Episode Report Card Deborah: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT "Anonymous" Was A Woman
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.29.2004
Kevin arrives home to find Joan on the couch, listlessly churning a spoon in a barrel of ice cream. Mint chocolate chip, I think. ["The old-school fake-o green kind, too. Good for her." -- Sars] He asks what she's still doing up. Joan: "Gorging." He wheels over to the couch as she asks where he's been. He says he was at the paper, working on the big "Summer Fun" issue: "Which isn't really that fun…and not too summery, in April." Joan asks, "How'd you know writing would be your thing?" I hope he tells her he didn't, and that Rebecca had to strong-arm him into it. Kevin admits, "I didn't. I still don't. I just tried it, and so far it's working out." Joan says he's lucky. Kevin: "Wow. That sounded genuine. You must be depressed." When no comment is forthcoming, he asks what happened with the pictures. Joan: "The usual: failure. Humiliation." Kevin thinks for a moment, searching for something he can honestly claim Joan does well, and comes up with: "You can walk." I know some viewers heard that as bitterness or guilt-tripping, but I really don't think he meant it that way. Joan smiles and laughs a bit. She finally says, "Good night, Kevin."
The next day Joan returns to beg Brian for another opportunity at the yearbook, but before she can say anything, he launches in with, "I thought I was clear: you cannot take any more photographs! Hey, don't let her have a camera!" Shut it, Orange Sweater Vest. You're not Rupert freaking Murdoch. Joan explains that she just wants to help out. Brian: "Why? Your failure is so fresh. I'd be hiding!" Joan, mildly: "Morale boosting is not your thing, is it?" Brian: "Not at crunch time." Joan says that why he needs her help, and offers to do anything. Brian: "You must really love yearbook." Yeah, that's why she's been hanging around the office all year. Joan shrugs and prevaricates: "Yeah, I mean, it's always been my dream to -- to be a part of a book…that's about the year…" Brian relents and says they need a gofer. Joan: "That's all you have?" Brian says it is: "You know how to work the copy machine?" Joan: "Press the little button that says 'copy'? Yeah." Brian: "Excellent! Why don't you start by taking out all the garbage? You know where to put it?" Joan mutters, "Yeah, I know exactly where to put it."
Cut to Joan gathering garbage. When she grabs a box from on top of a file cabinet without even looking in it, I know there's trouble afoot. I think God needs to give her refresher lessons on paying attention to things. Maybe she should spend a little time with some Buddhist nuns. We get some shots of Joan struggling to fix the copy machine and falling on her ass while doing so.