Ep 2. Supertramp

The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American sitcom that follows the life of a divorced mom named Christine Campbell, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as she tries to navigate her relationship with her ex-husband, her son, and her various friends and romantic interests. Season 1 episode 2, titled "Supertramp," begins with Christine's son Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon) getting excited about a school field trip to a butterfly pavilion. Christine agrees to chaperone the trip, hoping to impress Ritchie's teacher, Ms. Wilhern (Blair Underwood), who she has a crush on.

Meanwhile, Christine's best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes) is going through a rough patch with her partner, who she has just discovered is cheating on her. Christine tries to offer support, but Barb is more interested in wallowing in her misery and listening to her favorite band from the 1970s, Supertramp. Christine agrees to go to a Supertramp concert with Barb, hoping to cheer her up and distract her from her problems.

At the butterfly pavilion, Christine and Ms. Wilhern start to bond over their shared love of Monarch butterflies and their admiration for each other's passion for teaching. However, Christine's attempts to flirt with Ms. Wilhern are repeatedly foiled by her bumbling chaperone duties, including losing a student and accidentally stepping on a butterfly. Meanwhile, Ritchie starts to feel embarrassed by his mom's behavior and wishes she would just act like a normal mom.

At the Supertramp concert, Christine and Barb have a blast singing along to their favorite songs and reminiscing about their youth. However, when Barb's ex-partner shows up at the concert with his new girlfriend, Barb completely loses it and starts a drunken fight. Christine tries to intervene, but ends up getting kicked out of the concert with Barb.

Back at home, Christine and Barb finally have a heart-to-heart about their respective issues. Christine realizes that she's been so preoccupied with impressing Ms. Wilhern that she's neglected to just be a good mom to Ritchie. Barb acknowledges that she needs to let go of her past relationship and start moving on. The episode ends with Christine and Ritchie lying together in bed, watching a butterfly that Christine has taped to the ceiling, and talking about their day.

Overall, "Supertramp" is a charming episode that touches on themes of motherhood, friendship, and the challenges of finding happiness after heartbreak. Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines as the awkward yet endearing Christine, and the supporting cast of Wanda Sykes, Trevor Gagnon, and Blair Underwood provide plenty of comedic moments and heartfelt performances. Fans of the show will enjoy this early installment in the series, which sets up many of the relationships and dynamics that continue to play out throughout the rest of the seasons.