Episode Report Card Niki: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT My Brilliant Career
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.09.2000
Crusty comes bounding in, and it looks like she's taken her Prozac this morning, because she's all smiles. Lily gets off the phone, and Crusty apologizes for interrupting and then tells Lily that the place looks great. Crusty calls in her big hairy dog whose name is Charlotte Brontë. Pretentious, much? She baby-talks about the dog, and I discover that my pool of hate is much deeper than I ever suspected. She then observes how much the dog likes Lily, and says that's good. She tells Lily they're having a staff meeting at noon, and Lily repeats "noon" to show Crusty she understands, and she's on top of it. Not so fast. Crusty asks her to walk the dog during the meeting, and hands her a leash. Lily's face falls as she realizes her place in the office hierarchy. It's below nowhere.
Cut to Grace and Jake in the car as he drives her to school. He tells her he's happy they're staying with him, and that he misses them every day he doesn't see them. The conversation shifts to Phil and the restaurant, and Jake says he really admires that Phil truly created something. He hopes that he can carry on the spirit, and then gets all carried away with fantasizing about Grace joining him in the business someday. Grace looks like she smells raunchy feet. She fumbles around for something to say, and settles on, "I like to eat." Jake jokes that that's how he got started. When the raucous laughter finally dies, the conversation shifts again, as Jake light-heartedly tells Grace she knows how to talk him into anything. Ever the coy little minx, she says she wishes that were true. Then her eyes get all foxy (and no, it isn't all that purple goo, which she's still wearing) as she figures out that now's her chance. She brings up the subject of Jared and his dad, who's playing again that night, and asks if she can go. Jake squishes her chin affectionately and says, "I rest my case," as in, she talked him into it.
Cut to Lily and Charlotte, the dog. Lily's trying to wrestle the dog into some stupid canine rain slicker. Not surprisingly, Charlotte's not too excited by the prospect of wearing the thing in public. As Lily talks to the dog while dressing her, we learn that she feels all her years of motherhood are finally paying off. She stands up and Charlotte circles her, sporting that ridiculous yellow raincoat. It's pretty cute, but it's humiliating just the same. Lily has a moment of disheartened clarity as she wonders aloud what she's doing.
We see her a little later at Rick's office. He's continuing in his supporting role, rubbing her shoulders while Lily pats the dog and kvetches about her job. She says she doesn't mind doing menial work, as long as she's not pigeon-holed. Rick tells her they're always impressed at his office when an assistant shows initiative. Lily realizes that he's right, and that his four minutes on-camera are almost up, so she heads back to her office.