Episode Report Card Niki: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Scarlet Letter Jacket
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.04.1999
Soliloquy Lily's smiling now. She recalls that Robby came over to her house that night, and they started kissing. She inhales sharply at the memory and coos, "Nobody ever kissed me like that before. He was telling me he loved me and I...I...."
A slamming door jars Naomi and Lily to attention, and they spin around to see Rick silhouetted at the end of the hallway. Naomi calls out that it's all right -- she knows everything. Rick slowly paces toward them, his voice smiling as he greets Naomi. They exchange pleasantries until Rick reaches them, and Naomi pushes herself out of the chair, declaring, "I'm leaving now. To go and see the wonderful amusements at our fair." She pecks Rick's cheek as she passes. Rick takes a seat across from Lily and stares at her, sighing heavily. She averts her eyes.
Soliloquy Lily is getting downright giddy now. She recounts that Robby "wanted to make love that night. But that was ridiculous!" She laughs at the thought, and then sombers up, adding, "I wanted to so much." She licks her lips. The wanton slut. No wonder all the women hate her.
Rick complains, "I don't understand this. What is it that we've done that is so wrong? We're divorced and we're sleeping together." Lily shushes him and glances over her shoulder. For a second I think she's being ironic, but then I remember that this is Lily, and she's far too tightly wound in these early episodes for that. Rick laughs and kisses her hand, saying, "We should tell them all to just get a life." Lily withdraws her hand, letting the unheard gossip and unseen dirty looks get to her. She asks whether they've been too fast with things, and Rick immediately says they haven't. Lily agrees, and adds, "But isn't it possible...some of this between us is immature? Maybe they're not completely wrong to gossip about us. Maybe if we were really grown-up --" "What is 'really grown-up'?" Rick asks, leaning back and staring at Lily like he's seeing her for the first time. Lily barely pauses for a breath: "Maybe we'd consider the other people involved -- my daughter, your ex-wife, my ex..." "Husband?" Rick supplies. Lily grunts in frustration and demands, "What does it mean that I couldn't remember that word?" Rick thinks maybe it means she's not fully divorced yet, then wonders how they could have considered all those other people, sarcastically suggesting maybe they should have had a six-month waiting period. Lily laughs ruefully but won't budge from her position: she needs to deal with the fact that everything they do causes "ripples" in other people's lives. "And you know what? I think you're wrong. I think the other people can damn well take care of themselves," Rick says, displaying an admirable length of backbone. "You're talking about my daughter," Lily clenches. Rick points out that his daughter and his son are involved, too, and so are all the other people in their lives "who supposedly want the best for [them]." Lily's at a loss. She looks away for a moment then softly says, "You're mad." "I'm not mad," Rick fumes, adding, "I'm frustrated." Lily sighs and proclaims, with just a whiff of self-righteousness, "Well, I worry about other people. I guess that's just something you're going to have to get used to about me." Or not, since we all know it only lasts for about another ten minutes. Lily makes it clear that they "really need to take a moment." Rick gravely says that he "really understand[s]," and tells her to take "all the time" she needs. She thanks him solemnly, the two of them pinched and quiet as they weigh this new development.