Episode Report Card Demian: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Gypsies, Tramps, and Feebs
By Demian | Season 5 | Episode 6 | Aired on 10.19.2002
Meanwhile, Raige loiters on the sidewalk across from Tereza's shop. The area overflows with police, and a non-Darryl detective examines Tereza's corpse inside the storefront. Raige phones Phoebe at work to pass along the bad news. Phoebe's shocked and appalled. She's also wearing crocheted fingerless gloves as she taps away on her laptop. They're like teeny purple legwarmers for her wrists. No, I don't understand it either, and they're by far the most disturbing development this evening. As Phoebe and Raige attempt to process Tereza's suspicious death and its attendant demonic implications, Elise Rothman, Girl Editor pokes her head into Phoebe's office to saddle her with a few more professional responsibilities. Phoebe promises to meet Raige at the Manor as soon as possible, and slams down her receiver to chase Elise out into the main office. Phoebe insists that she can't accept additional assignments at the moment. Elise glares at her, then snidely sing-songs, "Dear Phoebe: My career is on the fast track, I'm wildly popular, and the money's pretty damn good, too. What should I do?" "Stop whining?" Phoebe whispers. Elise is all, "Bingo!" and sails off. Phoebe, beleaguered, sighs.
Say. Suddenly Shrewish here just gave me an idea! Dear Brad: May I call you Brad? I feel like we know each other so well, after all. Anyway, just letting you know that having the Girl Editor inexplicably morph into a raging Hell-bitch over the hiatus will not make me stop hating Phoebe. Try again! D.
Hospital. Wasn't I just here? A petite, dark-haired surgeon counsels a patient as Lydia barges into the emergency room, slurring in Romanian. Doctor Ava excuses herself from her charge and draws Lydia aside, ordering her to keep her voice down and to speak in English. Lydia breathlessly relates the details of Madame T's untimely demise, and warns Ava to take the proper precautions. Ava's Shuvani too, you see. However, she rejected her superstitious Romany heritage in favor of the rational world of Western medicine, and wants nothing to do with Lydia and her charms and Evil Eyes and ancient incantations and such. Why would Ava turn her back on her people, you ask? That's easy. Ava's got a Dead Mom. Yep -- Ava's mother shunned chemotherapy in favor of traditional herbal folk remedies, and died as a result of her misguided decision. Ava also volleys a bit of backstory regarding Mom's unfulfilled deathbed vow to contact her daughter from beyond the grave before she tells Lydia to make like a tree. "Your friend was murdered?" Ava snaps. "Turn to the police, not superstition." She spins on her heel to return to her patient as Lydia blinks back tears.