Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Strangers And Brothers
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.12.2000
Zoe touches Aaron's face and tells him he "really should shave." He agrees while ducking his head. Lily gets into looking at the old pictures, and Grace and Zoe start play-fighting over one of them. They're reaching across Aaron to poke and push at one another, and you can feel him growing increasingly tense. Barbara, sensing the girls are getting to him, reaches over Aaron's shoulder to grab at their hands and tell them to stop. Her action rattles Aaron right over the edge, and he pops off his stool, wailing and covering his head. He moves to the far corner of the kitchen, cowering and screaming. Grace starts apologizing and Jake, the hero, rushes in to bring things under control. Talking loudly and moving in on Aaron (which is clearly NOT the thing to do), he suggests that they go outside. Lily moves between him and Aaron, telling Jake he doesn't know what he's doing. Judy comes in and joins Lily between the two men, asking Jake to please go away. Rebuffed, Jake retreats, and the sisters calm Aaron, who's crouching in a ball and saying he's sorry over and over again.
Outside, Jake is taking refuge on the playhouse porch and staring into space. It's obvious he's feeling out of place and pretty blue. He looks up when he hears the front door close, and sees Rick standing on the sidewalk, about to leave. The two look at each other for a moment, not sure of what to say, until Jake breaks the silence by asking Rick if he smokes. When Rick says "not for about fifteen years," Jake says bitterly that no one smokes anymore, and "these days people make you feel like a criminal just for trying to bum a smoke." Another quiet moment passes as they try to think of something to say. Jake breaks the silence again by saying, "He was a big, loud, aggressive schmuck. But I liked him." He's referring to Phil, and it's clear that he's hurt Phil didn't trust him in the end. He rubs his hand over the playhouse porch and tells Rick that he built it. Man, the guy is so obviously lost and looking for some place to claim, it's impossible not to feel for him. And since Rick is super-humanly sympathetic and understanding, he recognizes what Jake is feeling and nods sadly.
Cut to the dining room, where Lily, Judy, Aaron, and his case manager, Sheila, are sitting and talking. Sheila says that Aaron is "doing wonderfully, considering," and reminds them of all the support he has -- everyone at the home, the two of them, and their father, who never gave up on him the way some parents (ahem, Barbara) do. Sheila tells them that every Thursday, Phil would pick up Aaron and take him to the restaurant. They'd sit in a front booth, and Phil would proudly introduce everyone to his son. Lily and Judy are surprised and touched by the story. Lily says she had no idea, because Thursdays were always Jake's day off.