Season 2, Episode 9: Best Friends

This is another episode that I remember pretty vividly and think of as one of the very classic episodes. 

The Gist:
It's the Sweetheart Dance! Michaela is hoping to be asked, Sully eventually does and it's adorable.  And then they practice dancing and it's a disaster.  So Sully takes secret dance lessons from Dorothy, who believes she is pregnant but is really going through menopause. Michaela sees them together and assumes the worst, particularly upsetting as she has been confiding in Dorothy with all her nervous feelings about intimacy and commitment.

Meanwhile, Colleen finds herself in a love triangle with Becky and Richard (unremarkable -- other than the fact that he's played by Rookie of the Year superstar Thomas Ian Nicholas; the girl who plays Becky was in a whole bunch of things throughout the 90's too. Also, she married Jonny Lang).  The triangle is messy and really immature and a seriously perfect story arc. 


Commentary:
1.  Women's Health -- big-ups to this show for dealing with issues like menopause and uterine cancer.  This episode also got into some issues about consent and negotiating intimacy within relationships.  As an adult, I have so much more appreciation for how well this show managed, as a family program, to address a lot of real issues.  Of course, issue No. 1 in this episode is how important CLEAR COMMUNICATION is, which is not particularly groundbreaking, but still -- I love how many episodes are devoted to women's health.  this also makes me really glad to live in this day and age where medicine is so much more exact. 

2.  Colleen is the sweetest girl. I want a friend like Colleen!  I love that she is such a loyal friend -- she is truly torn up about this Richard business -- but she's also a totally realistic thirteen year old girl who is just completely befuddled when she realizes someone could find her attractive.  And I love, love, love the BFF necklace she and Becky have made!

3. I seriously want to attend one of this town's parties. The dances look like so much fun!

4. Loren and Dorothy. I've always kind of loved this story line -- how much he has always loved her and how she will never love him in the same way.  He's so cranky in his heartache.  And then there's that moment where he lovingly gazes at her and confesses, "When I look at you, I see a girl of sixteen with fiery hair blowing all about ... that's the way I see you, Dorothy. That's the way you always look to me."