Episode Report Card Aaron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Body Shots
By Aaron | Season 3 | Episode 8 | Aired on 04.19.2003
Back at The Boredello, Lisa scores an appointment for a massage with Brenda by name-dropping Sherry Lansing. Yeah. Because no one in Hollywood has ever heard that one before. She also gives her named as "Dana Todd." Heh.
Paintball. David and Sarge crouch beside a tree and discuss David's relationship with Keith. Sarge is clearly flirting. David is clearly oblivious to this fact. Moving on.
Formaldehyde Fortress. Ruth is laying out a platter of cheese and crackers when Arthur wanders into the kitchen. "I've been talking to a couple of…'The People,'" he says. "They have some interesting beliefs." "They certainly believe in dairy," answers Ruth. "All the little ones beg for cheese." Hee! "Cows are sacred to them," explains Arthur, before launching into a lengthy description of how the concept of "romantic love" was invented by a man named Petrarch in the fourteenth century. Yeah. I don't understand the relevance of that either. He haltingly informs Ruth that her friendship means a great deal to him, but that going any further would be unprofessional of him. "Please don't kiss me again," he insists, and Ruth promises that she never will. In fact, she even says "never" twice. And then they kiss! No, really. She plants another one right on his lips, forcing him to dash out of the room as quickly as his stubbly little legs will carry him. Now, see? That right there is my problem with this entire subplot. This is a woman who wouldn't even pick up her own granddaughter a few weeks ago after having been specifically given permission, and here she is shoving her tongue down the throat of a man who specifically forbid her from doing so not ten seconds before. And we've seen nothing at all this year to explain such a transformation. Are we really to believe that Kathy Bates and a stolen tube of lipstick are responsible for her decidedly un-Ruth-like behavior? Hell, she hasn't even visited The Formaldehyde Fortress Sun Room Of Personal Introspection yet this season. I don't care about their ages, I don't care how ridiculous Arthur's character is if you stop and think about him for more than a few seconds -- I just want Ruth to start acting like Ruth again, dammit. Which she promptly does here, as she saves the entire scene by handing the plate of cheese to some kids and declaring, "You'll have to help yourselves. I'm out of control." Now that's the blurting Ruth we all know and love.
Paintball. Keith is still on the prowl, and he's so dedicated to his quest for vengeance that he even kills a teammate who tries to get in his way. Finally, he comes across The Ho-Buck and The LWSD II discussing Survivor, and takes great pleasure in growling "Jeanne…Tripplehorn" as he fires a round into each of their chests. It seems that revenge is a dish best served cold, and with a bok choi garnish.