Episode Report Card Deborah: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Desolation
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 23 | Aired on 05.20.2004
Luke and Grace are walking along the street at night. Grace: "You didn't have to walk me. You could have gone with your brother." Luke: "It seemed ungentlemanly." Grace says that's not a word, but I believe it is. He adds that he likes walking: "Although this is a lot of walking. Uh, do you always walk this much?" Grace: "It's how I do my thinking." Luke: "That's why you're so smart." She turns and snipes: "I'm not smart." Luke: "Of course not. I didn't mean smart. I meant intelligent. They're…not the same thing." Grace says she likes the quiet when she walks. Luke: "Of course. Which you're probably missing right now, with me talking." Heh. He looks up and says, "Stars." Grace warns him not to mention them. He says he wasn't going to, then adds, "You know, it's virtually impossible to see them in the age of light pollution, you know…" She suddenly stops in front of him and demands, "Why did you give me that rock?" Luke: "It's a geode." Grace: "To me it's a rock. Why?" Luke: "It was a -- a gesture…of friendship." Yeah, looks like she's really buying that. He admits, "Possibly courtship." Grace can't suppress a smirk: "Courtship? That went out with the corset or the Walkman or something." Luke, assuredly but not arrogantly: "I don't follow trends." She asks if he broke up with Glynis because of her. Luke: "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous." Grace: "Okay, I won't. Because that would be ridiculous, so let's not go there." She starts walking again, but Luke stays put, asking, "Why is that ridiculous?"
Grace stops and starts giving him reasons: "I'm friends with your sister." Luke: "Right." Grace: "I'm older than you." Luke: "A year. Eight months, actually." Heh. Somebody's done the math. She walks toward him: "I have a reputation. I've worked hard to build it. Do you know what my reputation is?" Luke: "You hate me?" Grace: "I'm anti." Luke: "Okay. Anti what?" Grace: "What have you got?" Hee. Luke asks if that means she's never going to fall in love. Grace: "I'm never even gonna fall in 'like.' And I'm certainly not going to be courted by some rocket-head geek. I mean, if it got around school that you were giving me things?" Luke wants to know why she cares what people think: "I mean, if you're anti? You know, shouldn't you like the idea of us, if you're anti?" Grace: "I'm not that anti." Luke: "Oh, so you're moderately anti." Ha! Grace: "Look, geek…" Luke interrupts, "And besides, you know, love is irrational. It's like this anaesthetic goes off in your brain eliminating all reason so the act of procreation can occur." Grace, mighty uncomfortable: "He-e-e-y…" Luke: "It's a natural state of imbalance built into the whole system. You know, a chemical reaction necessary to the conditions required for Darwinistic --" Grace suddenly declares, "Look, I am not into you -- got it?" I'm half-hoping she'll add: "I'm in love with your flaky sister," but I guess they're not going there. (Yet.) It's hard to tell whether she was just trying to spare his feelings earlier with the excuses she gave, and is now telling the truth, or is actually interested in him but too afraid of intimate relationships and is just saying this to turn him off once and for all. Luke says, "Yeah." They look at each other for about three seconds, and then they start kissing like crazy. Yay! Yeah, okay, it's a somewhat clichéd way for them to get together, but I still think it was a really good scene and I'm happy to see them together. (And in my defense, I would like to point out that Sars also clapped and said a little "Yay" when it happened.) I'm sure Frink is happy too, since they're his two favourite characters. It's also nice to see Luke has become so much more secure in his moosculinity (tm Tabbyclaw). Months ago, he never would have had the nerve or confidence to hang in there for such an unpleasant confrontation, especially with someone as prickly as Grace. Some guy walks past them and stares at them making out as he goes. Take a picture, buddy -- it'll last longer. Or, you know -- just replay the scene seventeen times, like I did.