Episode Report Card Niki: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Sixty-Minute Miracle
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 15 | Aired on 03.17.2002
Jake gives the bartender a ride home. She hovers in the passenger seat, waiting for him to make a move, but he just stares straight ahead, breathing hard. "So, thanks for the ride," she says. He asks what happened to her Impala. She explains that it rusted out. Fascinating. She opens her door and waits for him to follow suit. He doesn't. "So, are you coming up, or are you waiting for a formal invitation?" she asks. Jake barks a self-conscious laugh and hedges, "Well..." "'Well,' what?" she asks. He says he's not sure. "Well, then, what are you doing here?" she demands. She smiles at him, waiting on his answer, while he squirms in his seat. Finally, he says, "Look, I don't you to take this the wrong way, okay? Because I would love to come in with you. But -- oh, god! I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth! -- I...I'm not sure if I can right now. For...some reason." She smiles knowingly and prods, "Why not?" He says he doesn't know. She claims that she does. She tells him not to be a stranger, and then leans across the seat to kiss him. He groans his disappointment over this perplexing development of a conscience and watches her stroll into her building. Sighing, he wacks his head against the steering wheel a couple of times.
Sam, Judy, and Jamian enter Sam's studio. He ushers the kid to get his stuff together, reminding him that Janine will be there soon to pick him up. Judy plucks a baseball glove off the floor and asks Jamian whether it's his. He just glares at her. "Jamie," Sam prods. Reluctantly, Jamian snatches the glove without looking at Judy. "Maybe I should just stay here tonight," he suggests to Sam. Sam tells him that he can't, because Janine is on her way, and because he's going up to the cabin. Jamian asks whether he can come. Sam says no, because he's got school. Jamian asks, "Is she going?" Sam freezes. "Yeah," Judy finally says. The phone rings. Judy stares at it, knowing it can only be bad news.
"Of course," Soliloquy Judy groans.
"I won't be able to make it back until tomorrow," Janine says by way of hello. Her tone makes it clear she's waiting for resistance. Sam's happy to comply, saying, "You're kidding, right?" "Is that a problem?" she demands. Sam says it's unfair, that she could have called him. She snots that she is calling him, and asks if he thinks she's doing this on purpose. "Uh, frankly? Yeah," Sam says. "Okay, how about I call my brother and he can come pick Jamie up? If you can't take care of your son," Janine smirks in triumph. Sam knows he's beat and ducks his head.