Ep 5. Blame it on the Rainstick

In "Blame it on the Rainstick," Suburgatory's third season's fifth episode, things start off with Tessa waking up to find her father, George, making a rainstick his homemade style for what seems to be a show-and-tell. Tessa is a little embarrassed by the rainstick, saying that it looks like a bong and that he's going to be laughed at. Meanwhile, Lisa wants to get back together with Malik but he's not interested in hanging out with her since he's just curious about the girl who pours coffee on him (that would be Tessa). However, Lisa starts to get really desperate and she goes as far as to contact Tessa's mom to get Tessa kicked out of school. When all of this is going down, Tessa is trying to figure out who her dad's new lady friend is.

As Tessa interrogates her dad about his girlfriend, she finds that he refuses to tell her anything. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands and does some snooping around. It's not long before she figures out who the new mystery woman is and discovers some things that she might not like about her. Along the way, Tessa also helps Lisa get out of the dumps and befriends a new girl named Abby who's trying to start a fashion blog.

Elsewhere in Suburgatory, Dalia has a new obsession - her appearance, of course. She's convinced that she needs to get a nose job to look more like her role models in the world of celebrity. Her mom doesn't take too kindly to this obsession and goes to great lengths to try and convince Dalia that she's beautiful exactly the way she is.

Throughout "Blame it on the Rainstick," the show explores themes of insecurity, friendship, and the lengths people will go to hide their true selves. Particularly, Tessa starts to realize that things aren't always as they seem and that sometimes people she thought she knew well can be hiding secrets. Lisa is struggling with her own insecurities and is willing to do anything to get what she wants – even if it means sabotaging Tessa's education. Dalia's obsession with her looks is a reflection of the high standards that the world of Suburgatory can impose on young girls, but her mother shows her that she's perfect just the way she is.

Ultimately, "Blame it on the Rainstick" is a funny, poignant, and engaging episode of Suburgatory that will keep audiences both laughing and thinking. The various storylines and characters intertwine in interesting ways, and the show continues to explore the ups and downs of suburban life in its own unique way.