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Cut to inside the courtroom. Justin takes the stand to explain how hard it was to readjust to civilian life after his first tour of duty. Under examination by Kevin, he explains how he turned to drugs just to cope. Blah blah blah. Sorry, but I'm bored now. Kevin completes his examination and Major Guinness begins to cross-examine. Justin admits that he was clean and sober during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. Guinness makes the point that, maybe Justin actually benefited from his military experience.

Major Guinness: It was the uniform. It was the discipline the army provided. Isn't that right son?
Justin: I…I don't know.

Okay, time out just to say that, even though I'm sort of bored by this entire storyline, Major Guinness is making a halfway decent argument here. For better or for worse, the army experience may have been a good thing for Justin. It made him grow up. His problems with drugs, with keeping down a job, etc. cropped up when he returned to his normal life. Arguably, Justin needs structure. His return to active duty could be just what he needs to get his act together again. It's a logical argument, though it breaks down a bit when you consider that, along with the structure, Justin risks getting his keister shot off.

Cut to Walker Produce – Holly is meeting yet again with Saul, Sarah and Tommy. They have come clean with her about the Nevada property actually being worth thirty million. She's incensed. The Walkers tried to swindle her out of her rightful share of the war profiteering loot!

Tommy: Oh just sign the papers already. Take your money and walk away.
Holly: Do you think your father fell in love with the village idiot?

Well, not you Holly but—taking Nora into account—it's a fair notion.

Holly: Maybe I don't want to sign my share over to you. Maybe I think there's more money that you're hiding from me. Enjoy your bankruptcy!

She sashays out with righteous steel in her eyes. For some reason I'm reminded of the Pepsi-Cola boardroom scene in Mommie Dearest: “Don't f#** with me boys! This ain't my first time at the rodeo!”

Cut to later at Holly's house. Saul has gone to try and assuage her, but she isn't buying his apology. She thought there was something genuine between them. How can she trust him ever again knowing he lied to her about the ten million dollars? If I were Holly, I'd be playing hardball right about now and demanding even more than ten million. I mean, Ojai Produce will go bankrupt if they can't replace the missing pension fund money before the end of the year. And they can't replace that money if they can't sell the Nevada land. She really has them by the cojones. Squeeze Holly. Squeeze.

Cut to the Walker Mansion. Nora is with Paige, trying to introduce her granddaughter to what I guess is the Talmud. Paige isn't much interested. She just wants to play dreidels.

Nora: Paige! This is the Book of Maccabees. The original history of Chanukah. Don't you wan to learn every detail about why we celebrate it?

Nope. The kid still just wants to play dreidels. I'm with Paige. Of course, I'm not clear on how dreidels are played. I'm assuming its like jacks or something. In any case, it has to be way more fun than poring over the Book of Maccabee.

Nora: Do you know one of the most important Jewish principles?
Paige: Bagels on Sunday?

Har Har. That Paige is a regular little Henny Youngman. No. According to Nora, one of the most important Jewish principles is “Knowledge is Light.” Uh, that's about as inspiring as “Reading is Fundamental.” Paige is noticeably relieved when Joe shows up to rescue her from her born-again Jewess grandmother.

Nora: Oh Joe, you're just in time. We just learned that the Greek king of Syria outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship the Greek gods. That's outrageous! Listen to this….

Oh, dear. She's gone round the bend. What's worse than a self-righteous secular Nora? Why a religious one, of course!

Paige: Can we go now please Daddy?

That's right Paige. Get out of there while you can. Paige grabs Joe's hand and races for the exit. On his way out the door, Joe tells Nora that Sarah wants to see her over at Ojai Foods.

Just taking a brief aside here to talk about Nora's obsessive behavior in this episode. It may be annoying, but I have to say—at least it is entirely in keeping with Nora's character. Way back in Episode 5, Kevin told his then boyfriend, Scotty, how his mom found out he was gay and immediately joined PFLAG.

Kevin (from Episode 5): Anyway, when I finally told Mom she immediately joined Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. I became her cause celebre. I was an exchange student in my own home!”

Anyway, even though this episode seems a bit on the fluff side, I appreciate the character continuity. Nora's obsessive reaction to Paige's interest in Judaism helps me to imagine how she reacted when she found out Kevin was gay.

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