I don’t know about great. I thought this episode was better than the last few, but next week’s ep looks hysterical.
I’m glad Claire came to her senses. Maybe her new found confidence (inspired by her awesome teacher) enabled her to realize she’s better than that loser. I don’t see Billy entering the picture anytime soon. If anything, Claire ends up with that kid Robbie(?) from her art class.
The David and Keith scenes were great. It’s just a shame they can’t learn how to relax when they are in the “real world” as opposed to “vacation world.” The way they treated each other at the hotel proves that it is possible for them to overcome whatever problems they have.
The Ruth and Bettina scenes are priceless. I love Kathy Bate’s character and I love what she brings out in Ruth.
Good for Lisa to quit her job, but at the same time she could have given her boss a week’s notice or something so she could brace Nate for the news. It’s kind of ironic though that the neediness that Lisa hates about her boss is the same neediness she pushes on Nate.
I understand Nate’s actions. He just needs some private time away from Lisa and the baby. I don’t get, however, why he refuses to admit things aren’t perfect. Whenever people ask him about Lisa he acts like there are no problems. he’s in major denial of something and it will all come to head for us to enjoy.
The whole funeral scene was wierd. I really don’t know how anyone could think it would be “funny” to threaten someone in a dark alley. I don’t care how brave you are. If a bunch of men are following you and calling you “bitch,” you should get the Hell away from them pronto.
I for one am glad Lisa quit her job. Catherine O’Hara was doing an excellent job of playing a bitch and really starting to get on my nerves.
The Ruth and Bettina scenes and the scene where she was asking Claire and her ex-boyfriend questions have me thinking they will be a couple soon. It looks like next week, Bettina gives Ruth some more drugs.
A friend and fellow SFU watcher at church has predicted she thinks something will happen to the baby to separate Nate and Lisa and just as everything is happening, Brenda will show back up.
It was good to see the show going back towards it original formula again, with more emotional moments, mostly revolving around the ‘death of the week.’
Nate and Lisa’s marriage definitely looks to be over shortly. I think Nate did what he did in his car so he wouldn’t feel compelled to have sex with Lisa. Perhaps he is intentionally sabotaging his marriage so she will dump him and he won’t feel quite as guilty.
I really liked how David and Keith got along so well while on vacation, and yet on their way back home, the closer to the real world they got, the more agitated they became. It’s almost as if they took a vacation from their emotions as well as their lives.
I was kinda surprised to see Claire break up with that guy so soon. He wasn’t really that bad of a guy. I mean, he was seeing other people, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Looks like Russell’s next…
I don’t see Ruth and Bettina being any sort of couple, being that, from clips of later episodes, Bettina goes away for some unrevealed reason.
Well, Brenda should be back in a couple of weeks, and that’s when the real fun begins.
The Nate thing seemed, to me, more of an escape from the claustrophobic relationship he’s in. Actually, the problems with his relationship are all his. Lisa’s fine, but the way he relates to her is really sick–never getting mad at her, never refusing to do anything she asks, keeping his reactions bottled up. Truth is, as much as Brenda pissed him off, that was the type of relationship the guy feels comfortable in. And what a dickhead, to be all pissed at her for quitting that job that she shoulda quit a month ago. Catherine O’Hara is a great comic actor, but I guess that’s not exactly new information. “I just need to have my cake in a clean, white place today.”
LOVED the Claire storyline with her art teacher, and good for her for dumping that guy. (No, there’s not really anything wrong with being in a relationship where you see other people, IF that’s what you want. Pretty clear that it was not what Claire wanted, so she should get out). Loved the stuff with Ruth shoplifting ("women our age are invisible, so we can get away with murder.". Great episode all around. I love this show.
Pretty good, yet somewhat creepy episode. Lots of hints that Lisa is slowly becoming the old Ruth. Claire and Russel getting closer, as well as David and Keith getting closer.
Good episode. This season hasn’t been the emotional roller coaster that the previous two season’s have been but I think that is about to change. Nice to see some of the story arc changes from the end of last season to the begining of this one.
Anyone else freak out and think Maya was dead when Nate mentioned his foot massage dream and then didn’t check on her? Guess it was just a means to show Nate’s tenuous grasp with his family life and not foreshadowing. Or was it?
shotodrag: Wow, am I the only person that saw this tonight?
I posted Sunday night, but the CHUD crash lost my post. I had written a bunch of stuff too. I’ll try and summarize.
I think this was a really important episode for all the characters because they all came face to face with their demons and had to make a pivotal choice in what direction they wanted their life to go.
David realized that relationships take work; that they aren’t some fairy tale where everything goes perfectly (remember last seaon when he had that day dream about he and Keith being the perfect couple?). I think at the end of the ep, David realized how much he loved Keith and that it was worth it for them to stick together and make their relationship work.
Claire realized her potential, or even should I say, her purpose in life. That art is not just some passing fancy for her. Her teacher, and Russell, opened her eyes to a whole new way of viewing life and she likes it. It makes her happy, which is something she hasn’t been in a really long time.
Ruth has also opened up her mind through her friendship with Bettina. She has lossened up and realized that she only has one life. If she doesn’t enjoy it now, she’ll miss happiness alltogether. I thought the scene about the “good” vs. the “good good” China is a great example of this. Ruth was saving the “good good” China for a special occassion, but no occassion was special enough for her. Bettina is teaching Ruth to make every second of her life count. I thought it was so touching at the end of the episode to see Ruth and Claire ignore whatever responsibilities they had for the day and just go out together and have fun.
Nate is the exception. Although he came face to face with his demons (the dream with his dad), Nate still chooses to ignore the fact that he is not happy with his life. He knows that this is not the life he wants to lead. He married his mom, he’s turning into his dad, and he more and more is trying to run away whenever possible (smoking, watching TV, running errands to get out of the house). Yet there hasn’t been that spark that pushes him to reevaluate his life and turn it around. I hope that Brenda’s return will be that impetus.
My theory has beend debunked I believe. I thought that he had a vision of his wife talking about that medicine she was taking (that made her sweat smell like syrup) because it was an expiramental medicine that was going to kill her. I am still pretty sure she is going to die before the season is over.
Can somebody tell me what Lisa was looking at when she started crying at the end? I’m pretty sure it was a receipt. Was she just pissed because Nate didn’t take Brenda for drinks during 2 for 1 happy hour? Also, is it me or do you get that strange feeling that Claire’s new not gay boyfriend, Russel? I think, is going to a) off himself or b) kill his teacher. Too much foreshadowing with him and his tortured artist’s soul. PS, I love the new apprentice.
With regards to the receipt, here’s how I *think* it went down. I couldn’t tell, but I believe the waiter wrote his phone number on the receipt, hoping that Brenda would see it (I think they may have had a chance encounter sometime during Brenda’s ‘fun period,’ along with the mechanic…notice the looks they both gave her?), and then Lisa saw the number on the receipt, thinking it was Brenda’s number, mean Nate lied to her.
Either that, or because the bar was called “The Panic Room.” So she decided to panic.
Shoto-
yea…I noticed the “looks” too. I wonder if part of making amends is coming back and diddling everyone again? I guess it doesn’t really matter what Lisa thinks anyway, Nate is undertaking Operation: Relationship Sabotage as we speak.
Also, what’s the over/under before Claire’s new man starts chopping ears off?
Why would the waiter write his number on a receipt, especially one that is meant for Nate (as it was his credit card and his signature was needed)?
I thought either The Panic Room was the record store and Nate ended up buying useless CD’s and stuff or it was the restaurant receipt (I don’t remember it being called the The Panic Room though). Either way, Lisa became upset because Nate was spending money carelessly even though she had specifically asked him to curb his spending. This is a clear sign that Nate does not respect his marraige and this frightens and saddens Lisa.
The new apprentice is in House of 1000 Corpses, that’s all I remembered him from.
The funny thing about the guy is that he seems to be reinforcing all of the annoying control issues that Ruth has been letting go of the last two years, just as Bettina is going away.
I think we should start a dead pool for Claire’s maybe-gay art buddy (according to scenes from next week, David seems fairly certain). I think he blows his brains out in the opening scene at some point this season, maybe the finale.
Diamond: I could be wrong, but I believe the waiter wrote his number on the receipt before Nate offered to pay, which could explain why they showed a close-up of the receipt before he gave the waiter his credit card.
Also, The Panic Room is the name of the bar, and not the record store. I know this because Nate decided not to buy the items at the record store after having that vision of Lisa working there and telling him off.
I loved the acting in this episode, specifically when Nate calls the dead guy who ran himself off the road a fucking idiot.
It’s obvious that Nate married Lisa for the wrong reasons - security, comfort, ‘doing the right thing’ - rather than love. It’s not Lisa’s fault, although she does treat him like a puppy and doesn’t consult him regarding major life decisions, like not working for the next five years.
He feels trapped, and it’s no one’s fault, really.
. Great episode all around. I love this show.