Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Strangers And Brothers
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.12.2000
Cut to Rick winding his way through the house, balancing the two huge food trays. As he passes a line of seniors in the hallway, "veal chop" snags a slice of cheese from one of the trays and Rick pauses just long enough to fall victim to yet another rendition of the Thursday-night-veal ritual. Trying to look interested, Rick smiles and says "okay" before making a speedy getaway. As he turns around, he almost walks right into Jake, who's just come through the front door carrying what looks to be a monstrous bundt cake. Rick extends Jake his condolences just as Lily comes onto the scene. Rick gestures that he can take Jake's cake, somehow overlooking the fact that he's already juggling two heavy trays, and he walks off in search of somewhere to put everything.
As Jake and Lily talk Rick pops into the corner of the screen behind Lily, spins around and walks off in another direction. He's clearly having trouble finding room, and only the lamest among us wouldn't realize this little dilemma is meant to represent the larger situation at hand. Jake is telling Lily that he felt like Phil was his own father, and Lily says, "Yeah, well he sure loved you." Jake spots "veal chop" and, always working, points at him and assures him that nothing's going to change as far as Thursday nights are concerned. I wipe a tear from my eye, cursing Jake and his sentimentality. Jake leaves in search of the kids, and Rick circles back with his arms still piled with food. Lily spots him and leads him to an empty table nearby, which he somehow failed to notice. Once his arms are freed, he tells Lily he's going to head out, even though she begs him to stay. He realizes she's up to her eyeballs in family responsibilities, and there's really nothing for him to do but get in the way. Pouting, she tells him to go, and then asks him to call her later. As she turns back toward the living room, she sees something that stops her cold: Jake very cozily chatting up her mother.
Cut to a suitcase lying on a bed. The camera pans up to Barbara, fiddling around with its contents. From the doorway, Lily asks what she's doing. She's picking out the clothes for Phil to be buried in. Lily tells her she and Judy can take care of it, but Barbara doesn't seem to hear her. She answers that she's not taking all these clothes back with her, and mutters that Jake and Lily's "young man" are too tall for them. From the bed, Judy pipes up in a semi-accusatory tone that Aaron is Phil's size. Lily asks if they have to talk about Aaron just then, and Judy answers that they do. Barbara says, "He's very sick," as if that's the end of it, and Judy answers "He has his ups and downs." Judy speaks as if her mother is an idiot, and Barbara clearly resents it, saying "[She's] his mother, [Judy] doesn't think [she] know[s] that?" Judy apologizes and says quietly that she can't even imagine what Barbara is going through. Barbara says coldly "No, my dear, you can't." She goes on to say that she doesn't think Aaron can survive the funeral, and Judy defends him by pointing out that he's survived years in the mental health system. Barbara heads for the door, telling Judy to "do what [she] wants, [she's] always known what's best." Somehow, I don't think she means it. Judy leaves to pick up Aaron, and Lily's left alone in the room. Sighing heavily, she sinks onto the bed.