Episode Report Card Deborah: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Jew Of Arcadia
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 11.25.2004
Friedman and Luke are now at Skylight Books in search of a bat mitzvah present. Well, now we're getting somewhere. Books are the best gift. After cash. Because with cash, you can pick out your own books. See how that works? Friedman pulls a large illustrated volume off the shelves: "We could go Kama Sutra: you said you wanted personal." He cracks it open and comments, "If that's not personal I don't know what is." Luke, getting fed up: "Friedman, this is a religious event! It should have deeper meaning than…" Distracted by an illustration, he comments, "Remarkably limber." He comes to his senses and says, "No." He's drawn to a large coffee-table book on astronomy on top of the remainder table. Friedman: "An astronomy text? Now that's relationship suicide." Luke's not so sure about that: "We met in science class…" Friedman grabs the book: "My God, it's used! Grandparents wouldn't give that." No, it's remaindered. There's a difference. Maybe it's damaged, and that's what he means. Friedman is distracted by a nicely bound copy of Hamlet on display. Luke keeps looking through the book as Friedman wanders over and picks up the Shakespeare. He opens it to an illustration of Hamlet and Ophelia captioned, "This is the very ecstasy of love…" It's interesting that they had Judith and her friends trying to buy X when she got stabbed, considering they've brought this line up two or three times now. Think that's one of those subconscious things? Friedman reads the caption and says, "Oh, this would have been perfect for…Judith." Luke doesn't notice what Friedman's up to; he's engrossed in the book, declaring it "perfect." He tells Friedman: "I found it. There's [sic] no admonitions, Friedman. I am committed." Absently, Friedman says, "You know best, buddy." He's still lost in his memory of Judith, and what he wishes could have been.
That night in Joan's bedroom, she's telling Luke about what she observed of Grace's mother: "It was so weird: the other day her mom was like this regular, normal mom and then today, she was drunk." ["I don't think I understand this line. Joan says they went to a bar; I know she was obliviously focused on the buffalo wings, but…bar. Hello? I don't know. Weird writing all around in this ep, very funny but kind of out of character for a lot of people." -- Sars] Luke says he's never seen Grace's mother while she's been drinking: "I've only been to her place a couple of times." Joan says she was a totally different person: "So sad." Then: "If this happens all the time, you should have told me!" Oh, come on. She must know Grace better than that. Luke says Grace made him promise not to tell. Joan: "I'm her best friend! I should have known." Seriously, now. You couldn't even figure out she was seeing Luke, and you've been running around for weeks being "Joanith." How can you qualify as her best friend? By virtue of the absence of competition? Luke: "And I'm her boyfriend." He says he convinced her to go to Alateen. "You have to give her time." Joan: "Time? Luke, she already put off her bat mitzvah." Luke says she's done that before: "Probably for the same reason." Joan says she has to do this. Suddenly Grace marches in: "Why the hell did you come to my house?" Joan doesn't know how to answer. Grace looks at Luke: "Did you tell her, freak?" They both tell her he didn't. Joan says she just wanted to talk to her, and Grace wouldn't call her back. Grace: "And you couldn't take a hint? This is none of your business!" She tells Luke, "And it's none of yours anymore either. We're done." Luke says he's sorry. She's out in the hall already as Joan calls, "I was concerned." Grace: "Just leave it alone!"