Episode 206--"politics"

Story

Jerry Stahl

Writer

Susan Shilliday

Director

Claudia Weill

Air Dates

1/17/89; 1/25/90

Guest Star

Patricia Kalember as Susannah Hart; James Eckhouse as Jerry Kravitz; Lynne Thigpen as Rosie

Summary

Over lunch, Michael gets a call from an old college friend, Jerry Kravitz. At the Race Street Project, Gary helps Susannah and Rosie write slippery grant applications using his superior vocabulary. Michael and Elliot meet Jerry, who seems to have become a slick part of the political machinery, a far cry from Michael's flashback to their days storming the Regent's Hall. He asks them to help with the PR for Diana McKay's run for the senate, and they sign on.

Gary continues to frequent the Project and helps a little old lady who believes the centipedes are out to get her while talking more to Susannah. Gary is very disappointed that Michael and Elliot are working for McKay and says that she's slime. Jerry comes over and they reminisce, he brings up Emily Burch, and later Hope finally expresses that she's upset that the company is working for the campaign. Susannah comes to Gary's office, wanders around, and accidentally stabs herself on one of the swords mounted on his wall, then tells him she doesn't have time for flirtation and tips over in a chair.

Working with Jerry makes Michael realize that McKay doesn't stand for much, has a vague position on Israel, and that Jerry has changed a lot since college. Susannah comes by to pick up some pro bono work Michael and Elliot did for her and comes down very hard on their involvement with the McKay campaign. Gary follows along with Susannah and Rosie on house calls and presses for Susannah to come meet Michael over dinner. Michael follows Ellyn around a department store (for some reason) while getting the dirt on McKay.

Susannah does indeed come for dinner and it's something of a fiasco. For starters, she's a vegetarian who smokes, then she gets into a screaming fight with Michael about urbanization. Later, Gary comes to see Michael and they get into a fight about his convictions and the political election. Jerry Kravitz shows up, exchanges barbs with Gary, and Michael quits working for him. While Gary is fixing the dry rot at the Steadman's, he commiserates with Hope about Michael's current lack of conviction. When Michael arrives, they face off again until Michael finally spills his guts about how concerned he is about his employees and providing for them and that it drives him to take jobs he doesn't like. This seems to get through to Hope and Gary, so they finally cut him some slack.

At the Project, Gary stands up for Michael to Susannah and yells at her about her judgmental attitude and lack of feeling. She kisses him (somewhat impulsively), then dashes off.

Notes

  • Emily Burch is mentioned
  • Gary definitely didn't get tenure
  • Susannah is from Pittsburgh
  • Opener clip of Gary trying to kiss Susannah
  • Some woman named Dena Schulman keeps coming up
  • The Steadmans are against the death penalty
  • Michael was a lifeguard in his youth.
  • Fashion

    Quotes

    "Well, I'm sure there are lots of women attracted to your peculiar combination of hair and whimsy, but I'm not one of them." --Susannah

    "Susannah is in charge of scaring away all the volunteers. It's a nasty job, but somebody has to do it." --Rosie

    "Well, they're not so bad once you know the secret handshake." --Susannah

    --"Are you gonna call me or am I supposed to call you?" --Susannah, after kissing Gary

    --"Yes." --Gary

    Analysis