Episode Report Card Sara M: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT There's A First Time For Everything
By Sara M | Season 9 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.06.2005
Matt rings Vincent's doorbell. There is no answer. Matt knocks. There is no answer. Matt yells. There is an answer, from a weird man hanging out by some garbage cans. He says the Vincent family isn't home and that they've been gone for hours.
RevCam, Annie, Happy, SamVid, Kevin, Lucy, and Savannah (albeit against her will and better judgment) have assembled in the CamDen. Ruthie comes downstairs wearing her Annie and Lucy-approved new date outfit. It's a nice sweater and a black skirt, but she's also got some horrible choker-necklace deal going on that ruins it for me. Nevertheless, everyone says Ruthie looks great. Ruthie begs them to stop making a big deal out of this and to leave the room. A flash goes off in her face. It's from Kevin's camera, which looks like a modern job, even though it when it took the picture it made the sound that cameras from, like, the beginning of the last century did. Great job, sound effects team. Kevin apologizes, saying he didn't mean to take the picture. RevCam's eyes moisten. Ruthie tells her father to stop getting emotional (seriously) and begs everyone to leave the room. Eventually, they all do, except for SamVid, who insist on going with Ruthie on her date. Ruthie says they are not. SamVid say they put on ties and everything. That's right -- the kids who couldn't even understand the melting properties of ice cream sandwiches last week are able to do Windsor knots this week. Ruthie says she appreciates their effort, but it's wasted because they aren't going anywhere. SamVid announce that they don't like the idea of Ruthie kissing Vincent. Ruthie tells them to "scoot." They walk to the staircase and sit down, staring at Ruthie.
Matt asks the weird guy by the garbage cans where Vincent is, expositing that he's supposed to be here so Matt can pick him up for his date. Weird guy, who I'm pretty sure is wearing RevCam's grandpa cardigan, suddenly knows all about this, because I guess Vincent talks to him all the time. Kind of like how the Taylors used to talk to Wilson on Home Improvement, but even more annoying and contrived, if this is even possible. Weird guy also knows all about Ruthie's family, and introduces himself as "Irving Peele, your pharmacist!" I wonder if he's related to Julie McCoy, your cruise director? Irving says that Vincent probably got scared of the date and ran away. Matt says he'll wait for him to come back, all night if need be. Then he has a genius idea -- he has Irving call the CamRents so that if Ruthie answers the phone, she won't suspect that something has gone wrong because she won't know that Matt is on the other end. Irving is all too happy to oblige, but he does score points with me for saying "not yet" when Matt claims that he is a doctor. RevCam answers the phone and Irving's all "oh, hello, can I speak to Dad?" Judging by how pushy and nosy this guy is, he may very well be RevCam's long-lost son. Matt grabs the phone and tells RevCam that the Vincent family has disappeared. Mac and Martin enter the house and overhear RevCam's conversation. Matt says he'll try to find out more and call RevCam back. They hang up, and Matt asks Irving what he knows about Vincent. Suddenly unwilling to share people's personal information, Irving shrugs.