Episode Report Card Manimal: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Reckoning
By Manimal | Season 1 | Episode 6 | Aired on 11.17.2001
Sepia-toned bar. Francie, Sydney, Will, and his sister Amy -- sporting the Run, Lola, Run hair of the first episode -- are meeting Rachel and Charlie. Rachel confesses that she's heard a lot about Francie and thinks she sounds totally perfect, since she's doing stuff like going for her MBA. Francie says, "Okay, I like her." Francie kind of gets on my nerves. She has a lot of teeth. Charlie introduces everyone else. Will asks whether Rachel's heard about him. Rachel confesses that she hasn't. Man. Do the writers hate Will, too? Just then, Will's cell phone goes off. It's Kate/Eloise. Will takes the call, while there's some meaningless, "You'll be great!" chatter around him. As soon as Charlie and Rachel leave, Francie leans over to Sydney and mutters, "This is going to be a disaster." Sydney whispers, "Stop it!" Sydney is really a very good friend to Francie.
Meanwhile, Kate/Eloise apologizes to Will for pepper-spraying (snicker) him. Will says it's okay, and that he had his glasses on. Kate/Eloise says that she's not a bad person. Will says that he never said she was, but that he needs her to help him out. Kate/Eloise fumfahs for a second and tells Will that "they" gave her $2000 to impersonate Kate Jones, and that she needed the money because she was between jobs and her car was broken (and still is). Will asks if they can talk in person. They make a date for 3 PM, and Will offers the name of a good mechanic as well. Kate/Eloise is silent. Will tries to be reassuring. Kate/Eloise hangs up without a word. Oh my God. I don't want to kill Will. What's going on? Did the writers come over and slip some MDMA in my Special K with Red Berries?!
Back to the club. Charlie takes the stage, and the audience dies down to murmurs. Charlie looks like he's about to be dropped off a cliff. He makes eye contact with Francie, who looks as scared as he does. Sydney takes one look at Francie, and at Charlie, and in the dead silence, shrieks, "Woohoo! Chaar-LIE!" and pumps her hands in the air. Everyone laughs and the awkwardness is officially broken. Okay. That was cute. But no more, people! I can't have my worldview rocked any more today.
Soft piano accompaniment. Charlie starts to sing that old classic "Have a Little Faith in Me." His voice isn't bad, but he's certainly no Al Green. He's also a little...flat. But he's certainly not horrible. Francie is relieved. She leans over to Sydney and whispers, "That's my boyfriend."