Episode Report Card Sara M: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Let's Not, and Say We Did
By Sara M | Season 3 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.22.1998
Matt walks in to the Dairy Shack and asks Arnold whether he's seen Lucy and Jordan. Arnold's expression turns hilariously solemn as he tells Matt that they were there an hour ago. "I'm guessing they took their burgers up to MacArthur's Point -- your sister's idea, from what I overheard," Arnold says in low tone. "Guessing"? Didn't they outright say that they were going there? Matt runs out before he can invite Arnold to live in the CamPound, where his nosiness and overreacting would fit right in with the rest of its residents.
Matt slowly and safely drives his car up to the famed MacArthur's Point, where he finds Jordan and Lucy innocently talking in Jordan's car. With all the build-up this MacArthur's Point got throughout the show, I was expecting something a little grander than a gravelly road with an okay view, but I guess I should be used to bitter disappointment by now with this show. Matt yells at Lucy to get into his car. Jordan tries to talk to him, but Matt doesn't want to hear it. Of course, Lucy gets out of Jordan's car and into Matt's, like, grow a spine, Lucy; he's your brother, not the police. You don't have to do what he tells you to. Jordan tells Matt that he'd like to talk to RevCam before Matt does, at which Matt threatens him with physical violence. Very mature, Matt. Lucy starts punching Matt's chest wimpily and whining that Matt had no right to embarrass her because she's not a child anyone. Mind you, she says all this while throwing quite the impressive temper tantrum, so I don't think she's really proved her point. Matt says he would rather she be embarrassed than do "something stupid." Lucy spits back that what she was doing isn't half as stupid as what Mary is probably doing at the co-ed sleepover. Matt looks less than pleased at this revelation, and Lucy looks sorry that she said it, although you know that privately she's not at all sorry, because she did this on purpose in the time-honored sibling tradition of getting each other in trouble so that the parental rage can be divided equally among many instead of focused on just one.
Simon struggles to free himself from the banister Ruthie has tied him to as she calmly eats cookies beside him and revels in his misery. He begs and begs her to untie him, but she refuses. Solely to create the following "hysterical" scene, Ruthie says that she wants to admire her handiwork from a different angle. She climbs up a few stairs, sticks her head through two spindles, and then screams bloody murder. Unfortunately, she's not actually being murdered; her head is caught between the spindles, even though there's obviously more than enough room for her to be able to extricate herself. Not that I'm complaining; watching Ruthie's pain makes me smile. Simon asks Happy to untie him, but she just falls asleep on a nearby chair. Oh, Happy, you truly are the best character on this show. Ruthie tells Simon that he's the worst babysitter ever and that it's his fault that she's stuck in the staircase. What is it with women blaming men for their self-caused misfortunes this episode? Is this another facet of family values that I don't understand? Just then, the CamRents come home, their plot apparently wrapped up nicely even though we saw no proper resolution. Upon seeing their restrained children, Annie twists her head around and makes gasping noises while RevCam shrugs helplessly.