SEASON FOUR

EPISODE 8: COMING AND GOING

I find it strange how the death for this episode of an older gentleman takes place. Is it possible for a man to drive himself into the Fishers' driveway and simply will himself to die? If he could drive, he must have been in reasonable good health. Why did he want to die? It appears he was a Baptist or something, religious and into church. I am not saying this sort of death isn't possible. The mind is a powerful tool...but why??? It's not explained as the show unfolds, so...

Claire and Edie, having had some form of lesbian sex, are happy enough, but Claire still hasn't had an orgasm.

Rico has finally bedded his "friend" Sophia, but like many con-artist, back-stabbing, fair-weather friends, she isn't there for him at all. She refuses to let Rico move into her apartment. After all he did for her...Not So Suave moves into the prep room at the Fishers' house.

After Brenda's revelation that she has been cheating on Joe, he has put up an invisible wall around himself. Understandable.

Claire's bimbette friend Anita enjoys a healthy debate with George, which rubs Ruthie the wrong way, as Anita is dressed like Madonna back in her Like A Virgin days.

Vanessa, a character I really love because she NEVER takes any shit from Rico, isn't taking any shit today either. She refuses to even talk to Rico because she'd rather strangle him.

Ruth spends much of this episode being bitchy to George out of resentment that he won't tell her every part of his past.

Keith gets hit on by Javier the Sordid Roadie. I still think the whole Celeste storyline is boring.

Brenda is obviously in love with Nate, not just fucking him for fun. Nate, on the other hand, is just fucking for fun.

George over-prunes one of Ruth's trees.

For the first time ever, An-hell-i-ca becomes a cool character, as she accompanies Vanessa over to the stripper's house for a highly entertaining cat-fight. You can't help but cheer as they attack Sophia and then her car.

David gets a random call from Sarge, the big lummox from the paintball episode in S3. They, of course, sweat between the sheets, and then Sarge wants to leave. David needs someone to stay around and show they care a little, but really, you can't expect Sarge to care. Especially after his asshole behavior imitating a deaf person. David is breaking apart emotionally, but Sarge don't care. COMING AND GOING...now this title I totally get.

Speaking of coming, Claire asks Edie to pleasure herself so she can watch. Yet Claire still isn't quite up to actual lesbian sex. The idea of going down on Edie isn't appealing to her in the slightest. She acts repulsed by the idea, and this doesn't escape Edie's observation.

Ruth and Rico share a cute scene...or maybe it's just that they don't have many scenes together. Ruth, ever the motherly one, gives Rico a real room to stay in.

Brenda talks Nate into coming over to see her new house. Of course, these 2 can't be in the same room without falling all over each other like starving rabbits. Why? Why? Oh why? Do they think it's safe to make out in her living room? Did Joey come home earlier than Brenda anticipated? Who knows? He came home, he caught them, and that is enough. Brenda tries to reason with Joe as Nate flees the scene, but it's over, babycakes! Brenda fucked up but royal, and the sad part is, given her past ways of dealing with situations she doesn't want, she might have PLANNED for Joe to catch her so she could get out of the committed relationship.

Claire and Edie agree that Claire's attraction to Edie has been "aesthetic". I agree. You can mistake inspiration for horniness very easily sometimes. I've done it. What Claire doesn't know is that Edie is very hurt that Claire doesn't share her sexual feelings.

Meanwhile, the problems Ruth and George are having come to an ugly head of their own, and Ruth leaves. Obviously, Ruth's kids were oblivious to how unhappy with George she has been, but is that anything new? Nah!

This episode is a little better than a lot of the others from this season. At least some of the plotlines are going somewhere at this point. I give it a B or a B+.