Episode Report Card Niki: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT It's The End Of The World As We Know It...
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 19 | Aired on 04.10.2001
"I was never punished," Soliloquy Rick says. He doesn't seem to realize that carrying this guilt around is a pretty heavy penance. He adds that his dad didn't speak to him or look at him for a week. "It was the longest week of my life," he remembers. Does this mean he learned his lesson?
Rick fidgets on the stand, adjusting his jacket, and waits for the next barrage of questions. "And you've given us copies of all these contracts?" Dumanjiak asks. He says it like a statement of doubt. Rick says that he and his lawyer only had forty-eight hours, but that they did the best they could. Dumanjiak asks whether there are any other documents, pointing out that he doesn't see any emails between Miles and Rick "after December of last year." Rick sweats that they changed computer systems to handle the "volume f the job" and that "some emails were misplaced." "Or they were destroyed," Dumanjiak says. "They were not destroyed!" Rick insists, insulted. The camera pans closer to each man as it cuts between them. The volley intensifies. "Do you keep hard copies of all the correspondence?" "I do; they're all there." "They're not all there." "Well, then I'll check into it." "How hard?" "If you want to accuse me of perjury, Mr. Dumanjiak, you go right ahead right now, but otherwise..." Rick looks as if he could cry with anger. Dumanjiak holds up his hands as a plea for calm. He says, "It's all right, Mr. Sammler, I understand you're somewhat of a packrat when it comes to keeping things." There's a rushing sound as Rick snaps to full attention. Now he knows that Karen talked to his executioner. Dumanjiak says that he'll keep this area of the investigation open until Rick and his attorneys have had a chance to search out more paperwork. He continues droning on about more dates and more transactions, as the camera pans away from Rick, who's getting smaller and more helpless-looking by the second. Rick's struggling to focus now, and I'm sure it's because half his brain is occupied with thoughts of introducing Karen to a new ass-pole. I know if that were me, that's what I'd be thinking about. Rick looks on the verge of tears, though, so maybe his thoughts are not so violent. And I'm sure his heart isn't as tiny or hard as mine.
"I don't understand why it has to be so adversarial," Lily says, selecting a nice purple crayon and making sure to stay inside the lines as she colors in her happy, smiling dinosaur. Okay, she's not really coloring, but she might as well be. How can she be so clueless? Hasn't she ever seen Law & Order? Rick points out the process isn't "about being nice." They're in Lily's living room, where he's got his head on Lily's chest, and she's stroking his hair. Grace hovers tentatively on the stairs and calls out a "goodnight," which they distractedly answer. Lily insists that Rick has "nothing to be ashamed of. [She] doesn't care what these people say." Rick says that "these people can make putting on your pants seem like a criminal act." He pouts and tells her to forget it; she had to have been there to understand. She backs off, apologizing, and continues stroking his hair. Lily says that it seems like Rick is afraid, and she can't tell if he's afraid to tell her about the truth about things, or if he's trying to protect her, or if he's afraid of what could happen. She can't bring herself to say the word "prison." He tells her to say it. She can't. He does: "Worst-case scenario, I go to prison." She insists that's not what she's saying. Rick says that is what she was saying: "Is [he] going to go to prison?" She says, "No, you are not going to go to prison." Hey, Lily, Egypt called. They want their river back. He can't look at her as he asks, "If I am, how does that affect you? Your kids? And whether or not you want to marry me?" Lily protests. He continues, "No, you should be thinking about it. I'd be thinking about it too. You should be thinking about it, because I sure as hell am." She says he's scaring her. Her voice is unsteady as she says that she doesn't want to talk to him when he's like this. He looks at her sadly. After a few seconds, he quietly says that it's okay; he feels like he should go anyway. He stands, and she says she doesn't think he should leave. She pleads that she "didn't mean to start anything like this" -- what, like a real conversation? -- and tells him to stay, that she wants to hold him until he falls asleep. Rick just looks down at her, and says he'll call her. "It'll be okay. It will," he insists, without much conviction. She just watches him withdraw, helpless. Lots of helpless expressions tonight, aren't there?