SEASON FOUR

EPISODE 2: IN CASE OF RAPTURE

It is three months after Ruth and George's wedding, Lisa's secret burial, and Claire's abortion. A woman who quickly is revealed to be a holy-roller sees human shapes acsending to heaven and leaps out of her vehicle, certain that the Lord Jesus has called his children home. She mindlessly dances into traffic and is creamed. What this silly nut didn't know is that a bunch of sex balloons were loosed accidentally on their way to an award show for porn stars.

At the Fisher and Diaz funeral home, Claire and Nate fail to hide their dislike for new stepdad George. George is trying to get to know his new family, sharing his love of geology. Nate is too absorbed in grief over Lisa and Claire is her usual smart-ass self. Arthur, jealous of George, is just as unwelcoming of George into the house.

David finds Nate to be a challenge to deal with professionally. Nate isn't convinced that the husband of the woman killed by her illusion of the rapture is truly at peace with "God's will". He tries to convince the husband, and the very noticably distraught son, that they need to acknowledge their grief, their anger, their shock, etc. But hubby, wearing an unconvincing smile to match his unconvincing acceptance of what happened to his wife, shrugs off Nate's attitude, still wearing that irritating smile.

Claire is still in a depression over her decision to terminate her pregancy. She meets two LAC-Art classmates, Anita and Edie (Mena Suvari), and is inspired by Edie's grab life by the balls personality. Her poetry/punk routine in the bar was anything BUT inspiring in my view, but I did see the otherwise very charismatic appeal in Claire's new lesbian friend.

Keith quits his thankless job and gets a posh new one with a high-end security firm, and he and David excitedly make future plans.

Rico is spending more and more time with Sophia the stripper, and her frowning daughter Nicole. Trying not to be found out by Vanessa, yet too kind-hearted (and fricking naive) to end this friendship/non-sex affair, he is swiftly becoming the latest victim of an experienced con artist who weeps on his shoulder about having lupus resulting from ruptured silicone titties, and would Rico please fund a new tittie job and not expect poor Sophia to pay him back. "Nicole, an angel has come to take care of us!" Rico, run, don't walk! But Rico seems to be thinking with his dick, not his brain.

Brenda and Joe have embarked on a relationship, and Brenda, determined to overcome her sex addiction and have something real and genuine for once, wants to hold off on sex for 80 days. It is day 70 or so, if I'm not mistaken, and Joe, sweet as he is, is getting kind of impatient. Brenda realizes that the time has arrived when it's okay and that a concrete number like 80 is ridiculous; she's known Joe quite a while and feels comfortable with him. As for the career burn-out, Brenda has decided to abandon shihatsu massage for--gasp!!!---psychology!!!

Nate realizes that in the aftermath of Lisa's death, he is no longer able to handle the death-care industry. It's become too much of a torment to deal with grief striken families when his own loss is still such a raw exposed nerve. He abruptly quits, and David is unsure of whether to be relieved or angry.

Okay, annoying stuff about this episode. The silly dream/fantasy Nate has about Mrs. Rapture humping him while reciting Psalm 23??? Ewww!!! Well, wait a minute, "Thy rod and thy staff"...okay, obvious humor, but kind of funny.

Ewww #2 was the blowjob David got from the roto-rooter who came to clean up that ghastly back-up of blood in the Fisher & Diaz plumbing. Such a cheap, unedifying moment, put there purely for "look at how risque our show is" purposes. Bleck!!! Sometimes the writers need to concentrate on entertaining rather than trying to continuously convince us how "cutting-edge" they are. It would have at least been funny, if not derivative, for Ruth to come down to do laundry and be shocked into another near coronary. David, believing in the policy of truth, tells Keith right away of his sexcapade, and the further disappointment to me is Keith's underwhelming response.

And finally, Arthur. Mad at George over yogurt of all things. Get over yourself, Art, and go buy some new yogurt. But you know Arthur isn't the type to just go get some new yogurt. When her new husband is suddenly feted with a parcel of "feces", Ruth wonders if Arthur is the culprit and Claire, picking up her camera for the first time in months, goes crazy over the possibility of blood and shit art.

Not my favorite episode. I'd give it a C+.