Episode Report Card Gustave: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT In the back seat
By Gustave | Season 1 | Episode 11 | Aired on 02.11.2002
Although there was this one time that I was fired from a television production company that made the TerrorKompound look like a New Paltz food co-op. The owner of the company had this obsession with loyalty, and I had violated his trust by slipping one of the editors a copy of the show she had worked on so she could show it around to prospective employers after she had been fired herself. And it didn't really help that owner guy was, like, 5'2" and the day before I was fired he was trying to reach a VHS tape on a shelf that was beyond his reach, so he asked me to hand him a stool so he could stand on it. Well, I'm 6'3", so instead of handing him the stool -- he also weighed about 300 pounds -- I walked over to the shelf, grabbed the tape myself, and handed it to him. At the time I thought I was being "pro-active," but in retrospect, I guess it wasn't such a great idea. Anyway, I get fired and due to the heavy turnover at this company and the fact that there was no corporate structure in place, it becomes apparent as I'm on my way out the door that they need me to answer a few questions. "Gustave, where is the manual kept for the archiving software?" "Well, since all our software is pirated because we're too cheap to buy it, there never was a manual." "Oh, so how did you learn how to use it?" "Noah taught me." "Who is Noah?" "Some guy who was fired last month for complaining about the fact that all of our software is pirated." I was fired at 9 AM and at 6:30 PM, I left the office, and they still didn't know anything, so they started calling me at home. "Hey, Gustave? What's up?" "Not much, just busy at my new job." "Hey, I feel like an idiot asking this but you know the Digital Beta deck?" "Yup." "I'm hitting the record button but nothing is happening." "Is it on?" "How would I know?" "Is the front part lit up?" "No." "Then it's not on." "Thanks! One more question?" "Yup." "Where is the on/off switch?" "Upper left hand corner." "I'm still not seeing any lights." "Is it plugged in?" "Uh, no." And so it went. For those of you that think it's cold the way that some companies give you an hour to pack up your stuff and hustle you out of there, things could be worse. But for some reason, FATB gives Gaines another chance. He has "thirty minutes" to find Kiefer before he has to complete his final task -- killing the Kieferettes and pulling his men out of the TerrorKompound. Rick just happens to be walking by at that moment and hears them planning to kill Spawn and Bride. FATB pulls out a StarTac and calls someone who he speaks to in some Eastern European language. For all I know he could be arranging to have a Mylar balloon delivered to his assistant on Secretary's Day, but it sure sounds scary.
Back at the elementary school where Palmer is putting in a campaign appearance, some camera-friendly teacher is asking him about his education plan while the press listens to their every word. He interrupts her to take a call from Kreepy Karl, who is getting queenier and queenier with every episode. Palmer asks him about the rumors he's heard about George Ferragamo being "taken care of." "Who did you hear that from? Frank Ames?" asks Kreepy Karl, sitting cross-legged on a leather club chair and holding a lit cigarette in a hand that is resting on his knee. "You know what an old lady he is. Don't pay any attention to him." Palmer asks Kreepy Karl to meet with him now. Kreepy Karl klaims that he's too busy. Palmer reminds him that he "knows a few things" about Karl that he might not want spread around. What? That he's a big homo? Everyone knows that. Nevertheless, Karl promises to be at the elementary school by the end of the episode…I mean, "eleven o'clock."