Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT ...And Expiation (2)
By Gwen | Season 4 | Episode 8 | Aired on 11.14.1999
Matt's in the kitchen, eating what looks like a fried-chicken breast with his hands. Then he opens the dryer and happily removes an article of clothing from it WITH HIS GREASY HAND, thanking his mom aloud. Lucy walks up with a full laundry basket and informs him that she's doing the laundry and Mary's doing the grocery shopping. She tells him that Ruthie and Simon went to the park after church, and that the CamRents and Mary are meeting with the Diversion Program person. Wow. I wish I lived in a town so safe that I could send a child Ruthie's age to the park with a kid Simon's age. Even if I did, though, I wouldn't, because that would be asking for trouble from child molesters, whom I imagine aren't confined to Camden-less cities. I guess I just don't have family values. Matt is annoyed because he'd planned on meddling at Mary's meeting. There are two fly-swatters on the wall behind his head, adding that realistic touch to the set. He asks Lucy if he can help. Instead of saying, "Uh, yeah. How about you wash your greasy hands and get to folding this laundry?" she says, "With what?" He gets peeved and peels out because it has again been made clear to him that no one needs his Keith-Partridge-looking ass around. For some reason he's carrying a duffel bag. Or maybe it's his purse. Or maybe it's his magic bag. It's green instead of pink, though.
At the Juvenile Detention Facility, Mary and her parents sit at one of those tables they always use to interrogate criminals in the cop shows. Some chick walks in and says, "I assume you're Mary." Mary nods and says, "And these are my parents." The women tells them, "Nice to meet you," as if she's actually introduced herself or learned their names or anything. She tells them to make themselves comfortable and then indicates that Mary should enter her office. Annie sighs and starts to sit back down, and then for no reason at all, the woman walks over and tells the CamRents, "I know she's your baby and probably always will be to you, but she's not to me. She's seventeen and she isn't in your house anymore. She's in mine." And then she takes off. RevCam tells her, "Hold up, now. I KNOW you didn't just talk to ME like that when my taxes PAY YOUR DAMN ELECTRIC BILLS." Actually, he didn't say that, but I like to think that's what I'd say in his shoes. ["The actress played a bitchy OB attending on ER, and nobody said crap to her then either." -- Sars] He just doesn’t say anything at all, because he is lame.