Girardi kitchen, dinnertime. In case youd like to know what's on the Girardis' chalkboard, it's a grocery list (chocolate milk, shampoo, dishwashing liquid, coffee, and pickles) and a note for Joan that Adam called. And a little flower. Aw. As the table is set, Helen tells the family about how they've set up the church basement so it looks like a real clothing store, except that everything's free to the homeless. Joan: "Charity compromises free market capitalism. Wealth of Nations, chapters 2-4." Kevin: "How come I'm sensing this is gonna lead back to your A?" Joan corrects him in a trilling tone: "Plu-u-u-u-us!" Luke: "If the free market works, how come there are still families living on the street?" Will wants to know how come the Bakers can sue them. Helen suggests, "Maybe it's in wealthy people's best interest to clean out their closets." Joan thinks: "Of coursethat way they have to buy more things and contribute to the economy! And people who don't have clothes get a job, and then they can afford to buy clothes for themselves. Everybody gets a piece of the pie. I'm in. I'll help with the drive." Helen: "Seriously?" Joan: "Yes. Mom, it would be pretty silly of me to have all this knowledge and not use it for the benefit of society." No one says anything; her family is giving her a range of dubious and skeptical looks. Joan, irritated: "What?" Kevin just shrugs. Joan tosses her head slightly. Family members can be such buzzkills. Theme song.
Joan's helping sort clothes at the church; Helen and Lily are there. Joan notices a tattoo on Lily's arm and asks, "Is that a sailor?" Lily smiles: "Hot, huh? He, uh, waves when I flex." Joan: "Mom, if a nun can get one" Helen: "Ex-nun. Very ex. Sort." Lily: "People have been doing body art for 4,000 years. It's very spiritual." Helen: "Oh, [I] like how you're helping. Thank you very much." Joan: "A belly ring!" Helen: "Sort." Lily asks Joan, "What are you in for?" Helen says Joan just wanted to help. Lily figured it must have been the community service aspect of some sentence. Joan says she has skills in economic theory: "I just finished Wealth of Nations. You know Adam Smith, right?" Lily: "The sixth Beatle?" I can't tell if Lily's pulling her leg or not. Neither can Joan: "No. Eighteenth-century money stud. He, like, totally blew away Benjamin Franklin with this --" Lily's suddenly reminded of why she hated school. Joan looks around, disappointed that there aren't more clothes. Helen says it's a small church, and they can only do so much. Joan: "You know, expansion increases returns. Why don't I open up a branch at school?" Helen wonders if Joan has time for that. Joan thinks so, and she starts naming places she'd put bins -- the hallway, the cafeteria: "Oh, two near the gym: the cheerleaders never wear anything twice. I'm gonna go talk to Chadwick." She takes off. Lily asks Helen, "Has she ever been drug tested?" Helen just smiles like the idea's crossed her mind more than once.