Developing Dilemma

"**Developing Dilemma**" is the seventh episode of the first season of Elliott from Earth, and the third episode in Chapter Two. It is written by Guillaume Cassuto, Mic Graves, Tony Hull, Daran Jonno Johnson, Joe Markham, Joe Parham, and Jess Ransom. It premiered on March 31, 2021 in the United States.

## Synopsis

Frankie lets Elliott get a pet, which doesn't go down well with their new neighbor.

## Plot

At the pet store, Elliott asks Frankie if they can get a pet now that they've settled somewhere. Frankie tells Elliott that it's not a good idea for them to adopt a complex alien creature, and says that they'd need something requiring less care. When Frankie points to a small blob-like creature as an example, Elliott mistakes it as confirmation that he can have it, and excitedly thanks her. After seeing Elliott become quickly attached to it, Frankie allows him to have it.

Elliott and Frankie return home with the blob-creature. There, they're greeted by their new neighbor: the three-headed Mrs. Argolis. Mrs. Argolis immediately makes rude remarks to them, but Frankie tries to remain friendly and polite, and encourages Elliott to show his new pet to the neighbor. When he does, Mrs. Argolis pokes it, causing the creature to grow a bit. Mrs. Argolis insists that the creature bit her, and Frankie apologizes and offers to make it up by inviting her over for coffee later. As soon as Mrs. Argolis leaves, Elliott insists that his pet didn't bite her, and Frankie agrees but says they need to make a good first impression.

Later, Mo and Elliott sit with the blob-creature in a local park, and notice that it's definitely grown larger than before, and seemingly grew some tentacle limbs as well. Elliott suggests they try playing fetch with it, and demonstrates the game for Mo. However, his demonstration ends up getting the attention of a dog-like alien creature, whose owner scolds it. The creature grows again, and begins to try rolling away. Elliott and Mo rush to catch it and decide to bring it back to Frankie, wondering why it won't stop growing.

Back at home, Mrs. Argolis comes over to visit. Elliott and Mo then show up at the door, and show Frankie how much larger the creature has become. Frankie tells them to just hide it in the bathroom until Mrs. Argolis is gone. Elliott and Mo struggle to sneak it past her inside, but ultimately succeed in shutting themselves in the bathroom with it. Mrs. Argolis, curious about what is going on, goes up to the door to see what it is while her heads say sarcastic insults about Elliott and Frankie to one another. As she does so, the creature grows and struggles even more in the bathroom before suddenly bursting through the wall, escaping outside with Mrs. Argolis in its grasp.

Elliott, Frankie, and Mo rush outside as the creature races through the neighborhood and wreaks havoc. At first, they attempt to call emergency responders to the scene, but the creature knocks the responders' vehicle away. Frankie, deciding that they'll have to figure it out themselves, grabs a glowing beacon to gets its attention. She tosses the beacon away, but the creature ignores it and Mo chases it down instead. Mrs. Argolis makes another rude comment, which causes the creature to continue growing and to run away up a tower. When Mrs. Argolis refers to it as a "beast", Frankie tries to use "beauty" to get its attention, but naturally nothing happens and Frankie even agrees when Mrs. Argolis taunts her for the idea. The creature then suddenly rushes off again, climbing to the top of the tower, and Frankie and Elliott chase after.

On the way to the top of the tower, Frankie has another idea and tries to get the creature to sneeze and let go of Mrs. Argolis, but it doesn't work. The creature, now enormous, begins to weigh down a suspended part of the tower and nearly breaks it loose. Elliott then tells Frankie that he's noticed the creature only grows when it's around negative behavior. He suggests that it feeds on negativity, and thinks that it might shrink back to its normal size if they say positive things instead. Frankie tries to get Mrs. Argolis to keep from saying anything negative, and strikes up a friendly conversation. At first Mrs. Argolis struggles, but soon tries saying that having neighbors may be a good thing. As she goes on and the creature shrinks and becomes more docile, she becomes more genuine and soon says that she doesn't mind her neighbors or their pet at all.

Afterward, Mrs. Argolis is friendlier, thanking them and inviting them to come to her habitation pod sometime before noting that she might have caught a cold from the alien in the elevator before. Elliott asks Frankie if they're going to keep the blob-creature, and Frankie answers that he's proven that he'll be a good pet owner. Mo then returns, breathless, and when Elliott asks where he's been, he holds up the beacon that Frankie threw earlier and says that he's finally figured out how fetch works.