Episode Report Card Aaron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Death Leppard
By Aaron | Season 1 | Episode 13 | Aired on 08.18.2001
Nate, fresh from the very last time the funeral director exam will ever be mentioned on this show, rushes over to Brenda’s house. He finds her on the back porch, smoking a joint and lounging in front of a wall of marijuana plants. I guess Alan decided to bring his stash in to work that day, presumably to share at the wrap party in an effort to ensure that none of his writers ever feel the need to mock him when they get their own shows. She snipes at Nate for taking so long to arrive, but quickly apologizes when he reminds her about the test. She wants to go see Billy, because she can feel that he "needs" her. See what I mean with the neediness? Nate must be needy as well, because he agrees to go with her.
Over at the school, Claire and Parker The Dangerslut are camped out on the back gate of the Lean Green Corpse Machine. Parker is planning a little get-together at her Dad’s "total party house in Bel-Air," and she wants Claire to be there. Then she asks what’s up with Claire and "Mr. OD," and somehow manages to seem both tactless and sincere at the same time. Claire describes Gabe as being "incredibly strong," but The Dangerslut isn’t sure if that’s a good thing. That doesn’t stop her from inviting Claire to bring him along to the party, however.
In Brenda’s Non-Lean-But-Still-Green Bad Backdrop Bronco, Brenda is worried that Billy must hate her for having him committed. Nate, who clearly couldn’t care less what Billy might think, tries to console her. Brenda blames her mother for everything, which Nate already took care of for himself in the last episode. He insists that by having Billy committed, Brenda probably saved her brother’s life. Brenda, however, still isn’t sure if she did the right thing. Unlike myself, Nate is somehow able to refrain from shouting out a suggestion that she get another tattoo to help make up her mind.
At Nikolai’s Flower Shop Of Stereotypically Screwed-Up Slavic Syntax, Ruth is chatting on the phone with Hiram. She’s surprised to hear that he wants to take her out to dinner that evening, but she readily agrees to meet him at eight. While all this is going on, Nikolai wanders over and tries not very subtly to listen in. As soon as she hangs up, he demands that she work late that night, in order to help out with the expected Father’s Day rush. Heh. Ruth rightly refuses, arguing that he’s just trying to interfere with her personal life. Nikolai claims to not care what she does on her own time, even if what she’s doing is "sleeping outside in some tent, like refugee." Ruth snaps that his jealousy is "no longer flattering. It’s just irritating." And also funny. "I have chosen Hiram," she continues. "Stop acting like a spoiled child." Choosing to do just the opposite, Nikolai fires her right on the spot. "You can’t do that!" exclaims Ruth. "I just do do that!" shouts back Nikolai, before telling her to get out. Now.