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Butterflies - Nov 12, 1979 Episode 2-9,   Grade A Detailed Summary by John T Burt 2001 Main Butterflies Page

    Food Disasters:
A vegetable casserole comes out as lumpy soup but apparently tastes OK.

    Mini Cooper use:
Ria and Leonard talk in the Mini.

    Funny Scenes:
A funny show all around.

    Summary:
In the beauty parlor, Ria mimics the young woman next to her having a bout of erotica.

Ben bellows over the music that his screwdriver is missing. It appears on a string - bent. Ruby vacuums up one of Ben's moths. The boys are not remorseful and will replace the screwdriver eventually so Ben calls his office and cancels his appointments, he'll be in eventually. The boys give in and go to buy one but need Ben's money. The masks they put on when they leave give Ben a chest pain and he calls the doctor.

Leonard sees Ria with her statue of liberty curlers in the beauty parlor and tries to get her to go to lunch.

Exercising in the living room, feet in the air, Ria compares herself to a plant. Ben daydreams about being old and invalid. Ria wants Ben to laugh or show any emotion on his blank face and asks about his day. Ben leaves out his upcoming doctors appointment. He feel pessimistic and attributes her optimism to being in love, startling her. Ria breaks down when he talks about what she'll do when he is gone.

In the Mini, Ria checks her purchases against a recipe. Leonard gets in and then embarrasses her by getting back out and announcing loudly to the world that she has forgotten the vegetable. He wants her to expand her life saying that if one doesn't try, then one will have no luck at all. Thomas mocks Leonard' performance. When Ria gets home, Thomas delivers a big basket of the vegetable from Leonard.

The doctor tells Ben he is fine but needs exercise, just what Ria said.

At dinner Ben is tolerant of the boys and even the cooking and Ria is confused. Ben says everything is all right, even the lumpy runny glop that was supposed to be a vegetable casserole that Ria ladles out. The boys think Ria's inability to cook makes her more like a woman than a mom and talk about Guy's sexy mom. Even Ben agrees and Ria says he is acting out of character.

In the park, Ria talks to the bum from the fox hunt. He tells her that the hopelessness of love is the thing to escape from. Ria can't watch as Ben and Leonard pass each other jogging in the park. But they just say good afternoon and jog on.