Episode Report Card Niki: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Pressure Cooker
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 11.20.2000
Oh yeah, the kitchen. So Jake comes bursting through the back door, putting an end to all the inappropriate talk. He's carrying two enormous aluminum take-out trays containing the restaurant's "famous corn salad and Barbara's personal favorite: creamed spinach." Barbara's eyes grow wide as she "oooh's" over the offerings. Rick hears the fuss from the dining room, glances over, and then chooses to ignore Jake. Interesting -- it's the first time he's done that. Zoe wants to know whether Jake will be joining them, but he informs her that he will be serving dinner to two hundred and fifty people that night. Barbara is suitably impressed and gives him a big congratulatory hug. Peg, in the background, watches the exchange closely. Lily then introduces Peg to Jake, and she compliments him on his kids. Jake's gotta go, and he blows out of the kitchen with a "Happy Thanksgiving!" and a promise to talk to Barbara before she goes.
A little later, we follow Lily to the living room, where Rick, Zoe, Jessie, and Eli are slumped on the couch, slaves to the football god. Lily offers refreshments but basically gets rebuffed by everyone except Zoe. Zoe wants Jessie to unravel the mystery that is football, and Jessie seems happy to oblige. The sporting lesson is interrupted by the arrival of Judy, with Aaron in tow. Zoe runs excitedly to greet Aaron, who flinches, while Rick and his kids sit uncomfortably on the couch. He explains who Aaron is, and then gets up to greet him. Rick asks how the ride was, and Aaron responds that they had a very nice ride: "The leaves are off the trees, and it's very evocative." He goes on to mention that Judy has a blue Corvair, which he totally loves, and "speaking of evocative...heh." Eli and Jessie wander out from the living room, and Judy introduces them. Aaron retreats into his shell a little.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, Lily's busy setting the table while Zoe shows Jessie and Peg some family pictures. Why isn't anyone helping Lily, is what I want to know. It's really bothering me. Jessie mentions that she hasn't seen pictures of Rick when he was little, and Peg fortunately has some. Rick walks in just as Lily joins the gushing throng, and there is much gasping and shrilling over how cute little Rickie was. Whatever. He looks like a regular gawky ten-year-old to me. Anyway, Peg starts regaling them with tales of his youth, and Rick, embarrassed by the fuss, starts to leave. Peg mentions that Rick's father made him draw up the plans for his boyhood fort, and Grace asks the departing Rick whether that was when he decided to become an architect. Notice that? Grace was being polite. Focus shifts to adorable little Mikey, and Rick stands in the doorway, listening. Jessie wants to know when they last saw their uncle Mike, and Peg shoots Rick a look. Jessie remembers that Mike was "so funny" and wants to know why he doesn't visit anymore. Rick answers lamely, "He's very busy." Peg looks sad. Babs brings her bustle to the dining room, relegating jobs to the stand-arounds. Well, at least she's helping Lily. She mentions to Rick that they'll need "the big strong men to start bringing in the chairs," and a second later, we see Aaron in the background quietly carrying one in. Pluck goes my heartstring. Rick carries in the last of the chairs, putting it at the head of the table. Barbara tells him he'll be sitting there. He starts to protest, but Lily waves it off, telling him to "sit, sit." Aaron, standing to Rick's right, looks at the chair and softly says, "Dad," while making a gesture toward it. Judy gets Aaron to sit, but he mutters again, "Daddy's chair." Rick, I'm guessing, is feeling a little uncomfortable. Babs brings in the bird, staggering slightly under its weight. Requisite oohing and aaahing as she sets it before Rick. Lily, standing behind Judy and Aaron says, "I just need to say how much Dad is in our hearts, and how much I miss him," and Judy adds, "And how happy he would be to see everyone here today." Babs walks past, patting Lily on the shoulder and saying, "Thank you, Lily." Because Judy isn't as pretty as Lily, and therefore doesn't deserve attention. She knows it, too. You can see it in the look on her face. To a round of applause, Rick stands and asks whether he should do the honors. Aaron looks confused as he claps hesitantly. He knows that carving is his father's job. Rick makes the first cut and slips, shredding the meat a little. He looks like it's a big deal, somehow.