Episode Report Card Aaron: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I'm not dead yet! (It's just a flesh wound.)
By Aaron | Season 2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 05.04.2002
Only she's not going to make it there this time, either, as she's shocked by the emergence of a robe-wearing Pa Chenowith. He explains that he's supposed to be hiding in the master suite, but Ma doesn't like him using her bathroom. "She gets insanely territorial about that damn bidet," he confides. Well, really, who wouldn't? Ruth wonders why the kids have never set up a dinner where they could all meet each other, and Pa Chenowith gets off the best line of the night by replying, "I could give you half a dozen reasons just off the top of my head." He also asks what steps Ruth is taking to treating Claire's depression, but once again the anvil/sublimate motif kicks in, and Ruth runs off to finally take that bathroom break.
And now we've come to the chanting portion of our evening, otherwise known as The Plot Wrap-Up Montage. While the Buddhists monks perform their chart-topping hit "Om Mani Padme Hum," Nate watches the funeral, Keith watches the cops take his sister away, Brenda watches Scrunchie flirt with her father, and David watches Taylor sulking on the sofa. In case you haven't been paying attention for the last seventeen pages, everyone is sad and feeling lost. What's really sad is that I could have written just that last sentence, and it still would have been a pretty complete recap. The montage ends with Nate pouring out the bowl of cleansing water onto a tree in the front yard, with the ghosts of his aborted children looking on.
With one or two plot threads still left dangling, Brenda takes Scrunchie out into the hall to break up with her. So to speak. "I need to be around people who aren't like you," she explains. "People who have clearer values, or something." Scrunchie seems hurt by this, but not particularly surprised, even when Brenda continues with, "You know, if I hadn't met you, I probably wouldn't be doing all this shit I've been doing." Yeah, right. You were doing it with Nate when you'd just met him, remember? Scrunchie does manage to get off a good parting shot, however, when she tells Brenda to "can it, sweetheart. You can't stand to see the truth about yourself, so I've got to take the fall." And with that, she's gone, presumably headed off to a huge party somewhere with Gabe, Hiram, EMT Eddie, and the Hoedown Ho. Farewell, Hooker Scrunchieface. You weren't actually all that scrunchie, and they stopped mentioning the "hooker" thing like eight episodes ago, but we'll miss you nonetheless.
And finally, we get Nate and Lisa, sitting on the Fortress's front porch. Nate explains about his anvilitis, and Lisa asks if "the Western medicine" is controlling the seizures. Nate also expresses a desire to be a part of his child's life, which makes Lisa ask if he's doing it because he wants to be a father, or if he's doing it because he's afraid of death. "Does it really matter?" wonders Nate. And apparently, it doesn't, because Lisa is delighted by the news. Until, that is, she discovers that Nate hasn't said a word to Brenda about the whole thing. She bitches him out extensively before finally leaving him alone on the porch, but it's 8:30, and I don't have time to transcribe it for you. So let's just fade to white, shall we? It's so much more peaceful that way.