“ Scott says she's just misunderstood. As they walk by Harvey's classroom, the camera becomes bored with their conversation, and wanders through the open door. ”
Previously on Boston Public: A cop found a severed foot in Jamaal's locker; Harry vouched for Jamaal; Harvey called a student a big dick; Yo-lita told Lauren that she was pregnant; Steven told Yo-lita she'd be sent to a continuation school; Yo-lita "took care of" the pregnancy; Dr. Benjamin and Jeremy Peters dissected a hand together; Dick Teachie and Marilyn tracked down Mrs. Peters, and found that the hand belonged to her; Mrs. Peters asked for Scott's advice on fitting in at Winslow High.
This show always has the longest "previously" segments, as though they expect all of the viewers to be totally unfamiliar with the show each week. Maybe that's based on some sort of Nielsen data.
It's nighttime on the streets of Boston. Scott is out in front of Chez Peters, chatting with The Hook Lady. "I actually made a list," he's saying, "of paths most commensurate with being hated. I wrote down 'assistant principal' and never looked back." The Hook Lady counters, "In high school, I was voted most likely to have a house drop on me." Banter, banter. Then Scott says, "Awkward pause." The Hook Lady observes that he's nervous, and that he wasn't nervous at dinner. "Well, at dinner the order of procedure is clear. You order, you eat. Herewell, it's been a long time since I've stood at a woman's door, after an evening out." She invites him in for a cookie, and he gets more nervous and declines, and she observes that he's very nervous (which is no doubt helping). "You're very sweet, I didn't figure you for sweet. Wellif you're not going to come in, I guess this is goodnight." She smooches him demurely on the cheek, waves farewell with her hook, and goes inside. Scott is a bit shaken. Hmm. She seems to really have gotten her hooks into him. Oh, stop it.
Dat school bus is MAD yellow, B!
The hallway. Anthony Heald is telling Steven about his non-date date, and Steven says he has no problem, in principle, with Scott seeing another teacher, but: "Now, Mrs. Peters? She could be an ax murderer." Scott says she's just misunderstood. As they walk by Harvey's classroom, the camera becomes bored with their conversation, and wanders through the open door.
Good thing, too, because Harvey's class is more exciting. He's yelling at poor Mr. Pratt again for being unprepared. "You have a problem? You have AT&T?" Heh. "I've seen these symptoms before. I may be mistaken, but from the signs I see, it's possible you may be a douchebag. It would be wrong for me to think you're lazy and unintelligent, if that's not the case." Mr. Pratt squirms. The other students look uncomfortable.
“ Dick Teachie can't believe poor Lionel has been given such a demeaning series of nicknames. That's right, Dick Teachie, demeaning nicknames are no good -- Dick Teachie. ”
Back in the hallway, Danny "I Get To Meet Captain Kirk" Hanson is asking Ronnie "Fortunately, I Never Crossed Paths With Captain Kirk" Cooke how much she made as a lawyer. Apparently, it was $190,000. "A year?" "No, a night. I'm really good." Steven appears, and flags down Marla. He tells her that, because the students turn a deaf ear to him, she has to give the annual "gun lecture" this year. She is reluctant, but he insists. Then he moves on to Lauren, and tells her to send Yo-lita in to see him later that day. Then it's Steven's turn to be flagged down when The Hook Lady appears, and asks him about (uh-oh!) the sexual advice column in the school paper. Does this arc have the slowest burn ever, or what? She objects to it on some grounds or other, and Steven says, "Well, perhaps you could discuss it with the vice-principal, over dinner." Heh. The Hook Lady, who is never amused by anything, is not amused.
The dungeon. Everyone is applauding and Harry has to yell to quiet them down. Because they're so wild and remedial. Actually, as it turns out, they are applauding because Jamaal has been accepted early decision to Williams College. ("Smell that shoe! That's the shoe of success!") Jamaal gives a little speech: "Obviously, I'm happy. I'd like to thank all of you guys, but I can't, because y'all had nothing to do with it. I promise that when I'm a big success making lots of money, I won't forget you. I'll just pretend I never knew you." Harry beams at his morgue-tending protg.
Dick Teachie's room. And, guess what, it's talk time. The girl who talked about infidelity in the premiere pipes up (something tells me this girl loves talk time), and wants to talk about Lipschultz. "He keeps calling Lionel profane things. First, it was big dick, and today it was a douchebag." Dick Teachie can't believe poor Lionel has been given such a demeaning series of nicknames. That's right, Dick Teachie, demeaning nicknames are no good -- Dick Teachie.
The hallway. Dick Teachie is complaining to Steven about Harvey. He insists that Harvey be fired, and Steven promises only to talk to him. The Exposition Fairy appears and tells Steven that Yo-lita is in his office, and he goes off to meet with her. Lauren and Marla are walking in the other direction. Marla is complaining about how she doesn't want to give the gun lecture: "I'm just a history teacher. A fat one with high cholesterol." Man, they really have to stretch to keep that plotline going, eh? Also, why isn't Harry giving the gun lecture? Lauren tells Marla she'll do just fine. Oh, good. Meanwhile, The Hook Lady is complaining to Anthony Heald about Steven's catty remark. "He said maybe I should discuss my problem with the assistant principal over dinner!" Scott goes off to yell at Steven. Then The Hook Lady gets this weird smile, like she's trying to sow seeds of dissension between Scott and Steven. Wait, she is crazy after all! Or IS she
Sanctum Stevenorium. Steven. Yo-lita. Rappin'. "Ms. Davis hooked me up with a counselor, and I talked to her, and stuff. It'll be easier for me if my parents don't know." Steven says, "Well, for whatever it's worth, I'm here for you, too." Yo-lita thinks that's a wee bit of a larf: "You were here to bounce me into continuation school." Steven, unable to say the word "abortion," says, "Is that the reason you had theproceduredone?" Yo-lita's all, "The procedure? You mean the abortion? Would you like me tell you it had nothing to do with you?" The actresses' dialect work gets a little weird for a moment, and she starts to sound Irish. I had that problem once. No, really, I did -- I was in an Irish play, and then a Chekhov play like a month later, and I was the mysteriously Irish guy in the Russian household, but only on maybe a third of my lines. It was awesome. Meanwhile, the scene is still going. Yo-lita tells Steven that the procedure had nothing to do with him, but she's obviously being all, like, sarcastic and stuff. Then she dances a merry jig and eats Lucky Charms.
The hallway. Steven is yellin' at Harvey and stuff, about how Harvey shouldn't call his students big dicks, or douchebags. Harvey says, "Why would I be afraid of you? We're friends! We even turn to each other for favors. Why, just last spring, you asked that I falsify a student's grade in order to get him into Harvard. Now, of course, I know that this should stay between us" This is an interesting threat. Then again, Marla also knows about this falsified grade, and, in fact, it wasn't so much falsified as it was a judgment call between an F and a D-minus. I'm sure Steven could talk his way out of that little pickle if need be. But anyway, he looks all worried as Harvey walks away. Then Scott appears, and yells at Steven for alluding to his personal relationship with The Hook Lady. "Not that I'm sure we're having one." He's all mad that Steven referred to their date. "If, in fact, that's what it was." Heh. Steven says he's sorry, and was just trying to "flick her off." Then Scott asks the question that's on all of our minds: "Why is Marla giving the gun lecture?" Steven says it's because he doesn't feel like it. Which doesn't really get at the heart of the question, does it? Dick Teachie appears and asks if Steven fired Harvey. Steven tells him to go away. He nods, dangerously, at Steven's retreating back, plotting something untoward, no doubt. That rapscallion!