Ep 4. 21st Birthday

Ben & Kate is a comedy television series that follows the lives of a brother-sister duo and their quirky family dynamic. In season 1 episode 4, titled "21st Birthday," Kate celebrates her milestone birthday with her family and friends, but things don't go quite as planned.

The episode opens with Kate waking up to find that Ben has decorated the living room in honor of her birthday. He's even made her a breakfast of pancakes with a smiley face made out of fruit on top. While Kate appreciates the gesture, she's also disappointed that her life hasn't turned out quite as she had hoped by this age. She's working a dead-end job at a food truck and is still single, while her ex-boyfriend is now engaged.

Later in the day, Kate's best friend BJ throws her a surprise party at a local bar. Kate is initially excited, but things start to go wrong when her estranged father shows up uninvited. Kate hasn't seen her father in years, and their relationship is strained, so his presence at the party is not a welcome one. Meanwhile, Ben is at home trying to fix a leaky faucet when he receives a visit from an ex-girlfriend who is in town for a job interview. Ben is immediately smitten with her and enlists the help of Kate's friend Tommy to impress her.

As the party goes on, tensions between Kate and her father escalate until they have a full-blown argument. Kate storms out of the bar and takes a walk to clear her head. While she's out, she runs into a kind stranger who listens to her problems and helps her realize that she shouldn't be so hard on herself. When she returns to the party, she's in a much better mood, but things take a turn when her ex-boyfriend shows up.

Overall, "21st Birthday" is a fun and relatable episode that explores the ups and downs of getting older. Kate's birthday provides the perfect backdrop for a character-driven story that delves into her relationship with her family and her struggle to find her place in the world. As always, the show's humor and heart make it a joy to watch.