Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 7 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Freaks and Geeks
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.24.2013
Hong Kong Bar. 2011. August must have blown through all the money he stole from Emma because he's looking at his relatively empty wallet in despair. Tamara waves to August and says it looks like he needs a drink. She takes an overstuffed envelope from her purse. August raises a brow at the contents -- a huge wad of cash. Tamara says something about figuring the "medicine man" wouldn't take plastic, and raising her beer, she proposes a toast to second chances. August says, "Who knew they'd be so expensive," and takes a drink, then asks Tamara what brought her to The Dragon. She says she has a rare form of cancer, but she's a lying liar who lies, so I'm not transcribing her lies. The only reason they're important is that August believes her sob story at the time, and what he does next shows just how corrupt he's become, and how dearly he deserves to turn into wood. When August winces in pain, Tamara asks him what's wrong, so he says he has a skin condition which, if it spreads, will do him in. Tamara asks if August needed a personal item, too, then shares that she had a photo of her grandmother and her. "Now it's gone, but if my cancer is, too..."
When Tamara's phone rings, she excuses herself to answer it, and asks August to watch her bag that contains her giant wad of cash. August stares at the supposed terminal cancer patient's pile of cash, then at Tamara, then back at the cash. He winces, but ultimately grabs the money and runs. We flash forward to...
Storybrooke. Woods. In answer to a knock at his door, August hollers, "I told you to leave me alone." He opens the door to find Tamara, who says, "Hey. Long time." Commercial.
Hong Kong. 2011. Dragon's Lair. August runs in, breathless and in pain. The Dragon mocks him for being out of shape, considering how he's spent his life running. When he finally produces the potion, The Dragon asks for the cash. August takes out Tamara's envelope, looks down at the table and sees the picture of Tamara and her grandmother, and is wracked by a pain spasm. The Dragon covers the photo with his hand. What's his angle, do you think? He tells August, "The body has a strange way of sending us signals, doesn't it? The tricky part isn't hearing them, but knowing what they truly mean." August has a one track mind that runs only from Augustdale to Augustville, so he asks if the potion will cure him. The Dragon holds it up and says, "What's in this bottle will stop you from turning to wood, yes, but that's just a symptom. Only you can cure yourself." Completely missing his opportunity for real healing, August plunks down the cash and takes the potion, and the easy out.