Broad City 4.9 Recap: Dealing With Muggings, Bed Bugs, And Financial Troubles

On this week’s Broad City, the girls are still enjoying the perks of owning the car Ilana received in episode 7.  Even though it’s the middle of winter, they are cruising with the top down and yelling about how they don’t need Uber or a cab to get around. All the fun comes to an end when they start looking for a parking spot in NYC. Not only do they have to deal with crazy bicyclists and parallel parking, all the free areas are either too small or actually a driveway.  Frustrated, Ilana parks next to a fire hydrant and leaves the keys in the car hoping someone will steal her burden.
Ilana’s waitressing job has been very prosperous and in the spirit of the holiday season, she decides to give presents to the special people in her life. For Lincoln, she gets a puppy, her brother receives a refurbished, almost new iPad, and for her best friend, she gives an expensive purse. When she returns home to deliver Jaimé a bicycle, she is greeted to one of New York’s biggest nuisances, the dreaded bedbug infestation.

Maybe Ilana should have waited before she bought all the presents. It’s going to cost a lot to treat her apartment. In addition, the source of the bed bugs is the cash she keeps under her bed mattress. It’ll all have to be burned to ensure the bugs don’t come back. She can’t even go back to work because Sushi Mambeaux has a bed bug problem of their own. While her place is fumigated, she needs to find a place to crash, but no one is willing to take her in from fear of the infestation spreading.
Meanwhile, Abbi is still on hard times. She’s at her local bodega hoping to return the delightful snack, Dunkaroos, because she didn’t realize they were expired. Though all Dunkaroos sold now are expired since they haven’t been produced since the 90’s. The teen cashier, knowing Abbi is a regular at the store, knows her by name, and will allow her to return them if she knows the cashier’s name. Drawing a blank, Abbi is about to call her Bodega, but changes it last second to the equally ridiculous Bodine. Defeated, Abbi leaves to recycle cans for extra cash.
Abbi’s luck begins to change once she receives her gift. It’s like the purse is giving off some magical aura since the creep on the corner is pleasuring himself to the bag instead of Abbi as she walks by. More importantly, it causes Abbi to have a little more swagger and confidence.  She has an impromptu job interview at Anthropologie and aces it.
As much good luck the new purse has granted, it also attracts unwanted attention. The high-end bag catches the eye of a mugger (Steve Buscemi) and he sees Abbi as an easy mark. He soon grabs her and they enter the same bodega from earlier so she can withdraw money from the ATM. Not wanting to deal with any of Abbi’s drama, “Bodine” goes to the back of the store.  The mugger is disappointed by the lack of funds when he sees Abbi’s balance and begins giving her financial advice. Luckily, Bodine only went to the back to grab a shot gun and saves the day, but only after the mugger leaves with Abbi’s meager savings and the purse.

The two bond over the experience and Abbi is apologetic for never learning the cashier’s name.  The cashier tells her that her name is Massouma (Zephyr Ingle). Ilana soon enters the store since Massouma texted her Abbi was there. Apparently, they go way back. Having been turned away by her family and boyfriend, Abbi’s the last person she could turn to. Like a good best friend, she welcomes her contaminated friend with open arms, as long as she wears the appropriate personal protective equipment.
The credits scene shows Abbi’s first day at her new job. Unfortunately, it’s not the glamorous job on the retail floor she was hoping for. She is working security. At least she’ll be happy to be earning a salary again.
We already know how strong a bond Ilana and Abbi have, but it’s always nice to see it reaffirmed. After facing very stereotypical New York experiences, bed bugs and a mugging, they have each other for support. Ilana was literally turned away by all those close to her before she was taken in by her best friend.
For Abbi, this episode once again shows how much more growing up she needs to do. In the previous episode, she could not match the level of sophistication and intellect of her old high school teacher and hook-up target. Here, we see her real lack of financial planning and her amateur move of using her birthday as her pin number. Once again, her lack of knowledge is on display when she’s out of her depth talking American history with Massouma. At least she’s embracing the feeling of community by building a relationship with the young cashier. You’ll never know when you’ll need the help of your neighbors.
Other interesting episode notes:

• Lincoln names his puppy Sticky, a nod not to marijuana, but to his favorite type of rice.
• There are so many political signs in Ilana’s apartment, but my favorite is the handmade “Moist 4 Choice” sign complete with little droplet pictures.
• Marcel has come around and is now trying to be the best father he can be to his son.

Broad City airs Wednesdays at 10:30 pm on Comedy Central.