Finding Carter: Season 1/ Episode 8 “Half Baked” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

During the constant pursuit of the Wilson’s becoming a happy family, someone always ends up ruining it.

Review (with Spoilers)

With Lori temporarily out of the picture, and Carter’s friends mostly taking the week off, there is a strong focus on Carter’s family life. Especially in light of the news of Elizabeth’s affair. Something which leads David to massively take advantage of the situation but, with him not covering his bases, by the episode’s end we are reminded why Elizabeth cheated on him in the first place.

Topic 1: The Truth is Revealed – Carter and Taylor

Between Grant, and Gabe who knew of the affair for 3 years (1), it is decided by Carter that an intervention is needed. One which Taylor is going to back her up on, despite her not wanting to. So after Elizabeth and David get in from a jog, they pull Elizabeth aside and tell her they know. Something which she tries to play off, but with the mention of Gabe and Grant being in the closet, she fesses up. From there it is a bunch of apologies, admissions of guilt, but being that Elizabeth always looks and sounds exasperated, it is hard to say whether she is truly sorry. Especially because, at least to me, you can tell she is going to cheat again. For while Taylor tells her off and says she isn’t the role model she once was, and Grant talks about hating her, you can tell David and her are genuinely unhappy and are better off divorced than together. In fact, he kicks her out the house and seems all but ready for a divorce.

Topic 2: Life without Elizabeth – Carter and Taylor (Featuring Grant)

Though with Elizabeth moving to the motel her and Kyle used to hookup at, and her abandoning the kids for a day, we see that David is truly a horrible parent. After all, look at his interactions with his kids. Outside of Carter, who his interest in is likely solely for his book, you don’t see him and Grant interact, nor even really see him and Taylor interact. Elizabeth is the one who wakes everyone up, makes sure there are groceries, and in the episode we don’t see David try to compensate for Elizabeth’s absence at all. He just drinks and does what he has always done: seem like the deadbeat his mother in law calls him.

But what is strange about this whole thing is, no one calls David out on being a crappy parent. Taylor and Carter try to compensate for Elizabeth’s absence, but with neither really ready for the responsibilities Elizabeth has left, or just wanting to do what it takes, they end up forgetting about Grant at school, and don’t get the milk he asked for. Why you ask? Well, Carter and Taylor were skipping school to get high with Crash and Max. Which leads to an interesting moment of watching a very high Taylor try to do an English accent, something comical since the actress playing Carter is actually English. Though alongside this interesting moment comes a cute one between Taylor and Max. Taylor wishes to be intimate with Max, or just for him to lay with her, while she is high, but being that he knows she is a virgin, very capable of being frisky, and doesn’t want to take advantage of her, he says that they should wait. But makes sure she knows he does want to have sex with her.

Topic 3: Short End of the Deal – Carter & David

Leading to us finally getting to see the side of David that perhaps may have led to Lori snatching Carter. You see, Carter and David have had a rather good relationship ever since that therapy session. I mean, she still calls Elizabeth, Elizabeth, but David is dad. Something which it is hard to say whether he takes seriously. If just because he lies to Carter about maybe getting one last goodbye with Lori, he has been writing his “Finding Carter” book all this time, and he talks about how important it is for him to not be seen as a loser in front of his kids, but at the same time what does he do for them? I mean, again, when it comes to parenting, the only thing Elizabeth doesn’t do is make dinner. Meanwhile, David seems to lock himself into his office all day, writing who knows what (2), and not doing anything until someone gets home.

Making it sad when his sole advocate, Carter, is the one he screws over. For never mind he lied to her about getting a final goodbye from Lori, and the book, but David uses the threat of divorce to get Carter’s permission for “Finding Carter.” How? Well with the threat of divorce comes a bit of guilt. Carter had the impression that getting the truth out there would make things better, but all it did was split the family a part. Then with David being the type of dad who didn’t want to compensate for Elizabeth’s absence, it almost forced Carter to sacrifice her wants for what the family needs. So she tells David he can write the book, but with her having say over what goes in. Something which I doubt he’ll give her since he is a bastard. Either way though, Carter learns at the end of the episode that David lied to her and while she may be having a private fit now, I think there will be hell to pay in the future.

Collected Quote(s)

“Your pity is so much a part of you, you don’t even know you have it.”

—           “Half Baked.” Finding Carter

Things To Note

The reason Gabe has never said anything about the affair is because Elizabeth makes his dad happy. Something which Gabe didn’t see within his dad for years after his mom died of cancer when he was 9.

It is implied that David has written books since “Losing Carter,” which I think was mentioned episode 1, but since “Losing Carter” he has had nothing but flops. So with him already embarrassed that he can’t financially provide for his family, the whole “I’m going to kick you out of the house thing since the kids know you cheated on me” thing happens. I guess him kicking her out was supposed to make him look less like a loser. Didn’t work much in the end though.