Episode Report Card Kim: B | 1 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Moving On
By Kim | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 12.04.2001
Lauren and Ben arrive at Lauren's apartment. It's all very awkward and first date-ish. Ben takes a seat. Lauren offers him a drink, and they simultaneously drink from big bottles of water, and then laugh. Ben moves closer and brings up what happened before the play, and then apologizes. Lauren realizes that Javier was just "trying to play yenta." Lauren says that she had a really nice time, and Ben says that he did, too. Ben moves in for the kiss. After a few smooches, the phone rings. Lauren lets the machine pick up, but when a male voice starts leaving a message, she runs over to get it. She tells the caller that she can't talk, because there's someone there. Ben offers to leave, but Lauren motions for him to stay. Lauren gets deeper into the phone conversation, and it's clearly her ex-boyfriend. Ben realizes that she's going to be a while, and gets up to leave. Lauren apologizes multiple times, but makes no move to end the call. Instead, she makes a date with Ben for the following night. Ben assures her that it's okay, and leaves.
Javier and the widow work on a scene from A Streetcar Named Desire in their drama class. The widow is played by Bitty Schram, who also played Evelyn in A League of Their Own. You know, the one with the bratty kid who cried, even though there is no crying in baseball? That one. Javier actually comes off as very heterosexual in the scene. Maybe it's because he's channeling the young Marlon Brando. The scene ends, and their classmates applaud.
After class, the widow (and we find out in a moment that her name is Rita, so I'm just going to start using it now) rushes over and says, "Talk about animal magnetism!" Javier looks behind him and says, "Where?" Rita explains that she was talking about Javier's performance of the scene. Javier says that he needs to go fix his dryer, and tries to make a quick exit. Rita asks why he wasn't at the play last night. Javier explains why he couldn't make it, and Rita offers to see it again, with him. Javier says that he'll just rent the movie. Rita offers to bring the movie over, and have dinner with him. Man, this lady just won't quit! Javier starts to say that Rita is nice and all, and Rita realizes that she just isn't his type. Javier agrees. Rita rushes off. That Javier is such a heartbreaker.
Ben knocks on Lauren's door. Lauren answers, looking unshowered and bedraggled. Ben asks if she's okay, and Lauren says that she should have called him; she explains that it was her ex on the phone the night before, and that he wants to get back together. Ben asks if that's good. From the way that Lauren was acting -- all nervous -- and the way that she looked, all rumpled, I thought that her boyfriend was in her apartment or something. Lauren says that she doesn't know if that's good. Ben offers to hang out with her some other time. Lauren thinks that she should be by herself, then asks whether Ben has talked to his dad, because he is supposed to get his CT results today, and she'd like to know what they are. Ben asks again if Lauren is okay. Lauren says that she is. Her phone rings, and Ben says goodbye, as Lauren rushes off to answer it.