Recap: Pippa asks Tootie for advice on which after school activities she should sign up for, and Tootie advises her to follow in her footsteps and join the drama league. When Pippa remarks on how much she likes to swim, Tootie points out that she can do both. Andy returns home from the store and shares with Beverly Ann that he bought shaving cream and a razor so that he can keep his [non-existent] five o'clock shadow under control, joking, "I let it go on as long as it could." Beverly Ann expresses concern that he's going to injure himself with the sharp razor, so she gives him a shaving demonstration using a spatula - just as Blair and Jo enter the room and make a crack about Beverly Ann demonstrating for Andy how to rid himself of his sparse facial hair. Andy grumbles about how tough it is being the only "man" in a house full of women 'cause he has no one he can talk to about guy stuff...and after he huffily races upstairs, Beverly Ann concedes that he does have a point. Jo chews on that for a few seconds, then offers to let Andy tag along with her to the shelter and look into whether or not Casey has any interest in palling around with the imp. Natalie asks Pippa which extracurricular activities she's planning on involving herself in this year, so Pippa tells her she's joining the drama league and swim club. Natalie barks, "Wrong" since there aren't any boys associated with either of those activities. She urges Pippa to join the school newspaper, The Eastland Bugle, 'cause it'll give her the opportunity to mingle with the fellas as she covers all of the sporting events hosted at Bates Military Academy...and also suggests she join the bowling team, 'cause why the hell wouldn't she want to go bowling on a regular basis? Jo and Andy arrive at the shelter, where Casey is grumbling about how Blair is two hours late for a budget meeting that she herself scheduled. Jo's like, "That's a bummer", then says, "We need to talk about Andy" - just as some guy named Rick appears out of nowhere to say hey and ask Casey if he wants to play some one-on-one. Casey says he's too busy for basketball at the moment, then re-directs his attention to Jo. A few seconds later, Blair arrives for the budget meeting and is greeted by Rick, who tells her that Casey and Jo are having a private conversation and can't be disturbed. Blair looks both amused and miffed at being ordered around by the peon and asks him who he is. He introduces himself as Rick Bonner, aka a guy who hangs out here, to which she retorts, "I'm Blair Warner, and I own here", then haughtily adds that she can disturb anyone she damn well pleases. Casey tells Jo he has zero time to hang out with Andy, and that the kid deserves someone who's more available. Jo glances across the room at Rick and wonders aloud if maybe he could serve as a big brother type, and Casey's like 'he seems to like kids, so why not?' Blair then interrupts their tête-à-tête so that she and Casey can head off to a lunch meeting and get down to the business of discussing the shelter's budget. Jo, meanwhile, asks Rick if he has time to shoot some pool with Andy, and Rick perks up and says he's very into that prospect. Pippa returns home from school and wanks Tootie about how much she's loving the drama league and swim club...then runs into Natalie and raves about how much she's enjoying writing for the school paper and being on the bowling team. Rick drops by the residence and asks Beverly Ann if Andy can come out and play, then explains that he's Andy's big brother pal from the community shelter...and when Jo ambles into the room, he tells her he'd like to invite Andy to go to a basketball game. A few seconds later, Andy enters with the room with tiny cut marks all over his face from his first attempt at shaving. He happily accepts Rick's invitation to attend a basketball game, then suggests they visit the Aquarium tomorrow. Beverly Ann tut tuts him and says she's sure that Rick probably has to work tomorrow, but he's like, "Uh, nope", then adds, "I used to work, but I thought it got in the way of my free time" ... and as he and Andy head out, Beverly Ann and Jo stare after them, their faces scrunched in mystified puzzlement. Casey escorts Blair home after their budget meeting, which somehow turned into a date at the movies...and they're about to lean in for a goodnight kiss (!) when Jo enters the room and stares at them in amusement, and refuses to excuse herself while Casey awkwardly bids Blair good night and ambles in the direction of the door. Beverly Ann rushes into the living room and says she heard the door open and hoped it was Andy, who's still out somewhere with Rick. Blair urges her not to worry 'cause she thinks that Rick is a good influence on the kid, not least 'cause he's been teaching him how to fix stuff and shave his hairless face without drawing blood. Rick returns Andy home...and when Andy spills that after the game Rick took him to a bar where the basketball players like to hang out afterwards, Beverly Ann's all, "Wuh?!", then is even more "Wuh?!" when Rick admits that after he had a few drinks he let Andy take the wheel during the ride home. LOL. After Beverly Ann sends Andy upstairs to his bedroom, she angrily tells Rick it's unacceptable for a grown man to let a tiny boy - who I doubt could even see over the dashboard - drive a car, and that she's rethinking letting her son hang out with someone who has no job and zero ambition. Rick retorts, "You gotta live for today. Tomorrow may never come" ... and when Beverly Ann says that that's a pretty dicked up personal philosophy, Rick solemnly reveals it isn't when a person has only two weeks to live. After the commercial break, Rick assures Beverly Ann that he's come to terms with his imminent demise, and will be fine during the time leading up to his final hours. Blair urges him not to give up hope, then delicately asks exactly what it is he's dying of. He shrugs and is like, "Dunno", then explains that, for various reasons, no male in his family has ever made it to his thirtieth birthday...and that since he's about to turn thirty, he can only assume he's about to drop dead. Beverly Ann clucks sympathetically at his plight, but makes it clear that she's not going to let him fuck up Andy's life. Rick accepts her decision and sheepishly tells her to pass along his goodbye to Andy, adding that he's a great kid. The next day at the shelter, Jo is chuckling about the notion of Casey and Blair hooking up...and when Casey demands to know what's funny about it, she replies, "Uh, everything." [But, mostly notably, the complete lack of on-screen chemistry between the two.] A few seconds later, Blair arrives and waves flirtily at Casey, prompting more chuckling from Jo. She then tells Casey about the male death curse in Rick's family, but that she doesn't put much stock in it - and Casey tells her she should put at least some stock in it, 'cause if Rick believes it, his untimely death could well be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Andy arrives at the shelter to say hey to Rick, and Jo suggests the two of them play some pool so that she can break the news that Rick is convinced he's about to kick the bucket. Andy looks crestfallen and says he's in denial that that's actually going to happen, and Jo assures him it won't and gives him a comforting hug. When Pippa returns home from school, Natalie asks her why she's not at bowling class, and Tootie's all, "Bowling? She's supposed to be at drama rehearsal!" As the two bicker about how the other bullied Pippa to engage in their favorite after-school activities, Pippa screeches, "Crikey!!" and tells the two she only pretended to be interested in their suggestions and largely ignored them when she decided that joining the Foreign Exchange Students Club was more to her liking. The two are like, "The Foreign Exchange Students Club..?" and shake their heads in miffed dismay [since how many foreign exchange kids could there possibly be at Eastland at any given time in order to form an entire club?]. That evening, Rick drops by to inform the Facts gang that since he's turning thirty tomorrow, he finds himself in need of warmth and support during his final hours on earth. Natalie asks him if he's really going to croak, and he tells her that, yeah, it's entirely likely between now and midnight. A saddened Andy implores him not to say such a thing, while Jo tells Rick he should at least have one last fun birthday before he's lowered six feet under. She then adds that, for the record, she finds this entire death curse to be idiotic...and Rick warns that if she isn't more careful with her words, after he's dead he's going to rise from the grave and haunt her. After a lively game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Rick says he's having fun and can't think of a better way to go gentle into that good night. When the Facts gang gets on the topic of how they'd spend their last hours..
Andy sullenly declares that from now on he's going to spend his life doing what he wants, which doesn't include studying for school or cleaning his room. As a startled Beverly Ann's all, "The fuck you say?", Rick expresses regret for giving him the message that everything in life is a waste of time. He now realizes what a jerk he's been to spend his entire life being an irresponsible man-child just 'cause he assumed he's going to die before the age of thirty, and regrets squandering a potentially successful career as a concert pianist. He urges Andy to "live like you're going to live, not die" - just as the Facts gals each try to get his attention to point out that it's after midnight, and that the death curse has been officially nullified. As Jo gives Rick a 'congratulations, you're still alive!' hug, Pippa carries over a birthday cake...and after he blows out the candles, he pretends to fall over and pass out. When everyone rushes over to him worriedly, he chortles and says he's just messing with them, adding, "You can't expect a guy to change overnight." Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!
1 Comment
Sandra
6/3/2023 05:20:39 am
While re watching this show I wonder what the producers saw in Scott Bryce to pair him with Nancy McKeon. When I first saw this episode I didn’t think there was any chemistry between the two of them and the hard edged Jo had completely mellowed out by this point in the series.
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