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 in the kitchen listlessly making salad when Will comes in and gently closes the door behind him. He begins with, "I'm sorry." She tells him that isn't good enough. He tries again, as he gets a beer from the fridge: "I'm really sorry." Helen's silent. Will: "Is this gonna take jewelry?" Helen: "I'll tell you something, Will: you said you've always been this way, but I did not recognize the man I saw today. I had no earthly idea who he was or what he was gonna do next." Will drops his bombshell: "The Bakers are suing us." Helen wipes her hands and turns, asking softly, "What?" Will explains that Andy Baker is suffering emotional damages and is finding it hard to work: "Half a million dollars is going to take care of that, though." Helen breathes hard, the bottom having just fallen out of her world for the umpteenth time in recent years. Is the pain of that night never going to stop? Will tells her he tried to make it go away on his own: "So that you never had to know that the boy who crippled our son…" Helen sharply exhales the words "Oh, Will!" He continues, "And who we never punished for crippling our son…is now coming after us like a common predator." He's on the verge of tears and Helen flies toward him, crying, "Oh, no, Will!" They hold each other for a moment, and I'm all sniffly, and then Luke comes in, oblivious, insisting they have to come look at something in the garage. Will tells him, "Not now," but Luke persists.
They follow Luke out to the garage as Luke announces, "Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you…golf…of the future." Kevin's there, strapped into a special golf cart, his legs bent at the knee and angled to the left, holding a golf club over his shoulder -- and grinning. Kevin tells them to stand back as he swings the club and manages to knock the basket of balls everywhere. Helen is unable to suppress an expression of vague horror, but Will manages to maintain a neutral expression. Kevin rambles on about his golf shoes as he starts to slip around in the harness. He's sliding rapidly sideways as Luke grabs him and starts trying to help. The two of them struggle and argue in a somewhat comical manner -- Kevin's all, "Don't step on my shoes, I can't fight gravity!" as their parents stand there, overwhelmed by all the emotions roiling inside them. Suddenly it's just way too much for Will, who barks, "Stop it! Just -- just stop. Stop!" He bolts. It's either nuts or bolts with this clan. Kevin and Luke are mystified. Kevin calls out, "Dad, we'll figure it out! Dad!" They look at their mother, who manages a weak smile and then takes off without a word.
Joan drops into the religion section of the bookstore to announce, "We're closing. Everybody get out." Cute Guy God replaces his book -- and how badly do I want to see what's on God's reading list? -- and follows her to the door, asking, "Where's Sammy?" He doesn't know? Jeez, he was there (as Mrs. LandingGod) when Heidi flipped out. He must be testing her. She says Sammy had a family emergency and she's covering. Cute Guy God offers to walk Joan home, but she refuses. Now there's a Guardian Angel. He asks her why not. Joan: "Because you're not real." He wonders, "Then why are you talking to me?" Joan just locks the door and doesn't say anything. She hustles down the street as he harangues her: "You know I'm real, Joan. You've always known you're not crazy, and then you got a chance to see what it really looks like. Crazy is destructive. It tears down. I'm all about building up." Joan: "Then I suggest you take up carpentry." Heh. He asks, "What do you think this is all about?" Joan: "Uh, you, I suppose." He explains, "It's a creation, Joan, it's not a destruction. That's what I want you to do: I want you to be creative, I want you to build things." She snaps, "I build lamps." All through this recap, my eyes have been straying to this Jalaluddin Rumi quotation about religion taped on my monitor: "The lamps are different but the light is the same: it comes from Beyond." That Rumi, man, he was the shit. God gets more specific: "Relationships, possibilities, connections…" He pulls a book out of his jacket: "Look, have you read this?" Joan stops, and she's incredulous: "You stole that!" God: "Well, technically, everything's mine." Bwah! Excellent line. He comments, "It's about a house, called Howards End. The house is symbolic." Joan says she read it in lit class: "All these English people running around, misunderstanding each other because of their manners. Everything goes horribly wrong, just like in every English novel." Cute Guy God: "You know, I like what's written at the beginning here. Would you read it for me?" Joan humours him: "'Only connect.'" She stares at the book, emotion welling up inside her. God nods slightly, as if to encourage her to say what she wants to say, but Joan doesn't see it. She tells him, "You hurt me." She's a bit tearful. "Really bad. Why should I trust you again?" He's all, "Why did you ever?" She gets more tearful and says, "Look, we had some good times. And I'm fine with you being, you know, the Divine 'It.' But I don't want to see you anymore. It's not you, it's me. I'm just -- I'm not the girl for you. I had…a taste…of normal, and I really liked it, you know? I really enjoyed being optimistic and making my lamps." He looks away for a moment, and then asks, "Don't you miss me a little?" Joan's lower lip is all pouty and quivery but she says, "No." She sniffles: "Please go." He asks, "Do you miss yourself? Because I do." Joan subtly flinches. Wow. What a great scene. He turns and crosses the street, giving her the Godwave as the red warning hand on the streetlight flashes on and off. As the camera drifts away above her, Joan puts her headphones on again, and stands on the corner looking at the copy of Howards End. Nelly Furtado's "Try" plays: "Then I see you standing there / Wanting more from me / And all I can do is try…" It looks to me like Joan decides not to wear the headphones after all -- just in case.