Woman leaves little notes all over her house, then goes into the closed garage and kills herself by inhaling the fumes from her running car.
Claire and Russell are excitedly preparing for their very first taste of their art being seen by more than just their classmates and families. The annual alumni show has allowed them, 2 of only 4 first year LACart students, to put their work in the show. Of course, with Olivier around, their enthusiasm is munched like a cracker.
Nate and Lisa are having their 3,237,392,684th fight this season. Nate has finally become so miserable that he says it, he wants to split up. Lisa has one of her boohoohoo tantrums and leaves the room, and Nate gets to work, helping arrange the burial of the woman who took her life in the garage. He hears the story, told by the man that this woman killed herself over, and identifies and sympathizes with the man, who is now riddled with guilt. Seems you can never be happy in life.
If this is even a smart or correct way to look at things, it seems David is the "female" half of the David/Keith duo. But is that correct at all? It's so hard to not label people. And is he "female" just because he's more passive than Keith? Not as brawny? Rewashes the dishes Keith just washed? As I said, it looks like I'm labeling, a hard habit to get out of. Couples therapy is definitely a smart idea for David and Keith. They're making progress, but nobody knows if their relationship is destined for the long haul.
At Margaret Chenowith's Westwood condo, Ma is back to her bad ol' self. That Margaret we saw being so sweet with the kids a couple of episodes ago was a one time only. As she and Brenda wait for their ride to the alumni art show, Maggie's doing her usual gleeful duty of heaping annoying criticisms and pressures onto her daughter about wearing different makeup colors, smoking pot, not conforming to "Christian dogma" in 12 step programs, etc. Luckily, Billy arrives, looking massively HOT. While Ma goes to put on more mascara, Billy leans in attentively as Brenda laments about how she's become a "boring, watered down" version of herself. In spite of what appeared to be a resolve made of iron, it looks like Ma hit a sore spot after all. "I know what you mean," replies Billy, and of course, that's always a sign of trouble too. Life is so much FUNNER when you're not bridled down by medications.
At Rico's place, he hopes to get the wife in the mood for some romance, since the kids are staying elsewhere for the evening. But instead Rico falls asleep and Vanessa ends up watching Xena. Moving right along...
At the show, Claire worries that her piece, an unconventional photo of a couple in a cemetary, is priced too high, or too low. Or that it's just a crappy piece that won't sell no matter what. Russell's piece is way in the back, all by itself, a beautiful copper sculpture. Claire runs into Billy, and learns that Billy and Olivier know each other. And that's not all. "A sex thing, not a gay thing"??!! This will be the first of 3 major shockers revealed by Billy this season. It's good to have you back, CreepyJesus!
Brenda "meets" Lisa at the show. God, I love how Brenda handles the whole thing. Brenda may have a lot of resentment and bitterness towards a lot of people in general, but she never loses her cool. She never jumps into peoples' cars and tries to beat them up like her mother would. She's a cucumber. She's a class act. Lisa could use some lessons on how to be zen instead of a whining loser all the time.
In a surprising move, Lisa opens up to Nate while they explore the inside of a miniature Egyptian pyramid. It's the only time I ever come close to liking Lisa. She admits that she wants Nate not just to be her husband and father to Maya, she wants him to be madly in love with her. She doesn't have to use those exact words. She wants fairy tale love. She wants her husband to constantly tell her how special she is, how beautiful, how lucky he is to have her. For years, Lisa has painfully loved Nate. But again, was it really love, or just obsession, lust, an idea of what loving Nate could be like?
Still, her candor is touching and the scene tender. Nate respects Lisa's feelings as much as he can, but wisely asks her to join him in stopping the fighting and stopping the useless fantasies of love that don't exist anyway, and just being a loving married couple, and the good friends they've been for years...I guess they were good friends...maybe they were truly only fuck-buddies.
They agree to try, which oddly, is a relief to all, even me. Only time would have told whether or not Lisa could keep her end of the bargain. To her credit, though, when Brenda happens upon them, and feels intrusive, Lisa is generous instead of jealous.
Ruth and Arthur, who have become an "item" lately, go to the art show on a date. Afterward, they enjoy some red wine and venture up to Ruth's room. But Ruth is disappointed when her new young boyfriend makes no move to initiate sex, and makes a hasty departure when she tries to initiate it, saying strange things like, "Sex...when two become one...it needn't be so painful...but it is indeed a very slippery slope." Huh?
Keith and David go to a bar after the show, because Keith wants another three way. David is still uncomfortable, but unable to voice his opinion. Their relationship at its most fragile, David seems fearful that if he disagrees with Keith's desires, he'll lose him.
Vanessa talks to a coworker about her depression, and her coworker, an RN, decides to make herself into an MD and prescribe a few happy pills. Big no-no. Vanessa, obviously an LVN, thinks her friend's actions are okay.
Brenda, having walked in on her Ma getting it on with Olivier (the walking hard-on), decides it's time to move out. Who does she move in with? Billy! After all, he's on his meds and doing well!
Nate and Lisa have another tender moment, and it really seems like things are going to be looking up for them and their marriage.
But this is SIX FEET UNDER, remember?
I give this episode an A. Much, much, much better than the last episode.
