JoA: "State of Grace"
I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while, but keep on getting distracted by my own *squee!* post-ep. I love how. . . *soft* looking Joan is--that she actually has hips, that her cheeks scrunch up when she makes a face or leans against her hand. She’s so lovely, and best of all, Joan looks *real* in a way that too many TV teens don’t.
While I like Adam, his grumpy “whatever” attitude is starting to bother me (for instance, his reaction to Helen’s promise to find a good art teacher for him). I remember him being a little less negative before Joan’s ‘failure of imagination.’
Glynis and Luke were so cute together: the way they slowly inched closer to each other, and how their science talk was serving as a turn-on. The kiss with Glynis, while sweet, did come rather quickly--Luke hasn’t looked at her as a romantic possibility until Friedman pushed him into acting. (And Friedman: “that’s a look you usually have to download to see.”)
I don’t blame Luke for exploring other options, especially since Grace hasn’t been especially encouraging (I think she’s been fairly welcoming of Luke, for *Grace,* but she’s more work than Luke may be up for at the moment). I liked Grace’s reaction to seeing them kiss--she might have had a moment of “what could have been,” but she didn’t throw herself into teenage melodrama.
Kevin is finally starting to grow up. I could have liked his (romantic) relationship with Rebecca, but I’m pleased that he realized that he needs time to relearn who he is and what he wants from life. They’ll still be working together, and flirting, and she’ll be there to call Kevin on his bullshit.
I kept on thinking that Helen’s reluctance to apply for the art teacher position had to do with her rape (her paintings and the rape are linked together in my mind since they were introduced together in “Just Say No.”) JoA has been very good with continuity so far, and I keep on waiting for Helen’s past to become an issue again.
I liked seeing Joan’s confront Grace during the debate. People have noted that Joan is rather self-centered (or, at least not as observant of other people’s feelings as she might be), but Grace, too, is too focused on her own ideals to spare much thought for other people. I’m glad that she was finally forced to recognize the fact that her beliefs can’t apply to everyone, always. Grace and Joan *so* should have hugged, though.