Episode Report Card 1 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Abby Morgan, Rest In Peace
By Sars | Season 2 | Episode 19 | Aired on 05.04.1999
In another part of the graveyard, Joey and Dawson stroll hand in hand through a bower of roses. Yes, I do believe that we get it. Joey approaches her mother's grave marker, and she starts to tear up as she stands over it and places a bouquet beside it, and she sort of touches the marker, which says "Lillian Josephine Potter" on it, wistfully, and she cries a little bit. "Lillian"? Dawson comes up behind Joey as she says, "I hope wherever she is, she's happy." Dawson says, "She's happy. She's looking down on you, and she's very happy." Doesn't Dawson customarily do the looking-down-on of Joey? Anyway, at least he tried to say something nice. Joey rests her head on his shoulder in a pretty unflattering shot of both of them.
Jen trudges up the porch steps to find Grams packing her things. She says, "Grams?" and Grams, stuffing some clothes into a bag, reproaches her, "How could you, Jennifer?" Jen murmurs, "You packed up -- all my stuff." Grams, folding angrily, snaps, "I went to that funeral today to try to give you some support, and to try to rectify some of the damage in our fragile relationship, only to find you heartlessly thumbing your nose at me, in a house of God no less." Jen tries to tell Grams that she gave the speech for Abby, not for Grams, but Grams -- as she should -- shoots Jen a "yeah right" look and keeps on packing as Jen says that she already regrets giving the speech. Jen says she knows she messed up and apologizes for "offending [Grams's] beliefs," but Grams contemptuously cuts her off: "This is not about my beliefs, or free speech, or any other philosophical nonsense. This is about the truth. And the truth is, you deliberately tried to wound me in that chapel -- you decided to take out all your pain and rage at the world on me." Jen tries to interrupt, but Grams has the boot laced up tight: "You want understanding -- how about a little understanding in return, how about a little compassion for me? Not just for my beliefs, but for me, your grandmother, who loves you, who would do anything for you, who would die for you!" Jen wails in desperation, "Wait, Gram -- Grandma, wait a minute, just listen!" Hmm -- I guess Michelle Williams calls her grandmother "Grandma," because Jen hasn't called Grams that before, and this scene got pretty intense for her, I think. In any case, Grams won't hear it, hissing, "You should be living with someone else, someone you respect, and clearly I am not that person. The time you waste rebelling against me is getting you nowhere." Jen stares at Grams with tears of despair welling in her eyes; Grams says sternly, "So while it pains me more than you will ever know, Jennifer, I want you to move out," and then, almost in tears herself, "Find somewhere else to live." Grams goes inside and closes the door in Jen's stunned face, and she leans against it and begins to weep, and out on the porch, Jen closes her eyes and cries, and then she sighs and just stands there among all of her things. I respect Grams for chewing Jen out, but not only would Grams never just boot Jen out on her own without calling her parents or giving her two weeks to find other digs or what have you, but frankly I don't think Grams as written would kick her out at all, and it sucks that the writers had to ruin the one character with any sense on this show by making her do something so unrealistically melodramatic.