By Wing Chun
We open with Patrick's jocular intro letting us know that Elmo's in the grip of a heat wave; some footage of pounds and pounds of ice falling off a glacier underscore this news, somewhat creepily for something that aired just months after An Inconvenient Truth was in cinemas. Anyway, all around Elmo, people are living it up in shorts and sleeveless tops, including some real old dudes who...shouldn't. At the bar, we see that Theresa's still rocking her jeans. I know she's rock and roll, but she couldn't even order a miniskirt from Dickie's or something? It's hot out. And the smell of her thigh sweat isn't going to sell more fries.
At the studio, Marin -- in a tank top, vest (only going to make you hotter, sweetheart), and a stupid little kerchief or something around her neck, kicks off her radio show with a call from someone Patrick says is "a shy one": the dude's been seeing a girl who wants to talk about sex all the time since they started "doing it." She's been phoning him at work to talk about it so much that he's been getting shit over it from his co-workers, so he told her to stop calling, and now she's mad. Marin asks whether the guy told his girlfriend why he asked her to knock it off, and the guy's like, "Uh...no." Marin uses this guy's problem as a teaching tool, instructing the dudes in her audience that in order for communication to work, guys actually have to talk: "Women like it when you tell them things. Don't leave us in the dark, guys. People get hurt in the dark." If that doesn't turn out to be the episode thesis, I'll eat my fur hat. And the earflaps.
Later, Marin's on the phone in a side office at the Inn, saying that when she looks back, she can't believe she didn't see the signs; she's still jawing about Graham cheating on her, of course. Anyway, she wraps it up, telling this Dr. Cohen that she'll talk to him/her week. She slides open the door and stomps up to Patrick at the front desk, asking about the odds of getting some A/C. Girl, go take a cold bath. Take it from someone who lived through a heat wave in a second-and-third-floor apartment with no cross-breezes or air conditioning: a cold bath chills you for hours. But it's not for the weak! Patrick tells Marin that A/C is planned for the Inn's "2010 upgrade," along with "Magic Finger pads." Ew. Patrick's futzing around with a craft project involving some long-ass tweezers; he tells Marin it's a mosaic he's making for Annie, for their one-month anniversary [sic]. Marin comments that Annie and Patrick are "getting pretty serious." Patrick asks if she thinks Annie will like the gift, and Marin promises that she'll love it. Marin makes to go upstairs, but Patrick stops her by saying that Graham's sleeping with "that other girl" in Marin's bed was not cool. Marin says she knows that she doesn't have many options for decent phone reception in the Inn, but that the least Patrick could do is pretend not to eavesdrop on her therapy calls. Patrick says he'll just turn off his ears: "A little trick I do with my mom sometimes." Marin doesn't seem thrilled to be compared to Celia in any way, but thanks him. She tries to leave again, but Patrick detains her by saying he doesn't think she needs "all that therapy": "You're not crazy." First, therapy's not just for crazy people. Second, whether Marin is or not is a matter of opinion. Ask around, Patrick, and I think you'll find yours is not the majority view. Patrick adds, "Are you?" Marin actually looks a little offended at being called "not crazy," and heads upstairs without a word.