Portraying teachers as human... not. When a substitute English teacher
acts unconventionally, Brian is thrown for a loop, most of the others are
enchanted. However, Theodore Victor (alias Vic Racine) proves to be less
than perfect. In many ways, this is a fine episode, marred by a few plot
flaws. It is difficult to believe a substitute and the printer have final
approval on a school-financed project. And Angela gets off way easy in
the end. Especially considering it's the same Principal Foster from ‘Guns
& Gossip.’ Interesting that Angela accepts Vic abandoning his family
more easily than Graham possibly getting some on the side, but still being
there for her.
Cute touches abound: the kids suddenly using toothpicks, Angela regurgitating Vic's phrases. The scene with reading the Lit submissions is finely edited. Graham sewing and going to the cookie booth with the other mothers. Graham runs into Jordan... twice, though they don't know. Patty would really be jealous then. Her immediate response to the Lit submissions is they have to find Angela's. When Graham asks what about freedom of expression, Patty responds, "screw it." And there's a cute encounter where Vic manipulates Patty, whose parting words are "Did Angela write it?" Patty is the only person Vic fails to offer a toothpick. And there's the priceless scene where Angela says "he's an adult I can look up to" and has no clue why her parents are shocked and hurt. "What?"
A theme about protesting. Graham says "Haven't we always taught you to stand up for your rights?" Does he mean it? Do adults ever mean what they say?
Brian is thrown by the whole experience. His first reaction is to have Vic read their submissions, so they can get credit. Later he can't read Sharon's piece out loud and makes a crack to Angela about her getting into anyone's car. He is almost thoroughly obnoxious in this episode, while Jordan is kind of sweet. Again, the budding romance between Jordan and Angela is hibernating.
This is the first time Rayanne and Sharon have a heart-to-heart. Sharon asks, "Is this a trick or something?" Rayanne jumps guiltily when Angela enters. Jordan says Vic was "the best teacher I ever had." The first to give a rat's ass about Jordan.
Inevitably, there's a new substitute. She compliments their punctuation, so it's business as usual, with the class resuming their semi-comatose state. It seems to end, but there's a coda (or tacked-on incident, take your pick) with Angela being sent to the principal's office for distributing the Liberty Lit (ironic name, isn't it?). This gives the writer (Jason Katims) a chance to create some cute and moving moments, but not his best work. If Vic is trying to escape the law, would he be listed in the phone book? Would both parents leave the print shop to see the principal? It's not like anyone was hospitalised, as in ‘Strangers in the House.’ Then the principal says forget it and her parents seem to feel the same way. Kind of peculiar. You'd think there would be some token punishment administered. When does a kid ever get away with anything, when she's caught?
MIDPOINT ANNOUNCEMENT - BRIAN