My So Called Life Recap: Episode 3 - Guns and Gossip

This episode of My So Called Life features an issue that was still pretty hot in the mid-nineties: guns in school. While I appreciate that the writers wanted to tackle a tough subject in a unique way, I wasn't all that interested in the storyline. It's great to see Brian stand up for himself, and to highlight that Ricky is being bullied, but Angela's problems seemed to overshadow it all.

We start out the episode with Angela and friends in class. A note is being passed, and after each person reads it, they stare at Angela. This can not be good. When Angela finally gets the note, we see that it says this:

Which would be totally awesome if it were actually true. But since it isn't, Angela naturally enters into freak out mode. Of course, matters get worse when a varsity letter wearing sleezoid passes her a note in class that I can only assume said something to the effect of "Hey I hear you're a slut. Let's do it.", because Angela runs out of the classroom and ends up in the counselor's office.

After a vent session with the counselor, Angela retreats to her bedroom, shuts the door and wallows in her own sorrow while blasting The Cranberries (OMG I love that song!). She doesn't have long to pout, though, because Patty comes in, fresh from meeting Rayanne's mom at a school meeting. Apparently, Rayanne's mom told Patty that Rayanne told her that Angela has a boyfriend named Jordan. Dear God! Can Angela ever escape the gossip train??

Patty tries to have a VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATION about sex with Angela, which is unnecessary, as Angela explains (with my favorite line of the episode):

"I'm not having sex. I'm not even close. To an embarrassing degree."

Angela decides she will confront Jordan to find out if he spread the rumor. Instead of just going up to him, she waits in his line of sight and pretends to read the first aid poster in the hall. Jordan reveals that he did not start the rumor, but suggests that if people are already saying they did it, they might as well just do it. Smooth Jordan. Real smooth.

As much as Angela wants to, she's appalled by the way he just puts it out there, so she walks away.

The next day, Angela overhears Sharon in the bathroom talking about Angela and Jordan, so she hides in the stall to hear what she has to say. Apparently, Brian Krakow started the rumor!! NOOOOO! I don't believe it.

Turns out I should have believed it, because it's true. Brian did it to get back at her. Ouch.

Angela encounters Jordan again, who clumsily apologizes for asking her to have sex with him earlier. He realizes she's not that kind of girl. Which is all good and sweet until he keeps talking. As the apology is still hanging in the air, he says something so completely devastating, I don't know how Angela just didn't curl up and die when she heard it.

"You know, that I barely even know you, which is, of course, true, and that basically, you and I mean nothing to each other."

RANDOM THOUGHTS

• UGH! I'm beginning to hate Sharon. She gets so little screen time, but she pisses me off every time I see her.
  
• I have a hard time believing that every guy in the school was obsessed with Angela once they heard the rumor. Does this school have some sort of slut shortage?
  
• Brian covering for Ricky struck me as weird. He spread the rumor about Angela, but then covers for one of her "new" friends? Doesn't really make sense.
  
• I loved the principal's bow tie and suspenders.
  
• I'm starting to get why people swoon over Jordan, but this is my favorite of his looks. I think it's the stubble.

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