SEASON 2

EPISODE 3: THE PLAN

Two weeks after the last episode, the husband of a psychic dies of some sort of cancer.

David worries about Nate, who recently disclosed that he has an AVM in his brain. They help the psychic woman (guest star Mare Winningham) plan the services, and are a little rattled when she talks to her late husband as though he was standing right beside her, and then tells Nate and David that a child is coming into one of their lives. It was very clever to have Rico and his infant son Augusto appear just then.

Ruth has joined The Plan, and although she appears to hate the long, drawn out sessions which go from early morning to midnight, (I have never heard of anything taking this many hours out of a body's day...don't some of these fine folks have jobs they need to be at??? Especially given that this stuff is expensive???!!!) Ruth is already indoctrinated to the point when she is using all of the "housing and building" metaphors whenever she has any conversation with anyone.

Nate and David meet with some guys from their industry, and you won't be disappointed to see that these funeral directors are as kooky and nerdy as you hope funeral directors will look. Especially Bobo of Peaceful Haven. He's a riot with his little bowtie and his foul mouth, which he apologizes a lot to Dave for.

Searching for Gabe, who has apparently vanished after his fight with Claire, the police come to school and interrogate her.

Brenda, still feeling like she needs to improve her life, decides to enroll in school and major in biogenetics. She ends up clashing with the instructor of the one course she wanted to take. Nate is frustrated because Brenda's libido has waned. Or has it? Nate wonders if all couples really have this problem from time to time, and asks Rico about his own sex life, only to feel more unnerved than before. Meantime, Rico laments that his sister-in-law An-Hell-I-Ca has moved into his new house that she helped buy. Oh boyyy...

Keith has his own dilemma this season, it beginning when his sister Karla skips town with one of her dope-fiend boyfriends, leaving Taylor in the care of Grandma Lucille, who makes excuses for, and covers for Karla, but doesn't hesitate to bite Keith's head off for caring.

There are several of my much-loved family closeness scenes: Ruth and Claire talking about The Plan while the film Badlands is on TV; and Nate's conversation with his late father about where we go when he die, and of course, David's chat with Nathaniel, among others.

Ruth tries to use "the Plan" to start rennovating her life, and ends up having an outburst laced with the F word. I'm not sure if I can buy Ruth saying the F word, ever, because she reminds me so much of my Grandma, but maybe some things can drive my prim and proper Grandma to cuss, who knows??? Later, Ruth and Robby are sitting in a bar, and just watching them crack up over some couple groping each other at a table is pretty fun for me.

Nate and Brenda meet for dinner and drinks, but not before Brenda, using a pseudonym, flirts with some lawyer. Nate tries to broach the subject of the meaning of life, and where do we go after we die? But Brenda's typical fatalistic, depressing attitude makes Nate wish he'd never asked.

Gabe resurfaces, asking Claire to come pick him up in some remote location, as always with Gabe, more drama ensues. In another great family-ish scene, Claire ends up seeking the help of Keith, and if you watch closely, David has never loved Keith more than he does at this moment.

Wonderful episode, deserves an A+.