Episode Report Card Cate: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Dirty Laundry
By Cate | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.21.1999
Back in the kitchen, Dopey graciously offers Simon some of the Camden food. Simon declines because the cookies are filled with "additives, preservatives, chemicals." Oddly enough, the cookies are stored in one of the plastic containers Matt had removed from the fridge earlier. Honestly, who keeps store-bought cookies in the fridge, in Tupperware, no less? It's Simon's big dramatic speech: pawns of big business, blah blah, poisonous plastics, blah blah, paper towels. Thanks, Simon, but the next time I want to hear your trite views on anything, I'll ask. Run along now.
Lucy answers the phone in her bedroom. It's Tammy, and she wants to know if Lucy's going to the big party. Lucy says she'll think about it.
Mary catches Dopey in the kitchen. He's packing up what's left of the Camden food to take home with him. He informs Mary that he and Chickenhead weren't fighting about sex and that she can tell Lucy that. Mary replies, "I'm not your messenger, and I don't care what you and Shana are doing." Like the Grinch, Matt walks out the door with all the family's food, but not before saying, "That's right, you don't care about anybody but yourself." Dopey, they just can't win with you, can they? You're pissed when people show interest in your stupid problems, you're pissed when they don't. Make up your freakin' mind already. Oh, and don't forget your laundry!
Dopey's back at his own place, checking his messages. Get this, Chickenhead has actually left the following message on his machine: "Hi, this is Shana for Matt. Matt, listen, I'm sorry about today. I really don't want to see other people, but I do want a time out from you. I'll call you." Well, that's a new one. I've never heard of anyone being dumped via answering machine, especially when it's a machine shared by the dumpee's roommate. Do I feel any sympathy for Dopey? Ask me again when I'm done laughing.
Ma Camden informs Simon that his bad mood is bringing down everyone else in the house. She tells him that if he pretends to be happy, eventually he will become happy. She also tells him how to sustain a good mood: "Once you get your mood up, help someone to actually do something that contributes to someone else feeling better or getting what they need." I know, I thought that was a little convoluted too. I'll try to translate: people who have nothing to contribute to the world but an endless whine about how bad things are tend to make others want to slap them really, really, really hard. She means you, Simon, so quit yer bitching and do something.