Episode Report Card Deborah: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Growth Opportunity
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.07.2004
Helen and Lily (the UnNun) are at an outside coffee stand. I finally figured out, courtesy of forum poster flashgordon, who it is Constance Zimmer reminds me of, and it's Julie Kavner. She has a slightly Julie Kavner-ish vibe, between her looks and the rasp in her voice. God, it was driving me crazy, because it's subtle and I couldn't put my finger on it. Helen admits she can't seem to write down the things she needs to about the night of Kevin's accident: "I was wondering if you had any thoughts, anything that could help me get through this?" Lily thinks briefly and responds, "Nope. I don't think so." They start walking. Helen complains, "You're a nun." Lily: "Former nun." First Helen couldn't accept that Lily had been a nun, now she can't stop harping on it. The UnNun explains she never went in for "the platitudes," but she could advise Helen to surf: "That's what I do when I get all knotted up." Helen: "I don't surf." Well, I think it'd do you a world of good, although I'm still under the impression that there isn't a lot of really great surfing in Maryland. Lily: "Bummer. Because when you're out there, things make sense. You see a wave coming toward you, one you know that could kill you…but if you hit it right, it supports you. It saves you." Helen: "So you're saying the letter's like a wave, and if I ride it right…" Lily dismisses that: "Platitude. Platitude." Helen says she thought she was done with "all this." Lily says she wishes she could make things easier for Helen, but adds, "The struggle is kinda the whole point, isn't it? That, and the faith that it will somehow be worth it." And that's this entire series in a nutshell, in case anyone was looking for something succinct. Helen, not entirely convinced: "Yeah…" Lily adds, "And trying to quit smoking. Or trying to meet a guy who doesn't mind a woman who smokes…and was a nun!" Helen smiles: "I'll keep my eyes open." Lily: "Yeah, that'd be good." Don't think you'll have to look very far, Helen.
Joan arrives late to physics class as Lischak is yammering on about the indeterminate nature of photons. Joan apologizes for being late, saying she had "a thing," but Lischak seems to be in an irritable mood and gives her a hard time: "And I, in turn, was marking a late 'thing' in my book." Joan sits down between Adam and Grace, who's bent over her stool so far, and has her butt pushed so far back, that she's practically folded in half. Her scowling face is propped up on her hand. Lischak: "Coincidence? Or one event determined by separate indeterminate actions? Hmm." She wanders off. Joan asks Adam, "Am I supposed to know what she said?" Adam says he wasn't listening: "I was looking at you." Joan doesn't melt at that quite as much as you'd expect. She just looks kind of uncomfortable. Geez, Joan. Don't think I'm going to have any sympathy for you when Adam finally gives up and you spend all of Season Four bemoaning his absence from your life. Grace, on the other hand, has a "What's that smell?" sneer on her face. Friedman turns around to ask, "Hey, where's my Judith?" Oh, God. I don't know the answer to that but I can tell you exactly where my lunch will be in about thirty seconds. Joan whispers, "Friedman. The kiss meant nothing. She was drunk." Friedman laughs, "You sweet, naïve child."