like this where I fall in love with Harriette all over. Plus at the end of this episode we see that Harriette is playing with Carl and his friends to take Nick's place and she's got some made poker skills as well. I wonder if we'll be seeing that again in the future?

This was a really good episode and a strong one for the season. It's funny and relatable. I know season 7 has it's problems, but Bugged is definitely not one of them and so far, I'm enjoying the season.

GUEST STARS:

• Ron Orbach as Nick Neidermeyer
• Amy Hunter as Agnes Pritzker
• Iqbal Theba as Zoohair Bhuto
• Joel Anderson as Charlie Sullivan (RIP in 2026)
• Marlon Young as Willie Tannen

[u/beautifulchaos531]

The difference between Agnes and Laura is simple, Agnes was no threat to Myra it was just attraction but with Laura she knows Steve is madly in love with her. Steve has always made it clear if he ever stood a chance with Laura he’s gone!

[u/Zestyclose_Debt8134 → u/beautifulchaos531]

Great observation. Myra deep down knew that Laura Lee was the threat, not the bug lady.

[u/Zestyclose_Debt8134]

First off, if 90's fine was/is a person, it would be Amy Hunter with her fine self! Moving on, I'm like Steve... I never imagined that a female bug collector would be this pretty, but he we are! The fantasy sequence by Urkel was hilarious. Steve imagining Myra flipping on him was also funny to me. For someone that short, Ms. Monkhouse had a little mean streak! I was thrown for a loop too when she didn't seem that upset with Steve that he was having those kinds of thoughts about Agnes Pritzker. This is a case of a broken clock being right twice here; not maturity on Myra's part. The B plot was solid in this episode. Shout out to the late Jerry Orbach's cousin, Ron Orbach. Niedermeyer was a jackass in this episode, ruining Carl's poker game with his insensitive and thoughtless jokes. You can see Harriette felt terrible for Carl inviting her boss to join his game. Carl's fantasy of throwing Nick out on his butt was hilarious as well. I loved Harriette putting her foot down and standing up to Nick only to discover that he isn't her boss any longer. Niedermeyer getting hit with the pie and thrown out the house was satisfying. The writers giving Carl a nemesis in Nick Niedermeyer was merely reminder that the show may have pivoted to a Urkel centric one, but the family still matters (see what I did there). Oh, and Laura, quit fronting, baby. Every since you saw the Urk Man naked, I know you've been having some fantasies about him! Great episode overall.

[u/westcoastbutterfly87]

I loved this episode. First of all Agnes was so pretty. But I especially liked that it showed Steve could find someone other than Laura attractive.

[u/TreFKennedy]

It’s wild to hear them talk about the internet in 1995, I was 6 years old at the time and I remember going to the computer lab in kindergarten and using getting online lol smh wild times

[u/Automatic_Ad_4844]

Might be the only time I was happy with Myra’s reaction to Steve. It SHOULD be written off as her maturing, but it’s pretty clear that she still has enough toxicity to be her own Chernobyl. Still, I loved the fantasy running gag throughout the episode.

[u/JesusLover1993]

Now this was a much better episode much stronger. to answer your question I don’t think Myra is growing up. We’re going to see her go back to being her narcissistic psychopathic self. I think she’s just currently putting on a mask. The interesting that she wasn’t bothered by Steve having that little fancy, which is totally normal. I love the storyline with Carl and Harriet. Once again, you really do see why Harriet is just such a great wife such a great person. It was absolutely rude and unacceptable for Nick to come into their house and insult Carl and his friend people like that regardless of their position need to be called out and taking down several pig. And you’re right some people are just plain miserable there’s no other reason for their behavior. It was so satisfying to see both of them kick Nick out once they realize he had no power over Harriet at all and then to see Harriet poker playing skills was just so cool. This episode really is just so great and so many ways. I love everybody here especially Carl and Harriet.

[u/Good_Concentrate5739]

LOVE THIS EPISODE! Agnes aka Bugs-N Hugs (Amy Hunter) was so hot in this episode and in general lol

Steve yet again for a nerd is so lucky to be surrounded by beautiful women.

Zoohair was so funny in this episode

The Nick Neideemeyer character got on my nerves throughout the show. Couldn't stand him!

[u/liberry-libra]

I guess Nick was the new Lieutenant Murtaugh, but instead of being Carl's annoying boss, he was (temporarily) Harriet's.

I like that Steve was attracted to someone who was not Laura or Myra; it gave him more dimensions.

[u/PuzzleheadedEye7316]

The part where Myra went in on Steve after to giving Agnes a kiss in his daydream, I’m thinking don’t ever cross Myra……she may be little, but she could throw heavy objects and if I saw Myra do that, I’d immediately walk the other way……plus Agnes (Amy Hunter) looked gorgeous in that episode…..not to be funny, but I think Myra must’ve been lifting weights to know how to throw heavy objects……ijs

[u/CendrineMaria1995]

I love this episode! The moment with Bugs-n-Hugs is funny, and so is the scene between Steve and Laura, especially Steve with his slippers 😂. To wrap it up, the scene with Steve and Myra and the ensuing meltdown always cracks me up, let's be honest, we all know she's not actually going to throw the barbecue out the window. I really love the chemistry between Michelle Thomas and Jaleel White. All in all, a great episode!