524 words
4 minute read
 |
| [Image is: Lovely orange pumpkins.] |
Though I had a wheelchair by the Halloween I was 8, I never used it to trick-or-treat. I always used my walker instead. And though I had great costumes, my favorite was a rather simple robot costume, because I felt that my walker added to it, rather than detracted from it. So I would have been all about any costume that integrated my adaptive equipment, but I never really got to explore that.
The last year I ever trick-or-treated, I was only 10 years old. Where I lived, the infamous 1991 Halloween blizzard was already dumping snow on my home state but my sister, my brothers and I all still wanted to trick-or-treat. We wore winter gear over our costumes, and my dad carried me to every house. (Thanks, Dad!)
Needless to say, I can't exactly relate to the notion of family Halloween costumes that seamlessly incorporate a wheelchair. Definitely by the time I was the age of the DiMeo kids, Halloween traditions were long past (and no wonder! All that trudging through a blizzard carrying a 10-year-old!) So I was right with them when they made their own plans for the night rather than dressing up in Jimmy's family costume of the year.
JJ wants to go to a party with friends, and basically invites himself over. (Sometimes, you have to be proactive!) His friends say of course he can come, they just weren't sure if he would be able to. He and Kenneth arrive (I'm honestly not sure how JJ gets into the house) and JJ asks for beer. Kenneth is sure he has misspelled "soda" but JJ insists. Finally, he starts asking Kenneth for random things, and asking the kids at the party to give him beer in the moments Kenneth is not around. He gets drunk and ends up "slurring his words" as he tries to spell.
Maya and Jimmy punish him (for the first time!) JJ laughs as he is lectured and Maya is relived that "at least he's a happy drunk!" Ray and Dylan (whose Halloween plans have also gone awry) need help from Mom and Dad respectively, and then lament the fact that it's Halloween and they haven't had any candy. Jimmy says he knows where they can get some, and they dress up in their family Back to the Future costumes (with Kenneth as Stevie Wonder) and try trick-or-treating at 1:45 AM. (I guess JJ's grounding does not officially start until the following day, as he is magically well enough to happily drive the DeLorean costume into the night...)
I liked how this episode showed that JJ is a typical teenager. I really liked how he used his laser pointer to get at Ray when he was angry, and also to get the attention of kids at the party. (You use what you've got!") All in all, a pretty strong episode!
I really liked this episode! It redeemed the series after episode 4. All of the plots and subplots made sense mostly. JJ getting drunk is funny and realistic. It was also cool to hear JJ laugh because it brings up that people who are non verbal still make other sounds.
ReplyDeleteMargot, I agree! I really liked this episode, too!
Delete