'The Mick' Season 2, Episode 11 'The Trip' Recap: Mickey and Sabrina's Glorious High and Awakening [SPOILERS]

What a trip-filled episode! Tonight’s “The Mick” centers on Mickey (Kaitlin Olson) and Sabrina (Sofia Black-D’Elia) as they try to make it out alive after a severe case of LSD high. It’s something that’s detrimental to Sabrina’s Yale interview, and Mickey gives it her all to help Sabrina make it to the university. Meanwhile, Alba (Carla Jimenez) gets visited by her cousin Dagoberto (guest star Izzy Diaz) from Guatemala. Since Alba is technically no longer the Pemberton’s maid, she has to pretend to be one again so her family won’t be disappointed at her not working. There’s a lot to process (literally) in tonight’s episode, and we also get a subtle answer for Jimmy’s (Scott MacArthur) absence in the show.

An LSD trip at school

“The Trip” opens with Mickey vandalizing a picture of Chip (Thomas Barbusca). Sabrina walks in, and Mickey wonders what she’s doing in the house this late in the morning. Sabrina skipped her first period because it’s boring her. Mickey also notices that Sabrina is wearing her old denim jacket, and gives it to her in a heartbeat. To her, it’s a conduit of evil juju and a reminder of a terrible acid hallucination she had way back. As Sabrina leaves for school, Mickey pats her down and discovers that Sabrina has alcohol and a swimsuit packed with her. Mickey has none of it because she wants Sabrina to put on her A game for the afternoon’s Yale interview. Sabrina takes it easy because she knows that a Pemberton always makes it to Yale.

Later, Mickey relaxes in her room and takes in the song “No Rain” by Blind Melon when it’s cut short by a phone call from Sabrina. She’s frantic and asks Mickey to help her as she’s stuck in a closet at school. It turns out that Sabrina took the LSD she found in Mickey’s old jacket, and she’s starting to lose it. Mickey asks Sabrina just to get out and go home, but the acid is kicking in, and Sabrina is going all existential. As soon as Mickey arrives, Sabrina refuses to leave the closet because she thinks that Mickey might not be the real Mickey. She asks for Devon (guest star Isiah Adams) as he is the only one who could understand her. Mickey looks around for Devon and sees him enjoying his LSD high. She tries to ask him to help Sabrina, but he wiggles out of his jacket (well, technically Mickey’s) and runs away.
Mickey then forcibly enters the closet and tries to extract Sabrina out of it. However, Sabrina’s hallucinations are kicking in, and there’s no way for Mickey to bring her out. Losing all hope, Mickey takes the remaining acid on her jacket and prepares for the worst. Later, Mickey and Sabrina experience a laughing trip. They’re looking at a tray and going through a creative high as well. As Mickey tries coaxing Sabrina to get out, she sees her pouring paint on the plate and gaping in awe. Mickey tells her to keep doing it, and the high kicks in full effect. After the Van Gogh episode, Mickey snaps her back to reality and tells Sabrina that they should go. Mickey says to Sabrina that she shouldn’t worry much about finding out who she is because if Sabrina does, she’s never going to find out who she is (I know, I know. It took me a second to understand it too). Then they pause as they experience another self-awakening high. Mickey then goes soft and tells Sabrina about her failed desire to be a musician. Sabrina takes this as an inspirational boost and agrees to leave the closet. Once they see the hallway, the trip starts again just as the bell rings. Because of how deep they are in their acid high, Mickey loses Sabrina in the sea of students going to their next class. Devon then bumps into Mickey, but he squirms out of his shirt and runs as Mickey tries to ask for his help.
Later, Mickey walks around the hallway looking for Sabrina. There she sees Ben, who’s surprised that Mickey is in his school. In Mickey’s eyes, Ben’s (Jack Stanton) face contorts. Then the school PA system goes off with an announcement, and Mickey gapes in horror. She thinks that it’s a voice in her head, but Ben tells her that he heard it too and that it’s used for broadcasting information to the school. Mickey has an idea and thanks Ben for being a genius. Meanwhile, Sabrina stumbles into a German class. The language scares her and heightens her paranoia trip. The students and the teacher speak to her in German, and she freaks out even more. But then Mickey saves the day as she announces through the PA system that Sabrina meet her at the closet.

Sabrina runs to the closet and opens the door as Mickey gapes at herself in the mirror. The door hits her nose, and it bleeds. As they leave the school, Sabrina and Mickey talk about their dreams—Mickey’s desire to be a musician and Sabrina’s Yale interview. Sabrina asks Mickey what time it is and realizes that it’s her Yale interview. Obviously enlightened, Sabrina feels that she’s self-aware and confident enough to go in for the meeting. Mickey thinks it’s a bad idea, but she fails to stop Sabrina.

Sabrina enters the interview room as the Yale Alum greets her. Mickey comes in too, but the Alum ushers her out and tells her that Sabrina will be back after the interview. Outside, Mickey sinks in horror and accidentally turns out the lights. But to Mickey, it’s the beginning of another horrifying and highly-sensual acid trip. Later, Mickey enters the school auditorium to find a cello lying center stage. To her surprise, Devon is in the audience and urges Mickey to play it. She sits down and then does a beautiful piece—at least, in her acid-tripped mind. Meanwhile, Sabrina aces her interview through a self-aware and existential monologue about cherishing her growth at Yale.

Finally, Sabrina goes to the auditorium—where Mickey is making noise, not music—and happily informs Mickey that she got in. Sabrina then asks Mickey what she’s doing, and Mickey tells her that Devon (now disappeared) told her to play music. But apparently to Sabrina, it’s not music. They then leave the school just as Sabrina’s trip is going down. Mickey’s, however, is getting worse as she sees the school janitor as a devil and the doors outside the school as the gates of hell.

Alba gets a family visit

Elsewhere in the episode, Alba prepares for a relaxing bath when she receives a call from her cousin Dagoberto. He’s in the states and wants to visit Alba at her “job.” Alba panics because she’s not a maid anymore but agrees for Dagoberto to come over. When he finally arrives, Alba meets him in her maid clothes and tells him about how her job in the mansion is tiring and hard. Dagoberto offers to help her, but Alba discourages him and says that there is no need for it. Chip arrives early from school, which surprises Alba and Dagoberto. She greets Chip politely (even bowing while calling him “Mr. Chip”), but he has none of it and tells her to drop her act. Dagoberto introduces himself, but Alba asks him to go to the kitchen to freshen up. Alba then takes Chip aside and tells him that Dagoberto is her cousin from Guatemala and that if her family finds out that she is not working anymore, they will disown her. Apparently, Alba’s family believes that if you come to America, you should work your ass off. Alba then asks Chip to pretend that she is still their maid. Chip likes the idea and agrees, throwing Alba his bag.
In the kitchen, Alba asks Dagoberto when he’s going home. However, Dagoberto says that he’ll be staying for good because Alba’s work inspired Dagoberto to go the states for a job. Alba panics and tells him that he can’t because there’s so much work to do and America is the worst. Dagoberto then proposes to work with her. Chip interrupts them and commands Alba to make him breakfast. Alba obliges and takes out a box of cereal and a bottle of milk. Chip demands a bowl and a glass and proceeds to spill it all on the table. Dagoberto cleans up the mess, and Chip is impressed. Seeing as this could be an opportunity, Alba tells Chip to hire Dagoberto and put him to hard work. Again, Chip agrees to it.
While Dagoberto works, Chip tells him about the kid he bullied in gym class for not having pubes. He’s brilliantly cocky, and all that Dagoberto could do is to nod in agreement to everything Chip says. Alba sees this and takes Chip aside as he tells Dagoberto to mow the lawn. Alba thinks the work Chip is making her cousin do isn’t enough to make him suffer and give up. But Chip believes it’s a good thing for them since Jimmy left. Dagoberto is a great all-around guy, and Alba is back to being their maid. He then commands Alba to clean the attic.
Later, Chip sees Alba lounging on the sofa and tells her to clean more rooms upstairs. However, Alba was curious as to why Chip went home from school earlier than he usually does. She thinks that Chip’s gym class story doesn’t add up. Apparently, Alba called his school and found out that Chip excused himself after an incident in the boy’s locker room. It turns out that Chip is indeed the pubeless boy, and he was made fun of earlier that’s why he went home. Alba also discovered fake pubes in Chip’s room, so she uses it as a card to play for Chip to fire Dagoberto and bow to her every command. If Chip refuses, she will burn his fake pubes. Later, Chip calls Dagoberto to the living room and fires him. Alba does a disappointed act but reminds Chip of what she’s going to do. Despite Dagoberto’s pleading, Chip’s mind is made up. As Dagoberto leaves, Alba makes fun of Chip for having no pubes.

‘The Mick: The Trip’ Overall Verdict

Directed by Kat Coiro, this is arguably one of the best episodes of “The Mick” to date. The laughs and gags are a bit toned down, but the LSD trip part of the show made it funnier and close to a slapstick type of comedy. It’s great to see Kaitlin Olson and Sofia Black-D’Elia doing the entire episode together, and you could see the palpable chemistry between the two. The Chip-Alba dynamic is also a significant development, and honestly, they could even make for a good episode of their own in the future. On the other hand, my question of where Jimmy’s whereabouts are finally answered. Scott MacArthur is a writer on the show, and the fall finale break-up with Mickey is a real-life departure for MacArthur, according to Den of Geek. He’s still a writer, but he’s not making an appearance in the coming episodes—at least for now.
“The Mick” continues next Tuesday, January 16th, with “The City” at 9:30 PM on FOX.