Episode Report Card Deborah: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT "The Lamps Are Different, But The Light Is The Same"
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.23.2004
Helen's doing the dishes later while Luke clears the table. He offers to do the dishes, but she claims it's relaxing. Noticing that he seems pensive, she asks if he's okay. Luke starts pacing around the kitchen island and says, "Look, I'll just say it: are you an alcoholic?" Helen: "What?" Luke continues: "At first I thought it was drugs, that you were buying them, because, you know, that's what people do, outside of coffee shops. But then I thought, 'No, get a grip. Who else meets in coffee shops? Twelve-steppers.'" Helen seems peeved to have been spied on (but also mildly relieved that Luke is completely on the wrong track). Luke informs her that if that's what's up, he's cool with it and totally supportive. Helen: "Luke, one breakdown a year is all we can handle. You'll have to wait." Luke says he saw her. Helen asks if he was following her. He claims he was on the way to school. Helen says Mocha Mike's is not en route to school. Luke claims he went for a doughnut. Helen: "Okay, here's the deal: You do not get to worry about my personal life, and I get to grill the hell out of you about yours." That's enough for Luke, who decides it's a good time to get out of there.
Will comes in asking, "What was that?" Helen replies, "All of our children are insane." Will: "O…kay…" He's going back to the station to do paperwork. Helen asks if he's okay; he claims he is.
Joan's in her room working on yet another fugly lamp, this one with fuzzy dice hanging from the mottled green shade. Frink: "'God does not play dice with the universe.'" There's banging at the window; I assume it must be Adam. Joan approaches the window slowly, having picked up her lamp as a weapon. That's probably only going to work if the intruder has good taste. She opens the window to find Grace clinging to a pipe outside. That girl can shinny, man. Isn't this kinda Joey Potter? Maybe it's a portent of Grace and Joan's ultimate soulmatehood. Will Joan have to develop a fivehead? Stay tuned. As Grace clambers in the window, Joan chides her, "Grace, seriously: phone, internet, doorbell." Grace manages to struggle into the room, growling, "I do things my way." She regards the crafty lamp-making mess all over Joan's room and asks what's going on. Joan explains. Grace: "I liked you better before." Joan: "Join the club." Grace moves a large lampshade off Joan's chair and sits down: "Quick question: Are you in love with Rove?" Joan guesses she is. Grace: "Well, how do you know for sure, though?" Joan: "I just said, 'I guess.'" Grace: "Well, how do you know it's not just part of the whole…psychic flameout? Because it feels kinda like a breakdown." Joan thinks and then smiles. She circles a pointing finger at Grace and asks, "Wait…are you in love?" Only the way she says it, I should probably spell it "luv." Grace: "No. We're talking about you." Joan: "No. No. No, it really feels like we're talking about you right now." Mortified and trapped, Grace puts the lampshade on her head: "We're not." But she's not very convincing. Joan: "Grace, if there's a guy…" She considers this, and adds, "Or…not a guy…anybody… I think I should know." Under the lampshade, Grace throws her head back in exasperation. She then removes the lampshade and makes for the window, saying, "I asked a simple question. Forget it." As she pulls up her hood and climbs out, she warns Joan, "I was never here." I loved this scene. These two are great together.