Episode Report Card Deborah: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Are You There, God? It's Me, Joan
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.11.2004
Joan goes back downstairs and announces to her father, "Something's wrong with Luke. He's all shivery and gross." Will: "Oh, boy. Does he have a fever?" Joan: "I don't know. I'm not touching him. I have to go." Will: "But I'm making French toast." Joan: "Sorry!" She grabs her stuff and vamooses.
Adam, Joan, and Grace are walking down the stairs to their lockers. Joan's talking through a mouthful of food, saying, "Someone has got to explain this bug book to me. I mean, are we really supposed to believe that somebody would just…turn into a roach? Reality check!" Grace snarls: "It's called 'literary symbolism,' and didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?" She walks off, disgusted. Adam, who's putting up posters for his Café Ennui thing, watches her and tells Joan: "Something's going on at home. I didn't ask." Joan doesn't say much because she's sort of busy picking her teeth. Adam says, "So, uh, this art show thing, I was wondering maybe if you could help me load in my stuff tonight." Joan: "At your opening? Definitely." She seems excited to be asked. Adam keeps walking and postering as Joan says, "So, um…Baby Voice is not available?" Adam says he told her not to come: "I said I'd be too nervous." Huh. That should wash really well when she finds out Joan was there. That would bother me if I cared. Joan says she's happy to be a roadie, and Adam tells her to be there at 7:00. Aren't art shows usually set up a little more than, say, an hour in advance of their opening? The bell rings, and he takes off.
Joan walks along, reading the poster. She walks right past Goth God -- who's wearing a kilt, by the way. I'm not all hot for Goth God like lots of you, but I like a man -- or deity --who can wear a skirt. He comments that she's not in much of a hurry. Joan points out that he knows she has study hall. He knows that's followed by lunch. Joan: "Is there something I can help you with? I got the milk." Goth God: "And you think that's enough?" Joan: "Some clarity would help here." He wonders who's taking care of Luke today. Joan: "I don't know…his parents?" Goth God: "Right. You ever thought about maybe sharing some of their burden?" Joan: "Let's not forget that the last time you asked me to share the laundry burden and I ended up on crutches." Hey, I don't think it's his fault you're too dopey to use the brains he gave you. The bell rings. Goth God: "Second bell. It's too late to go to study hall. Look at all this free time." Joan complains, "I have two exams coming up! Do you want me to flunk?" It seems to me that there's some implicit quid pro quo thing here: if God asks you to do something that means ignoring some other obligation or responsibility, God should see to it that, you know, that other obligation or responsibility should be taken care of, if you know what I mean. Otherwise, what…God's just here to throw a wrench into the works? Thanks, but I've got family, friends, neighbours, and the rest of humanity for that. I'm all set. He just gives her a sort of "it's up to you" look and walks away. Joan: "You know, for someone who's almighty, you're very passive-aggressive." Heh.
Shot of one of Arcadia's many tall office buildings. Will and Toni are arresting some office worker played by Todd Louiso, who was awesome in High Fidelity. I'm going to call him Dick here, too, in honour of that role. Will complains, "What is this, punishment for being tardy? I miss the morning meeting, so we gotta go arrest the naughty computer boy?" The perp corrects him: "That's Information Technology Specialist." Same difference, most likely. That's close enough to Frink's actual title that we both smirk. Of course, all his coworkers are staring. One passes by, and he says, "Hey, Beth." They start escorting him out in handcuffs as Toni says, "Mr. Smith, you're under arrest for embezzling half a million dollars. You want to start taking this seriously?" Will: "You won't be so cocky when they put you away for ten years." Smith: "That's assuming they can crack my encryption. And judging from you guys, they can't even hook up a TiVo." Will says to Toni, "I like driving fast and shooting guns."