Suddenly, we're in New York City. What, Bunim-Murray? No fake train or plane or taxi footage to show us exactly how the roommates got there? I'm so disappointed. Anyway, the roommates are watching the arena football team they work for, the Soul, take on the New York Dragons. Landon interviews that he's never been to New York, and he's having a good time. The roommates cheer on the Soul, who are getting crushed. Someone named Jackson scores a touchdown. And...the game ends.
Everyone piles onto a bus. (Finally, an answer to the endless transportation questions that have been plaguing me for the last...thirty seconds!) Landon heads for the back of the bus, and Melanie passes out beers to her roommates. Landon focuses on Gina, the Soul team's accountant. She's sexy and an accountant! She's busting stereotypes all over. Landon laments the no-fraternization policy, which means that he can't make out with Gina the Sexy Accountant. Landon interviews that he thought Gina was cute, so he took things into his own hands. Ew! I hope he doesn't mean that how it sounded.
Landon moves to the middle of the bus to sit to Gina and drink beer. This is so high school. Landon wonders what fraternization means, exactly. When I was in high school, and on the softball team, we used to have to share a bus with the baseball team to away games, and the baseball coach was constantly yelling out, "No fraternization!" And none of us knew what it meant either. We were allowed to talk to each other. I guess it was just that the boys had to sit on the left side of the bus and the girls had to sit on the right, and never the twain shall meet. Unless the boys wanted to steal some of the subs we bought to eat on the way home, which they often did. And then Robbie Fries and I would usually play a rousing game of "Name that TV Theme Song," and I will never forget the time I thought I had him stumped with Sanford and Son until suddenly he burst out with the opening notes. Good times. So anyway, I guess Landon and Gina are allowed to sit near each other and talk. Landon interviews that the rule has many gray areas, so he's not sure what breaking them would mean.
Everyone gets off the bus and heads for their cars. Gina hides out in the roommates' van. Melanie ruins it by yelling, "Oh, is Gina coming home with us?" Landon whispers that Gina can't let Mimi (the boss) see her. Melanie doesn't get it, because she thinks fraternizing means sexual relations and kissing and stuff. She asks if Landon is going to make out with Gina. Awkward!
Back at the house, everyone greets Shavonda, who didn't go to New York for some reason. Why didn't she have to go? Landon shows Gina around the house while Shavonda stares daggers at them. Shavonda interviews that fraternizing with a Soul employee is stupid, but that Landon does stupid things all of the time. Landon interviews that Shavonda is pissed off that he brought a girl home.
The day, the roommates go to work and learn that they will be participating in the Easter Seals Walkathon to represent the Soul. Karamo interviews that the Easter Seals is a charity that benefits children with developmental disabilities. Laura (the boss) runs down the duties that the roommates will have, and everyone thinks it's awesome. Except Shavonda, who looks like she's going to throw up. Shavonda interviews that she's been uncomfortable around disabled people since she was young. Wuh? It's only going to get weirder. Shavonda says that she didn't want to do it.
Shavonda has a private meeting with Laura to explain that she has a problem working with "special needs children." Shavonda interviews that when she was a kid, she would be on the playground, and the Special Ed class would be allowed on the playground too. The nerve! Letting the Special Ed kids onto the playground, like they are regular children! That school should be shut down. Shavonda goes on to say that the Special Ed kids would elbow her out of the way at the drinking fountain and push her off the swings. Maybe they just didn't like her. Shavonda interviews that she didn't think she would carry this fear into adulthood. Hee! Laura is looking at Shavonda like, "You have got to be fucking kidding me with this." Shavonda says she was going to stay quiet about it and just do the work, but that she really doesn't want to do the task. Oh, she just doesn't want to? Well, let her off the hook, then! Laura tries not to burst out laughing as she suggests that Shavonda just give it a shot, and know that she can leave if she can't handle it.
Back home, Sarah and Shavonda are discussing the issues. Sarah says that phobias are irrational fears, and that other people can't understand them. Here's my problem with that, though. How would Shavonda feel if her roommates said they couldn't work with her because they are afraid of black people? Because one time some black kids beat them up on the playground? That would be considered racist, because it is. First, assuming that all children who are affected by some sort of disability are inherently mean is stereotyping. And second, you'd think Shavonda might have some empathy for those kids who did treat her badly, because in all likelihood, they were poorly socialized or didn't have the capacity to understand why what they were doing was wrong. And seriously. Does she think the little kids at the Walkathon are going to be mean to her? That's her fear? Not that they will hurt or kill her, but that they might push her or something? The whole thing is ridiculous, and I'm disappointed in Sarah for enabling it in this way. Sarah promises Shavonda that she won't judge her, but points out that kids with cerebral palsy have a physical disability, not a mental one, and are often at the same intellectual level as others their own age. Melanie bursts in and yells at Shavonda to face her fear. Shavonda interviews that she doesn't know if she's strong enough to do this. Melanie leaves, and Shavonda complains about Melanie's being judgmental. Normally, I do think Melanie is annoying, and her approach was all wrong, but she was totally in the right here.
Landon calls Gina and asks her to go out that night. Landon interviews that they should be able to do whatever they want in their personal lives as long as they can conduct themselves in a professional manner in the office. Landon and Gina meet at a bar somewhere and drink their faces off. Gina drunkenly confesses that she loved their bus conversation, but that she can't just hook up with somebody. She wants a relationship. Landon respects that, and says that he's looking for a sweet girl. Gina keeps saying that she doesn't want to be that girl. Especially not on national television. Gina says that she doesn't know if she could handle Landon's leaving in a few months. Landon says he didn't expect to find someone like Gina that he could talk to. Landon asks about the no-fraternization rule. Gina says that no one can know about their time together. Landon interviews that he just wants to get to know Gina and have fun. Landon gets to know Gina by grinding up against her on the dance floor. Landon interviews that he feels like he could be fired, and that if he is fired, he has to go home.
Landon comes home from his night on the town, and calls Gina at 4:30 AM. He says he just wanted to make sure she made it home okay. She does that "No, I'm not sleeping" thing when she clearly totally was. But she thinks it was sweet that he called. Landon says he'll see her in two hours, and hangs up.
Less than two hours later, Landon's alarm rings. The roommates get up and get ready to go to the Walkathon. Shavonda interviews that she hates to wake up early, but that it's a good cause. But she still hates to get up early.
The roommates show up, and Laura laughs at their general early-morning befuddlement, but congratulates them for being on time. She gives them their assignments for the day, and they get to work. Some people help with registration. Landon and MJ set up some tables, and Landon fills MJ in on his big date. MJ interviews that Landon is swept off his feet and goes for it, and that MJ hopes that it doesn't blow up in Landon's face. Landon sees Gina and they laugh about how late they stayed out.
Shavonda is assigned to hang out with a young girl named Olivia, who has cerebral palsy. Olivia and her family hang out, laugh, and cut up, while Shavonda sits as far away from them as she possibly can and still sit at the same table, with a pissy expression on her face. Shavonda interviews that she still has this fear, and that she's trying to deal with it.
The emcee introduces Olivia and talks about how much progress she has made, thanks to Easter Seals. Shavonda takes Olivia's picture. Shavonda interviews that Olivia's family treated her like a regular kid. Imagine that! My husband says that he wishes Olivia was secretly a vampire and had attacked Shavonda at that moment. That would have been awesome. The walk gets underway, with Olivia and her family leading the pack. The roommates walk along with all the kids and their families. Karamo interviews that he's happy to be there and see that it's helping the kids.
After the walk is over, MJ says that it was very rewarding. Shavonda says that Olivia's grandmother hugged her and thanked her. So since Shavonda got validation out of it, it was worth her time.
The roommates head back to their car. Landon and Gina have a conversation. Landon says he doesn't know whether he can give Gina a goodbye kiss, but that he doesn't want to get her in trouble. Gina argues that they're already into it, so why stop now? Landon interviews that Gina knows the rules, so if she thinks it's okay, then it must be okay. Landon gives Gina a big smack, right in front of God and everyone.
The day, the roommates report to work. Shavonda interviews that no one knows why this meeting was called, because it wasn't planned. Mimi (the big boss) and Laura (the medium boss) greet the roommates in the conference room. Laura says that they need to talk about the roommates' conduct when they are representing the Soul. I was really hoping that this meeting wasn't about Landon at all, and that they were going to yell at Shavonda for having her head up her ass. Landon interviews that he knows why Mimi is there, because Laura is holding their contracts. Mimi reminds them that they all signed a contract, and it said that, as interns, they were all supposed to avoid fraternizing with anyone associated with the Soul. Shavonda interviews that Landon is avoiding eye contact and playing with his pen. Mimi says that they have to draw the line, and that the line has been breached. Shavonda interviews that Landon could be fired.
And now it's time for the Most Awesome Thing I Saw on TV Last Week. The most awesome thing I saw on TV last week was an episode of Little House that I had actually never seen before, probably because it was one of the later ones with Shannen Doherty, which are usually crap. Anyway, Shannen Doherty's friend is sweet on a boy, but her pa, Robert Loggia, doesn't approve. And then Robert Loggia has to go to Sleepy Eye to get a bank loan so he didn't lose his farm (which would be like the third business he's lost), and the bank totally turns him down. So Robert Loggia loses it and comes home and shoots his wife and daughter, which was kind of a gritty storyline for Little House, but his family doesn't die. So of course, they have to involve Laura somehow. So all the town men (like Almanzo and Mr. Edwards and Nels Olsen) go out looking for Robert Loggia, but Robert Loggia goes to Laura's house. And he thinks Laura is his wife, and Shannen Doherty is his daughter. So Laura plays along until she can figure out what to do, but then Robert Loggia finds Laura's baby, and he thinks his daughter had a secret baby with the boy she liked, and he gets all pissed that everyone lied to him. So somehow, Laura convinces him to go with her to the boy's house and confront him, and while they go out to the barn, Shannen Doherty hides in the storm cellar with the baby. But then Laura clocks Robert Loggia with a piece of wood and makes a run for it. So of course, Robert Loggia pops back up because she didn't shoot him or anything, and now he's really mad. And that part was actually kind of scary. So they go back in the house and he can't find Shannen Doherty and the baby, and Robert Loggia and Laura get in a big fight and he knocks over a lantern and starts a fire. So Laura totally panics and yells out that Shannen Doherty and the baby are in the storm cellar, because she's afraid the fire will trap them. Meanwhile, it was like the smallest fire ever, and Robert Loggia put it out by stomping on it, so good one, Laura. Finally, Laura convinces Robert Loggia to let Shannen Doherty go get some water from the well, and Shannen starts running around looking for help. And Robert Loggia has a moment of lucidity where he realizes that Laura isn't his wife. But then the men of town show up and shoot Robert Loggia dead. All in all, it was pretty dark for Little House, which was awesome.
Mimi continues talking about how the roommates have done a great job, but that there has been "a little lapse" in their relationships with Soul employees. Landon interviews that he's taking Mimi's talk seriously. Mimi says that she has kids their age, and that she always encourages them to make good choices.
Back home, Melanie and Willie discuss how the no-fraternization policy was stressed from day one. Willie wonders why Landon would take that chance. Melanie wonders why they all had to be talked to, which I was kind of wondering too. Melanie says that she kept looking at Landon to make sure he understood that it was all about him.
Shavonda talks to Shaun and tells him about the Easter Seals Walkathon. Shavonda says that it was early and cold, but that they got free food. Shavonda talks about Olivia, and how cute she was. Shavonda interviews that she's starting to conquer her fear. Probably to remind us how this show has become a repository for people with ridiculous fears, the editors cut in a shot of a big boat. That was so not cool.
Landon and MJ talk about their meeting today. MJ says that Mimi was nervous, and that her hands were shaking. Landon says that Gina thought they had already crossed the line, so they might as well keep going. Landon didn't want Gina to get fired. MJ says that Gina is persistent, and asks if Landon "touched her boob." Landon says that he did, a little bit. I know that's kind of piggish, but it cracked me up anyway. Landon says that he hasn't seen Gina's boob. Landon promises that he'll set things straight now. MJ interviews that he doesn't think there will be any more fraternization for Landon.
Landon calls Gina and leaves her a message to say that they need to talk. In a confessional, Landon says that both he and Gina could be fired, so the best thing is to sever all ties with each other. Landon gets ready for bed. He interviews that he's done hooking up with Soul employees.