Episode Report Card Deborah: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Grace Under Pressure
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.05.2004
Joan and Helen are getting groceries. Joan asks if the art-teacher position has been filled yet. Helen says it hasn't, and that Price claims he's going to fill the position by Friday no matter what. Joan: "Adam told Price he should hire you." She adds a little chortle. Helen seems pleasantly surprised: "Really?" Joan: "Yeah, can you imagine? You grading my friends? Ew and ew." Helen: "I used to teach, you know. And I've been exhibited." Joan: "What are you saying, Mom? You can't teach at my school. It's like incest or something. I'm gonna go get the hamburger meat." Helen looks slightly hurt as Joan takes off.
Joan asks the butcher for two and a half pounds of hamburger meat. As he prepares the meat, he asks, "So...you quit debate, huh?" Joan replies, "Shouldn't you be in the produce section? I always thought God would be a vegetarian." Guess not, but at least you can probably trust this guy not to have his thumb on the scale. Butcher God laughs, saying, "You know, I was surprised. You were only in debate for...." Joan: "Three days. Because I'm good. I am so getting this whole mission thing. I'm getting even better at the riddles. 'Finding his voice.'" She says that was a good one, because at first she thought she was supposed to cure Scott's stuttering. She rambles on, directing God to choose lean beef because her mother's on a health kick. Butcher God tells Joan she's not done: "I wanted you to join the debate team to be in the debate." Joan: "Come on, if I argue in favour of that stupid policy, Grace is totally going to write me off!" Butcher God: "So your position has no validity at all?" Joan: "Yeah. Ha! Grace is all political and knows about this stuff. And I know what a drag it is to get searched." Butcher God is incredulous: "So you think believing something to be true makes it true?" Joan thinks about this for a moment and replies, "Well, if believing in things is wrong, that would put you out of business pret-ty fast, wouldn't it?" He says, "I don't exist because people believe in me! I simply exist, whether they believe in me or not." Joan sighs and plops her hand on the counter in exasperation as he continues, "Holding onto beliefs, that's not truth. Open your mind, Joan! Read what Scott gave you. Be a part of that debate tomorrow." She doesn't say anything, but it's obvious that she'll go along.
Joan and Adam are walking through a school hallway together while Joan bitches about Grace: "I can't believe Grace won't talk to me." Adam -- who looks cute with his hood pulled up over his head -- asks, "Why? I went for weeks without talking to you, and I can't hold a grudge like she can." Joan says Adam had a good reason: "She's being a jerk! You don't think she's right, do you?" He explains, "I usually don't listen to what's going on unless I hear my name." Genius. I think I may adopt that policy. Joan is barely listening, though, as she rants on: "I mean, there are arguments on the other side. Scott put together some amazing facts that I couldn't get out of reading. Grace could at least come to the debate and listen!" Adam says she is. He's wearing an interesting-looking t-shirt with a skeleton on it, but I can't see much of it. Joan: "Oh. How about you?" Adam: "Me?" Joan: "Yeah, are you coming?" Adam asks if she wants him to. Joan: "Well, yeah." He says he'll come. She stops and asks, "Adam...we're okay now...aren't we?" Adam seems caught off-guard somewhat, and replies, "S-sure," trying to sound more okay than he feels. Joan gazes at him and smiles gently, as if she needs just a little bit more reassurance. Adam adds, "We're...us." That seems to be enough for her, and she smiles softly again as she walks off. Adam follows.