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‘Hart of Dixie’ Review: Lemon bounces back with a little help

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Dale Berman/The CW

Last night, Hart of Dixie proved once again that the Breeland family is the best. We got to meet Lemon’s grandmother, who drove both Lemon and Brick (excuse me, Bertram) crazy, and we finally got to see Lemon be happy for a night with an adorable guy (we’re definitely starting a ‘bring Robert Buckley back’ petition).

As for the rest of Bluebell, “Help Me Make It Through the Night” gave Wade and George a chance to let their bromance shine, Dash put on a one man show in honor of Halloween, Joel showed a little personality and AnnaBeth dealt with an unnecessary health scare just as she thought Lavon was getting ready to propose. Zoe, unfortunately, continued to be the weak link by not really having a purpose.

hart-of-dixie-304-help-me-05Wade makes bad choices

It’s been a rough season so far for Wade and his latest decision to start sleeping with unavailable women backfired fast. First, a large man named Randall hunted him down, causing Wade to turn to George for an invitation to the masquerade ball. When George got distracted by a judge and then Grandma Bettie, Wade took the opportunity to seduce a married woman – who turned out to be the judge’s wife, sending the two men fleeing the party.

After another close call with Randall, Wade wanted to bunk with George for the night, but first his friend demanded answers as to why Wade was behaving badly. Wade was evasive, but George knew the real reason was because the only unavailable woman Wade truly wanted was Zoe. It’s really hard to watch Wade suffer, but it was nice to see these friendship scenes after so much contention between the two men over the seasons. As for Wade befriending Joel, like Zoe, I’m not really sure what to make of it, but I like that it bugs her so I’m good with it…I think. Ask me again next week.

hart-of-dixie-304-help-me-10AnnaBeth turns to Zoe for help

I did not enjoy AnnaBeth suffering this particular medical crisis for personal reasons that I’m not going to get into, but even setting that aside, I’m not a fan of drama for the sake of drama and that’s what this felt like so that’s all I’m going to say about it. Anyway, Lavon had a special surprise planned for their anniversary and AnnaBeth thought he was going to propose, but she didn’t want that to happen while her future was in question. So she asked Zoe and Joel to join them for the night and run interference.

While I won’t go as far as to say that I like him or care that he exists, Joel doesn’t bother me as much as he originally did. It’s kind of funny that Lavon dislikes him so much and it was fun to watch them argue and then bond over their Game of Thrones love. Props to Joel for taking the heat off AnnaBeth after the trick-or-treat incident made her cry. Of course the best part of this entire storyline came the next day at the Rammer Jammer when Lavon revealed his surprise was actually a chance to watch Night of the Living Dead on the big screen projector he’d rented. AnnaBeth and Zoe’s disgust over men was hilarious.

But let’s talk about Zoe for a moment. While Rachel Bilson remains the cutest, is it just me or is Zoe extra annoying this season? I can’t even put my finger on what it is. Last night, she helped out a friend and that was great, but there’s still something off about her and it’s not just the whole Joel thing. It’s like she’s trying too hard and maybe that’s the point? Maybe she’s overcompensating to try and make this relationship work because she’s still heartbroken over Wade. Or maybe we’re just not used to seeing her so settled? Something about it rings false and maybe that’s the point? I don’t know, but I find her troublesome.

Speaking of Wade, this episode lost points because Zoe and Wade didn’t have one of their trademark scenes. Even if it’s just a quick drink at the bar or a quip as they pass one another, we always get scenes with just the two of them alone and that didn’t happen this week (Yes, I’m throwing a fangirl tantrum, but I can admit it). Although I suppose I can almost count that moment where Wade was looking at Zoe before he rejected Randall’s girlfriend. But it’s not the same!

hart-of-dixie-304-help-me-01Lemon finally gets to win one with some help from Grandma

It’s no secret that Lemon is one of my favorite characters and it makes me sad that she’s always losing. She had a small victory last week when she quit the Belles, but it came back to bite her when Cricket and her minions (or her puppet masters) had Lemon blacklisted from the masquerade ball. Since she was desperate, Lemon called her grandmother for help, much to Brick’s chagrin. To say that his mother is a force to be reckoned with is putting it mildly.

Grandma Bettie made it clear that she was not happy with Lemon or Bertram (still laughing at the look on Brick’s face every time she called him that) and she was determined to restore the good Breeland name by setting Lemon up with an eligible bachelor for the ball. She also decided to attend to make sure that everything went smoothly. Brick passing his mother off to George and then George dumping her on Cricket was the best. The show really shines in these comedic moments.

Unfortunately for Lemon, her eligible bachelor was a complete tool. She was disappointed, but things immediately started looking up when Peter came back into her life. She’d made a bad impression earlier when he’d stopped by the Rammer Jammer for help with a flat tire, but he was willing to forgive and forget. The two had an easy chemistry and Lemon smiled and enjoyed herself for the first time in forever…so much so that she ended up leaving the party with him and spending the night (get it, girl!).

Peter has a journalism job that has him constantly traveling and he wasn’t sure the next time he’d be near Bluebell, but Lemon was happy with the time they had together. It lifted her spirits and gave her back some of the confidence that she’s been missing. As I said earlier, I’d like to add Buckley’s name to my list of guest stars we need to see more of (next to Justin Hartley’s). I really hope the show plans to bring Peter back because seeing Lemon happy makes me happy and that kind of chemistry should not be forgotten.

Next week seems to be taking us down the George and Zoe road to nowhere once again, but I’m hoping the previews are misleading because even with my minor complaints, I’ve been enjoying season three so far and seeing that mess rehashed will put a damper on things.

What do you guys think? Did you like Peter enough to want to see him again? Is Zoe bugging you or do you like her this season? Should we just forget the triangle and have more Wade and George scenes? Hit the comments and share your thoughts with us!

Mandy Treccia
Mandy Treccia has served as TVSource Magazine’s Executive Editor since 2016, formerly as Editorial Director from 2012-2016. She is an avid TV watcher and card carrying fan girl prone to sudden bursts of emotion, ranging from extreme excitement to blind rage during her favorite shows and has on more than once occasion considered having a paper bag on hand to get her through some tough TV moments. Her taste in TV tends to rival that of a thirteen-year-old girl, but she’s okay with that.

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