Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Strangers And Brothers
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.12.2000
Cut to Barbara, sitting alone on a sofa among the throng in the living room. Someone hands her a glass of booze, and she asks how they knew it was just what she wanted. The person is Jake, and he settles himself on the carpet next to her feet. Barbara talks about Phil in Florida, how he was always bringing people home, and people just seemed to find him. She doesn't sound entirely fond of the memory. Jake says how different things will be now, like how his place is when the girls aren't there. He says he knows it doesn't compare to Barbara's situation, but Barbara says it does. She says "the thing is, you just never know what's going to happen." And yes, in case it isn't clear, Jake is cozying up to Barbara because he knows she's a much softer touch than Lily. I think he genuinely cares about her, but he's no fool -- he's also pretty concerned about himself. He says he does know what's going to happen -- at least in terms of the restaurant. Hey, smooth segue, Jake. You can actually see him shifting into high gear, leaning in toward Barbara and oozing sincerity. He tells her that they're "there" and asks if she can see it; "[they're] open, [they're] making money." "Like before?" Barbara asks. "Even better," Jake assures her. He says he wants to keep it going, to grow it for Phil, for her, for him (oh wait, he didn't actually say that last one out loud). Heck, he wants to grow the business for all of them. He asks Barbara to let him do that. "Oh, Jake," she says, smiling, and you can almost see the hook and line in the corner of her mouth. I Can't Get Started starts playing in the background and continues as we cut to Lily outside, looking very child-like as she runs full-tilt with her arms flung wide.
She runs into Rick's arms, and while I choke back the bile, they walk hand-in-hand to this perfect little playhouse. It has frilly curtains in the window and everything. Inside, she tells Rick that what she really wants is for it to be nineteen-sixty-seven, and to be sitting in her father's restaurant with Aaron wearing his cub hat, and spelling out her name in french fries. Well, what can you say to that? So Rick says, "So Jake built this?" gesturing at the playhouse, and then complimenting it.
In the kitchen, meanwhile, Zoe has joined Grace and Aaron. The sisters are flanking him, much like the old ladies were crowding Grace earlier. The girls are looking at pictures Judy brought and asking him endless questions about them. He's clearly uncomfortable, leaning back from them and wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. He's withdrawing by the second, but the girls don't notice and keep at him and at him and at him and, geez, I feel like losing it just watching them. Grace, talking excitedly, starts waving her hands and gesturing madly, which of course upsets Aaron even more and he flinches, trying to lean even farther back than he already is. His hands start moving up to his head and face, shielding himself from them. In the midst of this chaos, Lily walks in and quietly tells Aaron that she'd like him to meet someone. She pulls Rick closer, and the two men shake hands. Aaron raises himself slightly off his stool as they shake hands, but he keeps his eyes glued to the tabletop.