Episode Report Card Niki: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Aaron's Gettin' Better
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.20.2001
Soliloquy Lily remembers that he taught her "which berries and leaves were safe if [she] were ever lost in the forest." She says that he told her the way a bird's wing works, and while she describes "how it lifts, how it flies..." she waves her hand fluidly up and away from her body. The camera follows its "flight."
We fade into Aaron, propped against the back door, gulping from a glass while Judy soothes him, his medication in her hand. He cries and glances at Lily, looking ashamed. She looks back with a mix of love and pity. Rick stands behind her, holding her.
When we return from commercials, Aaron is stretched out on the couch, with Judy and Lily watching over him. Shelly bustles out of the living room, saying that Aaron's okay, and that he'll sleep "a million hours." She asks how Lily's doing. Lily says she's just really tired, and Shelly assures her, "This can wear you out." She glances around distractedly, muttering, "I had a coat." Rick offers it up to her. Shelly then sniffs the air, and hints, "Is that lasagna I smell, or has my medication not kicked in?" Lily chuckles and says it's real, and then she tells Shelly to help herself, there's a ton of it. Judy thanks her for coming, and Shelly responds, "Please! It's Aaron." She adds that she can see he's improved, despite the outburst tonight. "The meds," Lily says. "And other things," Shelly replies, patting her shoulder. Judy walks Shelly out while Lily leans over and covers Aaron with a blanket. "What do you need?" Rick asks Lily. She sighs and suggests that they go for a walk.
As she rounds a street corner, I can't help noticing that Lily is wearing really fugly boots. They make her feet look like Frankenstein's. But I guess she has more important things than footwear on her mind. Soliloquy Lily pops up and shares with us that one of the things she loves about Rick is "how it's okay for him just to be there." They stroll along, and Lily assures Rick that Aaron will be okay. Then she adds that she made things worse. "Looks like you did," he agrees, in a stunning display of backbone, and she tells him that he doesn't have to agree with her. Rick asks, "So you feel guilty?" She says she does, and he agrees, "I would if I were you." Rein it in there, big fella, or that spine's going to get you in trouble. Lily says that he's one to talk. "What, me and my brother?" Rick asks. "At least I talk to mine," Lily says. "At least mine's sane," Rick counters. I'm not sure why, but they both think this is funny. Lily starts to say that she made it worse, that she wanted Aaron.... Rick cuts her off, saying that he'll make her a deal: "When we're married, you solve my problems with my brother, and I'll solve yours with yours." Lily thinks that sounds fair. Rick asks her how she screwed up with Aaron. She explains that her life has just been such a mess that she "needed him to get better for [her], to give [her] hope for [her] life." Rick says, "You were wrong." "About Aaron?" Lily asks. Rick explains, "About hope. Where it comes from." Lily ponders this for a second, and then gives a self-deprecating half eye roll, saying, "From me." She nods and shrugs and repeats, "From me." Rick just looks at her like, Bingo! "Damn!" Lily mutters.