Episode Report Card Joe R: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Punishment Light
By Joe R | Season 1 | Episode 8 | Aired on 09.25.2005
Peter and his son, Tim, have apparently decided to reward Shane's biting by treating Nancy and the boys to lunch. Lunch...with wine, I guess, which seems excessive given the situation, but since Nancy doesn't have a coffee to nuzzle, I suppose she needs something to cradle. Silas keeps his face buried in his Sidekick (he texts Megan that "this guy totally wants 2 bone my mom") and Shane obnoxiously eats his pasta face-first and then asks Tim if he was held back a grade. I'd be mortified, but with a season's worth of hindsight, everything Peter does seems sketchy, so whatever.
Back home, Lupita's out back, watering the plants, when she's alerted by the maracas rattling on the soundtrack to the presence of a Mexican guy in the yard. He's wearing a baseball jersey, so he's sporty, but it's unbuttoned, which means he's a free spirit. Anyway, this is Alejandro, the drug-dealing cousin of Lupita's maid friend (Serena, is her name) that we heard all about two episodes ago. You know, the one who said Nancy was cutting into his business? Alejandro looms over Lupita and tells her to tell Nancy that Agrestic is a one-dealer town, and she needs to get out of the weed-selling business. Then he hands Lupita a roll of pennies to give to Nancy, just in case she (and we) haven't put it all together yet. Andy walks out and thinks Alejandro is the pizza guy, and Alejandro grits his teeth at him and stomps out.
Ill-Advised Lunch Date. Peter asks Nancy what she does for a living, which is of course awkward, though it would have become more awkward if she'd have asked him the same. Instead, Nancy decides that the usual questions are boring, so they ask bizarre stuff like favorite body of water or whether they prefer lickable or self-adhesive stamps. Shane butts in with some personal questions for Peter -- is he married? Is he a fag? -- which earn him a few swift kicks from Nancy. Tim chimes in with some inappropriate questions for Nancy, and soon it's madness. You can totally see why Peter and Nancy would want to pursue this thing further.
Montage. Andy and Doug, high as shit, continue to hunt the rat, which is just running around the kitchen like it owns the place. Andy comes across a photo of Judah with the family and starts crying. Celia theatrically drops her wedding ring in the disposal and leaves Dean to fish it out. Shane sulks at dinner while Nancy pours herself another glass of wine. And flirts with a stranger. With her kids at the table. On the day of their dad's unveiling. I normally end up siding with Nancy even when she's being foolish and short-sighted and reckless, but this shit just makes me not like her right now. Take your boys home. Date on your own time. Doug and Andy gorge on homemade Chex mix and laugh their fool heads off at some movie while the rat roams free and eats. Celia and Dean sit silent and miserable in their depressing house.