ISam's Mom

iSam's Mom is the second episode of Season Four, and the 72nd overall. This is the first time Sam's mother, played by Jane Lynch, appears on the show, with the exception being in iMust Have Locker 239 when the back of her head is shown when driving away. The episode aired on September 11.

Plot
The viewers finally get to see Sam's mom, Pam Puckett.

Sam moves into Carly and Spencer's apartment after having an argument with her mother Pam. Sam’s peculiar habits make her a terrible house guest and she quickly wears on Spencer and Carly’s patience. (i.e. Leaving a half eaten tamale in Carly's bed, leaving her panties on the stairs and deleting "Celebrities Under Water" from Spencer's DVR list.)

Desperate to have her move out, Carly tricks Sam and Pam into meeting at a therapist’s office so they can reconcile their differences. Carly unwittingly gets stuck with the fiery twosome when they are put in a “Therapy Box,” a small confined space where they must talk through their issues before they can be let out. When Carly freaks out because of being claustrophobic, Sam and her mom make up so they can get out.

Freddie is stalked by The Shadow Hammer after recording him robbing the Groovy Smoothie. The Bensons then move into the Shay household so Freddie will not be harmed by The Shadow Hammer. Mrs. Benson hires a bodyguard named Gunsmoke and Freddie wears a bulletproof vest. Spencer cannot take living with the Bensons and Gunsmoke (who beat him up for teasing Freddie, and broke his snow cone machine) and decides to switch the room numbers of their apartment with another one down the hall so The Shadow Hammer will go to the wrong home, even though he thinks the Shadow Hammer won't appear at all. However, to Freddie's shock, the Shadow Hammer does come by.

Trivia

 * Jane Lynch promised taping tickets for her daughter Hayden to an iCarly episode, but there are no live audience tapings. To compensate, the producers offered Lynch a role as Jj100901-07.jpg's mom, Pam Puckett. She agreed, since she was already a huge fan of the show.
 * Apparently, Gibby is now single, since he is checking out girls with Freddie, although it is possible that he's just being a flirt.


 * This episode features a remixed version of the background music played at different moments.
 * The building the therapist is in is called "PSCHNEIDER". This is a reference to Dan Schneider, the creator of the series. Schneider has often thrown his name into wide shots or buildings as a joke.
 * This episode is mainly about Sam and her mother.
 * It is revealed that Sam had a bunny named Fluffles when she was seven, but Pam sold him to foreigners.
 * In this episode they mention Melanie Puckett.
 * The other door in the therapy box leads to a bathroom that was built for a scene that was removed from the shooting script. It was intended to be used by Pam.
 * The newscaster announcer is voiced by Dan Schneider, creator, executive producer, and sometimes writer.
 * Celebrities Underwater is mentioned for the third time in the series.
 * Sam's I ♥ Vegas underwear was previously mentioned in iGo To Japan.
 * The 80's and 90's sitcom "Full House" was mentioned twice in the episode:
 * The first time is when Gunsmoke, Carly and Spencer are watching an intensely violent movie (that only Gunsmoke can tolerate) and Spencer asks if he can change channels. Gunsmoke allows this, and demands that he changes it to Full House.
 * The second time is when Gunsmoke is watching TV by himself, and a girl on TV says "You got it dude!" which in "Full House" was Michelle Tanner's (portrayed by then-child actors Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) catchphrase. It should be interesting to note that the girl who said the line sounded nothing like Michelle at any point in the series.
 * This is also the second time Full House has been mentioned in the series, the first being in iCarly Saves TV.
 * Carly having a breakdown in the therapy box parallels to iSpace Out, when she couldn't stand being inside a small, confined place. She even mentions the space pod situation herself. This heavily displays she is claustrophobic.
 * Introduced in this episode is the brand new iCarly opening. Only two shots from the season 2 and 3 openings remain: the one from iMeet Fred that had Spencer with Marvin the ostrich, and the scene from iPilot that depicted the hat party with Carly throwing her blue cowboy hat into the air.
 * Sam and Freddie were only in one scene together.
 * Sam mentions that she hates the word 'panties', as previously mentioned in iMake Sam Girlier.
 * Carly, Sam and Freddie were technically living together, although only for a short while.
 * When Pam says, "Those pants fit you real nice," Dan Schneider asked Jane Lynch to look at the back of the therapists' pants, instead of the front, since Nickelodeon is a kids channel.
 * The iCarly segment had most of it cut due to time constraints. In a deleted scene seen on iCarly.com, the webcast continues, with Gibby sneaking up behind Carly and Sam as "Dr. Claw."

A positive, glowing review of this episode on Entertainment Weekly says, "But since no one’s about to doubt the spectacularness of [Jane] Lynch, I’ll instead take this opportunity to note something even more striking about her guest stint: The fact that her onscreen daughter, Jennette McCurdy, held her own against the towering talent of the recent Emmy winner. (Lynch even seemed to be basing her performance on, essentially, doing a great impression of McCurdy’s hilariously rancorous character--she knows her iCarly well.)"

The episode garnered 5.911 million viewers, down from the 7.74 million for the season four opener, iGot A Hot Room.

Quotes
Blond Girl: Do you sell smoothies here? T-Bo: Do I-What?!

Sam: MOM!!?

Pam: I know who I am.

Sam: I don't want any part of her.

Pam: You don't deserve my parts.

Sam: Why would I want worn out parts?

Sam: My future will be just fine.

Pam: Who told you that? Your parole officer?

Sam: At least I call my parole officer!

Pam: Why don't you take a bath?

Sam: 'Cause you didn't pay the water bill.

Mrs. Benson: There´s a dangerous criminal out there who probably wants to hurt my Freddie with his hammer!

Pam: You married?

Psychologist: Excuse me?

Pam: I don't see a ring. You got a woman, or what?

Sam: Pardon my mommy's desperation!

Pam: Pardon my daughter's personality!

Psychologist: No, Pam. It's a new kind of therapy that's a bit unorthodox.

Sam: That's cool. We're not Jewish.

Sam: You never listen to me.

Pam: Well, how about saying something interesting?

Pam: Why can't you be more like Melanie?

Sam: Quit comparing me to Melanie!

Pam: You threw up in my car!

Sam: I was 6 years old, get over it!

Carly: Why'd you lock the door?

Psychologist: No one leaves the Therapy Box until those two learn to love!

Carly: What difference does it make if you bring lipstick in here?

Sam: Welcome to the insanity that is my mother.

Pam: Hey, Sam. Remember when you were seven, and I told you that Fluffles ran away?

Sam: Yeah.

Pam: I sold him.

Carly: Oh, my God!

Sam: You sold my bunny?

Pam: To foreigners!

Sam: ''(Gasp!) ''

Sam: Yeah, you wanna know why that rich doctor stopped calling you?

Pam: Steven?

Sam: I told him you got hit by a bus!

Pam: ''(Gasp!) ''

Sam: I LOVE you. [break] Mother.

Pam: What, you think I don't love you?

Sam: You never say it...

Pam: Well, it's not easy to say 'I love you' to a daughter who thinks I'm... you, know, scummy!

Sam: I don't think you're scummy... all the time.

Pam: I guess I could have had a worse kid.

Sam: [happy voice] You mean that?

Pam: Anyway, I'm sorry I haven't always been as understanding as I could have been ... you know, like when you get arrested and stuff.

Sam: Well, I could probably try a little harder not to get arrested.

Pam: Why don´t we get you a new bunny?

Sam: Why don´t we call that doctor, you know, tell him you're not really dead?

[They smile]

Sam: Can I come home?

Pam: [playfully] Aw, hug me, you little turd!

[They hug;The psychologist smiles]

Carly: Nyeeh! Nyeeh! Nyeeh!

Video and Photo Gallery
Video:(HQ) *NEW* iSam's Mom - Official Promo! Video:iCarly iSam's Mom Video:iCarly iSam's Mom Sneak Peak #2 Video:iCarly iSam's Mom Sneak Peek Video:iCarly iSam's Mom Behind the Scene

View photo gallery for this episode here