Episode Report Card Niki: D | 1 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Sneaky Feelings
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 14 | Aired on 01.30.2000
Cut to Karen and Jessie unloading groceries from the van. Jessie says she thinks that Lloyd does have a good sense of humor, after all. Karen's not listening. Jessie says "Did I tell you that Eli was flirting with that bimbo at the video store yesterday?" "Jessie!" Karen admonishes. Jessie tells her it was the same girl who called the other night. Karen asks why Jessie's so "invested in this," and Jessie answers that it's because "Eli's cheating on Jennifer. He's cheating in his heart. That's still cheating, isn't it?" Karen says it is, but maybe they don't know all the details. She adds that sometimes things just don't work out between people. Clearly, she's thinking of her own relationship with Lloyd. Jessie wants to know why Karen's taking Eli's side, and Karen insists she's not taking sides at all. Jessie says she doesn't "understand how people can just stop being there."
B/W Karen takes this statement as her cue to admit to feeling guilty over the divorce and being worried about its affects on her kids. She's scared "they may never fully recover from it, and [she] feels like the worst thing [she] can do is dwell on [her] own suffering. [She] just wishes [she] could stop."
Inside, Jessie discovers that Eli is entertaining Cassidy in his room. Upset, she rushes upstairs to tell Karen that Cassidy is downstairs. She can't say anything, though, because she's too busy fighting back her tears. Karen goes to see what's upset her, and finds Eli and his new interest listening to CDs. Surprised, Eli pops up to turn off the stereo. With a pointed look, Karen says she needs his help upstairs for a minute. Cassidy just sits there, grinning vacuously like a jack o'lantern. Like she has no idea that Eli's mom might like his current girlfriend.
Eli follows Karen saying he has no idea why Jessie is so upset. Karen says it's because Jessie's worried about Jennifer, and Eli says it's none of her business or Karen's, either. "Believe me, the last thing I want is to be in the middle of a soap opera," Karen assures him, but points out that he "needs to do something before someone gets hurt." Eli informs her that he's "too young to feel this responsible for someone." "What kind of crap is that?" Karen demands. Somehow, Eli hears her over my cheering and tells her that he and Rick talked about it. "Of course you did," Karen says knowingly. The she repeats that Eli needs to do something. Cassidy's grinning head pops through the doorway at that instant, and she tells Eli that she has to leave. Eli walks her out to the porch and, WHOOPS, right into Jennifer, who is bounding up the sidewalk. Jennifer stops dead in her tracks, looks at Eli's smiling face and, of course, Cassidy's grinning melon, and everything stops for an instant while they all react. Cassidy's smile drops pretty fast, as does Eli's. Karen watches the whole scene unfold through the doorway, while Jessie watches from a window. Jennifer turns and books it. A flash of guilt crosses Eli's face as he watches her run away.