Episode Report Card Demian: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Shannen sings!
By Demian | Season 3 | Episode 24 | Aired on 01.19.1997
Lounge. The party’s breaking up in anticipation of the band’s set. Nick grumps to himself by the couch while Shannen pales and clutches her stomach off to the side. Chloë returns as Shannen announces, "You guys? I don’t feel so well [sic]." And she’s an English major? Maybe she should stick to the singing career after all. Sammy brushes past Simon just as Shannen takes off down the stairs to hurl in the ladies’. "What’s wrong with her?" Sammy asks. "She’s nervous," Simon replies. "She doesn’t get nervous," Nick exclaims, rubbing his forehead. The rest of this little scene cuts between Shannen horking into a sink and the band debating their game plan in light of Shannen’s sudden illness. It’s quickly agreed that Chloë will cover for Shannen on the lead vocals. Chloë doesn’t even pretend to object. The manager announces the band as Shannen vomits once more in the bathroom. Simon checks on her one final time, but she’s too busy shooting a couple of major internal organs out through her nose to perform. The band takes its place onstage. Conveniently, this is the evening Dawson has chosen to shoot the final performance footage for the video. Chloë glows in the spotlight. Shannen weakly hobbles out of the restroom and gazes moistly at Chloë’s final usurpation of her place in the band. Oops. Forget that last bit. The next scene makes it clear that Shannen has yet to suspect Chloë of backstabbing. Dawson strikes his camera equipment while Chloë natters excitedly at him. Shannen and Simon slump together in a booth watching Chloë as she goes. Sammy decides they all need to head out for a celebration. Nick curtly begs off, as does Shannen, citing her cramping stomach. Alison scuttles in behind her to apologize for the fight earlier in the evening. She’s worked things out with Slammin’ Sammy Stoner, and everything’s peachy. Shannen smiles through the pain in her gut. Shannen asks Nick for a ride back to House Delta so Simon can join the others for a beer or two. As they leave, Chloë and Simon exchange A Look Fraught With Significance. Smash-cut to the Lair of the Adolescent. A filthy scene of heterosexual intercourse follows, which I shall not describe beyond noting that the heterosexuals involved are Simon and Chloë. What I will tell you, however, is that the filthy heterosexual intercourse is cross-cut with scenes of Dawson in the living room piecing together the video. Chloë-centric footage gradually comes to dominate the screen as Chloë’s treatment of the song gradually overpowers Shannen’s on the soundtrack. It’s a nifty little idea. It’s also a shame they ended up with such a piss-poor execution of it. While the filthy heterosexual female drags her claws down the filthy heterosexual male’s back, Dawson freezes the tape on Shannen’s image as she whines, "Stop!" Get it? No, really -- do you get it? Because I don’t think we should proceed with the recap until we’re all certain we know what’s going on here.Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25Next