Episode Report Card Deborah: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT God Is My Co-Pilot
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.03.2005
paper route when he was younger. That's about it. But it's not like he's another worker at the store who's already been trained. He's just…a warm body, as far as her job goes. I wanted to get my chiropractor to write this recap, because I was busy with…stuff…and all, but she told me I must be crazy if I thought she was going to spend umpteen hours writing about some show she's never heard of. I believe Sars has arranged for her landlord to edit this one, though. Sheesh. ["…What?" -- Barney] Luke agrees: "Why not? Menial labour. Suitable future. Stocking shelves. Numbing clank of the cash register. Insincere smiles…" Man, these Girardi kids think they are too good for just about everything, don't they? Let's see you work the cash register, Rocket Boy. Joan: "Great! Shift starts at four, don't be late." She hands him some juice, but he chooses to drink from his cereal bowl instead.As Joan enters the Oak Street Community Center, the house where the painting party is taking place, her paper sack full of painting supplies rips and everything spills over the steps. She gathers up her stuff, goes inside, dumps it on a chair, and stands against the wall next to a quiet, slightly pouty-looking girl (Alexis Dziena) with a hangdog demeanour. She's a little bit Alexis Bledel, a little bit Fiona Apple, a little bit Mila Kunis, a little bit Eliza Dushku. Is that helpful? Probably not. Frink thinks she looks like Evil Joan. Joan comments, "Painting stuff. My dad made me bring it." The other girl says, "I wanted to work at the slaughterhouse, but they don't have community service." Ha! Well, I like this one so far. Joan, not so much. She doesn't know what to make of Abbatoir Girl, so she wanders off and asks some guy if he knows why they're all just standing around. He informs her that the supervisor's late: "She's always late." Joan gripes about having to be there early just to stand around, as Vagrant God comes up behind her and starts to get some coffee: "Remember what I said about injustice, Joan." It's been ages since we saw Vagrant God. I hope we get some old-timey talk. Me: "Is she really short or is he really tall?" Frink: "Yes." Joan replies, "I showed up. That should be enough for God." He tells her to do the job. Joan sneers, wondering how painting the walls is supposed to help the universe. He asks, "Why do you think Zen monks spend forty years trimming one bonsai tree?" Because a life of celibacy will do that to you? Joan freaks out at the mention of forty years and reminds him she has a paper due. He says it's just a weekend of service: "Just serve the community. The rest will happen." Joan figures she's supposed to help someone there, but wonders who: "They all look pretty pathetic." Vagrant God: "Just pay attention. It'll all add up."
He wanders off as Lily comes hustling in with two large coffees: "Look alive, convicts." She puts her coffee down next to Joan but doesn't register her at all. She tells them to get started: "We finish the entire first floor by Sunday, or nobody gets any credit." She looks at the guy Joan had been talking to and says, "Denunzio, welcome back." He gives her a very sarcastic thumbs-up. Lily gives out some general grief about using a dropcloth and then Joan manages to get her attention. Lily remembers her as "Helen's kid." She asks Joan what she did, but as Joan starts to explain that she's innocent, Lily catches sight of Denunzio painting "This sucks" on a wall and calls out, "Yo! Eminem! You, uh, what, you wanna spend next weekend with me, huh? Then can it." She takes away his cigarette, which is tucked into his toque, despite his plea that it's his last one. She takes off with it, and Joan marches over to let him know Lily's doing him a favour: "I saw these completely disgusting photos of lung cancer in my health class. Looked like a vacuum cleaner bag." Denunzio gives the ceiling a long-suffering look and groans. "So if you need help quitting…" We hear Lily asking Vagrant God for a light as Denunzio wanders away. Vagrant God kind of shrugs as Joan says, "I see what's going on here. Um, I think this means…you shouldn't smoke either?" Lily's knocked out by Joan's insight: "Oh, looking for meaning. Impressive. Paint the wall." She leaves and Vagrant God wanders after her.