Episode Report Card Alex Richmond: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Ally's a Mom, John Is Gone
By Alex Richmond | Season 5 | Episode 12 | Aired on 02.10.2002
Over at Ally's house, no standing ovation for dogs. Just yelling at JBJ. Her voice speeds up, she says a baby-sitter and a mom have to "synch up," and that a litmus for her was the movie Moulin Rouge, which she loved. Did JBJ not love Moulin Rouge? WTF? He's a SINGER and an ACTOR -- why wouldn't he love that movie? Everyone should love that movie. Ally's voice speeds up, and she concludes, "If you laugh at me inside one more time!" He agrees to baby-sit. And he loved Moulin Rouge. Ally is happy with that, winks at him, and is out the door to go to work.
Aerial shot, do a shot. Corretta and Ray give their closing arguments. Corretta says she was discharged because she will die soon, and didn't want his employees to have to suffer her loss when she died. Corretta thought the "new day" was about "rediscovering humanity," and reaching out and compassion and shit. "Have we gone back to the old day already? Why don't you go back to that room, and tell them what day it is?" Ben, my boyfriend, does that great one-person- clap-clap-clap thing that cracks me up. ["Ben is funny! That cracks me up, too." -- Wing Chun] Ray steps up and says that was a right purty speech. And we are more compassionate these days! But "the pain can take you," if you've known someone who died from AIDS. Yeah, but you know what? You learn, you grow, and you MOVE ON. Ray, you're so going to lose this one, in spite of the "fiduciary obligations" you speak of. The oboe is sad.
Aerial shot, woo! Ally enters, and accepts Richard's offer, closing the door behind her. She knows "the business end" of running a firm, because her dad ran one, and says they have to fire some people, or, "restructure." Richard says he can't do it. Ally says she'll look over the productivity reports and get on with the canning. Richard says Nelle is the likeliest candidate. Dude, what about "last hired, first fired"? Don't just can Nelle! Oh, like anyone will listen to me.
Aerial shot of Boston at night, blargh. Ally comes home to a home-cooked meal, courtesy of JBJ. Maddie says Ally "should be all over him like a blanket." She goes off to do homework, and JBJ spoons potatoes onto Ally's plate. She thanks him for cooking, and he says he "likes cooking for other people." Maybe become a chef, then? She apologizes for hollering at him, since she's stressed about being made partner and having the new ten-year-old daughter and all. He says her excuses are "pathetic." She fires him again, and asks that he be gone tomorrow. Oh, BOY I hate this show. JBJ starts reciting the very valid list of Reasons Why Ally is Wack: She canned a baby-sitter because she didn't like Moulin Blush (he meant Moulin Rouge); she moans about good things in her life; and she fires plumbers for no good reason. Ally's voice gets all fast again as she says her life is not that simple, and is, in fact, "treacherous." Then she says she's just freaking out because she doesn't know what she'll do when her "pipes" are fixed. JBJ agrees to baby-sit because he "could use the extra money." ["Eldin much? What a load." -- Wing Chun] He turns to the sink to wash dishes, Ally tries to say something, and he just says he "could use the extra money," again, some more.