Episode Report Card Deborah: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Grace Under Pressure
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.05.2004
Grace tells Joan and Adam that she's sneaking off campus for lunch and wants to know who's joining her. Joan: "I can't. I'm joining the debate team." Luke: "What?" Glynis: "Excellent! I'm on the debate team." Friedman: "Me, too." Except when he says it, like most things he says, it sounds like Joey Tribbiani asking, "How you doin'?" Joan smiles at Glynis, and then gives Friedman an unenthusiastic look: "Yeah, I know." Grace: "Cheerleaders, chess team...now debating? There's easier ways to bring pain into your life." Yeah, you could get a piercing. (Actually, Amber Tamblyn already has piercings in "interesting places," according to some celebrity rag I read at a checkout.) Or date Friedman. Joan claims, "I'm a joiner, okay? I like to be involved." Grace: "Becoming involved in the increasingly totalitarian regime of this school makes a mockery of involvement." Joan: "Grace, it's debate team, not North Korea!" Grace: "Save your breath. Do I look like I'm on the team?" Joan sighs. Adam continues watching both of them with his usual passive interest in their arguments.
Kevin's in the break room at work. He's playing Exposition Fairy while talking to Rebecca about Yardley: "Graduated Harvard Divinity 1989, was a chaplain during the first Gulf War, started an outreach program for at-risk kids, and took over the church last May. All things worthy of a beating. How's he doing?" Rebecca, eating her lunch out of a disposable plastic container, says he's going to make it: "But they think there's brain damage. He'll never be the same...I mean...he's going to have a lot to deal with...I didn't mean...." Kevin smiles and says it's okay: "I'm just sorry me [sic] being vertically challenged makes you uncomfortable." Rebecca: "You know, that's getting really tiresome." Kevin: "Tell me about it. You know what it's like trying to get something off the top shelf?" She says she's not taking the bait: "This is not about you being in that chair. And if us getting close makes you uncomfortable...." Kevin replies, "It was a kiss, Rebecca. One kiss." Actually, I seem to remember that it was more than one. She stands up and says, "You're right. And neither one of us can stop thinking about it. Dinner, my place, Friday night. We'll sort things out then."
Joan's watching the debate team. Glynis is chirping at some guy about polar ozone depletion. Friedman pounds his fist on the desk after she makes a particularly chirpy point. Her opponent starts a comment with "Every study shows...." and Friedman interrupts: "'Every study'? What kind of citation is that?" The teacher rings a little bell and says, "Okay, ducklings! Pas mal." "Ducklings"? The teacher tells Friedman, "Your valid point is seriously compromised by your belligerent tone. Amend it." And while you're at it, seriously consider another hairdo. This Afro-with-a-part is just...not good. It's not Donald Trump bad -- precious little is -- but it's still not doing my corneas any favours. He asks the class whether Affirmative properly established significance and harm, and ignoring the hands that shoot up, calls on the "mystery lady" at the back of the room: Joan. She introduces herself and admits that she has no idea what he's talking about. He replies that he assumes she has an interest in debate, or she wouldn't be there. He asks her who she thought was more persuasive. Joan struggles to decide and eventually says, "Glynis? But I disagree with her." The teacher comments: "The beauty of debate. I would imagine that eloquent oxymoron is one of the reasons you're joining us?" Joan: "I'm dying to be an elegant moron...." The class titters. The teacher starts pairing them off for a public debate that's going to be held on Thursday. He directs Joan to sit down next to a boy he refers to as "Brooks," and tells them their topic: "'Resolved: The new security measures at Arcadia High School create a more productive learning environment for all.' You'll be pro." Joan panics: "This is my first time!" She adds, whispering: "I'm totally an amateur." The teacher explains what he meant. Joan: "Great." She turns to her partner and introduces herself, adding, "As you probably know, I suck at debate." He replies, stuttering severely: "So do I." He introduces himself as Scott, and shakes her hand. He says he's sorry she wound up with him. Joan says it's okay, smiling reassuringly. Until Scott looks away, and the smile is replaced with a look of apprehension.