Episode Report Card Sars: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Baby blues
By Sars | Season 4 | Episode 19 | Aired on 04.24.2001
House Of Tobey. Jack's at the door again; Tobey answers, snarking, "Was it the 'go' or the 'away' that tripped you up?" Hee! Jack comes inside, introducing the "youth officer" of Capeside, whom he's brought with him. Tobey glares at Jack before bitching that he knew he shouldn't have ripped the tag off of his mattress. Another zinger from Tobey! Nice. Jack explains that Youth Officer is there "to make sure the right people pay attention to this." Tobey isn't having it. Jack tries to reassure him, but Tobey gets all "how dare you" and tells Jack he's lucky Tobey's parents aren't around. Jack asks if Tobey's parents are responsible for Tobey not reporting the assault, since Jack doesn't understand why he, or they, didn't go to the police two days ago. Tobey looks scared and tells Jack that, like him, his parents just want to forget it ever happened, and Jack is just making that harder. Youth Officer speaks up to PSA a few handy statistics on hate crimes and harassment targeted at gays, and says he needs Tobey to talk to him about what happened: "Most kids, they don't have the strength. Or they don't get the chance." Jack chimes in, "Or have the friends to support them." Tobey looks even more scared. Jack raises his eyebrows encouragingly. Finally, Tobey spills it: he made innocent chit-chat with the guy at the bus stop, he looked the guy in the eyes, the guy got freaked out by that and jumped Tobey, a second guy came out of nowhere and joined in, and the two of them punched and kicked Tobey until he fell to the ground. Tobey's nearly in tears, and Jack jumps in during a pause in the story to tell Tobey that it's not his fault. Tobey gasps, "All I did was smile at him." Jack looks as ill as I feel. Tobey gives Youth Officer a pleading stare. We go to commercial, and I don't have much to add. I've seen the material handled better, but it's not the hash I thought they'd make of it.
Back from the break, Dawson brings the Flash coffee. Shouldn't the Flash keep Gale company while she's, you know, having his child? The Flash says that Gale has "been in hard labor all night," but he doesn't know how she's doing, and it worries him: "There's a lot of whispering going on over there." A shot of the OB and a nurse, murmuring to each other. Dawson tells his father to go ask them what's up, but the Flash says he has, and they just tell him to relax and help Gale with her breathing. Right then, we hear Gale screeching for the Flash, and he leaves to attend to her, but not before telling Dawson, "I'm glad you're here." Dawson looks worried.
PB&B. Bessie sits alone at the kitchen table, staring into space. Joey lets herself in and, startled, asks what Bessie's doing up. Bessie says icily that she gets up at dawn every day; it's the only time she has to herself. Joey says she spent the night at the Witterschloss, but Bessie doesn't seem to hear her, asking Joey if she knows that she once climbed into Joey's crib and pushed her out. Joey cracks that Bessie must have dropped her on her head, "because that would explain a lot." Hey, she said it, not I. Joey takes a seat, and they talk about how Bessie hated Joey, because she got jealous of Joey taking their mom away, but also because she knew she'd always have to take care of Joey. Bessie changes the subject again, saying she wanted a better life for Joey, but Joey tells Bessie that she "went first," that she had to take the brunt of everything, but she didn't run away or give up even though she could have, and she "created this warm, loving, safe place." Joey adds that Bessie raised a baby and a little sister to boot, and she hopes she'll find the "strength and the courage" to make a life like Bessie's. Bessie steals a "thanks" glance at Joey, gets up, takes a product-placed First Response pregnancy test out of her purse, and hands it to Joey, saying, "I just want you to know I love you and I'm here for you, if -- if you want me." Aww. More Bessie, please. Joey's eyes fill up. From another room, Alexander starts crying, and Bessie sighs, "Another day." She goes to tend to the baby, and Joey cries into her hand.