Episode Report Card Chuck: B- | 3 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Song, Song...Ewww
By Chuck | Season 5 | Episode 6 | Aired on 02.09.2002
Morales and Guerra and some other people play basketball in the gym, while Kenmin practices ballet. Ryan walks in and tells Kenmin that his number's up: he knows Kenmin was only faking about his fear that Li Chen would rape Betty Buckley, he knows Kenmin set him and Cyril up, and he knows that Kenmin thought Li Chen would waste the O'Reilys. Damn, this show is fucking ridiculous. Kenmin does a Not At All Scary jump; Ryan sort of threatens him and then walks away, as the old priest watches and lifts a miniscule weight, which I think provides the perfect metaphor for this flaccid scene.
In the lunch line, Ryan tells stoner Glen Shupe that he really should reconsider telling the story that Ryan wants to hear, but Shupe insists he's telling the truth, which is not always a good thing. In an apparent insult -- the impact of which escapes me -- Ryan calls mashed potatoes "special," and dumps a bunch on Shupe's tray. Shupe gets huffy and dumps his tray in the food. Ryan goes to Morales and tells him that he'll kill Kenmin, no trace to Morales, if Morales sees that Shupe has a non-lethal but debilitating accident, no trace to Ryan. They shake. Meade watches again. It's almost as though he's Ryan's conscience. Seconds later, Shupe rolls into the infirmary, missing an arm and yelling bloody murder. And then the arm follows, all droopy and limp-wristed and disgusting, accompanied by a C.O. Gloria's expression is that of a woman being handed a severed arm.
In Pete's office, Katherine explains that Cyril's trial didn't go well. "Judge Moore was in a foul mood," she says, "and the prosecutor, he's tough and smart." Well, gee, thanks for opening that door so wide, Katherine. Betty Buckley reveals that Cyril got agitated and talkative during jury selection, which didn't help cheer up the judge, who's uninterested in Cyril's mental state. Pete decides to chat up the halfwit.
In Cyril's cell, Pete speaks slowly, using simple words. When she wonders about the day, Cyril replies, "Lots of mumbo jumbo," and makes some mumbo-y jumbo-y noises. I wish the shelf above Cyril's head would leap off the wall and bludgeon him to death. To help him deal with loneliness and a desire to share, Pete gives Cyril a special gift. A sock puppet. A fucking sock puppet. A fucking sock puppet made of an old, green, pilled sock and two big black buttons.
I hurt myself, I'm laughing so hard.
Cyril loves the puppet. Pete wants Cyril to talk to the puppet in court, quietly, when he feels the need to verbalize. It's so crazy, it might just make Cyril look crazy. Pete's like a MacGyver of the mind -- with an old sock and two buttons, I can get this man off death row! To put her diabolical plan in motion, Pete coaches Cyril on stage-whispering to footwear, and promises that after Cyril's virtuoso performance each day, she'll discuss the things that confused him and plant the seeds of further signifiers of insanity. Cutting to the heart of the matter, Cyril thinks that the puppet needs a name. Jericho, he decides. When Pete asks why, Cyril lifts the puppet to Pete's face, and as we're treated to a close-up of Pete gazing longingly into Jericho's deep, black button eyes, some voice that sounds perhaps like Cyril on a serious Quaalude bender says, "'Cause the walls came tumbling down." Is this shit for real? A supernatural puppet? Did Cloutier disappear into a sock? Will Jericho transform Cyril into a brilliant seer? I'm reminded of the sock puppet show that used to be on MTV, but blanking on the name. ["Sifl & Olly, I think." -- Sars] Pete's got to stop smoking the spleef.