Originally aired October 23, 2000
Written by David E. Kelley
Directed by Thomas Schlamme
Lauren and Harry are beset with difficulties after they fail a football player before an important game. Scott asks Lauren out on a date. After Marla abandons the Dungeon, Harry employs a drastic tactic to bring the unruly students there in line.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Abusive Parents: Jason mentions to Lauren that his father calls him "dumb."
- Adults Are Useless: Walter Harrelson is the first of numerous examples throughout the entire show. Most notably, he insists on blaming the teachers for his son Jason's academic failures.
- Axes at School: Harry fires off a gun in the Dungeon to scare the students there straight.
- Blackmail: Dana Poole gets Harry to change Jason's grade by threatening to reveal a secret involving the two of them.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Lauren gives Jason this assessment when he asks her to change his grade.
- Bully Hunter: After Anthony winds up hospitalized, Steven tracks down Malcolm White and shoves him up against a locker twice.Steven: If anything else happens to that boy, I'm gonna take it out on you.
[Malcolm scoffs and tries to walk away, but Steven shoves him against the locker.]
Steven: Oh, you wanna take a swing, Malcolm? Is that what you want?! [shoves him again]
Malcolm: Don't be sure I won't!
Steven: Yeah, well, I'm right here for you, man! [shoves Malcolm yet again] Take your shot! TAKE YOUR SHOT! [...] If Anthony Ward gets so much as a hangnail, I will take your head off. - Drench Celebration: Happens to Kevin during the ending montage.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Scott walks into the Dungeon, and the students there immediately cease their partying. This establishes his role as a feared authority figure.
- Harvey complaining that black students aren't thankful for their education, among other things, highlights his old-fashioned bigotry.Harvey: I told you that the desegs would cause problems, Lauren, I told you all. They're not grateful for their education. They keep getting angry because of those long bus trips, and we don't have chapters on Rosa Parks.
- Harry firing off a gun in the Dungeon to restore order perfectly cements his edgy but well-intentioned nature.
- Foreshadowing: Kevin gave the Harrelsons sensitive information, violating Steven's trust. This likely presages his actions involving Milton and Lisa Greer later in the season.
- The Gadfly: Dana jokingly tells an insulted Milton she thinks he's sexy and thinks about him while keeping herself company. Milton isn't amused.Dana: I just want you to know, that horse thing, it's not what the students think of you.
Milton: I appreciate that.
Dana: In fact, most of the girls find you incredibly sexy. Sometimes when I go to bed at night, I think of you and I touch myself.
[Dana and her friends laugh, and Milton storms off] - Insane Troll Logic:
- Walter argues Lauren failed Jason because she didn't like his answers.
- Jason gets in on this too with his explanation as to why he wrote his answers.Jason: I didn't want you to think that I was stupid. I knew I wasn't going to pass the test, so I made it look like I was trying to fail on purpose, like I was defiant or something.
- Mathematician's Answer:Steven: I just left Anthony Ward in the emergency room. Do you have any idea how he got there?
Malcolm: I guess his parents probably drove him, sir. - Never My Fault: Walter refuses to accept any responsibility for his son's failures.Walter: You told my son that giving him the ball is not the answer. Best he learn that now. Best he learn that in eighth grade, or seventh grade, or even sooner, don't you think, Miss Davis? Now maybe I failed some things as his dad, but this school failed him, too. These teachers here kept promoting him, didn't they? This school never got him the message. And now you're trying to send it? Now when college scouts are coming, now when football is about to deliver him an education at the university, now you people want to rise up and deliver him the message that athletics ain't everything? I'm not disagreeing with your message, Miss Davis. I'm here to take issue with your timing.
Lauren: Some may take issue with yours.
Walter: I'm not denying my failures. Today, it's you people who are holding him back. - Scare 'Em Straight: Harry does this to the Dungeon kids by firing a gun in the classroom. Scott even frames Harry's actions this way.Scott: [to clamoring parents] Mister Senate used the gun in a context that disabused firearms, much like prison officials with the Scared Straight program.
- Suddenly Shouting: Steven does it when Kevin interrupts him confronting him about giving information to the Harrelsons' lawyer.Steven: Those meetings are sealed for the express purpose of encouraging candor. When you go behind teachers' backs and reveal—
Kevin: Steven—
Steven: I'm talking now! Those meetings are based on candor. On trust. You broke that trust. - Too Dumb to Live: Malcolm gives Anthony a malevolent glare while he's talking to Steven in the hallway. It proves to be a bad move.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Harry gets a lot of flak for firing off a gun in his classroom.
