Episode Report Card Niki: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Pressure Cooker
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.20.2000
We return from commercials to find Rick and the gang at Lily's door. I've got a feeling that chaos is about to erupt, so if I miss something or mishear something, go easy on me. Okay, deep breath. I'm ready. Introductions all around, voices over voices, and hands outstretched for shaking. Rick makes a lame Thanksgiving-as-football analogy, which clearly goes over Barbara's head, as she shrugs and grimaces at Zoe. Peg laughs like it's the funniest thing she's heard in days. Actually, it probably is, which is just sad.
Cut to Lily's loudly patterned sleeves pulling the turkey out of the oven as Barbara and Peg enter the kitchen. Barbara comments on how large turkeys have gotten over the years, which triggers Peg's hormone speech. All right, already. Organic is the way to go. We get it. God, does she have stocks in some organic turkey farm or what? ["Funny, because the last straw that made Glark turn vegetarian was the salmonella he got when he was served organic chicken by that same 'former boss' and 'self-proclaimed New Ager' Niki mentioned above." -- Wing Chun] Grace, reading a novel at the kitchen table, glances up briefly and looks vaguely amused by the turkey talk. Lily asks Peg for her turkey roasting secrets, to which Peg chuckles heartily and responds that she hasn't cooked one in twenty-five years, so she can't remember. Barbara stares at her with a mix of pity and shock, smiles brightly, and says that Peg can cook the sweet potatoes then, since Lily says that Babs always overcooks them. Peg's no fool, though, and sidesteps this obvious effort to corral her into kitchen duty by saying that, instead of doing the sweet potatoes, she'd like to get to know Grace a little better. She notices that Grace is reading Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Grace informs her that it's required reading. "They want to warn you about being reckless with your sexual favors," Peg informs her with mock prudishness. Babs casts a disapproving eye in Peg's direction. Laughingly, Grace asks why they never have to read about women who were wild and got away with it. Peg recommends that Grace check out Katie Roiphe, and promises to send her Last Night in Paradise. Babs casts a suspicious eye while stirring the gravy. Sex talk on Thanksgiving -- it's outrageous! But seriously, I can see why Barbara would take issue at this virtual stranger talking about loose women with her granddaughter. And many of you, I know, take issue with Peg suggesting that Grace check out Roiphe, a writer who suggests that date rape is a myth. I've never read her but might now, out of curiosity. And I'll sign it out from the library so that only a few pennies make their way to Roiphe's pockets. Anyway, where the hell was I?