(S02E07) There were no answers to our burning questions in this week's episode (for example, where is Foss and is Emily his wife?), but "Free To Be You and Me" offered some character development. XX and XY finally talked to one another, Jessi made friends, Stephen made a new friend too, we learned more about Andy, Kyle and Amanda had their first date, and Declan and Kyle reconciled.

"Have we met before?" Kyle said no when Jessi asked him that question at the end of their little encounter in his room. But for sure Kyle knows something ain't right especially if Jessi, who is still a newbie in this world, senses something is special between the two. Just look at her revealing and chocking look in the picture on the left when she finally properly looks at him (I don't count their encounter at the café as an official meeting).
In this week's episode, we got another confirmation about the yin/yang theory (XX and XY are opposites yet complete one another) when they experienced that little static shock... as if one was the + sign of a battery and the other was the - sign. We also now know that they have the same reaction when they get angry: things go awry around them! Now that Kyle knows Jessi can repair a radio in no time, that she doesn't find it weird to sleep in a tub, that she needs therapy, and that he always experiences or feels something when she is in his vicinity, do you think Kyle will start his own XX investigation?
Jessi made friends
Seeing Jessi try to understand the world and fit into it is entertaining. This week showed Jessi try to make friends, not an easy task for someone who never had one before or for someone who is not afraid to speak her mind since she doesn't know that truth can hurt and that we need to censor ourselves at times. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Lori tried to abide that but her plan backfired. At first, she wanted to make Jessi her frienemy (friend+enemy) but as she got to know Jessi more, Lori changed her plan to being friends with Jessi. I can understand why Nicole didn't want her kids to get close to Jessi since she is a patient, but why is Emily so protective? Having Jessi getting close to Declan would have helped her get into the friends' circle and closer to Kyle (even if Declan and Kyle weren't on speaking terms at the time). Does she not want Jessi to get to close to people because she knows she will eventually have to go back to her lab rat duties at Madacorp?
Stephen made a new friend too
We didn't learn much about Madacorp this week but Stephen made it clear that he still doesn't understand what the company really does. Emily told him that they are "building the foundations of tomorrow." If he only knew what that really meant. Emily is really good at getting inside the "circle of trust" without being too open about it. See how she bonded with Stephen to the point where he shared information about his kids and Kyle and offered her to join him at the dance? The soundtrack playing during the Stephen and Emily scenes totally adds to the conspiracy effect that follows Emily wherever she goes. Poor Stephen. I think he won't realize who she is and what Madacorp is doing until it is too late. Nicole sure doesn't seem happy that Emily and Stephen are working together.
We learned more about Andy
Sweet Andy revealed more about herself to the group. We now know that she has two moms and that she doesn't like people who are homophobic. We also saw the activist in her come out. But what I think was more important in Andy's storyline in this episode is that she pushed Josh's buttons when he couldn't express who he felt towards gay people. It was also funny to see each of them pretend they didn't want to date one another when in fact, they wanted. Josh didn't know it for sure at the beginning of the episode but, by the end, it was clear he wanted to be more than friends. Why else would he have accepted Nicole's offer? I'm rooting for them; I think they'll become my favorite couple.
Kyle and Amanda had their first dateA few weeks ago, I polled you on if you wanted Amanda and Kyle to date. Close to 66% said yes. This week, those voters got their wish granted when Kyle and Amanda went on their first date. Sadly for them, Jessi got angry at Emily which ended up in stopping Kyle and Amanda as they were about to kiss. Will their couple make it? They want to have a second date. Maybe, for once, a series will give us a teen couple who works out!
Declan and Kyle reconciled
That was probably the most important event for those, like me, who prefer the conspiracy and mystery element of the series. We want answers. Declan wants answers. Kyle finally wants to tell him. Let's hope that the next episode will show us Kyle spill all the beans to Declan. I liked Kyle and Declan as a duo last season and, as readers of my reviews know, I got tired of Declan early this season since I thought he served his purpose on the show. But now that he is getting close to Jessi and reconciled with Kyle, I sure hope we see more Declan, the investigator, in upcoming episodes. We need someone to find answers for us!
Lori gets knocked out!!!
[Note: This paragraph was added a few hours after the review was published as I somehow forgot to put that in.] Lori getting knocked out at the end of the episode did get us back on the conspiracy theory track, especially since we saw it happen after watching Declan show the pictures and threat to Kyle. Is the person who knocked Lori out the same who took the pictures? Is it Foss? For sure if the attack on Lori is connected to Declan showing the pictures to Kyle, someone must be watching or listening... so I doubt it's Emily (she had her hands full with Jessi). Unless it's not related to the threat Declan received and it's some sort of revenge or maybe just a random act? Post your theories below.
Other scenes of interest
- Kyle freaking out when he understood that it was a real date.
- Jessi asking Declan, in front of Charlie, if they could do more kissing.
- Josh teaching Kyle how to dance.
- The kiss.
- "Ennui" is the new "gunk." - Lori
- Changing the world one moron at a time. - Lori















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-26-2007 @ 3:23PM
Chris said...
This season is moving very slowly to me.
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7-26-2007 @ 3:29PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
Chris: Could they be spreading things out too much now because they were given more episodes this season than first expected? They got a 13 episode order at first, so the writers planned around that. And, they were later given an extra 10 episodes. I'm not excusing them though, I'm just trying to find why they are moving slower all of a sudden.
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7-26-2007 @ 3:45PM
Chris said...
I think your absolutely right, cause I could swear I've seen two episodes in a row where nothing advanced at all.
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7-26-2007 @ 4:40PM
David said...
I don't think the extra episodes has anything to do with it. They already made several episodes and ABC loved what the show was doing they ordered more.
This episode, like the last few have been iffy. Sometimes they cross the line of "this would never happen" or being preachy. it was clearly a pro-gay episode dealing with two girls kissing being hot, two guys being gross. Yet they didn't have Kyle kiss a guy, but they had a "lesbian" kiss.
Really the season is going downhill fast. If you read spoilers the 14th episode we might finally get somewhere.
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7-26-2007 @ 5:16PM
William said...
What I was wondering about was the part where Andy sort of gets this headache thing... Something just didn't seem right about it, but this could just be my imagination??
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7-26-2007 @ 5:17PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
David: What I think is that they mapped out the 13 episodes to be action packed and when they were given an extra 10, they diluted some of it throughout the 23 episodes. Indeed, spoilers for episode 14 make it sound really interesting.
William: We don't know yet if we are reading too much into that instant headache, but you are not alone thinking that someone wasn't right about it.
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7-26-2007 @ 5:32PM
Christopher Cope said...
I thought overall it was a decent episode. Something tells me that when Declan and Jessi take their pseudo-relationship a little further if they do that Declan will discover that Jessi has no belly button and hopefully commune it to Kyle which will start their investigation. Also, I'm surprised nobody commented or has any theories concerning Lori getting knocked out at the end of the episode.
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7-26-2007 @ 5:38PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
Christopher Cope: OMG! I knew I forgot something. I'll add a little blurb to my review asap so we start plotting.
I wonder if it's Foss' work?
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7-27-2007 @ 10:18AM
David said...
I thought that too Isabelle Carreau, but when the news came out of the extra episodes it wasn't that long ago. So I think they would have to have at least some done.
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7-28-2007 @ 11:51AM
Re-becca said...
Hmph. Anyone else notice how Andy seems to get "sick"? First it was when she was planning out Josh's date in his car. Then when Josh went to put the trash out, she was bent over holding her head. Maybe she's gonna die or something, but Kyle saves her with his newfound healing powers! Like that dude on the 4400. Well at least I think he can heal stuff. I mean, I don't watch the 4400, but I can guess from the promos.
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7-26-2007 @ 7:07PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
Re-becca: You are right, there is a character on "The 4400" who heals. He is named Shawn Farrell on the show. Your theory sounds plausible, she could be sick. :(
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7-26-2007 @ 8:51PM
jota said...
I thought it was great that kyle got to talk to another. I think that sounds about right Cope. It will eventually come out she doesn't have a belly button. Should be pretty interesting once kyle finds out.
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7-26-2007 @ 9:30PM
Tony said...
great episode... I think Jesse knocked out Lori for having an interest in Declan... Though I liked the gay-positive nature of the episode. However, i thought it was a little ironic for them to do a girl kiss, and not a guy kiss, when they specifically point out the double standard. Obviously, Kyle and Declan aren't going to kiss, but how about a glimpse of Andy's 'dates'.
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7-26-2007 @ 9:32PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
Tony: I must admit that the thought of Jessi being the one who knocked Lori out crossed my mind when I watched the episode. She wanted to take out the competition? Another mystery! I hope they don't wait too long to reveal it to us!
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7-27-2007 @ 4:40AM
las6 said...
Seriously, what was that? Felt like a 70s propaganda video with all that dancing + the pro-gay activists. I was kinda expecting a full speech to appear during the episode.
If you're going to "carry the torch" there are millions of other ways to do it. Most of which are not going to hurt ratings or feel nearly as heavy-handed as this. Please don't crappify one of the few watchable summer shows with this stuff.
To those people who are saying that this season moves too slowly: wtf? This season has had more plot progress in every single episode than the whole first season 1 put together. Not saying it's uber-fast, but they don't seem to stall in places where they easily could.
Oh yeah, Andy is terminally ill. (note that I didn't say she's going to die.)
p.s Is it really frienemy and not just frenemy?
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7-27-2007 @ 8:18AM
David said...
While I don't agree with those who believe this season's plots are progressing slowly, I will say I think the show has gotten too far away from part of what made it very successful in season 1: Nicole. Kyle and Nicole were inseparable in season 1, and the show very much centered around Nicole. This season, we hardly get to see her and the show is much more focused on Greg Berlanti-esque teenage angst writing.
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7-27-2007 @ 10:03AM
bill said...
I think jessie wants the necklace lori got from declan.So she knocked out lori to take it.
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7-27-2007 @ 12:58PM
Flutesong said...
I think the season is moving slowly. I am glad TPTB are not making Nocole the focal point any more. I think she is as dumb as dirt and a zero when it comes to her job. The whole thing is so soapy now, with all the possible and impossible love affairs. Blah.
I want to know about Madacorp and the bad guys and why must they all be so arcane? Seems that they would simply kill off the people who are a threat, they have no morals and probably have police/political connection to keep the heat and suspicion away from them.
I do not know who punched Lori, but I hope it was not Foss. I would like Adam Bayliss to actually be wrong about Foss or that the message was part of a larger lesson to get Kyle to pay attention.
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