Episode Report Card Aaron: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Our Bodies, Ourselves
By Aaron | Season 3 | Episode 3 | Aired on 03.15.2003
Formaldehyde Fortress. Nate and Lisa unload the Dirty Car, bringing their meager belongings into the room over the garage that David used to inhabit. Ruth is there to help, but even she is rendered somewhat mute when she realizes how high the tension levels are between her son and his wife. That doesn't last long, however, as she eagerly offers them the chance to raid the furniture David left behind and take whatever they want. Lisa points out that all they own at the moment is a lamp and a rocking chair, so I'm guessing they'll want most of it. I'm also wondering if they'll be leaving the bondage implements hanging from the ceiling, because that doesn't exactly seem like their style. Nate's hair has achieved maximum metaphorical droopiness by this point, so he's clearly not adjusting to this move very well. Then again, no one really is, as Ruth restrains herself from picking up a crying Maya because she's worried Lisa is still mad about the peanut butter incident. Lisa assures her that she's not, but even so, Ruth excuses herself to leave. At least Nate compliments her new lipstick as she passes, which is very sweet of him, if not also somewhat creepy and oedipally off-putting.
Art school. Mr. Bergstrom immediately seizes on Claire's latest masterpiece as an example of the sort of work he'd like to see the class produce. And why does he like it so much? "This drawing instantly makes me feel nauseous." Um, okay. "You can tell if something is truthful," he explains, "even if you don't understand it, if it affects your body. Your liver and your bowels are more important as an artist than your eyes, because they are so far away from your brain." Now this is clearly a man who can appreciate a good diarrhea euphemism. He also adds that "in the beginning, if you hate something, it's good," and then immediately contradicts himself by pointing out another student's work, which he clearly hates, and criticizing her for not being as good as Claire. Now admittedly, that's a very understandable point of view, but even so, it does seem a little harsh. Claire, however, clearly enjoys being the apple of her teacher's eye, and even gives Russell a little smile as the scene comes to a close.
A pink-hued shot of the DGDJ in her coffin leads us into the funeral, where one of the guys who chased her in the opening is delivering a eulogy. He describes Callie as a "rock-climbing, body-surfing, back-talking, truth-or-dare champion" whom he'd never once seen scared. He then starts sobbing and stumbling over his words, and just as myself and everyone else watching starts to question the wisdom of even allowing him to attend the funeral, Callie's mom bolts out of the service to go cry in one of the comfort rooms. Rico looks uncomfortable, standing there in the back, so it's Nate who has to go and join her. He sits beside her on the couch, and gently holds her as we pan over to Rico, who's watching with the realization that he'll never be half as good at this stuff as Nate is.