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Butterflies - Sep 7, 1983 Episode 4-22,   Grade A Detailed Summary by John T Burt 2001 Main Butterflies Page

    Food Disasters:
Ria buys complete frozen dinners instead of cooking. After dinner she brings the desert and the boys hesitate until she says she bought it ready made. They dig in until she adds, all she had to do was cook it.

    Mini Cooper use:
In the park the boys drive up in the Mini and the bumper falls off when they stop to talk to Ria.

    Special Scenes:
When Ria first gets the letter from Leonard she is excited and anxious to read it. First Ruby interrupts her opening the letter. When the phone rings and Adam comes in, she hides the letter in a magazine which Adam carries off before she can get off the phone. Ria is very lost.

Later, when Ria takes a chance and opens the letter from Leonard in the kitchen, Ben comes up from behind, hugs her and reads the letter out loud. Fortunately it is ambiguous and he thinks it is from an old school girlfriend. Ria's expression is just perfect.

    Summary:
Ria sees complete frozen dinners in the market. Unhappy with the ingredients on the canned foods and not wanting to make her own stuff, she abandons her cart of raw materials down a side isle and buys the dinners.

The boys are late and Ria explains to Ben the journey the dinners took to get home. They might not survive any longer. She moans about how parents become old and unimportant. When the boys get there they are jabbering about girls again. They are impressed a little by the dinner not knowing its origin. But their behavior is not quite right and Ria gets them to admit they signed up for social security so Ben would not have to pay for them anymore. Ria disapproves and wants to know about pride. Ben thinks it's OK as long as they don't cheat on the rent. After the guys discuss Ria's cooking disasters, Ria brings the desert and the boys hesitate until she says she bought it ready made. They dig in until she adds, all she had to do was cook it.

In the park Ria thinks of how she misses the nonsense and other things Leonard brought into her life. The boys drive up in the Mini and the bumper falls off when they stop. There's a letter for Ria from New York. Ria hurries home.

At home Ria is excited and anxious to read the letter. First Ruby interrupts her opening the letter. When the phone rings and Adam comes in, she hides the letter in a magazine which Adam carries off before she can get off the phone.

Late that night, Ria is depressed and in the dark kitchen. Ben checks on her and leaves. The boys come home and Adam comes in with the magazine. Ria quietly looks for the letter but Adam swapped the magazine for another with Guy. She tells them about the letter and Russell says they'll look for it tomorrow. But Adam suspects its importance and calls Guy only to find out they left the magazine in the park.

Ria looks for the magazine in the park the next day. She stares at people who wonder about her, asks a young man to see his magazine only to find it is X-rated and lifts a magazine off a sleeping bum.

That evening Leonard waits for Ria but she doesn't come. Thomas says he is glad Leonard is back. His last employer was boring.

That evening the boys discuss sex while Ben tries to watch a TV show. After he shuts if off, they tell him he is a nice guy despite is expressionless face. Ria pops in and asks Adam to help carry the tray in. In the kitchen Adam gives her the letter. She takes a chance and opens it. Ben comes up from behind, hugs her and reads the letter out loud. Fortunately it is ambiguous and he thinks it is from an old school girlfriend.