Episode Report Card Demian: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT A Pain In My Ass
By Demian | Season 4 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.16.2002
Outside the school on the way to The Family Four-Door Of (Spoiler!) Fiery Doom, Raige babbles about how her parents have to trust her that things turn out for the best: she gets a degree in social work, she goes to Berkeley, she helps other people work through troubles of their own, blah blee whatever. Lisa snarks over her shoulder that she and Pops have heard it all before. Raige stops them, pleading with them to see her for who she really is. "I'm not who you think I am," she softly insists. Just as softly, Pops asks her how she knows what they think of her. Raige can see the contempt and disappointment in their eyes, she claims, and she needs them to understand that at some point in the very near future, she "finds" herself and settles down. "I'll find myself because of you," she tells them. "You shaped who I am. I am not a bad daughter. You did not raise a bad daughter. I'm good. I just wish you could see it." Pops and Lisa drop the bomb: they already know all of this. It's just that, as with any two parents watching their child struggle through life, they at times feel helpless to protect her from the agita and tsuris every child must to endure to become an adult. Lisa Darr even gets teary. Aw. Sorry your show got canceled, hon. Raige has a quiet little epiphany at all of this, and the three move in for a group hug. She once again promises to mend her errant ways, and the three break to enter The Family Four-Door Of (Spoiler!) Fiery Doom. Raige convinces Pops and Lisa that they should skip heading to a restaurant that evening and just remain at home. Pops and Lisa shrug at each other and agree to the plan. Raige closes her eyes and lets loose a sigh of relief.
Inside the car, the Dolt greets Raige with a scorching glare of disapproval. She ignores him. As he pulls out into the street, Pops cheerfully wonders if they should order in. Raige would prefer some of Lisa's "home cooking." Everyone giggles. "You shouldn't do this," the Dolt warns darkly. "You can't change the past." "I just did," Raige coolly replies, settling back into her seat. "You don't know what you're doing," the Dolt adds, just before he flares out of the back seat. A rather small moving van runs a stop sign as Pops heads through an intersection. Raige screams a warning as the van plows into the driver's side of the car. Raige orbs out of the back seat as the van smashes into Pops and Lisa. The car flips twice as Raige orbs back in onto the pavement, unharmed. The Family Four-Door Of Fiery Doom explodes. Smell ya later, Pops and Lisa. Raige rises to her feet, and her braces wail their way to commercial.