Episode Report Card Sara M: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Racism With a Side of Spying
By Sara M | Season 3 | Episode 13 | Aired on 01.24.1999
Mary, Simon, Ruthie, and their corresponding Hamilton counterparts walk to the Tripp residence. You know, I'm surprised the Hamiltons don't have a black Labrador to match the pure white Happy. Ruthie knocks on the door and Bobby, Darryl, and sixteen-year-old Mark come outside. Apparently, Ruthie forgot her sister was a woman when she set her up to fight Mark, and she also forgot that Mary is a Camden woman, and thus starts to flirt with Mark immediately. Apparently, even though the Camdens and the Tripps are next-door neighbors, Mark and Mary haven't seen each other in years, and each realizes that the other one is hot. Mark asks Mary if he can call her. Mary says she gets home from church tomorrow at eleven-thirty. Mark says he'll call at eleven-thirty-one, then. Desperation is always so attractive in a man. Brawl plans decidedly thwarted, Ruthie tells Bobby that she'll be back, trying to sound like the Terminator when she's not even as cool as Michael Biehn. "Make my day," Bobby responds, trying to be all Dirty Harry when he isn't even as cool as...um...whoever else was in Sudden Impact.
Annie waddles to get the door, and even taking into account that maternity wear is never very attractive, her shirt is heinous. It's got a collar, and black buttons, and some kind of purple and black plaid design. Ugh. Annie opens the door to reveal the church women, whom she greets by screaming, "RIGHT ON TIME!" Annie then introduces the group to Patricia, who they didn't already know since she belongs to the black church, while they worship at the white church. Mrs. Poole and the crowd pile into the kitchen to make food for the shower. As they go, Mrs. Poole loudly comments on how Annie and RevCam were just handed a huge house, while she and her husband had to work for their little shack in the woods. I know how Mrs. Poole feels, but that was just plain rude. Back at the front door, Annie snarls and Patricia placates.
Apparently, not all the church women made it to the kitchen, as the most elderly of the group has wandered into the living room, where Mrs. Hinkle is watching Xena: Warrior Princess and admiring Lucy Lawless's "tumbling" skills. Oldie requests a cold drink, to which Annie and Patricia just stand there cluelessly until Patricia figures out that Annie has no intention of doing anything and leaves to get the drink.
Establishing shot of some run-down-looking diner. John's playing pinball and Matt is whining about wanting to move out of the CamPound. John tells Matt that he should stay at the CamPound because his parents will need a "go-to guy" to take care of the twins, and apparently, Mary and Lucy are just too darn female for the task.