Margaret: "And so now, we have to stop walking alongside one another, and turn and face each other, and move through the world face to face."Brenda: "But how will you see where you're going?"
Many break-ups.
Brenda got what she must have subconsciously wanted: her freedom. That break-up scene was a long time coming, and it was vicious and devastating. I don't think Nate and Brenda can come back from "fucking cunt from hell."
Ruth finally realized that Nikolai had already checked out of their relationship, and she broke up with him in the middle of Blade II. At least she has something better now: a brand new granddaughter named Maya. Also better than a recommitment ceremony, or finding the right college. Does Nate even know he's a father? Shouldn't Lisa have talked to Nate before Ruth? Lisa is probably still punishing Nate for not loving her.
Claire, who sort of broke up with her high school counselor, finally found something she really wanted to do: attend LAC-Arts. It was made for Claire. How can you beat a school with a kiln wing where welding is a required course? Claire's hearse parked next to another hearse in the college parking lot made me laugh out loud.
I'm starting to like the new, way too medicated Billy, all toned down and insightful and ready to be kind to his parents as well as Claire. I used to worry about Claire and Billy, but the situation appears to have resolved itself. At least until he goes off his meds again. Billy is now sane. Unfortunately, Brenda has passed him going in the other direction.
We finally learned the emotional basis of Rico's devotion to his unusual profession, and the reason he was so close to Nathaniel Senior. How lovely. And how wonderful that Rico and Vanessa got a karmic reward just for being nice to the old lady across the street. I can picture her in the next life smiling at their surprise and pleasure, much like the lawyer did.
He now has the necessary bucks. Can Rico be a partner now?
Bits:
— Mrs. Perez' death in such a friendly, social place surrounded by busy, happy people was a rather nice way to go. From what Rico said, it was a lot like the way she lived her life.
— There appeared to be a wedding party getting "done" at the hair salon. Appropriate, in an episode where Margaret and Bern got remarried, and Nate and Brenda broke off their engagement.
— Margaret and Bern's spiritual recommitment ceremony was hilarious and pretentious. Nate and Brenda's relationship was so broken that Margaret and Bern's looked good next to theirs.
— I couldn't help but contrast Brenda's writing (biographical porn) and Margaret's writing (ridiculous free verse vows). Brenda's was a lot more honest.
— I like how they keep Nathaniel Senior around. He grounds the story, somehow. It's like he's the soul of the funeral home.
And pieces:
— "Leticia Perfecta Perez, 1922-2002." And Mauricio Ricardo Diaz, 1945-1992.
— Kroehner filed for Chapter 11. Good. I think the freshness of that subplot has passed.
— We learned that Nate has had sex with two women at the same time. And more than once. He and Brenda have a lot in common.
— Gary the counselor crush guy was leaving because of cutbacks. He completely blew off Claire. It was like he stopped caring about her as soon as they stopped paying him to care about her.
— Keith lost it at work. He's not dealing well with parenthood, the shooting, or David. I wonder if Taylor's advent raised childhood issues for Keith.
Quotes:
Nate: "Who the fuck am I? Who the fuck are you?"
Claire: "I hate my hair. When I go to college, I'm going to cut it all off like Felicity."
Ruth: "Have I met her?"
Claire: "Yeah. She was here for dinner once."
Henry: "I think every last freak of every last California high school winds up here. We're kind of an 'island of misfit toys' of colleges."
Keith: "I don't want to seem too gay, or like we're trying to make her gay."
David: "Oh, right. Watching The Wiz will turn her into a lesbian."
Keith: "David, don't be so naive. That's how some of these people think."
David: "You ought to worry about it making her want to have plastic surgery."
Brenda: "What's with all the new age shit? You and Dad dropping acid again?"
Billy: "I want to make sure I know you for as long as I possibly can without fucking it up. Which is like my special superpower."
Four out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Ugh, I'm just watching this show for the first time, and dear God how the hell did I live all this time without it? (Damn you stupid country for nor bringing these shows over!)
ReplyDeleteIt's killing me. Slowly. And I'm loving it.
It's been great following it alongside your reviews!
:)
(P.S.: btw, they were preparing for a quinceañera party, rather than a wedding. Sort of like the sweet sixteen)
Excellent writing; very strong cast.
ReplyDeleteexcellent episode - one of the best yet on SFU. Rico's story nearly moved me to tears and that doesn't happen too often on TV. Not only is the actor terrific, but the role is nicely written, multidimensional and very real. The scenes between him and Nathaniel were just... heartfelt, for a lack of a better word.
ReplyDeleteI interpreted that scene between Gary and Claire completely different: He seemed upset about having to leave, maybe because of selfish reasons because he enjoyed his time with Claire (too much). With him going, there is no appropriate way of meeting her anymore, so maybe he was trying to do the right thing and distancing himself from her.
That fight between Nate and Brenda was long overdue. In a way she was right about him. How he deals with his illness and his impending fatherhood is pretty childish/immature, as well as screwing around without protection. Lisa telling Ruth was harsh, but it feels like a wakeup-call for Nate. It's no longer about him, it's about a child who needs (and deserves) a family. And it's the best thing that could have happened to Ruth :)
What struck me was the symmetry between the scene in which the cancerguy alludes that he has noone to push the button for him during the cremation... and Brenda reminding Nate in the elevator that he forgot to push the button. He did show up for another visit though, small steps.
Even if Brenda didn't want to be caught, she still made it easy for Nate to find out. Self-loathing? Guilt? Or maybe she wanted to rebell against her parents by marrying the nice guy, even though she is just not cut out for it? Interesting though that Nate brought incest up during their fight... did they or didn't they?
I just realized that this wasn't even the season finale. Wow... it sure felt like one.
The fight between Dave and Brenda was so real, the way their voices kept breaking and slipping, how much in pain Brenda sounded (even though we hate her at this point of the story).
ReplyDeleteIt was one probably the strongest scene in the episode, if not one of the season's.
I enjoyed seeing the young Rico, about how he came to know Nathaniel. Seeing his grandma-like neighbor dead brought back a flood of childhood memories for him. Nice prequel scenes.
ReplyDelete