Episode Report Card Niki: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mediation
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 13 | Aired on 01.23.2000
Black-and-white Grace is sitting on a stool covering her eyes and shaking her head at the great depths of male oblivion, as she voices over her opinion that "Boys are so naive. I mean, sometimes you have to wonder, like, how they even live."
Back in the hallway, Grace opens her eyes wide and says she has no idea. Eli says it must be because Jennifer thought Grace would be a better tutor, and then he tells her that she has been a good tutor and he's learned a lot. Grace looks genuinely happy to hear this compliment.
Inside the classroom, Lily is still rambling on with her synopsis of The Stranger. Rick's just standing there staring at her like he could give a rat's ass. When she finally pauses for breath, Rick jumps on the chance to get the hell outta there. He says he has to go, and Lily looks like she's been rebuked but then says she has to leave too. Simultaneously (of course), they each grab their kid's stuff and then exit through separate doors calling "Gracie?" and "Eli?" in unison. Each unit walks in opposite directions. Lily looks back, but Rick just keeps on truckin'.
Later that evening at the Sammler dinner table, Eli and Jessie are discussing the great tutor mystery while Rick stares into his plate like a big ol' puppy. They bring him back to reality and Jessie asks him what is the matter. He tells them it's a work thing, and that he has to go call David. Instead he goes to his room and cries. Hard. The moment is so honest that it actually penetrates my icy-cool veneer. Back at the table, Eli tells Jessie that they saw "the Mom" earlier and she says "Well, duh, no wonder."
The next morning, Grace and Zoe exchange a look and then Grace asks Lily if Jake wants to sell the house. Lily fields this and several more questions, trying to reassure them, but the kids just keep on raising argument after argument. She explains that before they can split things up, they have to know what everything is worth. Grace wants to know how Lily's going to buy out Jake's half of the house if she has no money. Kapow. Lily snaps and barks, "We're not going to sell the house. Ever. Now eat!"
At the office, Rick passes David, who casually asks how the meeting went. His question stops Rick cold. He starts trying to explain, but David cuts him off, letting him know that he's not upset that Miles doesn't want to work with him (who would be, after all?). He's upset because Rick kept it from him, and he had no right to do that. Rick wants to know what the big deal is since the outcome will be the same either way. To drive home his point, David ventures into sacred territory -- Lily's cheating. He points out that Lily probably didn't think it would have any effect on her future relationship with Rick but she didn't have the right not to tell him, which would have taken away his right to judge for himself. Just as Rick doesn't have the right to judge outcomes on behalf of him. David walks away, leaving Rick to suck on that bitter lump.