Episode Report Card Aaron: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Things To Do In Seattle When You're Dead
By Aaron | Season 2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 03.23.2002
Cut to the exterior of a house somewhere. It has recently rained, however, so at least you know it's somewhere in Seattle. Nate and Claire park their rented van in front of a huge yellow house that sits up on a hill. In fact, it looks quite a bit like a freshly painted version of the Psycho house. Because of its size, I initially assumed that this had to be the funeral home where they're supposed to pick up Mr. Mossback, which would have clashed wildly with the plucky music and goofy "U-Pak 'Em" signs on the side of the van. As they climb the steps, however, the camera pans to reveal a truly amazing view of downtown Seattle, visible right from the house. It's a phenomenal shot, but are we really supposed to believe that the Assistant Manager For Produce at a food co-op lives in a mansion with a view like that? Bill Gates's house doesn't have a fucking view like that, for God's sake. And, hey! There's the Space Needle. I'm not sure if I should be counting shots here, or searching for a tiny little Jessica Alba standing up on the top. I should ask Kim. She'd know either way. Finally, the door to the house opens and Lili Taylor bounds out, looking pretty good. She's thrilled to be seeing Nate again, and she shows it by being very huggy. The look on Claire's face when Lili gives her an extra squeeze is hilarious.
Back in L.A., Ruth is calling Hiram. Oh, fuck. They're not bringing Begley back again, are they? Then again, they've already paraded out pretty much their entire collection of first-season guests (and who wants to bet they're saving Tracy Montrose Blair for yet another season-ending sermon on the meaning of life?), so I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Ruth constructobabbles for a few minutes about why she's calling (although she does specify that she's not babbling about the "actual physical structure [she lives] in with [her] family"), and then things start to go predictably downhill. Hiram accuses her of being drunk, and then asks if she wants to get back together, which sends Ruth into a rage. "You know something, Hiram?" she shouts, "Fuck off!" Amen, sister. And tell him to take his stupidly named new sitcom with him. Wow. I'm actually kind of liking The Plan right now. Next we cut downstairs, where Ruth is leaving a similar message for Amelia, and ironing the living daylights out some poor innocent shirt. Then we cut again, and now she's polishing the banister while leaving yet another long constructobabbled message for someone named "Sarah." I'm instantly back to hating the Plan again, however, when we're asked to believe that a woman who's lived as long as Ruth would ever utter the words "I'm beginning to think you don't ever want to talk to me again, in which case we really need to talk." Ouch. I feel for you, Frances. There's some more constructobabble, and then we get the big reveal that "Sarah" is actually Mommie Drearest's sister. Dun dun duh! Her last call completed, Ruth checks a little notebook, which informs us that she's now spoken to everyone on her list except the children. Oddly, Nikolai's name is nowhere to be seen. I guess his foundation must be completely crack-free.