Jo gets a phone call. She's got a court date. Her ex-husband has appealed his restraining order, and now there's another hearing. Jo starts crying, saying that she doesn't know what she's going to do. Her friend (I'm assuming it's Steve) says that she'll be okay. She just has to show up. Jo says that she's stressed out because her ex is going to be there. He scares her. She says that she didn't want to have to deal with it anymore: "Why doesn't he just leave me alone? Why is he appealing?" Steve says that she's going to be okay. "Nothing's going to change," he says a few times. Jo cries.
Jo pouts in her bed and tells us that she never thought something like this would happen to her. She says she doesn't mind sharing it with her roommates, but that she didn't want to have to do it so soon. Now that she's going to have to go to court, and her ex-husband has put himself back into her life, she has to share her story with her roommates. Commercial. Thank you, Jo, for giving us the first real story this season.
Jo tells Pam and Cory what's going on. She says that her husband is contesting his restraining order. "I didn't know you had either," Pam says. Jo says that she keeps it kind of quiet. She says that she got married last June. It was spur-of-the-moment. They didn't know each other that well. She thought it'd be fun, and that if it didn't work out they'd just break up. "Unfortunately, it didn't work like that," she tells us. He got angry.
Pam asks what the restraining order means. Jo explains the concept of "restraining order." Jo tells us that everyone in the house was pretty shocked by the story of her abusive relationship. She says that she let her husband control her life and whom she saw. Pam says that they all thought she was an independent person. Jo says that she is, and that she wasn't when she was with her husband, so she's getting her life back. She left everything when she left him. Cory then gives her opinion on what a dysfunctional, abusive relationship is. I don't want to listen to the pot dissecting the kettle's relationship.
Other people who have no business having opinions on what Jo should do are discussing things in the other room. Judd is explaining to Rachel why Jo should have an attorney, since her ex-husband will certainly have one.
Jo is in bed with Mohammed, explaining things to him. She says that the restraining order is her security blanket. Mo understands. He says, "It's for real. You know what I'm sayin'?" It may not make any sense, what he says, but at least he's not telling Jo what she should do or what she should feel.
Cory asks Jo how she's getting to Tahoe for the court date. Jo says that she's planning to fly. Cory says she "might be able" to take her there. Jo tells us that she didn't know how to tell Cory how much that offer meant to her. We watch them hug, and Jo tells Cory that it'll be good to have someone with her. I imagine Cory was like, "Oh, did I just schedule something? Because I'm really kind of scared to plan anything or do anything. I was just offering because I thought you'd say no, actually. I should call Puck. He might need me for something." Cory tells Jo that she'll protect her. Jo better buy herself a gun.
Cory and Jo drive to Tahoe. We can't hear Jo talking over the wind from the open window. I think she's saying that she doesn't have any money and can't afford an attorney.
Cory and Jo show up at Steve's house. Jo says that Steve is very important to her, and that he helped her through the very bad time in her life when she was splitting up with her husband and she was depressed. Steve wears tie-dye with colors so bold and swirly it has to be a shirt from the actual original Woodstock. And I'm still not convinced this man isn't David Cross doing an early character study.
Fancy dinner. Some sort of flaming dish. Steve, Jo, and Cory toast chocolatey drinks. Steve voice-overs in an ultra-lisp: "To a long, healthy life, with lots of fun!" He's so super, thanks for asking. Cory reminds everyone that they should probably toast to Jo's court date in the morning. Thanks for bringing everyone down, Cor. "And to Cory, for supporting me," Jo says at the same time she's sipping her drink. That girl is talented, I tell you. "And Steve, of course," she adds. "Hmm," Steve says, knowing he's an afterthought.
Judd's new plan is to make Rachel pretend to be his girlfriend while they go out so that other women will be attracted to him. Judd's assumption is that women are only interested in taken men. How does Judd ever manage to get laid? Seriously. Rachel explains again what's happening, because it takes Rachel at least two or three times to understand anything. Then Judd explains it again. God! I hate the repetition on this show!
They go to a club called Blue Light -- which to me means a special at K-Mart -- and two women are listening to Judd and Rachel talk. Judd has ordered three drinks, and he's calling attention to himself over them. Everyone's laughing, but it's dark and I can't see anything. They toast, but we don't know why, and we don't know who these two women are who have joined them at the bar. Judd explains that they immediately met these two women who were "really nice." Judd calls them "really nice" a few more times and says that he "took a shine" to one in particular, named Karen. First of all, "took a shine"? Is he fifty-seven? Are there Werther's Originals in his pockets? Secondly, Judd starts making a cartoon of Karen right there at the bar. There are only three women on this planet who could possibly be interested in Judd. He's so lucky one of them was picked to live with him in the mid-'90s.
Judd looks at the ground and tells us that Karen was "really nice" and was someone he'd enjoy "spending some time with." Judd immediately ditches Rachel and flirts with Karen at the bar. Flirting, kissing, hugging. At one point it looks like they're in a casino buffet. Bad lighting. Bad chunky sweaters and stirrup pants. Bad bangs. Karen has bad, bad bangs. Rachel tells us that she was left with the other girl, who fortunately was "really nice." Judd says that the plan came together. He recaps it for us again.
And then the letdown. The day Judd calls Karen to see her again, and it turns out that she's been seeing someone for seven months. When she told this guy she had a good time with Judd, he proposed and she said yes. So she's getting married, and can't see Judd again. Bullshit. That's the worst breakup I've ever heard. She knew Judd was desperate enough that he'd sit outside her apartment drawing cartoons of hearts exploding unless she did something drastic. Her two choices were "I'm gay" or "I'm getting married." After all the flirting they did, she only had the one choice left. Judd takes great delight in explaining this story in excruciating detail to us, then to Rachel (who laughs at him), and then to Mohammed, who seems to think the same thing I do, and then to Pam, who openly laughs at him. Rachel sits on a bench near water wearing a leather jacket and tells us that she's never heard of anything like that happening, but if it's going to happen to someone, it'll happen to Judd.
Tahoe. Cory and Jo get ready. They do their hair and mumble over makeup. Steve tells Jo that if they give her any trouble she should just shout, "Y'all are brutalizing me!" They drive to the court. Jo is nervous. Steve says that Jo will have to give the court the arrest sheet. They aren't really filling us in too much with details, here. We see shots of Jo, Cory, and Steve standing around. Steve applies lip balm. Jo looks scared. The door to the courtroom closes. Close-up on the sign that says "Court Room" as we go to commercial.
The Real World. You can still watch it if you're completely brain-dead. They're patient.
I guess court is over? Jo hugs Steve. Cory walks back into the courtroom. Hugs. Sadness. Either there's too much information or not enough on this show. I think that's Enya playing in the background. Jo cries into her microphone, so we can't hear what she's saying. She then tells us that she had to make a sworn testimony; when she was done, her husband didn't have much else to say because she told the truth. She says he didn't contradict anything she said. Well, he's real good in court, then, huh? The restraining order stays.
A weary Jo gets back into the car as Cory tells her that she's strong and that this is over now. Hugging.
Jo tells Cory and David Cross that she could feel her husband staring at her in the courtroom, and that she couldn't look at him. She tells us that he apologized to her in the courtroom, and that it upset her. She tells us that she still has feelings for him. Just walk away, people. Walk away.
Judd and Rachel go to see Brian, Rachel's Young Republican friend. They have a barbecue while they discuss how great it is to be a Republican. Judd gets stuck with the one Democrat, a girl.
Judd and Rachel drive home. Rachel says that the Democrat is perfect for Judd. Judd says something I can't hear. They've taken the headrest off Rachel's seat so they can film from the back seat. Rachel chastises Judd for saying something horrible that we can't hear. Judd says that the Democrat is "sweet," and Rachel interrupts to say that Judd is the "sweetest guy" she's ever met. She says that Judd has a career. "It's kinda cool" is somehow an item on this list she's spouting off. Third on the list is, "You're attractive." Rachel's drunk. "Nice hair. You tan easily. What else? What else does she want?" I guess the Democrat isn't interested.
Jo and Cory get their picture taken on rocks. They climb with Steve's dog. Jo tells us that she was really grateful to have Cory with her through the court case. We watch them rock-climb, which is just as boring as it was last time.
Back in San Francisco, Jo and Cory arrive home. Jo hugs Judd and says that she won. Pam hugs her. Jo tells us that she feels supported by everyone in the house. She says she feels like she's making "really good friends." "I really do," she adds.
Judd says that he's decided to stop looking and acting like such a fool. Enter "Valerie." Judd's smitten with some secret girl we don't really know. We watch a boring montage that involves pool, blowing bubbles, and eating cereal out of the box. Judd says that there's a moral somewhere, but that he doesn't know what it is. Thanks, Judd. Pam teases Judd about his boring relationship. Judd's not really answering questions about sex, since everyone's laughing at the thought of Judd having sex. Then Judd finally admits that he hasn't had sex with Valerie yet. Everyone laughs again. Poor Judd. Still a virgin.
time: Mohammed! He has girl problems! Pedro's sick. Cory wears a headband and a Blossom hat. The episode closes with Judd bitching at Jessica on rollerblades. Miserable people. Jessica just skates away, leaving Judd in some leaves. Bye, Judd.