Episode Report Card Deborah: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Hole In Your Soul
By Deborah | Season 2 | Episode 2 | Aired on 09.30.2004
Joan's at school, on her cell phone to Dr. Dan: "I was supposed to come home feeling like I was enough, remember?" She sits on some stairs as he tells her she shouldn't expect immediate results. There's Goth God in the background. Joan says he told her she didn't need to see "you-know-who." Dr. Dan wants to know if she's saying she's seen God. She claims she's not saying that. He asks about her journal. As she says the journal isn't helping, she turns and notices Goth God. Dr. Dan tells her to give it more time and stay focused, but she's already unravelled by seeing Goth God. She tells Dr. Dan she'll keep writing in her journal. He starts to give her some more advice but she's all, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I'm good enough. I gotta go." She goes to confront Goth God: "Why can't you understand that you are screwing up my life? I just want to be like everyone else!" Goth God asks, "Do I really have to give you the snowflake speech?" Heh. She says she just wants to go to Judith's party. Goth God shrugs, "So, go." She doesn't know what to make of that as he walks off. Adam walks up slowly behind her, asking who she was talking to. Joan: "God. He's big into Marilyn Manson." She says it's a joke, and Adam's face relaxes slightly. He says he didn't come to argue: "I just…I love you, Jane. Let's go have some fun, okay?" She walks off with him. I would like to hear her tell him she loves him, because I don't think I have. Not in so many words.
Will and Chewy bring Ruben and Deshawn into the police station, who gripe about being small businessmen hassled by the cops: "That's why I vote Republican. Dick Cheney, he knows what time it is!" Much snorting on our couch. Chewy: "I thought convicted felons didn't get to vote." Will says they've got Deshawn on accessory to murder, unless he didn't know what Ruben had planned. Ruben tells them, "Ain't nobody singing, not D, not me." Will says, as he tosses them in the pen, that they have eyewitness evidence placing them at the scene of the shooting. Deshawn: "You think it's over because you grabbed us? Have you sniffed around here, seen what your people do?" Ruben: "Shut your ass, D." Will inquires, "What does that mean, D? You got something to say, say it." Ruben: "The only thing we got to say is 'lawyer.' Lawyer, lawyer, lawyer, lawyer." Will closes the door to the lockup. He and Ruben glare at each other.
Sammy 2.0 walks up to Joan, who's sitting on the floor of the bookstore reading a book: "I hope you fell." Oh, Sammy 2.0 is so not working for me. Joan says she's on a break. Sammy 2.0 sneers: "Mmm, in the self-help section. You are the poster child for the intellectual decline of America." Joan shows him what she's reading: "Codependent No More -- it's very good." Yeah, that oughta shut his gob. Joan says, "In order to find yourself, you have to sever your connection with the people you allow to control you." Sammy 2.0 replies, "Mmm. See, all I heard was 'blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.'" Just then "Hey Hey Helen" Girardi comes into the store and asks Joan, "Did you fall, honey?" Man, doesn't anybody in Arcadia sit on the floor? Joan says she's fine and wants to know what she's doing there. Helen: "I need a book. This is a bookstore." Sammy 2.0 says, in a manner that reminds me ever so vaguely of an unconstipated Eric Cartman, "I assume you're looking for something in this section." He gestures to the self-help section. Stow it, NotSammy. See, Patrick Breen could pull this off, but this guy, it's just not happening. They need another personality for this guy. Then maybe I can deal. Helen replies neutrally, "No, I'd like Immanuel Kant's The Metaphysics of Ethics." Sammy 2.0 gets all nervous and excited, like he's just been asked to the prom, and zips off to get the Kant. Helen and Joan exchange glances about his annoyingness and then Helen notices what Joan's reading. "Hey…you don't have to do it alone…if you need to talk…" Joan insists she's fine and has to get back to work. Helen suggests they all go to a restaurant called Maria's for dinner. Joan: "Me and some friends are going to Judith's." Helen says maybe they can go to Maria's next week. Joan agrees. Helen stands there watching Joan thoughtfully as she fusses with stuff at the cash desk. Joan gives her a sigh that's a mixture of self-consciousness and exasperation: "What?" Helen: "Nothing. I was just remembering pushing you on a swing. Silly, isn't it?" She wanders off as Joan looks vaguely unsettled.
In the reflection of a large plate glass window we see Kevin wheeling up to a building. Andy "Money Money Money" Baker is standing on the sidewalk, washing windows. He's squeegeeing when he notices Kevin waiting behind him. He doesn't say anything at first while he takes in the sight of Kevin in a wheelchair. Andy says he shouldn't have come. Kevin says he called him: "Why wouldn't you talk to me?" Andy: "They said I wasn't allowed." Kevin shrugs: "Me, too." Andy keeps washing windows halfheartedly as he glances at Kevin, asking why he drove four hours to see him. Kevin says he read the suit: "Said you were in bad shape. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do." Heh. Burn. Andy says, "I have nightmares. I'm a damn window washer." Kevin wonders if he'd like to trade places. Andy says he has to work. Kevin: "Are you gonna ask how I'm doing?" Andy: "Why the hell are you doing this to me, man?" Kevin: "Because you were my best friend, and now you want to ruin my family?" Andy says his parents said it was just insurance. Kevin: "You're blaming your parents? You're twenty, dude!" Andy barks, "Dude, I'm messed up, Kev! Okay? You don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't see you lying in blood, all broken?" Kevin: "And a big-screen and a trip to the Bahamas is going to make that all go away? I gotta try that!" Ooh! Re-burn. As he wheels off, Andy yells, "I was wasted off my ass, dude! You weren't! You should have taken the keys, Kev! You could have! Why do I have to live with all the guilt, huh? You should have taken the keys, Kev!" Didn't Kevin try? That's what he said in "St. Joan". Kevin keeps wheeling away without a word. Excellent scene. Frink and I seethe all through the commercials about people who don't take responsibility for drinking.