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LT
and some friends from his journalism class talk about the popular TV
series in which a white woman is dating a black man without any of
the typical fallout that most interracial couples must deal with. LT
suggests he and Vicki, a white classmate from his journalism class,
go on a date to see the reaction they get as an experiment. Mr.
Gilman, their journalism teacher, suggests they use the idea as the
subject for a story for the school newspaper. LT and Vicki go on
several outings to try to gauge public reaction. But only one woman
(African American) spews vindictive accusations to both LT and Vicki
for "jungle fever." When LT asks the hot dog vendor (pop
music star, Usher Raymond) his opinion, he responds that his opinion
is inconsequential because they are cookin' with what is essential.
In other words, he can tell they dig each other. This takes them by
surprise
since this was supposed to be merely an intellectual experiment and
neither have admitted to themselves how they feel about each other.
When LT suggests they go on a date at night, Vicki doesn't think
it's a good idea. LT accuses her of being freaked out by what the
hot dog vendor said. LT voices his concern to Josh that he's falling
for a woman he thinks is prejudiced against black people. LT reviews
Vicki's article on their experience -- but she left out something --
the personal story between themselves. Vicki admits that she likes
LT, but expresses her uncertainty about what she's getting herself
into. She then asks him to the
Spring
dance. The following Monday at school, LT tracks down Vicki, who
didn't return his call. Vicki explains that she's not some flashy
character on a TV series. She's a high school junior and as far as
she's concerned, the real people they should be asking are not
strangers, or people on the street, but their family and those they
have to deal with on a daily basis. Vicki needs them and doesn't
want to risk hurting them. LT is disappointed and somehow surprised
by her reaction. Russell tells Claire he's been accepted for
training as a reserve officer with the Denver Police Department.
Claire is taken aback, thinking at his age he might not be accepted.
Later, while dropping Dinah off at school, Claire hears a newscast
about a State Trooper who was shot and killed while on a routine
traffic citation. Shaken, Claire expresses her reservations about Russell
becoming an officer. Russell rationalizes that he eluded death in
Vietnam, that "if death wants to find him, she'll know where to
look." Russell then mentions that he's considering becoming a
regular police officer if this works out. Claire struggles with her
feelings while Russell does the same. Once he's had some time to
think it over and pray, Russell tells Claire that he's decided not
to go through with it, for the sake of their marriage. By this point
however, Claire has changed her own position and now feels that
Russell must follow his heart, that she must accept Russell
completely, just as he must accept her. Russell takes Dinah on her
first driving lesson. Margot's mother (Paula) is making progress and
is planning a party for Margot's sixteenth birthday. Dinah tries to
convince Margot to give Ross a chance at being more than "just
friends." But Margot says she's convinced him of the value of
maintaining their friendship, citing Bogart's line from Casablanca
-- "this could be the beginning of a beautiful
friendship." For her birthday, Margot's mom gives her a framed
photograph of herself standing outside the house, a testament to her
progress over agoraphobia. Margot has a dream which reflects the
dramatic changes in her life. In the dream, she is taunted by the
elite group to which she aspires -- the members of the Algonquin
Round Table -- who are holding her mother hostage. Ross comes to the
rescue, defending her honor and whisks her off into the ether.
Russell takes Margot on a driving lesson in the cherry red Mustang
her father left her in the divorce settlement. Margot asks Russell
to interpret her dream. But before doing so, he asks her opinion.
Margot suggests it has something to do with her own anxieties
regarding her mother's burgeoning independence and her uncertainty
about Ross. Russell reminds her of Ross' words in her dream -- that
love conquers all. Margot finds Ross rehearsing for a dance recital
and retracts her earlier rationale for keeping their relationship
platonic. The Greenes take Margot on a day trip to Central City and
when they return to drop Margot off at home, they see Paula driving
Margot's Mustang. They follow her as she drives once around the
block -- which may seem like an ordinary feat, but as Russell points
out, for her, it's like a trip to the moon.
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