Episode Report Card Niki: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Taking Sides
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.03.2002
Back in the van, Karen asks why Jessie likes it so much at Lily's. "There's always people over there," Jessie says. She adds that Sam sometimes comes over. She asks if Karen remembers how much fun they used to have, when they'd visit Janine and Sam over the summer. Karen clucks that Jessie is too young to remember it, but Jessie insists she does. Jessie grows quiet and says she feels sorry for Jamie. She asks whether he knows about Judy and Sam. Karen reminds her that Jamie met Judy at Christmas. "I know. I meant about Sam and Judy cheating on Janine," Jessie says. Karen doesn't know what Jessie's talking about, and Jessie thinks Karen is just trying to protect her from the truth. Jessie says it's okay, that Lily told her. Karen tries to keep her mind on the road as the ass-pole turns somersaults and threatens to kill them all.
"Do all men cheat?" Grace asks abruptly. She's just entered the living room, where Lily is stretched out reading Back When We Were Grown-ups (by Anne Tyler), and stands there waiting for an answer. Lily closes the book and sits up, and Grace quickly says, "I'm just asking!" She rhymes off all the cheaters she knows of personally: Jake, Sam, her grandfather. Lily shoots her a look with the last one. Grace says that Barb told her about it. Lily sighs and tries to tell Grace that she's "too young to have to think about things like this." Grace adds, "Until they happen to me? Like they happened to you?" Rick saunters in, blissfully unaware of the topic of conversation, and returns a book to the shelf behind them. Lily assures Grace that "not all men cheat." Rick asks what's up. Lily says, "Grace is having a worried moment." Rick settles himself on the back of the couch and asks what it's about. Grace quickly dismisses him, saying it's not something she can talk to him about. Lily says she can talk to Rick about it. "No, I can't," Grace grits. Lily evaluates her for a second, then goes ahead and tells Rick that Grace found out about Judy and Sam, and now she's wondering whether all men cheat. "So, have you? Ever?" Grace demands, looking at Rick. Lily looks smug as she waits for him to say no. Which he does, except the "no" slides into "only once...in college. I was young. I was stupid. And it nauseated me." Grace throws up her arms, disgusted that her fear has once again been proven justified, and storms off, leaving Rick blustering that he's never done it since. Once Grace is gone, Lily whisper-shrieks, "Why did you have to tell her that?!" Rick asks if he should have lied, instead. Lily complains that Grace has more information about men than she can handle right now. In a nice turn-about, Rick asks, "Why didn't you tell her about the time you cheated on me with Jake?" He wisely ducks away from the couch in anticipation of Lily's swat.