PRODUCTION/CULTURAL REFERENCES (written 6/5/21)
-I honestly have no memory of how I came up with this episode. It was most likely the summer of 2018. I was thinking about a couple titles, something like "Wade's Reunion" or "The Revival," but "Back in the Second Grade..." is the only one that really stuck with me in any way.
-This was an episode that also achieved my vision for season seven, in that I wanted more episodes where the plots intersected or were similar to each other. In the main plot, Wade finally gets a chance to deal with his second grade friends abandoning him, and then gets caught between trying to prove he's changed and wanting a chance to regain what he lost. He doesn't want to go back to the person he used to be, and he worries that the guys will judge him for it. Meanwhile, Denise is worried that KG's previous feelings for Sharon will return and he'll leave her, which leads to her being carried by paranoia for the entire episode.
-Wade references science educator Bill Nye, famous for the PBS children's television series Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993-1998). Nye made an appearance on Thank You, Heavenly in season two ("The Wade Crusade").
-Rodney references the Saved by the Bell episode "From Nurse to Worse," where Zack loses interest in Kelly after he falls in love with the new school nurse.
-Rodney references the two-part Friends episode "The One with Ross' Wedding." Near the end of part two, Ross is instructed to say Emily's name during the wedding vows and ends up saying Rachel's name by mistake. Despite the wedding going on as planned, this is what eventually leads to Ross and Emily's divorce.
-One of my favorite lines in the series is Buster randomly announcing his plans to put LPC down. It just comes out of nowhere and it's uncharacteristic of Buster to say. There's also Jaylynn's response, and the fact that I never followed up on it at all. It still makes me laugh.
-Wade references CM Punk's highly publicized departure from WWE in 2014. Punk expressed in the past that he had no intention of ever having a working relationship with WWE again, but his views have softened slightly in recent years.
-At the Laugh Machine, KG tests the mic by referencing the opening to "My Time," a theme song used by professional wrestler Triple H in 1999/2000.
-Wade uses the "sticking an orange in a bottle of Poland Spring" saying that Jaylynn first used in "Table for Five" in season six. According to her, the saying was used all the time in Portland, but none of the other kids had heard of it.
-Sparky references the season six episode "Wade Goes to Junior High." When Wade is allowed the opportunity to skip another grade and go straight to middle school, the guys try to deal with it by finding someone new to replace him during school hours.
-Wade references the crush he used to have on Jaylynn during the first two seasons.
-At the time I wrote this episode, my signature drink at Burger King was Hi-C fruit punch, Dr. Pepper, and Coca Cola so I made that RK's drink. "Candy Rain" was also being played a lot at the restaurant.
-Buster references the season four episode "KG the Carnegie," which was a cover of the Full House episode "But Seriously, Folks." In the episode, KG gets a chance to perform at the Laugh Machine for a talent scout who was recruiting young comedians for a special on TeenNick. However, Kevin Hart is spotted in the audience and performs a lengthy set, which causes KG to bomb on stage when it's his turn. Humiliated, KG briefly gives up comedy to pursue a career in business, but RK and Wade orchestrate a plan to get KG to come to his senses.
-KG references the controversy surrounding Kevin Hart's prior homophobic tweets/jokes, which were brought to light again after Hart was announced as the host of the upcoming Academy Awards (2019). Despite claiming to have apologized already for his comments, Hart eventually decided to give up his hosting job.
-Denise laughing at Woody Woodpecker's name was something I thought about before I started writing the episode.
-Originally, the ending had less conflict behind it. Wade was going to tell Lester, Grady, and Roger that he wasn't interested in being friends with them anymore because of how much he had changed. They would have simply accepted his decision and things would end on a more peaceful note between them. However, I didn't think it was strong enough, and I also felt like Wade should find out that the guys were using him so they could hang out with the fourth graders. It would give him even more of a motivation to stop talking to them for good.
-I always knew I wanted to use "I Ain't Mad at Cha" for this episode, because it was very similar to what Wade's plot represented.