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
RevCam asks Martin to allow Mac to remain "clueless" about what happened with Ruthie. Martin reports that Mac is indeed clueless, then says, "I don't want to make excuses for him," like, why would Mac need an excuse? He didn't do anything wrong, especially if he had no idea how Ruthie felt about him. Martin continues that he never knew that Mac's parents were divorced and Mac has a bad relationship with his dad and that's why it's important that people stay married, even if they hate each other, because that's a much healthier environment to raise kids in, with the parents screaming at each other and calling each other names and being angry all the time. And apparently, if you get divorced, it will automatically make your son oblivious about the feelings of fourteen-year-old girls. RevCam asks the obligatory question about how Martin's dad is doing, and Martin says his dad isn't dead.
RevCam checks on SamVid, tucked away in their beds. They look asleep, so RevCam turns out the light. "I wuv you," they say in unison. Kill me.
Ruthie's having some girl talk with Lucy, and just in case you thought that weird father-daughter incest vibe was just an isolated incident, Ruthie says, "It makes it tough finding a guy when you have a dad like Dad." "How's that?" Lucy asks, sounding half-asleep. Ruthie says she'll never be able to settle for someone who's "less" than her father. Lucy says Ruthie shouldn't have to settle. Unless Ruthie becomes pregnant, in which case she should immediately marry the baby's father and stay with him forever, no matter what. ["What if it's RevCam? Oh, you were all thinking it." -- Sars]
Annie comes home, her arms filled with shopping bags, and damn, she was at the mall for a while. But I guess when the local mall has eight floors, shopping excursions tend to be lengthy. Annie asks RevCam how Ruthie's hangout time with Mac and Martin went. RevCam says it didn't go well. Annie says she knew it wouldn't, and she knew Ruthie was interested in Mac, and isn't she just the smartest little person in the world even though I'll bet she spent most of her shopping trip trying to remember where she parked her car. Annie says she'll talk to Ruthie.
RevCam finds Kevin outside. Kevin asks about Ruthie. RevCam says she'll be fine, and asks Kevin how he's doing. Kevin says he's nervous about the baby. RevCam says that even when his sixth and seventh kids were being born, he was still "terrified" of "something going wrong with Annie or the boys, or both." I guess we're not supposed to think that nothing did, even though it's obvious that there was some oxygen deprivation or forceps clamping too hard or both going on there. Kevin says he doesn't know anything about being a father other than what he's read in books, since his dad died when Kevin was in his late teens, which doesn't make any sense since you'd think that would be plenty of time to serve as an example. Kevin says he doesn't want to make any mistakes. RevCam tells him not to worry about that, since he makes mistakes all the time (true), and just look how awesome his kids turned out. RevCam tells Kevin that the most important thing he can do for his daughter is be involved with her life (i.e. "go out for ice cream" every time she leaves the house) and be a good husband to Lucy. "Have I ever told you how…proud I am to have you in the family?" RevCam says, again with the seductive whisper, and it's like Stephen Collins is determined to have sexual chemistry with every single cast member on this show except for Catherine Hicks. "I bet your dad is proud of you, too," RevCam adds. Kevin nods, then quietly says, "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now." So they go off to play basketball, and RevCam puts a hand on Kevin's shoulder. And yes, George Stults is not the best actor in the universe. But I have to give him credit for being one of the only people on this show who's actually trying. Him, and taller Brino.