Episode Report Card Deborah: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Arcadia the Beautiful
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 5 | Aired on 10.21.2004
Joan's sitting in the cafeteria with Judith on one side and Grace on the other. She looks at Elizabeth's craptastic promotional flyer, featuring pictures of Elizabeth inside a star shape. Joan asks, "Elizabeth Goetzman, what about her?" What about her, indeed? They glance over at her table, where she's standing and vogue-ing for her cronies. Man, I think you all know by know that I hate attention whores, but the drama club attention whore has to be just about my least favourite breed. Judith's comment is right on: "Needs elephant tranquilizers." Joan moves on to the next dweeby poster: "Rick Jenkins." They look over at his table and Judith scrunches up her nose: "Acne factory." Next: "Brian Beaumont." His poster is text only, Courier font. Grace: "Isn't he the scuzzcrack who fired you from yearbook?" Joan, she of the bafflingly short memory: "Oh, yeah!" They watch him boring some classmates with his detailed political proposal. Judith: "Ugh. Is he kidding with the argyle? Oh God…pants riding up…argyle socks, too?" Still better than an orange sweater vest. Judith: "Oh, my eyes! My eyes!" Grace: "Why are you even thinking of this? Everyone knows it's going to be Lars Klosterman." She gestures to Lars's poster, a magic marker job with another football-holding pose, and the end of the football forming the O of the word "vote." We see him holding court at the jock's table. Judith drools: "Could he be any hotter?" Grace: "Please. Mr. Prom King is operating on, like, two brain cells." Judith: "And a whole lotta pheromones." Joan: "Ha ha." Grace persists: "Why the sudden involvement with the system, Girardi? Do you even know what student council does?" Joan: "Yeah, they planned Crazy Hair Day." Did anyone remember to tell Friedman it's over? Judith: "You could stop using conditioner and save yourself a lot of grief." Joan: "Look, someone's gonna win, and it's…it's gonna make a difference." Grace: "What, they're suddenly going to have the power to banish people?" Joan makes a weak argument about how every voice is different: "And when they're counted, it matters. Somehow." Yeah, now I'm convinced. Joan: "Don't ask so many questions." Grace: "Dude, you've been a cog in the machine too long. I am voting for E. Fudd like I do every year." She takes her tray and leaves.
Lucy is typing away on her laptop when Will comes in. Though it's still fairly steely, I can actually make out some colours in this scene that are not blue or grey. Did you know there's some red in the American flag? Rock on, Filter People. But now I need to kick some Hair People ass: What are you doing to Annie Potts's hair? It's not good, and in this episode, it only gets worse. Please, make it stop. She finishes her memo while Will looks at photos in her office. Of one, she says, "Sixth hole at Wade Hampton, par 3. Fabulous. St. Andrews, Scotland. You play?" Will, coldly: "If I could find the time." Lucy says she has to find the time: "It keeps me sane. But then, I don't have a family." Will has no intention of being affable: "You wanted something?" Lucy says she knows he and Roebuck were friends: "If I were you, I'd probably resent the hell out of me for taking his job." Will denies feeling that way. Lucy wants to explain her approach: "I'm a numbers person, organizational by nature." She describes her anal retentiveness regarding her doll's wardrobe at the age of eight. Will gives her a silent let's-get-on-with-this reaction. She's trying to make nice, but he's just not having it. She tells him she wants to start keep records only of incidents in which an arrest is made, rather than recording all criminal incidents. Will: "So our success rate goes up." He says he's a numbers person, too. He manages a very small smile. Lucy says she wants to show city council positive results. Will interrupts her: "And suddenly you're a genius and Roebuck looks incompetent." She replies, "No, it's just about presenting the stats in a more positive way so the city council will give us what we want." Can you just do that? Change the way you collect and present crime statistics? Will says he understands: "I just wouldn't feel…right about it." He starts to walk out and she says, "Don't make me pull rank, Will." He turns and looks at her as she adds, "I hate working that way." Will replies, "I'll keep that in mind," as he closes the door.