Episode Report Card Deborah: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Maternal Instincts
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 10.23.2003
Joan finds Room 171, which has a sign outside it saying "Audio Visual." She opens the door, and there's Clay in his little DJ booth. Joan looks slightly flattered and pleased to find that it's him, but probably mostly relieved that it's not actually Price. Clay apologizes for taking Price's name in vain, and explains he has a hook-up to the PA system to pipe music during the football season: "So...I'm your hero, right? Bustin' you out of Chem class?" I don't get it -- did he imitate Price's voice? Joan says, "That depends on why you did it." She's wearing another twenty-foot scarf. How many does she have? He says, "It's because I'm cataloguing stuff, and I concentrate better if I have a smart girl nearby." I know what you were thinking there, Clay, but I still think you would have scored higher with "pretty" or "cute" than "smart." I don't think Joan's at the point where she cares more about "smart" than "pretty." Joan asks how he knows she's smart. He says he asked around: "I also asked if you were beautiful, and four out of five doctors said yes." Me: "Oh, gag." Frink: "Aw, don't fall for this knob." Joan smiles, and doesn't know what to say. What a lame line. Joan asks where his supervisor is. Clay says he usually leaves him alone because Clay takes his Friday and Saturday night shifts: "Spinning mind-numbing jazz so he won't have to." I don't understand: is this a job? A school project? Where is this radio station broadcast? I don't get it. There was no radio station where I went to school, although apparently Frink was a deejay at his. Clay asks what she wants to hear, suggesting The Flaming Lips. Joan agrees, and asks what he really wanted. Clay asks if she wants to hang out with him on Saturday before he goes to work. He offers to play her some of his mixes. Joan asks, "This Saturday?" Clay says he'd take her out at night like a normal person if he didn't have to work. Let's not get all crazy with the "like a normal person" comparisons. Joan says it sounds like fun, but she really can't, because there's some stuff she has to do. Clay looks bummed and unconvinced: "Stuff to do. 'Like not hangin' out with you, Fisher!' Well, if you'll excuse me...I, um...have to go somewhere, and, like, be humiliated." Good. Do that. Joan quickly says, "No, no, no. I -- I really want to. Really, really." Clay: "Oh. Three 'reallys.' Interesting." Joan stumbles over explaining her Saturday obligations again. Girl, just suggest Sunday afternoon or something. What is the big deal about suggesting an alternate time? Joan decides that this vague other thing she doesn't want to tell him about is something she can "totally get out of," and Clay smiles, saying, "Wore you down, didn't I? With a little one-two punch of self-deprecation...and trying to look like Ashton Kutcher." Me: "In your dreams, buddy." Frink: "Yeah, Davy Jones." You can tell even Joan thinks this is a little goofy by the way she wriggles her eyebrows, laughs, and says, "Okay." Joan thinks she's gotta get going, and Clay tries to encourage her to stay, saying there are only ten minutes left in the period and she's "home free." Joan says they can't talk about everything now; they have to save something for Saturday. There are lots of awkward silences and smiles and hopeful glances and God I'm glad I'm not in high school anymore. She leaves, closing the door behind her and saying to herself, "You walked right into that one, Girardi."
Will's in his office when his assistant brings in Sara Bonner. She can tell from his expression that he doesn't have good news. He explains that the DA's deputies are still scrutinizing evidence and evaluating the strength of the case. Her voice full of emotion, Sara asks, "Did they see the pictures of me? Did they talk to the doctors?" Will says that is all in the report. Sara: "Well, maybe he'll kill the next girl. I mean, that's a stronger case, I assume?" Will says he understands how painful this is for her. Sara: "Don't say you understand -- you don't! No man gets to say that." Will replies gently, "You're right...but some of us are closer to understanding than others." Could we all just agree that rape and sexual assault are, by definition, horrible, soul-destroying violations no matter who they happen to, no matter the victim's age, class, occupation, sex, or race? Could we recognize that both women and men are raped; both men and women commit sexual assault (though admittedly, men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators)? You can never assume that any man you're talking to hasn't been sexually assaulted. You can't assume a woman will automatically show more compassion or empathy to a survivor than a man will. I think if we could agree on that, that would constitute some kind of progress. Will promises to do everything he can to shore up the case: "Either way, it should be resolved soon." Sara says quietly, "Resolved." They just look at each other.