Episode Report Card Sars: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Neverland
By Sars | Season 3 | Episode 18 | Aired on 04.04.2000
Back at the roller rink, Henry and Jen skate around as a lousy remake of OMD's "If You Leave" plays in the background. Jen assures Henry that she didn't turn the stalker tables on him; she stumbled onto his birthday party accidentally, "so [he] can stop being mad." Henry says he isn't mad, but rather humiliated. Jen rightly points out that he lied to her about the party, didn't invite her to it, and then she had to meet his family attired in Victoria's Secret-wear, so he doesn't get to play the humiliated card. Henry drones on some more about the babyishness of the roller rink and how he thought she wouldn't understand; Jen blathers on a bit about Henry's innocence, and how attractive she finds it, and how he won't know what she'll understand until he lets her try, and he doesn't have to hide his true self. He asks if she forgives him. She says she doesn't like being lied to. He says he understands if she never wants to speak to him again and skates off. Jen rolls her eyes and mutters, "So dramatic," and skates after him. Heh. Finding him at the edge of the rink, she tells him she would have gotten him "Born To Run" on vinyl as his present, but when he dissed her, she returned it and bought herself "some angry chick music" instead. He says he guesses "it's the thought that counts." She throws her boa around his neck and they kiss. They make up. Pass the amphetamines.
Classic car museum. Angry prating on about the classic cars therein, Ethan nodding politely, and Mt. St. Jack preparing to blow up. Finally, Jack interrupts Angry and asks to speak to Ethan for a minute. Ethan, who can probably tell what's coming, trails Jack a few feet away and asks, "What's up?" Jack lets Ethan have it: he didn't invite Ethan to visit so that they could hang out with Angry, who hates Jack and doesn't try to understand him; Angry would shed tears over a car but not over his own son; Angry "stopped being [Jack's] father a long time ago"; you get the gist. A brief reaction shot of Angry, overhearing the exchange and looking like he just got punched in the solar plexus; cut back to Jack, describing the evening with Angry as "a nightmare." Ethan tries to get Jack to calm down; just then, Angry interrupts, pretending he didn't hear anything and asking with a tremor in his voice if the boys can get home okay on their own. "Yes," Jack says stridently, rolling his eyes. Angry walks past Jack, then turns around and says tightly, "You know, I really thought things were getting better. I was so grateful for tonight. I cancelled my business trip this weekend to spend time with you." Jack has the grace to look a little ashamed of himself as Angry adds, "I guess I'm just not the father you want -- or need," and turns away. Jack looks like he might cry.