Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT No More Mr. Nice Guy
By Couch Baron | Season 2 | Episode 3 | Aired on 07.26.1998
Said asks McManus for more phone access. Denied. As McManus basically tells Said to go fuck himself, he gets a bottle of ketchup out of one of his file cabinets, which scares me, because it's totally something I would do. I can never have too much ketchup on my burgers and fries. Said asks if this is because of what he wrote in his book, but McManus says it's because he always asks for favors and never does anything in return. Brace yourself for flying pigs: After Said's whole speech to McManus that they "will never be friends," I have to say I sympathize with McManus here. No matter how irritating someone is, if you take a massive dump on his face one week, you can't expect a smile the next. And I was being figurative there, but it certainly applies in the literal sense as well. Said whines (yes, whines) that he thought his doing what's right would be enough for McManus. McManus simply takes a bite of his burger. Ha! McManus, we're not at détente yet, but keep it up.
Said reports back to Hill, who can plainly see that it didn't go well. Hill says that he got his hopes up high, like, yeah, I know. Said swears to him that he'll go free. Jeez, Said -- why don't you tell him he's going to walk again, too?
Gloria's office. Ryan is rifling through some files when Gloria enters and casually tells him they're confidential. Given how much you respect doctor-patient confidentiality, dear, I don't blame him for being confused. They sit down, and Gloria breaks the news that the lump is a Stage Two carcinoma. She goes on that Stage Two is relatively early, so his chances for survival are good. Ryan is totally not processing this. She tells him that the next step is surgery, and asks if he has any questions. His voice takes on a weird, almost-breaking tone as he notes that she's married, and tells us for what I think is the first time that he is too. He says his wife is a "pisser," and we get a cut to a visit (earlier that day, if Ryan's outfit is any indication) where he's just told her the news. She's dressed very stylishly in lots of black and leather, although her New Yawk accent is pretty severe. Back with Gloria, Ryan TMIs that he and "Shannon" used to fuck for days at a time, but she never got pregnant. Gloria looks like Ryan's voice sounds like angels singing. Ryan goes on that Shannon got tested, and she can't have kids. He married her anyway, but he cheated on her, "a lot." I'm not sure if he's implying some causality there or if he's just babbling. His eyes fill as he says he doesn't want to die. We cut back to a goodbye with his wife, and then back to Gloria, who takes him in her arms as he breaks down. So the point is that Ryan can put a brave face on for his wife, but he can let himself go to pieces in front of Gloria. Significant, and well-acted all around.