Episode Report Card Cate: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Help
By Cate | Season 5 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.08.2000
Hey, speaking of unappealing, it's time for another scene with Mary. She knocks on her boss's door and then walks right in before he even has a chance to answer. Some leftover remnant of politeness from her childhood inspires her to apologize for all the personal calls she's made today. Her boss makes the mistake of asking for details, which she is more than happy to provide, offering up every minute particular of her incredibly boring financial situation. He looks bored, but he's got no one to blame but himself. He did ask, after all. I didn't ask, though, and I'm damn sick of her whining. How many more episodes until she leaves? She proves herself to be stupider than I ever thought possible when she asks her boss to advance her two weeks' salary. He says he won't be able to accommodate her. She turns around to walk away, but he stops her, saying that they have to talk. Mary puts on a look of extreme irritation, shaking her head as she rudely asks, "About what?" He tells Mary to shut her mouth. Oops, that was me. Boss guy just tells her to shut the door. She finally realizes something is wrong; her boss confirms it. Unfortunately, we don't actually see Mary get fired. I can't believe they have time to include scenes like Ruthie talking about the colour of her dinner and then they leave out something as fun as Mary's firing.
Quick -- don't blink, it's the twins! One-Mississippi, two-Missi-- oh, sorry, they're gone. Be sure to check for them again next week, though! Ruthie comes downstairs to the kitchen. Good heavens, she's sporting about the ugliest poncho I've ever seen, and I'm sure that in the World's Ugliest Poncho race, there's no shortage of contenders. RevCam tries to hurry her into the car, telling her that Lucy and Simon are already waiting. Ruthie craftily picks this moment to tell her dad that for some bizarre reason she wrapped her friend Sarah in a lot of toilet paper the week before. I'm not real sure why anyone would do that, but I find my life is better when I ignore about ninety per cent of what Ruthie says. And why are the Camdens so obsessed with toilet paper anyway? So far Mary, Simon, and Ruthie have all found alternate uses for it. Lucy had better get on the ball and toilet-paper something soon, or else Ruthie and the Colonel may use one of their gossip sessions to start a rumour that Lucy is adopted. Eric informs Ruthie that she may be getting out of Miss Riddle's class soon, to which she replies, "Thank God!" RevCam gets upset until Ruthie explains that she really is thanking God for answering her prayer to get out of Miss Riddle's class. RevCam gets even more upset. This opens up the whole issue of what is an appropriate thing to pray for, which I thought they'd already beaten to death last year. Ruthie plays it off by pretending that she thought the CamRents needed some help in getting her a new teacher. RevCam buys that explanation, or maybe he just can't be bothered to deal with Ruthie right now, so he sends her off to school.
Mary is walking down the upstairs hallway when she sees the Colonel coming toward her. She tries to escape, but he's too quick for her. SuperMom comes along and starts quizzing Mary about being late for work. She lies elaborately. Ooh, bad Camden! Annie points out Mary's various financial obligations, but Mary just brushes her off -- easily done. The Colonel says he's glad he and Mary will have the chance to talk. Mary lies again, saying she promised to help a friend move. Man, she's going to hell for sure now.