Episode Report Card Sara M: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Electric Van-Aid Acid Test
By Sara M | Season 4 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.10.1999
Lou and the Deacs are just ending their fifteenth meeting of the episode when Ruthie announces her arrival by honking her bike horn obnoxiously, loudly, and repeatedly. The group laughs to keep themselves from smacking her. Ruthie parks her dirty bike in the meeting room. Hey, maybe if the deacons didn't have to spend all of the church's money on cleaning dirt-encrusted bicycle tracks off the carpet, they would have money for RevCam's raise, you little troll. Ruthie introduces herself as RevCam's daughter, which she has to do since they wouldn't be able to guess that by looking at her. Ruthie says her dad doesn't know she's here, but he really needs that raise so they can get a car. One of the board members scoffs, which is met by an evil stare from Ruthie. He is terrified, and understandably so. Ruthie lists all the things her dad does that we heard earlier in this episode. Lou asks Ruthie about her dad's new red convertible. Ruthie's like, "Say what?" Then, "Oooooohhhh, that."
RevCam asks Annie if she's seen Ruthie. He wants to talk to her before he goes to the church to stomp his feet and pout about not getting his raise. Suddenly, Lou and Ruthie come out from behind the staircase, where they've been listening to RevCam and Annie the whole time. I wonder if, at the writer's meeting for this episode, one of the writers was all, "Hey! You know what's really awesome? When people hide behind stuff and listen to other people's conversations and then hear stuff that pertains to them!" And then the other writers were like, "That device isn't used nearly enough in television anymore! Let's bring it back! With a vengeance!" Lou says that Ruthie has already cleared things up about the raise. Annie smiles as if Ruthie's behavior was acceptable, which it isn't. Lou explains how he thought the Camdens were spending money on new cars and remodeling, so the deacons thought RevCam didn't need a raise. But now Lou sees that they're really just...well, spending money on new cars and remodeling. But RevCam will get his raise, and the deacons want RevCam to know that his work is not unappreciated. Ruthie flashes a thumbs-up. Shut up, Ruthie. Lou continues that the board approves of the car Ruthie picked out for the family, too, and thinks it will set a nice example for the parishioners. Until it runs one of them over. Ruthie asks if she's going to be punished "for riding [her] bike without telling anyone." The CamRents nod yes. They don't, however, punish Ruthie for begging her father's boss for money, which...wow. If I marched into my dad's office and demanded a raise for him, even if it was back in the days when I was little and cute, I wouldn't be able to write this recap, because I would still have no television or online privileges.