Episode Report Card Sara M: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Father, Why Bother?
By Sara M | Season 9 | Episode 6 | Aired on 10.17.2004
And here's where things took a very wrong turn. RevCam tells Ruthie that she is important, and beautiful with or without makeup. He takes a seat on the bed next to Ruthie and says that Ruthie should put makeup on whenever she wants, for herself. "It's very…interesting," says RevCam, staring at Ruthie just a little too intently and lowering his voice to a disturbingly seductive whisper, "the way you…changed your face. You know, from its own natural beauty to a…more sophisticated look." With the romantic dim lighting casting shadows across his face, RevCam says that Ruthie looks "too sophisticated for Mac," thereby implying that an older man would do. He tells Ruthie that she'd "probably end up wanting someone who has more in common with [her]. Someone who goes to church." Or perhaps is its minister? Ruthie and RevCam stare longingly into each other's eyes. RevCam puts his arm around Ruthie and asks her what happened to her plans to give up on boys. Ruthie says that was a lie, too. RevCam and Ruthie embrace and RevCam tells Ruthie that he loves her. Ruthie says she wants "a guy" to love her too. "I know," says RevCam, and they close their eyes and gently rock back and forth. As did I, while alternately crying and vomiting in my shower, where the water would never be hot enough to wash my memories of this scene away.
Wilson asks Charlie if he and Leanne have marriage plans. Charlie says he's loved Leanne since grade school -- which completely conflicts with his earlier statement that he hadn't spent more than half a day with her before she got pregnant -- but he doesn't want to get married until after college. Wilson says that their son will be "happier" and "do better in school" if his parents are married. And give me a freaking break. The valedictorian of my high school class's father died when he was five. The salutatorian's dad was an abusive alcoholic who abandoned his family in her sophomore year. There were students in the top tenth percentile whose parents were married, and there were students in the top tenth who came from "broken" homes. Same was true with the bottom tenth. And while I don't necessarily disagree with what Wilson's saying, it's just not as simple as this show likes to present it as being. Also, The WB needs to get over its obsession with teen marriages.
Charlie agrees to think about getting married, and the two shake hands and part ways. Wilson finds Kevin sitting on the back steps and bids him good night. Just then, Ben walks up, and it's face-off time. "You ruined my life," says Ben. Wilson stares at him, jaw a-slack. "Because of Mary?" he finally asks. Ben says yes, because of Mary. Wilson says that because Mary cheated on him with Ben, he ended up meeting and marrying a better woman, getting a "great job," and having the "family" he always dreamed of. But, he says, Ben gets to "hang out" with the Camdens, so "it can't be all bad." No, it's worse. Especially if anyone goes to check on Ruthie and RevCam in the attic. "Good to see you," says Wilson, smirking as he leaves. Well, that face-off sucked, but it's not like it was being built up to for half the episode, right? Ben sits down next to Kevin and says that he doesn't like fish, but he learned a lot about babies, and he reports that Kevin is in for a "wild ride."