Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Meeeooow! (Fffft!)
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired on 07.13.1999
In Glynn's office, he explains to Pete and Gloria that he can't interfere with the decisions Weigert makes. Pete, still sporting a hideous perm, asks if that's it, they just are going to let Alvarez sink into depression, but Glynn's expression is all, um, honey? This is the guy who CELEBRATED WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS RAPED, so I'm more inclined to dance than cry at the prospect of his suffering, thanks. See, Fontana? I have a decent memory, after all.
Gloria takes Alvarez his last dose of meds, and breaks the news about the pills. Alvarez says that his grandfather told him "yesterday" that Gloria wouldn't be coming to visit him any more, like, nice job, Zoloft. And nice job, product-placement people! Gloria's like, that would be your dead grandfather? She starts to leave Crazy Central, but Alvarez grabs her wrist and begs her not to leave. Alvarez struggles to tell her that he liked working in the ward, and I have to say that Kirk Acevedo does a great job of playing Alvarez as being on the brink of madness here. He kisses her hand and wistfully thanks her for caring. Gloria looks like she wants to spend a day and a half in the shower. She leaves, and when she's gone, he dumps his meds in the toilet. So wait, was he never taking them? Wouldn't she insist on seeing him take them? So she just trusts the mentally unbalanced to take their medication? Well, Eyebrows wasn't wrong about this being a waste, then. Wake up and smell your incompetence, Gloria.
Mukada's office. Gloria tells him about the dead grandfather thing, and says that although Pete will continue to monitor him, since he and Mukada have had a "special relationship" (wink wink, nudge nudge), she thought he'd want to know, and he thanks her for the information. She emotionally says that she's known tons of barrio boys like Alvarez. Oh, Gloria, they can't have all been that pretty. She goes on that a lot of them have ended up in prison or dead, and she's not sure how much longer she can do this job. Well, keep pissing off Dr. Eyebrows and you won't have to.
Alvarez is lying on his bed when Mukada comes to offer him communion. Alvarez petulantly tells him that he's told him before: He can't take communion without going to confession, and he can't confess. Mukada asks why not, and when Alvarez doesn't answer, he tells the attending hack to leave them alone. Alvarez exposits that Mukada has told him to rat on everyone involved in Rivera's blinding, and he won't do that. Mukada: "You won't, or you can't?" Alvarez notes that Mukada took vows when he went into the priesthood, and says he took his own going into El Norte. Mukada thinks that Alvarez is in the same cell as his grandfather, which Alvarez confirms, adding that he's still there. Well, I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to have to haunt my bedroom now. They can at least give me TWoP Towers -- the things you could witness there if you were invisible! Whoops, I shouldn't really mention that, on the off chance I survive this recap. Anyway, Mukada reminisces about talking to Alvarez's grandfather about Alvarez's baby, and asks if he remembers how sad he was when the baby died. Perhaps wondering, as I am, where the hell he could be going with this, Alvarez changes the subject, pointing out the communion wafers and asking what they're made of. Mukada tells him they're flour, and Alvarez tells him to give him one. Mukada protests, but Alvarez grabs a handful and starts stuffing his face. Mukada asks him why he did that. As much as I rack my brain, I can only come up with the thought that he might be hungry. That's the right answer, you say? Then why the fuck couldn't Mukada figure that out? Jeez. Alvarez says that he'll tell Mukada what's going on as long as he makes this a confessional, so he can't repeat it to anybody. Mukada agrees. Alvarez says that because he attacked Rivera, who was a hack, the other hacks are retaliating by "forgetting" to feed him. He holds a large container of yellowish liquid as he reveals that he's only eating about twice a week, and he doesn't get any water. Mukada's Oh, God, This Is Going To Be Gross alarm goes off. As does mine. He asks what Alvarez has been drinking. Alvarez: "Stuff from the toilet. My own piss." He takes a swig from the bottle. Mukada, I can only imagine, tries valiantly not to throw up. Hey, Father Ray, let it fly. If you do, at least Alvarez will get dinner.