This episode got really hurtful.

Luke is just exploding inside, totally distracted. When prodded by Kevin about why Luke is acting so strange, Luke unleashes some pent up anger towards him that marginalizes Kevin into a "big bad bully"/"super star high school athlete" who could do no wrong and got what he deserved (when Kevin got paralyzed) and Luke admitted to being happy when the accident happened to Kevin. That was a chilling scene as it played out. I'm not quite sure why Luke is in such a funk, though.

Will is still on edge from all the fallout from what's happened to him in the past 6 months. While investigating a tip, Will draws his weapons and almost shoots a little girl. The sheriff recommends counselling, and, instead, Will turns in his badge and gun as a kneejerk reaction. Will finally accepts that he needs help in dealing with his issues, but he's torn up inside from it all.

God tells Joan to go help children afterschool (to boost her resume, of course), and there she comes across Iris who is helping with taking care of children while their mothers are in therapy for domestic violence. Iris catches Adam's eye. Joan had asked Adam to get some concert tickets, but then she couldn't go due to the afterschool gig, so Adam asks Iris to go, which drives Joan a little crazy. Adam falls for Iris rather quickly, and Iris is emotionally "there" to pursue a relationship with Adam, unlike Joan, but seeing Adam with Iris hurts Joan because she's sitting on the sidelines because she doesn't know how to accept Adam as-is, nor how to be his girlfriend.

Joan does the idiotic when she succumbs the children's wish to build a pinata so they can beat the crap out of it. Iris returns to see this activity in full force, and is appalled by Joan's lack of sensitivity, considering that battery and violence is why these children's mothers had to bring them while getting counselling for domestic violence. Joan allowed this because she was trying to one-up Iris for getting too close to Adam, and comes away a smaller person for giving in and not thinking of others.

On a spurious note, Kevin and Rebecca get busy, not letting a broken elevator ruin the rest of their evening, and Kevin allowed Rebecca "into" his world as their attraction for one another grows, as does their intimacy level.

Helen is all abuzzed about being the new art teacher and some of her criteria for art might get her in trouble down the road when she has to hand out grades because she's probably too encouraging in accepting some of the art assignments so far.

I thought it was a pretty good episode last night and Iris is quite beautiful, though her voice is a little irratating. I saw nothing wrong with the pinata, since it was God's way of helping Iris to open up about her past.

I'm glad Kevin understood why Luke said he was happy when Kevin was paralyzed. I could feel his anger at always being in the shadow of his older brother. That is probably one of the reason why he is an overacheiver. But it's good that he got his feelings out now and hopefully we can come to terms with it, before it gets really bad. There are a lot of new things going on in Luke's life (girls) and he is having trouble understanding it all.

Chris

i so dont want adam with iris.

Quote:

Originally posted by Patman
Joan does the idiotic when she succumbs the children's wish to build a pinata so they can beat the crap out of it. Iris returns to see this activity in full force, and is appalled by Joan's lack of sensitivity, considering that battery and violence is why these children's mothers had to bring them while getting counselling for domestic violence.

I thought the reason for Iris' pinata breakdown was because her father would use her & her mother as one..? And let me say, that was the least interesting of the sub-plots. Perhaps due to the terrible actress they got to play Iris [check out the big REVEAL scene to see what i'm talking about]. I DID like God confirming the White Stripes situation though..

BTW...for those who might not know...God's dog-walking incarnation was played by Amber's real-life dad [and star of West Side Story & Twin Peaks].

cool. I saw the last name in the credits, but was looking for a young male person. Towards the end I was thinking I missed said person. So thanks for setting my mind at ease. /Cool.

Very good episode. I wish I had time to lay out some more comments but other posters have done it well. I think things are going to get more interesting now that Adam and Kevin have had this low point.

That old hippie persona wasn't makeup either. He was about 50 when she was born.

That would make Russ 70 now. Wow...

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said.

Alot of venom in this episode. I thought Luke's was especially vicious.

Iris's would have been better if they would have had someone who could act play the part. I'm glad Adam's with her though. Joan and Adam together doesn't seem right.

Iris is in at least 3 more episodes!

Chris

ugh.

thanks for the warning, Chris..

Was it me, or did they dub some of Iris's dialogue to sound even more helium-laced than in other spots?

My fiancee and I were so confused when we were watching the show. I suppose her dad and lil bro got all kooky in between the 2/6 and the 2/13 show?

Will (the dad) was held hostage by gunpoint a few episodes ago. The spa episode where he got in a fist fight sort of indicated that he still wasn't handeling his emotions from this.

Luke's revelation did seem a bit out of the blue, but I guess if you keep something like that buried inside you, you don't really know when it'll come to the surface. (The same sort of thing happened with Kevin when he had his breakdown in family conseling several weeks ago at the end of an episode.)

For Luke, it could be puberty kicking in, and perceiving Kevin to be acting in the same hurtful jock-ish way before the accident (now that's he's got his own mojo back with Rebecca).