10. Yes, We Have No Bananas (or Anything Else for That Matter)
A gently surreal episode whose humor derives from escalating skewed logic in the Preston Sturges mode: Greg's hostile secretary Marlene is offended by her annual staff evaluation as "Satisfactory," while Greg is overjoyed by his "Superior" rating until he learns Pete got the same rating. When Greg confronts his boss, he is driven to desperation by the man's apparent complete inability to discriminate between similar items (Tahiti vs. Buffalo as a honeymoon destination, freshly baked bread vs. moldy supermarket bread), and almost unhinged by the boss's decision to put Pete in charge while he is in medical leave. At the same time Greg must deal with Dharma's impulse decision to open a store without first deciding what she will sell, and the fact that the place quickly becomes packed with people who find Dharma's environment strangely soothing and establish a barter economy amongst themselves. There is of course only one "logical" conclusion: despite the fact that Dharma is losing money, she makes a profit when she is bought out by Starbucks. Meanwhile, Larry tries to persuade Edward to buy a drug-running friend's power yacht, and the four-in laws find themselves held prisoner by an aggressive sea lion who climbs on board and won't leave.
Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.
Complete story — includes the ending
Greg is elated when his boss, Mr. Clayborn, gives him a superior rating, but is dismayed to discover that incompetent Pete received the same designation. Despite Greg's attempts to get Clayborn to discriminate between two disparate scenarios (Tahiti vs. Buffalo as a honeymoon destination, freshly baked bread vs. moldy supermarket bread), Clayborn puts Pete in charge when he goes on medical leave. Meanwhile, Dharma rents an empty store without knowing what she wants to sell there. Greg insists she must decide, but she convinces him she is happy to just provide a place where strangers can gather and interact. In a subplot, the couple's parents test run a boat being sold by Larry's friend. While out to sea, a rogue seal lion hops aboard and holds the foursome hostage.