I have never actually seen someone use a stick and start beating around a box elder bush unless they were on drugs. Then, I've seen things way crazier things than that one. 
Come to find out "beating around the bush" is term for an old English hunting method of beating a bush to drive out the game that was being hunted. Well, apparently there were better methods of getting the job done... a more direct approach. So we now have the term "beating around the bush." That's kind of like what this episode is about, maybe. So, come on in and see if you can make any sense of what's being served up...