DMV Season 1 Episode 10 Recap: Colette Almost Becomes Popular

After what feels like a geological era of waiting, CBS has finally brought DMV back to our screens. If you felt like the midseason hiatus lasted longer than a Friday afternoon line at an actual government office, you aren't alone. Thankfully, Season 1, Episode 10, “Hot Gurlz,” proves the wait was worth it, delivering the kind of workplace chaos and petty social climbing we’ve come to expect from our favorite band of bureaucratic misfits.

The High Cost of Cool: Colette’s Quest for the Text Chain

The main event this week involves Colette’s desperate need for validation. After spotting Ceci and the “cool” coworkers living it up at a bar on Instagram, Colette realizes she’s been iced out of the inner sanctum: the “Hot Gurlz” text chain. In a moment of brutal honesty that only Ceci can deliver, Colette is told she simply isn’t "hot enough" to make the cut.

Naturally, instead of filing an HR complaint, Colette decides to perform “hot girl energy” by flirting with the maintenance man. Enter Miguel, Ceci's cousin. While we’re all rooting for Colette to finally get over Noa, the universe and the casting director had other plans. When Miguel climbs down from his ladder, he is significantly shorter than Colette, a fact that sends her straight into a spiral of shallow regret.

Despite her height-related hang-ups, Colette’s flirting works too well; she’s added to the text chain and feels obligated to see the date through. The fallout is pure comedy. According to Colette, the date was bad. From Miguel’s feet dangling off the restaurant chair to a waiter accidentally handing him a kid’s menu, the secondhand embarrassment was at an all-time high.

Following Vic’s predictably terrible (but effective) advice, Colette tries to get dumped by pivoting to “stage five clinger” mode, demanding marriage and babies on the second date. It works, until it doesn’t. When Ceci finds out Miguel dumped Colette because of her “weird feet,” a showdown ensues. Colette eventually wins her spot on the text chain by going full "Hot Gurl" and roasting Miguel's height. It’s mean, it’s petty, and it’s exactly why we watch this show.

Gregg’s $100,000 Chair and Barb’s Breakdown

While Colette was busy measuring her dates, Gregg was busy measuring his legal options. In a plotline that feels all too real for anyone who has ever sat in a cubicle, Gregg is officially suing the DMV over a broken office chair. With corporate already looking for any excuse to shutter this specific branch, Barb is rightfully losing her mind.

The highlight of the episode was Barb’s frantic interference during Gregg’s meeting with an HR representative. As Barb’s anxiety led to a series of legendary verbal slips, the stakes hit an absurd peak: HR offered Gregg $100,000 to settle, but with the caveat that Barb would be fired. In a rare moment of sentimentality, Gregg chooses his boss over a six-figure payout, settling instead for the simple dignity of a chair that actually stays upright.

Pennies from Heaven (or Hell)

Finally, the show brought back the obnoxious, wealthy "Real ID" enthusiast from the pilot. To torture Noa over some outstanding fees, the customer attempts to pay over $2,000 in loose pennies. It’s a nightmare scenario for any service worker, but Vic saves the day with a stroke of genius. By tossing a single Canadian penny into the mix, he forces the customer to either find the needle in the copper haystack or give up and pay the credit card processing fee.

“Hot Gurlz” is a reminder that while the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, the drama at the DMV moves at breakneck speed. It’s good to have them back.

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Who do you think has the most "Hot Gurl" energy at the DMV?

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