Episode Report Card Aaron: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Death be not proud
By Aaron | Season 1 | Episode 4 | Aired on 06.23.2001
David tells Rico that he needs help with a tough case upstairs. Rico runs down the list of Alan Ball's writer-submitted nicknames for bad ways to die by asking if it's "decomp" or a "crispy critter." It's neither, actually, as David admits that what he really needs is help putting together a "traditional Mexican funeral." "Okay, what's a traditional Mexican funeral?" replies Rico, as he continues his work on the corpse. David begins the contortions required to place both feet firmly in his mouth when he mentions that he'd like Rico to help by talking to Powerful. Federico is obviously indignant at the implied ethnic insult, and asks, "Why, because I'm Latino, I know about gangs?" David gets a taste of toe by replying, "Well you probably know more than me," while gesturing at the evident whiteness of his skin. Federico proceeds to tell him off with the revelation that he's Puerto Rican, not Mexican, and then adds a whole bunch of geography stuff that I won't bore you with here. Finally, David goes full-on Gabriel and says, "Well, I just thought that maybe someone in your family…" before trailing off into silence. Federico turns his back and keeps working, and we get yet another wandering focus shot of David looking contrite behind him. Finally, he steps forward and confesses that they "can’t afford to lose this funeral, and [he's] afraid that if [he and Nate] are the point of contact, [they] will." There were way too many brackets in that last sentence.
Cut back upstairs, to Federico helping the Bolins pick out a coffin. They choose one that's "nicer than [their] car," but Powerful thinks it isn't good enough. Federico tries to ignore him, but Powerful interrupts to ask, "Where you from?" Get it? Just like the guys that killed Paco? I knew you did. Federico excuses himself and gestures for Powerful to follow him into the next room. "Where am I from?" he asks once inside, and basically gives Powerful a little lecture about how he's the only one who's willing to help bury their friend. Powerful sizes him up for a moment, then smiles and walks out without saying a word. He returns to the Bolins, and tells them to pick whatever they want. Rico, having overcome both implied prejudice and the implied threat of violence to save the sale, smiles broadly at his bosses.
So of course the Ironic Segue Fairy cuts us straight to David at the kitchen table, complaining that he still doesn't like the idea of hosting gang funerals. Nate has faith in Federico, however, saying, "David, we are sooo white. If we step in we'll fuck everything up." Mom continues her running gag about admonishing their language, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Man, she's such a fucking moron. After Mom briefly exposits that Brenda is coming to dinner, the topic switches to Claire. David thinks that Claire wouldn't have started the fire to help them, because she hates the whole family. Nate sits down beside him and whispers that their sister was on crystal-meth the night The Late Nate died. "Oh, my God!" answers David. "Isn't that a horse-tranquilizer?" Heh. Mom spoils the fun by telling them to go to another room if they want to talk without her hearing them. She snarks a bit more about Brenda's visit, and David offers to pick up some Chardonnay for dinner while he's out running some errands. Apropos only of the fact that the writers want to show David hiding his sexuality, Mom starts interrogating him about precisely what errands those might be. This gets interrupted by the arrival of Claire, however, who walks in and relates the story of a kid in school who got busted for bringing in a taser. The rest of family just stares at her accusingly while I wonder how, if six cops showed up to bust a kid with a glorified garage door opener, Claire didn't even get suspended for bringing in dismembered human remains. I mean, even the police have a record of it, so it's not like Keith was able to make it go completely away.