Episode Report Card Niki: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Can you say "anticlimactic"?
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 14 | Aired on 03.06.2001
When we return, the camera pans over terrified customers crouching next to their tables. It moves over their heads to the center of the restaurant, where Benny and his gun are holding court. He assures Jake that he'll leave as soon as he talks to Giancarlo. Grace and Spencer watch the scene through the kitchen door, then jump back as Benny slams into the kitchen. He glances around and asks where Giancarlo is. Grace says he isn't there. Benny registers this news for a second, then turns and abruptly heads back into the restaurant, his gun raised near his shoulder. He finds the customers in the midst of skedaddling. Man, good hostages are so hard to find. Jake rushes out behind him, saying, "Benny, what are you doing? You're scaring people!" Benny's still going on about Giancarlo, and I have to say, this kid is starting to give me a headache. He shuts up about it for a few seconds and watches the customers fleeing.
Then Benny seems to register what's happening and shouts, "Wait! Stop!" Oddly, no one listens to the little man-child with the gun. He takes a few steps toward the throng, getting really agitated and yelling for them to stop. They don't. He pleads with Jake to "tell them to stop." Now that's just sad. Jake remains silent. Benny shrugs his arms helplessly for a second, then seems to remember that he's holding an instrument of death. He raises it above his head and fires a round into the ceiling. Well, now, that got their attention. Everyone stops. "Okay, no one's going anywhere! No one's going anywhere!" Jake yells, suddenly realizing this is serious, and holding up his arm in demand of calm. The camera cuts to the terrified expression of a dark-haired Jan Hooks-type girl in a turtleneck sweater. I'm not sure, but I think they recycled this clip from earlier. Anyway, Benny turns back to Jake and shouts, "Where did he go?" Jake yells that he doesn't know, but they'll find Giancarlo and get him to come down there. Yeah, I bet Giancarlo is in a big hurry to talk to the irrational gun-waving kid he's bullied on a daily basis. Jake yells, "This has nothing to do with these people." Benny shouts back, "I know that!" Jake bellows, "Then put the gun away!" I wish they'd lower their voices.
We cut back to Jan Hooks, who's grimacing this time. I wonder if she's involved with the show behind the scenes, like a writer or something, and that's why they keep showing her. Jake, thankfully, does lower his voice, and tries talking rationally to Benny, saying that he and Benny and Giancarlo will go sit in his office and talk things out. Benny stares back at Jake with eyes that appear to be coal black. Creepy. He looks suspicious. "You'll call him?" he asks, breathing hard. Jake assures him that he will. Benny shifts his eyes around, thinking it over. Jake keeps talking to him in a soothing voice. Benny starts slowly lowering his gun, looking torn between believing Jake and worrying that this all seems too easy. Jake reaches forward, about to remove the gun from Benny's grip.
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