Episode Report Card Cate: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Bowling For Eric
By Cate | Season 7 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.06.2002
Ruthie pries into RevCam's business some more, warning him that if he lies to her, she'll be really pissed. Eric deflects her questions by flattering her and, of course, lying to her. Niiice.
Annie comes over and tries yet again to make Eric tell her what's wrong. I can't blame her for being mad that her husband won't talk to her, but surely someone on the show had to realize that this does not exactly make for enthralling drama. Is that what the rest of the episode is going to be like? Every family member pressuring RevCam to give up his secret? Because if so, I still have time to make it to the liquor store. Annie decides that she's not speaking to Eric anymore. At least that ought to stop her from asking the same damn questions over and over again. Please, just tell me it will. I don't mind being lied to.
Back at the CamPound, Simon is sitting solemnly at the kitchen table when his father walks in. RevCam tries to make a joke about bowling, but Simon is too upset to acknowledge it. Eric tries a more serious approach, doing a little prying of his own into Simon's secret mission from last week. Simon still maintains that he can't talk about it. RevCam probably doesn't care that much anyway; it seems like he's just using this as an excuse to extend Simon's "restriction" for a few weeks so that the boy will be at home more while Eric has his surgery. Simon bitterly tells him, "You have no idea what my life is like. You have no idea what it's like to be your son, no idea of the things people ask me to do, the things I have to do, the things I can't talk about." Simon wants to know why RevCam wants him at home, but Eric says he can't tell him yet. At least he's not lying to him, the way he's done to every other member of the family. Simon gets up to leave, then turns back and says, "At the bowling alley, you said you were scared of what would happen if you weren't around to teach me the things that you want me to learn. I'll tell you what would happen if you weren't around. I'd be a normal guy, without having to live up to your ideas of what's right and what's wrong...I'd be happy." Ouch -- that's cold, but since it's the best drama and acting I've ever seen on this show, I can't complain. RevCam says in a pained tone, "Simon, you don't mean that." Simon answers, "I think I do." Eric tries once more, saying, "I love you." Simon replies, "Just love me less, would you?" Wow. I hope I'm not jinxing the future of this storyline by praising it too much. I sound just as arrogant as Lucy, don't I?
Oh, God -- having aspired to something genuinely good for a few minutes, the show has sunk even further than ever. There's a shirtless Kevin lifting a little, tiny barbell up in the Garage Prayer Closet (heh -- thanks, Gustave). That weight must be incredibly dense, though, because Kevin's working up quite the sweat. At least, he has a heavy, glossy shine all over his torso; his face is pretty dry. What did they oil him up with, anyway? Some of Dopey's leftover hair dirtification products from last season? You probably don't want to hear any "greased pig" jokes, do you? Robbie drops by for a visit and reveals that he knows what Kevin and Lucy have been fighting about. He wants to know why Kevin didn't just tell Lucy that Robbie had asked him to fix the traffic ticket. Kevin pretends that he had a motivation, and that it was a noble one. He says something about not wanting to spoil Lucy's opinion of Robbie, since she thinks of him as a brother. Ew! Do most women actually make out with their brothers? Maybe it's a Glenoak thing. After heartwarming promises to try to hate each other less, the guys part company. I'm hoping Kevin's on his way to the shower.