Episode Report Card Deborah: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Hole In Your Soul
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 2 | Aired on 09.30.2004
Joan and Boozith climb onto a trampoline in the backyard. They start bouncing and hooting and hollering. Adam wanders away, tired, and sits down near Grace, who's staring at them glumly. She says, "If she had an off switch, I'd use it." I'm not sure if she means Joan or Boozith. Adam just looks at the two of them sadly and walks off without saying anything, putting his hand gently on Grace's shoulder as he passes her. Wow. Not too many people could get away with that gesture.
A CD changer drawer pops out and Luke sticks in a CD. He looks pleased with himself as "Celebration" starts playing. People stare and complain but Luke doesn't care. <>Cut to Grace outside, who hears the music and wonders what gives. We see Luke walking in the background as she looks around nervously. When she notices him standing there, he just gives a little "come on" gesture with his head. Grace looks away, kind of shaking her head ever so slightly to herself. You can see her struggling with herself. She gets up, though, and wanders self-consciously in Luke's general direction.
Joan boogies up behind Adam, who's slumped in a chair, putting her hands over his eyes. He wriggles away from her hands as she catches him with a kiss on the neck. She asks, "What?" He says it's nothing, as she plants herself in his lap, adding, "It's just, you know…it's not private." She kisses him as he asks her to please stop. Of course, Boozith "Suzy Hang-a-Round" Montgomery and her tequila bottle are there all of a sudden, hanging over the back of the chair, complaining, "You're making me jealous." I feel sick. Why do I feel sicker than I ever did about Iris? I don't like it. Maybe it's because I just watched Hilary & Jackie again last week. Joan giggles. Adam just gives them both a questioning look and says nothing. Boozith sort of takes the hint and boozes off.
Joan goes back to trying to kiss Adam but he's finally had enough, asking her, "Would you get off me, please?" He gets up as Joan gripes, "What is your problem, Adam? Why can't you just loosen up for once?" ["Man, she's obtuse. If she were any more obtuse she'd be a circle. I liked her less than Boozith in this episode, honestly. Shut up, Joan." -- Sars] Adam looks at her and asks, "Is this what you want? Or is this just the official Joanith party line?" Joan laughs mirthlessly, saying she knew he didn't like Boozith. Adam sputters, "That's not true…I -- I -- I --" Joan: "You don't know what she means to me. This summer I didn't know if I was insane, or what. I would just lie there on my stupid, saggy bed and cry, and she was the only one who cared." Adam responds, "And I'm glad she was there for you. But why does that mean you have to turn into someone else? I mean, what happened to Jane?" Joan snaps, "I'm not Jane, okay? The name is Joan!" I flinch. "I just want to be who I am and not who everyone else wants me to be!" Adam: "Fine. Then don't let me get in the way, okay?" He walks off. I really love that when they disagree, he doesn't yell or scream or turn macho or throw stuff around or make empty threats. He just says what he has to say as calmly as he can. Joan looks worried, then pissed. Then she starts wandering through the crowd of partiers, seeming slightly surprised when she brushes past Cute Guy God. Before either of them can say anything, Boozith's calling to her. She's hanging on the mantel, swaying and drinking. She asks Joan, "Where'd beautiful boy go?" Ugh. Joan: "Who cares?" Noticing that Boozith's tequila bottle is about seven-eighths empty, Joan asks if she really drank all that. Boozith offers her the bottle: "Last shot, all Jo-Jo's." Joan declines, so Boozith naturally goes for it. She loses her balance and Joan catches her, steadying her on the arm of a chair. Joan asks if she really thinks she should be drinking this much. Boozith: "Buzz kill. Go! Jo-Jo find Boy-Boy. One of us should get some lovin'." Oy. Well, there's always Friedman, Boozith. I'm sure in your grossly intoxicated state you could hardly tell the difference between Adam and Friedman. Joan seems very hesitant to leave Boozith, but Boozith shoos her off.