DMV Episode 8 recap: The ugly holiday sweater war spirals into full chaos

DMV Episode 8 is titled Splash Fountain.

It aired on CBS on Monday, December 1, 2025, from 8:30 to 9:00 PM ET/PT. The episode became available on Paramount+ the same day for Premium users. For Essential users, it was available the next day.

The episode is 21 minutes long. It is rated TV-14. It was directed by Katie Locke O’Brien and was written by Miles Woods.

The story follows Colette, a DMV worker. She tries to change the office holiday plans, but her plan goes wrong. She gets trapped in a malfunctioning self-driving car. Her manager, Barb, is stuck with her.

Meanwhile, Gregg forms a bond with an AI customer service worker. This makes Vic jealous. Vic then awkwardly tries to be friends with Noa, and this leads to more problems. There are also mishaps with a broken “splash fountain” water dispenser.

DMV Episode 8 continues the tension from Episode 7. It focuses on leadership and coworker relationships. It also shows the quirky loneliness of the East Hollywood DMV office during the holidays.

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DMV Episode 8 recap — Splash Fountain

DMV Episode 8 continues the emotional problems from the last episode. The office feels lonelier than ever. The holiday setting turns that loneliness into chaos.

There are cheesy sweaters. There is a runaway self-driving car. There are awkward tries at friendship. The episode shows how badly everyone at the DMV wants a connection.

In Episode 7, Barb took the East Hollywood staff to the North Hollywood branch. They met the confident manager, Beau. Seeing Beau made Barb doubt her own leadership. At the same time, Gregg and Vic spoke to Colette. They made her doubt Noa. They said Noa liked bold and fearless people. This made Colette’s need for approval even stronger. It left her emotionally shaken going into DMV Episode 8.

DMV Episode 8 starts with an argument about extra DMV money. Ceci and most of the staff want a new coffee machine. They really need it. But Barb disagrees. She wants to use the money to buy ugly holiday sweaters for everyone.

Colette is still hurt from past work problems. She decides to quietly support Barb. She wants to stop Ceci from choosing the coffee machine.

Colette’s quiet support turns into too much friendship. She decides to become Barb’s close friend. She thinks this will help her change Barb’s mind. But the plan backfires. Barb takes the friendship very seriously. She starts sending late-night texts. She also sends many cat memes.

Colette is stuck in a one-sided friendship. So, she becomes very tired. She also becomes more and more stressed trying to keep up.

In DMV Episode 8, Colette tries to make the “friendship” stronger. She invites Barb to karaoke night, and also offers to drive. They get into a self-driving car. However, the car breaks down in the DMV parking lot. It traps them in a loop around the building. The car keeps going in circles. The tension finally explodes.

During the ride, Barb shares big news. She has already ordered the holiday sweaters. This makes the whole office argument useless. Colette feels upset and overwhelmed. She lets out that she did all of this “for no reason.” This clearly hurts Barb’s feelings.

Barb then tells the truth. She says she only played along with the friendship. She thought Colette was the one who needed a friend. She believed this because of Colette’s recent work humiliations.

The out-of-control car draws a crowd, and Colette finally escapes. She yells out the window that Barb spent the money on sweaters. This makes Ceci very angry. She steps in front of the car and stops the car physically.

After the chaos ends, Barb and Colette talk. They reach a weak understanding. They agree they are friends only at work. They also agree not to text outside the office. But the damage is already done. The ugly holiday sweaters are here to stay.

Meanwhile, in DMV Episode 8, Gregg calls employee services to order a new chair. He starts a friendly talk with the customer service worker, and becomes very happy. He tells everyone he has made a new friend. This makes Vic feel jealous. Vic feels left out and insecure.

Vic tries to make his own new friend, so he turns to Noa. He copies Noa’s interests. He talks about protein powder, kettlebells, and the “splash fountain.” The splash fountain has crazy water pressure, which often soaks people.

Vic and Noa try to bond, but it is very awkward. It shows they have little in common. This leads to uncomfortable but funny moments around the fountain.

Later, Ceci tells the truth. Gregg’s new “friend” is not a real person. It is an AI customer service system. Gregg has formed an emotional bond with a computer program. This is the same kind of technology he usually complains about.

At first, Vic plans to embarrass Gregg with this truth. But then he sees how happy Gregg feels and finally feels less alone. Vic cannot bring himself to ruin that joy. For once, Vic chooses kindness instead of cruelty.

By the end of DMV Episode 8, all the stories show one main idea. Almost everyone at the DMV is very lonely. Colette wants approval too badly. Gregg bonds with an AI instead of a real person. Vic fails again and again at making a friend. The episode is funny and chaotic. But under the jokes, there is a sad truth about loneliness.