Home Movies Season 1 Episode 11 Mortgages and Marbles

Brendon, Melissa, and Jason are back in the eleventh episode of Home Movies, entitled "Mortgages and Marbles." As the episode begins, the kids are gathered in the backyard, playing a rousing game of marbles. Brendon is convinced that he's going to win, but Melissa and Jason are equally convinced that their prowess with marbles is second to none. Meanwhile, Coach McGuirk lounges on the hammock, muttering about how he could beat all of them with his eyes closed.

The game is interrupted when Paula comes outside and announces that they're going to be having a family meeting. Brendon immediately assumes the worst, assuming that his parents are getting a divorce. However, it turns out that the meeting is about something far more mundane: mortgages. Paula and Andrew explain to the kids how they got a home equity loan to help pay for Paula's catering business, and how they now have to refinance their mortgage to pay for the loan.

Brendon doesn't quite understand what all of this means, but Melissa and Jason are quick to explain it to him. They tell him all about how a mortgage is essentially a loan that you take out to buy a house, and how refinancing means taking out a new loan to pay off the old one. Brendon is still a little fuzzy on the details, but he seems to grasp the basics.

As the family talks about mortgages and interest rates, Brendon's mind starts to wander. He begins to imagine a bizarre world where mortgages and marbles are somehow connected, and he and his friends have to win a high-stakes game in order to save their house from being foreclosed on. Melissa and Jason join in on the imaginary game, and soon they're all caught up in a wild game of make-believe.

The rest of the episode alternates between scenes of the family discussing mortgages and scenes of the kids playing their imaginary game. The two are intercut in a way that highlights how surreal Brendon's imagination can be. At one point, he imagines that he's playing marbles against the bank's CEO in a gladiator pit, while Melissa and Jason watch from the sidelines.

As the game goes on, it becomes clear that Brendon is losing. Melissa and Jason seem to be beating him at every turn, and he's getting increasingly frustrated. He tries to cheat by using a magnet to attract the marbles, but Melissa catches him in the act and calls him out on it. Brendon insists that it wasn't cheating, just "creative thinking," but Melissa isn't buying it.

Back in the real world, the family meeting goes on. Andrew and Paula discuss the various options they have for refinancing their mortgage, including fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. Brendon listens intently, but he's clearly more interested in his make-believe game than in real-world finances.

In the end, Brendon's game comes down to one final marble. If he wins, he gets to keep his house; if he loses, he has to give it up to the bank. He carefully lines up his shot, visualizing the trajectory of the marble in his head. Melissa and Jason watch with bated breath as he lets the marble fly.

The marble misses the target by a hair, bouncing off the edge of the pit and rolling out of bounds. Brendon's heart sinks as he realizes that he's lost. Melissa and Jason console him, telling him that it was just a game, and that they'll always be friends no matter what.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Andrew and Paula have made a decision about their mortgage. They've decided to go with a fixed-rate loan, which will give them the security of knowing exactly how much their monthly payments will be. Brendon seems relieved that the whole saga is over, and he goes back to playing marbles with his friends like nothing ever happened.

Overall, "Mortgages and Marbles" is a light-hearted episode of Home Movies that explores the challenges of homeownership in a playful and imaginative way. While the show often deals with more serious topics, such as divorce and alcoholism, this episode is a welcome break from the heavier stuff. It's a reminder that even in the midst of grown-up problems, there's always room for a little bit of childlike wonder.