Titus/What's Up, Hollywood?

What's Up, Hollywood?
Season 2, Episode 4
Airdate	October 31, 2000
Production Number	2ADK-04
Written by	Sally Lapiduss
Directed by	Kevin Charles Sullivan
← 2x03 The Surprise Party	2x05 → Locking Up Mom
Titus — Season Two

What's Up, Hollywood? is the fourth episode of the second season of Titus, and the thirteenth episode overall. Titus tricks out his father's car as payback for Dave smashing it and, shockingly, gets complimented by Ken.

Starring: Christopher Titus (Christopher Titus), Cynthia Watros (Erin Fitzpatrick), Zack Ward (Dave Titus), David Shatraw (Tommy Shafter)

And: Stacy Keach (Ken Titus)

Guest Starring: Mary Lou Rosato (Nurse Kathy)

Co-Starring: Phoenix Forsyth (10-Year Old Titus), Dylan Capannelli (5-Year Old Titus), Adam Hicks (5-Year Old Dave), Tim Lounibos (Chip Takasaki), Debbie Sperry (Woman)

Plot Overview

Opening Monologue

I've heard tell of an urban legend. On a crystal clear night somewhat like this one, a father pulled his son aside a spoke three mysterious words: "Good job, boy." I know, I know. Like it could happen.

My dad gave me compliments. Well, not real compliments. More like... sentences that don't make you cry. Some call it negativity, some call it soul-killing self-esteem crushing criticism, I call it the force that has driven me to succeed! My dad rips into everything I do and because of that, I'm way more successful that he ever thought I couldn't be.

...Yeah, that's what I meant to say.

The Show

After being framed for the destruction of his father's truck, Titus repairs it and tricks it out to get back on the old man's good graces. Much to Titus' surprise, Ken actually loves the truck. He doesn't have anything bad to say about it, which is completely out of character for him. He even goes as far as saying "Good job, boy." The night before, Kathy's daughters came over and he marveled at the fact that they got along. He wonders why they can't have a normal relationship like that and that's why he's being so strange (comparatively).

Despite Ken's apparently newfound niceness, Titus is still sure that he's going to pull into the garage almost immediately after pulling out to berate him. He and Dave try to figure out, together, that their father is trying to use reverse psychology to turn Titus into a failure. So, instead, he's going to bury the shop just to spite him. Erin persuades him into not failing on purpose and tries to get him to face the facts that Ken is really being nice to him without any ulterior motive. Tommy suggests that maybe Titus is actually repressing good memories, although this doesn't seem likely.

Just when Titus decides to accept his father's genuine pride, Dave calls Titus into the office since their father's truck is on television. Ken was pulled over by the cops for drunk driving and the ensuing drunken stumbling was all caught on the local news cameras. Next morning, Ken still hasn't come home and Dave says that they should go down to the drunk tank and taunt him. Tommy convinces them that not only is this a bad idea but that Erin had a point about Titus living his life right. Titus breaks the taped news story just as Ken pulls in with his truck.

Ken blames the entire arrest on Titus because he thinks that the new truck is a cop magnet. Not that law of averages dictates that he'll eventually get arrested for driving drunk no matter what he's driving. Not to mention that he was stopped at a checkpoint. He demands that Titus sand off the paint job and put primer on it so that he won't be arrested again.

Eventually Kathy comes shrieking his name, wondering where he was last night. Since she didn't see the news report, she doesn't know he was caught driving drunk. He promised her that he wouldn't drink because of his heart, so Titus uses the awkward moment to step in and extort compliments out of his father in exchange for not giving him up.

In the end, it turns out that Titus has a copy of the tape after all since he did go to high school with reporter Chip Takasaki. He also promises that the saga will continue in a later episode.