Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Judy Needs a Good Gluck
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.23.2001
Judy, meanwhile, has just arrived at Manning Manor, where Grace greets her in the doorway. "Hey baby! How are you doing?" Judy practically sings, planting a kiss on Grace's cheek. Grace groans that she's buried under a "slagheap" of homework. She asks what's in the bag Judy's carrying. "Your mother threatened to kill me if I didn't get her a new teapot." "Yeah, for all the tea she doesn't drink," snorts Grace. Heh. They head into the kitchen, where a glorious blond presence is filling the corner of my television screen. Awww yeeah! Will Gluck is in the house! He lights up when he sees Judy, who's shocked to find him there. Grace hovers, obviously feeling the sexual tension that's crackling as Will explains that Lily called him. They stand and stare awkwardly at one another when the small talk lapses, and Grace jumps in to stoke the fire, saying that Will fixed her sink. She plays it up like he's Bob Vila, but Will is modest about it. He goes to the sink and scrubs his hands, asking Judy how the fountain's working out. She tells him everyone loves it, and people always say "how beautiful it is, and what a...uh..." Judy can't finish her thought, though, because she's just gotten a look at Will's big strong sexy man hands lathering up in the sink. She's transfixed, muttering "what a..." over and over again until Will finally says, "'What a' what?" He turns off the faucet and grabs a towel, thereby breaking the spell. Judy can't remember what she was talking about, though, and Will reminds her just as Zoe comes barreling into the kitchen laden with brown paper bags. Lily's right behind her, and she asks Judy what she's doing there. Judy says she brought her a new teapot. "You didn't have to do that! I was kidding!" Lily exclaims. "Yeah, right," Judy says. Zoe asks whether Will needs any help. Grace looks up from a book on the kitchen table with a bemused smile. Will says Zoe can help him rehang her door. He pauses in the kitchen doorway to tell Lily that he noticed some chipped tiles in her bathroom. She answers that she was trying to ignore them. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and mumbles that he can fix them tomorrow. Lily thanks him emphatically. He tells Zoe to follow him and they'll get to work. Lily calls out that dinner is in fifteen minutes and then adds that Will can join them if he'd like -- they've "got so much." Judy throws her a knowing look, like, "You flirt!" He reappears in the doorway to thank her but turns down the offer. He lingers and tells Judy it was really good to see her again. Then his big dimples appear and I'm staring at his scruffy bed-heady hair and giggling like a little girl. Man, I loves me some Will Gluck. When Will leaves, Judy turns to find Lily perched conspiratorially behind her. "Do you like him?" Lily whispers. "No, you're the one who likes him," Judy answers. "What are you talking about?" Lily demands in a whisper. Judy bats her eyelashes and pouts her lips and breathily mimics, "Oh, we've got so much!" "'Oh, I brought you a new teapot'?" Lily counters. "Yeah, well if you wouldn't accuse me of stealing all the time," Judy laughs. Grace, overhearing the exchange, wonders, "Why don't you two just flip a coin?" Judy grabs her gloves and says she has to go. "I already have plans," she says grandly. Lily throws up her hands and jokingly snarks, "Do you see me asking you to dinner?"
Out on the porch, Judy finds Will waiting for her. "I thought you went upstairs," Judy says, suddenly awkward. You know her breath just caught and her stomach is now somewhere in her boots. "Yeah. I tried to call you once. You didn't answer." "Oh." "I wanted to call you again," Will admits, shyly rocking on his feet, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Oh." "Well, should I do that?" he persists, looking so earnest it could break your heart. Judy looks like a deer in headlights, and stammers, "I guess that's really complicated?" Oh my god, just kiss him already! "Why?" Will asks. Judy glances at her watch and avoids the question by saying that she's so sorry, but she has to go. "Can I think about it?" she asks, not ready to blow him off definitively. "About whether I should call you or not?" Will asks, scrunching his face in confusion. She mutters more apologetic bits as she brushes past him down the walk. "You look so beautiful," he says. I swoon. Well, it got her attention. Judy stops and turns to look at him. He smiles and shrugs his shoulders a little. "Oh," she manages. "Well it's really nice to see you too." She turns again and starts down the sidewalk, looking like she just got goosed. And liked it. She glances over her shoulder the requisite one time, so we can be sure her cool façade is just that.