Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Liar, Liar
By Cate | Season 4 | Episode 20 | Aired on 05.07.2000
RevCam's in his office when Sam Robbins, the hardboiled reporter for the "Family" section of the Glenoak newspaper, drops by. As Eric gets up from his desk, he trips over his own feet. What does that have to do with anything that's going on? Your guess is as good as mine. Sam, who seems pretty slimy from the get-go, starts talking about how the article is supposed to be more of a journalistic wet kiss than an expose. RevCam is stupid enough to believe him, even when Sam promises that RevCam can have complete approval over the article and photos. I think RevCam's naiveté is supposed to be endearing. That's too bad, since I'd be more inclined to call it "irksome."
Sure enough, Sam asks leading questions of the kids and takes copious notes on everything they say. Mary starts talking about RevCam having connections, which kept her from serving time for the infamous gym incident. She also talks about meeting Robbie in her diversion program. For her finale, she takes the basketball she's been playing with and puts it under her shirt, making herself look pregnant. The photographer snaps away. I imagine Mary did this because she was nervous. Come on, though -- would any seventeen-year-old do that? No, really, I want to know.
Some of Mary's misdeeds actually are sort of nasty, but Lucy hasn't done anything to be ashamed of. That's why the writers have to scramble to tart up her story, but to little avail. They resort to the reporter dropping his pen in the hope that Lucy, who is sporting a low-cut T-shirt, will reach over to pick it up. Being a Camden, she is, of course, polite enough to take the bait, giving us an excellent view of her cleavage. It's an even better view when the camera returns to her after a shot of the newspaper photographer snapping pictures, since in the second shot there's a continuity mishap that ensures her hair doesn't block her breastal region.
Simon shares memories of getting suspended for flipping the bird and trying cigarettes. Ooh, nasty! Oh, he also talks about Deena and the never-ending hickey kerfuffle, but amazingly, no one strangles him for it. He pretends to smoke and the photographer takes his picture. Yawn.
I'm glad the writers don't try to insult us by making Ruthie's stupid peccadilloes (cutting her friend's hair, giving the twins eggs for their birthday) seem more serious than they really are. Instead they have her talk about her "drunk Aunt Judy." She claims that RevCam sobers people up by locking himself in a room with them, but I'm thinking that's way more likely to get people to start drinking.