Writer: Patrick Massett and John Zinman
Grade: A+
I don’t think of this as a comedic show, but it has its moments, and this episode had a lot of them.
-Coach Staub lion-roaring into the bullhorn during the fundraising car push killed me dead.
-I thought Buddy came off like a spy trying to protect his cover at the booster meeting, so I was tickled by his “covert meeting” with Eric at the bar, during which he started rambling about the boosters following him and tapping his phone.
-Vince telling Luke he’s “a long way from home” was amusing, considering that Luke is only with the Lions because he lives in East Dillon (though apparently in the rural part).
-Tim’s panicked desperation to get away from stalker Becky and her offer to try on her pageant dresses for him killed me dead a second time.
-Tim deflecting Becky’s “maybe you should be my boyfriend” overture by lying that Luke couldn’t shut up about her was both funny and smart. (Please let Becky/Luke be where this storyline is ultimately heading…)
I laughed through most of this episode, but despite that, there were also some serious moments, or at least non-funny moments.
The scene with Jess teaching Landry to punt was short but sweet. I completely believed that she knew what she was talking about, so kudos to Jurnee Smollett. I seem to recall that Landry is named after a football-related personage, and now that I know Jess’s dad used to play but now hates football, his incredulous “Landry?” to Jess in the previous episode takes on a new meaning for me.
I adored Tim questioning whether Becky’s mother ever gets to help her with “that stuff,” meaning girly stuff like pageant dresses. He wanted to know how often he’d be required to play fashion critic for the obviously-into-him teenage girl, but Kitsch is talented enough to convey the concern and empathy, too. Maybe Tim’s relationship with Becky will give him some insight into what Billy went through when their parents left.
I don’t know where Becky’s story is going, but I do feel like I can guess where her story is going, both in terms of her family background/dynamic (daddy abandonment issues, absentee mommy) and what she’s going to mean for Tim (i.e. trouble, whether he ever takes the jailbait or not). I’m hoping the writers might surprise me, but even if they don't, I think the actress is doing well. Is Becky annoying? Yes. But there’s something about her that reminds me of a wriggly stray puppy: starved for affection, throwing herself at anyone who makes eye contact, hoping that they’ll notice her. Seeing any living thing that desperate for attention and affection always breaks my heart a little bit, so I can’t hate the girl.
Part of me feels that Buddy’s big booster-bashing speech was a little overly-dramatic, but then Buddy’s a pretty dramatic guy. It rang true to me that hearing one of these opportunistic douchebags call Tami a bitch, over something that Buddy himself set in motion, would light his fuse. Buddy and Tami have butted heads plenty over the past few years, but she’s always stood up for what she believed to be right, and she was often gracious to him even when he didn’t deserve it.
I agree with Matt that Sherman is an abusive asshole, but some of what he said about art is true (and not just about physical art, but also about writing and music). Matt needs to think hard about how deep down that rabbit hole he wants to go. Sherman believes that meaningful, gut-wrenching art comes from the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves, and love and intimacy eventually hold us back from plumbing those depths. When you have other people to care and worry about, you can’t reach those deep places consistently without hurting the people that you love. And holy shit, Sherman’s sculpture really was beautiful. An ethereal winged creature made from hunks of metal? It’s like a perfect metaphor for his world view and the way his chosen path has shaped his life. He’s free to pursue his mad, brilliant muse, but he’s a cranky, depressed, abusive old coot with nothing but his artistic creations to keep him company. Is Matt willing to go that far? Will he pull Sherman from the abyss and help him find balance?
Julie’s role in that storyline was also incredibly well-written. She’s an intelligent, thoughtful person who appreciates literature and art, and she’d just read rave reviews of Sherman’s sculptures, so it made perfect sense that she would get out of the car and start poking around. She was curious to see what all the fuss was about! I’m not sure if she understood the real meaning behind Sherman’s rebuke, though, because it’s unclear whether Matt told her about their conversation about selfishness. Despite Sherman’s seemingly spiteful aggression, I don’t think he was spouting misogynistic bullshit about the old ball and chain or making a personal attack. Julie could have been a completely different person, or even Matt’s gay lover, and he probably would have said the same thing, at least in terms of the meaning behind the words.
Julie may not have understood the deeper emotional component of what Sherman said to her, but I think he certainly got her examining whether her relationship with Matt held him back from moving to Chicago, and whether he will continue to put his desires on the back burner to make room in his life for her. I don’t necessarily think that staying in Dillon was the wrong move for Matt, though. College isn’t the best or only way to learn how to create art, and I think he will get plenty of artistic fuel from continuing to deal with his grandmother’s illness, from his relationship with Sherman, and hell, from delivering pizza.
Quotes
Sherman: “The most important tool an artist can have is selfishness.”
Matt: “Selfishness?”
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