Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Experience Is The Teacher
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 17 | Aired on 03.31.2002
Fade to Creepitri reading the rewrite while Grace anxiously clutches a glass of water and waits for him to finish. "This isn't an ending," he scoffs. Immediately, she's defensive. "What, it was all a dream? That's your ending?" he says derisively. ["Ew. That is weak." -- Wing Chun] Grace defends it, saying that it makes you question the nature of reality, as if that's never been done before. He tells her, "At least be specific. Suddenly realizing that the most memorable moment of your life was only an illusion, you only made it up, what does that feel like, specifically? But this is just...it's like you're backing away, disowning it, as if you'd do anything to be rid of it, like none of it mattered!" He slaps the pages down on the counter and insists, "It's not an ending." He paces over to the sink, telling her to read the Chekhov stories he gave her. Grace shoves the story in her bag and zips it closed.
Creepitri's voice softens, and he asks if Grace would like something to eat. Spinning to face him, she spits, "Oh! If you're angry at me, just say it! Don't take it out on my story." Taken aback, he looks at her for a second without saying anything. She flies over to the fridge, wrenches the door open, and grumbles, "At least I'm trying! I don't see you sending your poetry out to any magazines." Wearily, he reminds her that he doesn't write anymore. "My point, exactly," she snaps. He mutters that he has "some of that cheese" she likes. Is that weird? I think that's weird. Grace backs away from the fridge like it's a time bomb, grousing that she probably shouldn't be opening his fridge, "since it's obviously this punishable crime!" "Just take the cheese," he orders. He realizes how ridiculous it sounds, and laughs. The tension broken, he finally admits, "I am somewhat angry with you. I'm even angrier at myself. That doesn't change the fact that your ending doesn't work." No kidding. What's weaker than "it was all a dream"?
Anyway, Grace finally sees past herself and asks, "Are they really going to take away your license?" She suggests that if he talks to Alexa, he might be able to convince her that she's wrong. Wearily, he says that things have gone "way past Alexa." "But we have to tell people!" she cries. "Tell them what?" he retorts. "The truth!" she cries. "Uh huh," he mutters cynically, "and what's that?" Grace is stumped. See? There's that whole Rashomon thing coming into play here. Very clever. He smiles faintly and holds out a piece of cheese for her. She snatches it from him, griping that she hates them. "I mean, what gives them the right?" she whines. "Well, state laws," Creepitri says, stealing the words right out of my mouth. Grace starts crying and wails that it's so "unfair they can just control [their] lives like that." Creepitri looks at her sympathetically, and softly starts explaining that it isn't unfair, given his position. She cuts him off: "No! It's unfair to me!" Well, someone certainly is her mother's daughter. I know, I know, Lily's been pretty cool the last couple of episodes. What can I say? Old habits die hard. Grace explains that everyone thinks the two of them got it on, and she never even had a taste of the action because he wouldn't let her. Creepitri sort of smiles, and she brats, "Don't laugh at me!" He sighs and says he can't help it. With a tear rolling down her cheek, Grace says, in a tiny little voice, "I read what you wrote -- in that book you gave to me. Thank you." Her face crumples a little but she steels herself and then plunges headlong at him, locking her lips against his. For far too long. He starts to kiss back, and she holds up a hand before reluctantly pulling away. They stand there looking at one another. Grace laughs lightly and whispers, "Oh my god." "Uh huh," Creepitri breathes, smiling a little. She says she's going home now, and grabs her bag. Creepitri just stands there, his chest heaving. Part of me is heaving, too, but it isn't my chest.