God tells Joan to try out for the cheerleading squad, Will searches for the mother of a baby left in a dumpster at the school, and Luke wonders if he might be gay.
Dealing expertly with sensitive issues of teen pregnancy, friendship and simply paying attention to others rather than being wrapped up in your own problems, once more Joan of Arcadia is putting out a message. The fact that it does it so gently, and in a way that can be appreciated by adults and children alike, makes it doubly impressive. With a lot of very funny moments too, it’s a very enjoyable and thoughtful piece of television.
Joan’s latest assignment seems rather odd, but when all the pieces fall into place once more, it’s clear that God has been working in mysterious ways again. His efforts to keep Joan going to history provide enjoyable comic asides, as does Amber Tamblyn’s incredibly sweet bit of cute acting when Joan shows she’s not really cheerleader material. Little moments like some of the ones in this episode demonstrate that Tamblyn is a very talented actress able to deal with teen issues, drama and comedy without missing a beat, and she still manages to be likeable, partly because she’s being pushed from pillar to post when she’s just doing what she’s told.
The Luke sub-plot is good fun too, as his growing fascination with Joan’s alleged lesbian friend Grace results in him creating a complex metaphor for Kevin in order to seek advice. Luke’s been overlooked too often on the show, and it’s good to finally get a window into his geeky world. His admission of who he thinks about when on his own is really quite disturbing. After the last few episodes, it’s a relief to see Kevin more relaxed and happier about who he is, and there are more wonderful scenes within the Girardi family unit, both funny and more serious.
The teen pregnancy story is the one that gets a little lost, but it does allow Helen to shine in some key scenes where she confronts the police about the way they’re going about their investigation, and when she finds the girl who had the child. While Will is obviously annoyed, the fact that they’re back on the same page so quickly shows the love and respect these two have for each other; this is one of the most well-cast and convincing TV families I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch.
While the episode itself isn’t perfect, there are too many excellent sequences to dock any further marks from it. A worthy entry into the canon.
****
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