June 18, 2025 • 46 mins
Have you ever had a beloved childhood toy suddenly turn "creepy" after watching a horror movie? That's exactly what happened with my treasured Cricket doll after my family watched Child's Play, transforming her from best friend to persona non grata overnight. This nostalgic memory perfectly mirrors the emotional journey in Knots Landing Season 3, Episode 14, aptly titled "Cricket." This powerful episode introduces us to Rusty, a down-on-his-luck cowboy who abandons his stepdaughter Cricket at Valene's doorstep. As Valene takes responsibility for this troubled child who steals, gambles, and causes accidents around the cul-de-sac, we witness the complex ripple effects of abandonment spanning three generations. Cricket's desperate attempts to reunite with her stepfather reveal the profound wound of being left behind, while Valene's determination to help stems from her own painful history of being separated from her daughter Lucy. Meanwhile, Karen welcomes her brother Joe, who provides much-needed stability for her son Eric as he questions his future educational path. Gary's jealousy over Rusty's connection to Valene's past reveals both his insecurities and surprising intuition about character. When Valene tracks down Rusty at the rodeo and confronts him about abandoning Cricket, we discover his fear of failing as a single parent—a moment that forces everyone to confront what responsibility truly means. What makes this episode so remarkable is how it examines abandonment from every angle: the abandoned child, the guilt-ridden parent, and those caught in between trying to break the cycle. It captures those painful moments when adults must make impossible choices while showing how childhood trauma shapes who we become. Listen to this emotional breakdown of a classic Knots Landing episode that reveals how our stories—whether from childhood dolls or primetime soaps—help us process our own complicated relationships. What childhood toy holds special memories for you? Share your stories and subscribe for more nostalgic deep dives into the golden age of primetime television.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome and
welcome back to so Cool, theofficial gathering place for
newbies, novices and OG diehardfans of the golden age of
primetime.
I'm your host, chad, viewingand reviewing one of the
stokediest, studdiest primetimestorylines of 1981.
So, whether you're new to thisor new to this, get back and
enjoy it.
Tell the kids it's time to playoutside or out of sight.
(00:22):
Tell babe no questions,suggestions or concerns for the
next 25 to 35 minutes.
Everyone else in Ayrshire youcan be cool, you can be quiet,
or you can pack your things andget out Because we are watching
our stories.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys andgirls, this is SoFloor.
Hello, gorgeous, Welcome backto another fun edition of
(00:44):
SoFloor.
I hope your day is shaping upbeautifully.
We're back on the west coastbecause life can always do the
absolute most.
And the moment I saw the titleof this episode I got giddy, I
(01:08):
got goosebumps, I was all kindsof pumped.
This episode is called Cricket.
Now I'm sure you're thinkingone of two or three things
Either that hoity-toity gamewhere people play a game that I
don't really know the rules ofand I'm just realizing I don't
know how to play cricket, isthat the one with a little
(01:31):
birdie thing with the net.
Let me not.
Let me not insult anybody,whatever.
No crickles.
Yeah, it's played with like apaddle, right, let me not do
that.
That drives me crazy whenpeople show up to football games
or baseball games and nowwhat's going on?
Now, who's that?
Do your research before you gethere.
So did you think of a cricketas in the game?
(01:51):
Did you think of that?
Musically inclined, I guess youcould say a noisy little bug
with an exoskeleton?
I know from experience that thebig country ones like to hide
and mops outside.
Oh my gosh, I don't even wantto relive that.
No, no, no, I didn't thinkabout either of those things.
I thought about one of my veryfirst ever bffs, my girl cricket
(02:15):
.
So go ahead and pour yourselfup something bubbly and bright
and I'll tell you all about her.
Then we're gonna get to getinto Knott's Landing.
Season three, episode 14,cricket.
Oh my gosh, what can I tell youabout Cricket?
She was so, so cool.
This is my, probably one of myfirst childhood friends.
Cutest little cheeks, prettybrown skin.
(02:36):
She was so good.
You tell all these wonderfulstories.
Natural order.
Funny, as a girl kept meinformed the woman that you are
listening to today was heavilyinfluenced by the wonderfulness
of this beautiful girl, and somemight call her a doll.
I find that language veryreductive and a little bit
(02:56):
insulting.
Cricket was not a doll.
Cricket was a child's companion.
Cricket was an educatedchildhood companion with
auxiliary options andcapabilities.
Me and Cricket would doeverything together.
I couldn't really put her on mytricycle because she was real
top heavy.
She had a whole cassette tapein her chest and, if memory
(03:17):
serves me correctly, to mylittle body it felt like she
weighed all of 40 pounds.
I remember thinking a lot likedang, this girl is heavy, but
she was my girl, so wherever Iwent she went.
Now Gen X.
This is where you can kind ofcome in handy and help you grow
out a bit.
Sadly, I had forgotten what shelooked like a little bit, or had
a picture of her in my mind,and I went to Google it and the
(03:40):
first thing I saw was like thesebaby Angela Channings, with
little tight perms, little tightsmiles, and they had that sort
of I'm watching you smile onyour face.
You know the one.
I don't know why that was thedefault setting on so many dolls
back in the day, where it'skind of like looking out the
side of its eye at you, creepy,I hate it so much.
I can think of Christmas elves,all sorts of things that look
(04:01):
like that.
That's what cricket looked like, but I'm like, no, that's not
what my girl looked like.
She must've come out later.
So I Googled when did the blackcrystal cricket doll come out?
And the one that I saw thatlooks so much like my cricket
looks like it came out in 1986.
So best I can tell they're theymade it sound like this was the
only year she was created, thatparticular style of cricket
(04:25):
where she had the pigtail.
She had loose hair.
I'm assuming I must have gottenher for Christmas either from my
parents or a relative orsomething.
I would have been way too youngto play with her in 86.
So I vaguely remember openingthe box with her in it or seeing
her in the box or having thebox in the house.
So I'm guessing I probably gother early in 1986 at some point
(04:49):
and once I was old enough tolike sit up and play with her
and stuff, I did, cause Iremember this like early
nineties, very late eighties,early nineties, kind of playing
with her.
Anyway, that's neither here northere.
She was amazing, beautiful doll, took her everywhere.
She would sit at the kitchentable with me.
Sometimes she's reading me herlittle books, and the way she
works.
She put the tape deck in herback.
Genex, this is where I needyour help now.
(05:10):
I can remember the my buddy dolldistinctly because he had a
whole commercial my buddy, mybuddy, wherever I go he goes.
And then he had his littlesister, kid sister, kid sister.
Wherever she he goes, she goesvery catchy, cute or whatever.
But they could never.
(05:31):
And then I remember a TeddyRuxpin, donna.
I don't recall if he had a song, but I do remember always being
a little bit afraid of him andI remember his commercial.
So I'm assuming these were allsort of giants at the time.
Maybe they were competingagainst one another, but I
couldn't find.
I don't remember seeing acricket commercial.
Anyway, life was good.
(05:54):
She was reading me books.
I'm listening to her as I do mychores.
You know what I'm saying.
We're kiki and we're having areally good time.
Until one fateful afternoon inthe fall of some year, I don't
recall, my family had atradition of going to the movie
place picking out a littlepopcorn.
(06:14):
We didn't have a Blockbuster inmy town, so it was just like
the local video store.
Don't even remember the name ofit, don't believe I don't even
know if they officially named itanything, but we would go down
there, pick out a couple ofmovies on a Friday night, have a
little pizza, a little Pepsi,have us a good old time.
Now, me and my brother werelittle, so obviously, when this
(06:35):
happened so you know we'repicking cartoons, obviously We'd
watch the family movie, quoteunquote, on the Friday night,
and then he and I would usuallywatch something like Saturday,
for whatever reason, my oldersister got to pick out two films
.
Now, as I say this all out loud, my mom, my dad, my sister
(06:56):
must've been in cahoots.
She picks out a very specificfilm.
If you're a movie buff, ifyou're a horror film fan, you
know exactly what movie I'mabout to tell you.
You know the one.
She picks out Child's Play 1and 2.
Now, movies at the time did notcome out like they did now.
I think Sinners was just in thetheater and now it's already on
streaming.
I feel like it used to takeforever, like months and months
and months, like six months plus, for films to come out.
(07:19):
And since we were watching 1and 2, I really do feel like
these movies had already passed.
I feel like they'd been out fora couple of years when we got
to watch it.
So we're sitting in the livingroom.
I vaguely remember part one,child's Play one, being so scary
that I just lay flat on thecouch and looked at the ceiling
the whole time.
But then the second movie, forwhatever reason it didn't freak
(07:46):
me out.
Once I got a good look atChucky and him walking around
wielding a knife, brandishingdifferent weapons, I immediately
lost all respect for him.
I wasn't afraid anymore becauseI had my girl Cricket.
So back to my buddy.
My buddy had on the exact sameoutfit as Chucky.
I don't know what that wasabout.
(08:06):
He was very, very similar tohim.
So they have this soft sort ofplushy body.
Yes, he had the latex handsthat were supposedly scary, but
so did my girl Cricket.
So after the whole familywatches these movies and if
you're judging, go ahead andjudge, it's fine I'm telling you
kids were precious and judging,go ahead and judge, it's fine.
(08:28):
I'm telling you kids wereprecious and important, but I
don't think we were thatimportant.
I'm not saying we weren'timportant to my family.
But nobody seemed to flinchfrom kids watching stuff like
that, like my kids have never.
I would never like rent thatmovie for them to watch.
But I feel like all of myfriends had seen this film too.
Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Let friends had seen this filmtoo.
Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Let me stay focused.
Suddenly, cricket, who had beenmy BFF, my buddy, for as long as
(08:49):
I can remember, was suddenlypersona non grata.
Suddenly she was creepy.
Suddenly she was a threat tothe safety of our family.
Let my sister tell it.
I couldn't believe it and I sawmy parents trying to be all
civil and diplomatic and whatnot.
But I knew they agreed with herbecause everybody, yeah, she
was kind of creepy, she is kindof, yeah, she's kind of scaring
me, now she's scaring you.
She's lived hereunproblematically for the last
(09:12):
umpteen years but now she's aproblem.
So my allegedly traumatizedsister would sneak under the
cloak of darkness Once I went tobed.
She would remove Cricket frommy bed and go put her in the
living room lest she animate andwake up and chop us all up to
bits and pieces.
There was two things wrong withthis.
(09:34):
First off, I would not standfor these accusations.
This was egregious.
It was absolutely out of therealm of possibility.
Plus, let's say she did animate.
Why would you put her?
It keep her in the room.
You just put her in the livingroom.
She has to walk through thekitchen and pick out the knife
to decide how to chop us up.
But, like I said, she was mygirl, I wasn't worried about
(09:55):
being destroyed.
Also, I had this thought.
I was more afraid of chucky.
So I'm like what if chuckycomes crawling out of the closet
?
My sister sister's?
Like that's ridiculous, is it?
Why are the cabbage patchescool, but not Cricket?
I kept trying to, just, youknow, trying to reason with her.
(10:16):
Because in my mind I wasn'tafraid of Cricket, because on
part two, if memory serves mecorrectly, chucky gets plastic
and stapled and arm stuffed todeath by the end of the movie.
He couldn't even hold his own.
Plus I knew how top heavyCricket was.
If ever she animated and hadbeef with me for some reason, I
knew I could take her.
Plus my little brother was atoothy little bitey toddler at
(10:40):
this point, so I had been bittenand bashed in the back of the
head with that little tykes toy,you know, the little yellow
cylinder with the circles.
Yeah, he'd get bored.
He'd hit me with that.
So I had wrestled a baby atthis point in my life.
I was loading, I was carryingaround a 35 pound doll.
If Chucky wanted the smoke, Icould take him.
I knew this.
(11:00):
Also, if he could becomeanimated and come to life, so
could Cricket.
Cricket had at least threeinches on him.
I felt like me and her couldget him together.
I wasn't worried about it and Itried to express this to my
family.
But I started to see less andless of Cricket because she
would end up in my parents'closet.
Sometimes she'd be sitting inthe living room.
(11:21):
You know what was the mostinsulting part about all this?
Remember when I told you shehad a tape player in her back?
Do you know that sometimes Iwould come home from school and
she would be rapping NWA.
She would be singing BobbyBrown.
She'd be singing New Kids onthe Block.
My family, who was so allegedlyafraid of her, was using her as
(11:45):
a utility.
Do you know she recorded someconversations.
One time I walked in.
She's sitting on the kitchencounter Spilling all the tea to
my mom and my auntie.
I'm like, who did they record?
It was a whole mess, but shewas scary at night.
(12:07):
Oh, it just felt so horrible.
I felt helpless.
I felt very frustrated thatthese people, who should be
celebrating this beautifulorator who was your child's best
friend, instead they wanted topoint the finger at her, she's
persona non grata in a home thatshe should be welcome in.
So as I watched episode 14, Iimmediately understood what
(12:29):
Valene was going through,because her cricket too was
perhaps, maybe just a little bitmisunderstood.
There's severalmisunderstandings on this
episode.
We have a late entry people.
Episode 14, season threeintroduces Karen's little
brother, joe.
Joe seems to be this professorof sorts.
He was in Europe, so he hasn'tbeen back since before Sid died.
(12:51):
My theory with relatives isthat it's never a good thing.
He seems to be okay.
This episode, though I will sayall of Karen's guests have been
very interesting and not toomuch trouble.
Yeah, they've been a littleannoying, or they've had, you
know, they had their own littlequirks, but nothing too serious,
and this one isn't bad at alleither.
(13:12):
So I guess we'll go ahead andget them out of the way first,
not calling them bit players,because I think Uncle Joe is
going to stay around for alittle bit.
So the temperature in the homeis is quite pleasant,
considering all that's going onwith with Sid's death and then
moving on.
But it appears that the middleboy, eric, the one with the
(13:33):
little feather duster mustachelove that kid.
He's feeling like he don't wantto go to college.
He's only 15, he's a sophomore,so it's not dire, you know,
it's not super urgent.
But one of his teacherscornered Diana in the cafeteria
and kind of chastising Dianabecause her brother isn't going
to class.
I find that incrediblyinappropriate on all levels.
(13:55):
On what planet is it herpersonal responsibility to make
sure that he goes to class?
I mean she's doing her duediligence as a big sister she's.
I mean, maybe she's a littlemore authoritative.
He's going to listen to class.
I mean she's doing her duediligence as a big sister she's.
I mean maybe she's a littlemore authoritative.
He's going to listen to her.
So she confronts him about itwhile she's making dinner Like
dude, what's up with you?
Why aren't you showing up toclass?
How are you going to get tocollege if you don't take the
(14:15):
college prep courses?
He's like what if I don't go tocollege?
So what if I just do otherthings?
She is appalled.
I can't even believe you'd havethat thought.
Turns out, karen feels the sameway.
I keep forgetting not that it'simportant, but I keep
forgetting that Karen actuallydropped out of college.
Actually, I don't know if Iforgot or if I just didn't
realize that she had dropped outof college because she's so her
(14:38):
.
But Eric is having secondthoughts about that education
and, plus, his dad never went tocollege.
He owned a whole business.
That business is stillsustaining his family after his
death.
So Uncle Joe shows up and Iimmediately like the guy.
He's like oh my gosh, the kidsare all over him.
He's apologizing to Karen oncethey have some one on one time,
(15:01):
like, hey, I'm really reallysorry I didn't make it back for
Sid's funeral.
She's like no, I didn't really.
It almost seems like she didn't.
Maybe she told him, but shedidn't tell him in enough time.
Like she waited till she knewhe wasn't gonna be able to make
it.
And for what reason, I don'tknow yet, but I'm sure Noss
Landing will let us know at somepoint.
But throughout the episode hecasually mentions that he has a
(15:25):
possibility of teaching at USC.
He could be a professor there.
He's going to go check it outand just kind of get a feel for
it.
So by the end of the episode itis my impression that he really
just wanted to kind of check upon her and having him there is
a huge blessing for her and herkids.
Because there's something aboutyour baby brother.
I have a little brother who Iabsolutely adore as an adult.
(15:49):
That relationship is still kindof the same.
Like this kid has grown up withyou.
He's watched Karen throughouther whole life.
He knows her like the back ofhis hand.
So if you know he can see she'sstruggling with one of the kids
, he steps in.
Karen has a mild argument, asmuch, you know.
Eric doesn't really talk backto her.
But Eric's pleading his caseMom, I don't really want to go
(16:10):
to college.
You're going to college.
She ain't trying to hear.
So her brother pretends like heneeds socks from the mall and
he takes Eric with him.
What he's really doing is justkind of pouring into the kid,
talking them, saying listen,you're 15, you just decided last
week you didn't want to go toschool.
You're going to change yourmind a dozen times.
If you're going to change yourmind, that's fine, but be
(16:31):
prepared, just take the courseat the end of the day, it's
better to have it and not needit than to need it and not have
it.
And Eric's like you know what,bro?
You're right, I'll go ahead andfinish these courses.
I'll do that.
Uncle Joe does decide to stay.
Uncle Joe's kind of cute too.
He also reminds me of the guyfrom I'm so Embarrassed I almost
(16:54):
said Shark Tale Jaws.
He looks like the main guy fromJaws a little bit to me.
So I don't know how long he'sgoing to be on the show, but I
do like his sort of laid backnature.
He also reminds me of is itDavid Aykroyd, the guy who was
originally playing Gary?
There is a kind of a calmnessto him, a very laid back, chill
(17:17):
vibe, but he's still funny.
I don't know, though.
Relatives on a soap opera neverreally turn out well.
Hell, look at Abby.
Abby had me completely duped.
I thought about this before.
I bet if I had never seen herin that Christmas movie I
wouldn't have had such a,because she was so sweet.
I would have never had thatsame impression.
(17:40):
I don't think.
I don't know Either way.
Joe's in town.
Uncle Joe's a cool guy.
Uncle Joe gives good advice.
He doesn't seem to be acokehead or anything like that
as of now.
So we're going to have to waitand see what Uncle Joe has to
say later on.
Let's get to Valene in there.
I also suppose as the showcontinues to go forward, we'll
(18:03):
get more and more of everyoneelse's backstory.
It's not always important, butI do think, specifically in the
case of a Valene and a Gary,there's probably a whole lot of
life they lived in between those15, 16 years they were apart
and for the first time weactually get a peek of Valene's
(18:23):
life.
I say even as I say that it'slike no, we actually know she's
still so much of a mystery.
All we know is that she marriedyoung, had a baby, was run off
from the baby, probably justworked for a really long time
until she had worked up thecourage to go back to find the
baby.
And then you know Gary, blah,blah, blah, blah blah Seems like
she had herself a little bit ofa past.
(18:44):
Now I'm going to make severalassumptions on this podcast.
Today's not any different.
I'm assuming she may have had aromantic relationship with this
guy or, if nothing else, theywere very, very good friends.
So the show sort of opens upwith this guy in a pickup truck,
cowboy type.
(19:05):
He looks a little dirty.
He's got a girl in the car withhim.
She looks to be about 10, 11years old.
They're in Los Angeles and Iknow this because I can see the
road sign for the 405.
Side note I wish god.
I wish so badly that there werejust countless hours of film of
(19:25):
people just driving around inlike the 60s and 70s.
You can tell this seems to be afather and daughter seem a
little down on their luck.
So they're in the pickup andthe little girl's looking around
as they pull into this hotelmotel A motel, not a hotel.
She's like oh, this isextremely skeevy, but I guess
(19:46):
it'll do.
Rusty, as he is known, hesecures a motel room and the
little girl is just not reallyfeeling it.
So he brings her a soda, hebrings her comic books.
She knows that he's about toleave.
So you immediately get thisimpression that this is kind of
a normal routine.
There's clearly no mother inthe picture, so you don't know
(20:09):
if he's going to work or whathe's doing, but you know that
he's going to.
I mean, she's used to himleaving.
She's not really feeling thehotel room or the motel room.
She's jumping on the bed and hetells okay, well, I gotta step
out for a little bit.
She's like how long you gonnabe gone this time?
Oh, I don't know, somebody saidsomething to where she goes.
At least I have a brain.
Well, he turns on his heels andthey do this sort of I can't do
(20:34):
the whistle, like they have alittle duel.
It's fun, it's cute.
So immediately, you see, thisis a good relationship, they're
friendly.
He's trying to keep her, herspirits high.
Now, what she doesn't know isthat he's already made a phone
call over to valine's house.
He goes to the phone book,looks her up, uh calls lily may
(20:55):
answers a phone and valine is.
I guess she's doing homework orshe's paying bills or something
.
She's on a typewriter.
You want to talk about beingstressed?
The hell out.
If I had to type on atypewriter I would feel like God
.
That scene in Indiana Jones orthe bridge snaps.
It just freaks me out a littlebit to think I'm so glad I
(21:15):
missed that boat, even though Ilike typewriters.
Anyway, valene is busy doingwhatever she's doing at the
table paying bills.
Right, probably doing her herpaper.
Now that I think about it, Isuppose she is still in college.
She must be writing her finalsor something or doing a book
report.
Either way, lily may is kind offloating around getting on her
nerves.
Okay, mama, uh-huh, mama,that's cool, mama.
(21:36):
Well, he calls over to the houseand he's like is this, uh, mrs
Ewing?
No, this is Lily Mae Clemens.
I'm Mrs Ewing's mother.
Is that Valene Ewing of Dallas?
Yes, this is the house.
And he just hangs up.
She's like well, damn, that wasrude.
I can't believe he got on thephone.
I hate when people play on thephone.
Why don't you go through allthat trouble of calling, asking
and then and then hanging up inmy face and finally he's like
(21:58):
that's good, mama, basicallygone and get somewhere.
Oh, my God, I know who he lookslike.
He looks a little bit like thekid from Seventh Heaven.
You know, the oldest brother, Ithink.
And then I think the guy's namewas Jensen Eccles.
Oh gosh, what's that show?
What's the one with JeffreyDean Morgan, and it's the two
(22:20):
brothers and they go aroundfighting spirits and stuff.
Kind of looks like if you canbind them.
That's what he looks like.
He looks like the two of themin a little bit.
Yeah, forget what I said aboutthat seventh heaven kid,
whatever the name of that showis.
It is not because parrotsupernatural.
He looks like the kids fromsupernatural, like if they were
squished together.
He looks like them.
So the girl, so the girl reallyjust wants to know okay, what
(22:42):
are we doing here?
Seriously, what are we doinghere?
He's like I have friends here,I need to see some people Go
ahead and enjoy your soda, watchthe TV.
But you can tell she don'tquite believe it.
She even asked him if he'scoming back.
She doesn't quite believe whathe's saying back.
(23:02):
She doesn't quite believe whathe's saying.
So it leads you to believe like, does this happen a lot?
Why would she be so suspicious?
She looks absolutelybrokenhearted as he leaves, but
he seems to be in good spirits,like their.
Their energy is different andyou would never know what's
coming next.
It is at this point in the showI'm realizing she is calling
him by his full government name.
Now, is that unusual?
No, I guess I've seen the moviecurly sue.
(23:24):
I still don't have clarity onthat.
Who the hell was he to her?
Probably a lot like thissituation dusty heads straight
over to valine's house.
And I'm so excited by this wholescene because because as he
drives up he takes his time.
So you really get to see eachone of these houses and I'm like
I can't freaking believe thisis a real neighborhood.
(23:46):
It's so exciting and I really,really, really really want to
see that beat up old rv.
I know they've probably gone togreat lengths to keep it out of
the the frame, but yeah, we getit.
So he drives in and he makeslike a jay to get to valine's
house.
Oh god, I want to see it so badlike I'm.
(24:08):
I'm watching it like a hawk now.
I'm trying my best to see itanyway.
She's surprised to see him, notunpleasantly, but she also isn't
like all butterfly.
So I don't know if they had arelationship or not, like a, a
romantic one.
At least they seem to have beenvery close.
Okay, no, I definitely lied.
I had to go back and rewatch.
She was happy to see him.
(24:28):
He was extra cute at the door.
He's all playful and not hidinghis face with the the cowboy
hat.
Hey valley, oh myy, what youdoing here?
Oh my God, come here.
Rusty seems to be scoping outthe place like man.
This is nice Valley.
This show is nice.
They end up having a chatter,chatter, chitchat, before
(24:51):
everyone else shows up and she'sjust sort of catching him up on
things.
Hey, I know it's been 12 years.
He's like, oh my God, girl, youlook so young, so beautiful,
even more beautiful.
How are you even youngerlooking?
Oh, stop, stop, we're doingfine.
You know, I'm a totallydifferent person than I was 12
years ago.
Gary and I are back together.
My marriage got back together.
(25:12):
But she says she's like Garyand I, and then she just kind of
pauses and she's like thingsare going real good for Gary.
I guess they they might stillbe.
There might still be a littlebit of tension.
I've kind of not forgotten aboutit, but it didn't seem, I don't
know.
They seemed fine last episode.
So I'm so curious.
(25:33):
It's my only thing.
I wish I went a little bit moredetailed, so curious as to who
she was, where she was, who elseshe ran into.
In my heart of hearts I'mhoping this is an X-Wing.
They seem to be getting alongjust fine.
Of course, I've seen this allthe way through the end.
Nothing unsavory happensbetween the two of them like
(25:54):
that.
But gosh, don't.
We need a Valaine backstory.
We do need a valine backstory.
It would appear she has a type,though he's going on about like,
well, man, we used to havethese good old times like yeah,
we did when you weren't drunkand drinking or hanging out with
those rodeo clowns of yours.
I'm like, damn, she's got atype.
(26:16):
Bad boy, let me fix you, let medo there anybody who's in love
with a bottle.
She's in love with him.
She's got an emotional type.
It's a little bit dangerous.
The most ironic part of thisnext scene is that the man's
name is Rusty and I feel likewardrobe.
Put everyone else in the scenein a rust colored top.
Valene is wearing a rustcolored off the shoulder dress.
(26:39):
Looks like it could be.
What do you call it?
Calling it cabana wear nowresort wear.
Lily Mae has on like a brickcolored sweater.
Gary's is very, very similar.
But, gary, you want to actuallytalk about acting a fool.
It's the thing.
It's him.
It is Shackleford for me.
Gary want to know who is thisRusty?
(27:01):
Why is he coming over here?
How do you know him, rusty?
God, he sounds like one ofthose ballplayers, like that's
an insult.
God, he sounds athletic andstuff.
Can't believe you.
Like jocks, mister, I paint mytop and bottom on lily mays.
I know I think he was with therodeo.
Tell me why, gary cackles rodeo.
(27:23):
You like the rodeo, sir, sir,sire, did you or did you not
grow up a dicker yourself?
I guess he's not the real one,did you?
Or did you not grow up on aranch?
Where do cowboy come on now?
Is that really that far?
I can't believe, can't believeyou.
What is he bringing here?
What are you doing?
Why did you invite him over fordinner?
(27:44):
Lily Mae's like why don't youcalm down, gary?
Listen, she didn't know thiskid was coming.
She's just doing the properSouthern thing, inviting him to
eat a meal.
That's all.
Suddenly, gary's like well, howserious were you with him?
Who is he?
Who's that?
I love him, jealous, but he'sso animated, he's so goofy with.
(28:04):
He got his tongue hanging outhis head.
We got his neck stretched outlike a giraffe.
Ted Shackelford is acting as ifhe's on stage.
I not that I'm a director oranything, I'm not Scorsese, I'm
not an acting coach, but I willsay you can sort of tone it down
, but I guess that is just goingto be Gary.
Let me just accept that, asGary he is, he's hella intense
(28:28):
or he's absolutely ice cold,like he's just real chill or
he's turned all the way up, andin this scene he is definitely
turned all the way up.
Lily Mae is enjoying this,though.
She's like girl, you need tomake your husband jealous from
time to time.
Keep him on his toes.
This is also the point where welearned that Rusty's wife has
(28:49):
passed away recently.
He's just lost his job.
He's trying to find work.
He's heading up north.
Her point is like Gary, he justwanted to stop by and say hi,
like well he did.
Why is he still hanging aroundyou?
It would be hot if it was hot.
It's just not.
It's really obnoxious.
She also casually drops that hehas a stepdaughter, for whatever
reason.
Gary's like why are you tryingto meet her, sir?
(29:10):
She loves kids, obviously.
That's why, listen, nobodytalks more ish about gary ewing
than me.
But I will say this I can admitwhen I'm wrong.
The man's instincts are on par.
Maybe you know I won't go thatfar.
You can have a bad feelingabout somebody and it doesn't
really matter why.
He's just.
(29:31):
I just don't like him.
In this case he probably didn'tlike him because he was a
cowboy who's you know,potentially has banged his wife.
So suppose dinner happens andeverybody's sitting around
afterward drinking coffee.
Cricket looks like she'd ratherbe anywhere else but there.
But russie just keeps biggingher up.
Oh, she's quite a littlehomemaker.
(29:51):
She stepped right in after mywife died.
She's so amazing.
She loves music.
Lily may is like oh music, Ilove music.
Us musicians gotta sticktogether, girl.
Russie says why don't I go outand get your guitar?
You and Lily Mae play us an Aand B selection.
Cricket ain't trying to hear it.
Lily Mae's beside herself.
Eileen seems excited.
Gary's just like I'm only hereso I don't get fined.
(30:14):
Rusty gets up to leave.
Cricket jumps up Again.
She's not real comfortable withthis situation.
He tells her to relax, he'll beright back.
Do you know?
This man squats down as he saysthat he looks her right in the
eye.
I'll be right back.
He of course goes to the truckand all we hear is the tires
peeling out.
So everybody comes running outof the house.
Cricket's the first one to seenothing but the back end of that
(30:44):
Chevrolet and she throws herfist in the sky and she curses
him damn you, rusty, damn you,he totally has it coming.
Valene comes out and she's justlike holy crap, that did not
just happen.
Gary's like dang, everybodyfeeling a little bit of a way.
But I suppose Lily Mae takesCricket upstairs.
Gary's sitting on the couch,like what I tell you, he's like
man, calm down, he just maybe hejust went to go get a pack of
(31:04):
cigarettes, maybe he'll be backand he's like he ain't coming
back.
We can't say what about Cricket?
Cricket's probably got Lily Maelocked in the bathroom upstairs
and that fool probably went togo rob a bank.
Gary's like you know, let'sjust call the cops, get them out
here.
And Valley's like no, no, no,we don't know.
We don't know he's not comingback.
It's only been a few minuteslike relax.
(31:26):
Valine's afraid that if theycall the cops then the little
girl could end up in juvie and Idon't know how.
I don't know how that works.
I don't think CPS would justthrow a kid in juvie without a
crime or misdemeanor, at thevery least.
But that seems to be valine'strain of thought.
Gary's like man, let me just,let me just see what I can do.
I can't even believe you hookedup with a guy like gary wants a
(31:47):
drop top like she gotta go.
She'll be fine, let them takecare.
Can you imagine how absolutelydevastating.
That would be to have a gutfeeling that something was about
to happen.
And it happens exactly the way.
You thought she couldn't relaxbecause she knew she could sense
that he was about to get rid ofher.
(32:08):
She takes it as well as a kid.
Her age is gonna take it now.
First, things seem okay.
Val talks Gary down just callthe police to see what we can do
.
But let's wait for rusty tocome back.
Val weighs no time.
She takes her shopping.
She gets her all sorts of youknow nice, fresh things to wear,
but cricket ain't trying tohear that.
(32:30):
Cricket is pissed.
Cricket wants the smoke and shewants it with rusty.
So she snaps at valine talkingabout I need to get out this
house, I'm not staying with you.
I'm gonna go look for rust.
You want to find them?
It's on site.
Valine makes her sit down andsays listen, look, girl, you can
have a funky little attitudeall you want.
You can huff and puff and doabsolutely nothing with your 11
(32:51):
year old behind, or you canmanage to put on a little bit of
a smile, grin and bear it ifyou have to.
You could stay here threesquare meals a day.
Keep your clothes, you decideyou want to be in juvie or you
want to stay in my house.
So she didn't really get torespond.
Cricket, that is because LilyMae walks in and she's got
Olivia.
(33:11):
Olivia is super friendly and itseems like she and Cricket hit
it off pretty quickly.
But Cricket had other plans.
Baby Cricket organized a pokernight up in the attic.
She's whooping all the kidsleft and right and she
challenges karen's youngest boyto a one-card draw.
Winner takes ten dollars.
Luckily she wins because shedidn't really have no money like
(33:33):
that.
But then she and live, she andolivia go to abby's house.
They're trying on all of Abby'sclothes and Olivia's like
listen, my mom don't really playabout her clothes, she loves
clothes.
We cannot let anything happento this.
Cricket ain't trying to hearthat.
She's like oh, that's cute orwhatever.
She's putting on Abby's perfume, spills it.
Olivia leaves the room andCricket treats Abby's jewelry
(33:54):
box like a candy dish.
She's like I'll take that oneand that one and that one and
that one puts it in her utilitypocket.
Moves the hell on.
People are starting to noticeThings are not going exactly as
planned and one morning atbreakfast Lily Mae comes
bursting into the kitchen.
Oh no, hell, no.
Where's that little hooligan?
Eileen said calm down, what'swrong, mama, what's wrong?
(34:17):
She stole my idol heart.
You know, lily may don't playabout her music and gary's
looking like see, see, this isexactly what I'm talking about.
She's gotta go.
He was already telling vallisten, this little girl is
troubled.
We gotta get her somewherebecause if she keeps staying
here she's just gonna keeprunning amok.
Amok is at its peak right now.
(34:37):
Val is disgusted.
I can't believe you.
Two big, grown, dusty mofoshave a problem with this baby
now pointing fingers at thisbaby.
Just let her be.
She's disgusted.
Now Lily Mae is offendedbecause in her mind Val keeps
bringing up this little girlbeing abandoned and she's like I
know she's really talking aboutme.
(34:57):
So Lily Mae lets it ride forabout 15 minutes and then she
goes over to abby's house tobabysit brian and olivia, and
cricket comes with her.
She's going on and on about howspecial that auto hop was and
how great great grandmother gaveit to her the day she died and
it's so important she's notgonna lose enough.
(35:18):
Cricket starts to feel a littlebit bad, so she goes over to val
and gary's house to startpacking up her tings.
She's taken so long.
Everybody thought she just wentto the bathroom or something.
And olivia ends up going overlike girl, what are you doing?
Cricket's like I gotta get upout of here.
Girl, I got ten dollars to myname.
I'm gonna get on the bus.
I'm gonna go find rusty.
(35:38):
I just cannot do it any longer.
Olivia's like oh, despite itbeing 1980s, you have the
equivalent of about 40 bucks inyour pocket.
You ain't going nowhere withthat.
Let me go home.
Let me get you some cab fare Ifyou insist, but I don't think
you should leave.
Cricket ain't trying to hear.
So she's got her duffel bag inone hand, 's got her jacket in
(35:58):
the other.
She starts walking away.
Olivia gives chase.
Cricket stops abruptly at thelanding on the stairs and Olivia
tries to, I guess, get in frontof her, trips all over herself,
falls down the step, breaks herarm again.
She was just in a cast not toolong ago.
Well, right about the time sheslams into the wall.
(36:19):
Valine opens the front door andshe sees her.
Oh, my god, you know that'svaline's baby.
She loves her son.
Olivia runs up to her, sheturns and looks up and all you
see is cricket standing likemike myers with her luggage in
hand and a oh crap, look on herface.
At the hospital Abby is playingwith absolutely nobody.
(36:43):
Valene, you got to get rid ofthat girl.
You are putting the wholeneighborhood in danger.
So Cricket has been doing thesebad things.
She tried to steal Karen umLaura's purse, but she didn't
really.
So Valene's whole thing is thismaybe she is doing these
horrible things?
I know she didn't push oliviadown the step, which is what
abby believes.
Abby insists that olivia waspushed down the steps, but even
(37:06):
olivia's like no, mama, that'snot what happened.
I'm just kind of clumsy.
I tripped over.
I mean there's a lot going on.
I tripped and fell, hurt my arm.
But abby's point, it reallyhits home because valine is like
am I endangering the wholeneighborhood by keeping cricket
around?
I guess I'll have to get rid ofher for the greater good.
So she takes her to anorphanage or something child
(37:27):
protective services and she'sgonna drop her off.
So she explains to the nextlady hey look, her dad dropped
her off.
I don't know where he's at.
My husband's been looking highand low for him and gary has so.
So Gary's been on the phoneevery free moment that he has
trying to figure out where Rustycould be, he deduces that this
dude is a lifelong cowboy.
(37:48):
He likes a rodeo.
That's exactly where he's goingto be, probably trying to find
some work on a rodeo.
This is where Gary's ranchhandedness comes in hand quite a
bit.
He's going to know all the darklittle seedy places that a
traveling cowboy would frequentcirca 1982.
He even has a rodeo magazineand we know this because he's at
(38:09):
the office.
He's at knox landing motors onthe phone trying to figure out
where rusty is in walks abby.
And abby sees this magazine.
She's like you really trying tojoin the rodeo at this age?
He's like no.
He tells her about Rusty.
She's like, okay, dang, whythis magazine?
He says, well, it tells youwhere all the rodeos are, where
they're going to be, blah, blah,blah.
(38:29):
But she starts flipping throughit.
She's like, oh, cowboys arekind of hot.
Say, gary, are you done withthis here magazine?
He says, and she, I guess shesaves it for later.
The wink, wink, she walks outwith it back to baby girl
(38:50):
cricket.
It breaks Valene's heart tohave to do this.
But you know, little kids aregetting hurt, things are coming
up missing.
It's getting harder and harderto defend this girl.
So she promises Cricket, listen, I'll come visit you in about a
week.
I'll keep checking on you, Ijust want to make sure you're
okay.
And then she walks out the door.
You know this is a big moment.
That's hard for her to do.
(39:11):
She does not want to abandonthis child.
There was a conversationbetween she, gary and Lily.
May was about like we're theadults in her life, don't you
realize?
She has absolutely no one elseto depend on.
The one person she wasdepending on is gone.
She didn't have a motheranymore.
This pisses Lily May off.
She's like her mom didn'tabandon her.
(39:33):
Her mom died.
Valene says you know what?
It doesn't really matter to akid, she's gone either way.
It doesn't matter if she lefton her own accord or not.
She still does not have aparent.
Val refuses to not help thebaby, but so you can imagine how
painful it is to walk out onher.
Cricket leaps up from the couch.
(39:54):
She starts chasing Valene downthe hallway.
She's like I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, please don'tleave me here.
I only did those things so thatyou would find rusty.
She just wants her stepdad back.
Gary and lily may are in theliving room quietly talking ish
about cricket when lily may sayswell, you know, valine blames
this whole thing on me.
Valid, unbeknownst to them.
(40:15):
Valine is on her way back tothe house with the baby.
Lily may time my, you know,valene blames me for this whole
thing.
I can see it in her eyes.
Every time she says abandon,she acts like I abandoned her.
I left Valene with her fatherwho loves her.
That's hardly abandonment.
But Gary's like can we pleasejust not talk about this?
And you get to see these twopeople who have in some way
(40:35):
abandoned someone they love.
In this case it is going to beValene.
It's also Lucy for Gary.
But I wonder if it's just tooraw of a nerve where Lily Mae is
trying to deflect Like I neverabandoned you.
I left to chase my dream, Ileft you with your parent.
That's not the same thing, butit is Gary's not really saying
anything.
So I can only imagine what'sgoing through his head, Like
(40:57):
yeah, I have a whole daughterwho I don't really have much of
a relationship with because Ichose to leave on my own accord.
So you get two people who haveinflicted the pain and they're
dealing with it in suchdifferent ways.
So eventually Gary's hard workpays off.
He's found Rusty.
Valene makes her way to therodeo campgrounds where she
(41:21):
finds Rusty shoveling horsedookie or something.
Rusty, I can't even believe youwould leave that little girl
there.
And Rusty at first I was like Idon't like her, she don't like
me.
I was like, brother, don't lieto me.
We didn't used to lie to eachother, so that's why I'm like
they probably dated.
We never lied to each other.
So this is why I'm like theyprobably dated.
(41:42):
We never lied to each other.
Why are you lying now?
He says you know she's 10,going on 40.
I hate when adults say stufflike that.
I know a lot of it is tongue incheek, but it implies that I
don't know.
I feel like it makes it easierto justify children being in
adult situations and I don'teven mean like dangerous ones.
(42:03):
But oh, she's so mature for herage.
Yeah, but she's still 10.
I don't care how mature a 10year old is.
You got to remember they'reonly 10 years old.
She still needs the guidanceand that's his whole thing is.
She can take care of herself.
She doesn't really need me.
Val keeps pressing like I knowyou lying because I know you.
You don't lie to me, I don'tlie to you what's going on.
And he finally breaks down.
He's like I.
Just when I look at her, I seemy wife.
(42:25):
I see the same spirit, I seethe same joy.
She's got the same stubbornstreak and look at me, I'm a bum
, I don't have a job, I can't doanything for her.
It's like he.
He feels he's already failedher.
Without the mom there to be thebuffer, without the mom there
to kind of steer them in the waythey need to go.
He doesn't know what to do.
And so he's like Val, Iremember that you loved kids.
(42:47):
I looked you up and I knew Icould leave her with you because
you're going to take good careof her.
I was like are you right?
You sure right now I would takeher in a heartbeat, just like
that.
But she wants to be with you.
So Val goes back home and LilyMae and Cricket are arguing.
Because Cricket wants askateboard.
(43:07):
Lily Mae says she has homework.
I am immediately disappointedby this news because I'm like
what kind of kid?
You gotta milk this.
I was abandoned thing for allthis work.
How do you end up with homework?
First off, shout out to valinefor wasting no time enrolling
her in school like it wasnobody's business.
But girl, how you still havehomework.
(43:28):
I was like, oh my, you know Ican't really pick this pencil
because my stepfather left me.
Mom did, come on, girl, butcricket, cricket isn't worried
because she ain't going in thathouse to do any homework.
Good luck, willie makes withher out in the yard arguing when
val comes up and she's like hey, I've been somewhere.
(43:48):
I didn't want to say anythingbecause I didn't really know how
it was going to turn out.
But right as she's about totell her, we hear a beep, beep,
beep.
Rusty comes pulling up with abig old dookie Cheshire grin on
his face like nothing happened.
Hey there, put him up, put himup.
Cricket is a woman of her word.
(44:10):
It's on sight.
Soon as she sees him, she takesoff running, starts pummeling
him in his chest, beat them allin his chest, and he just brings
her in for a really warmembrace.
Beautiful, but that's gonna bedamaging nonetheless.
He's not gonna be able to leaveher without her second guessing
from now on.
(44:30):
God, I can't even imagine howpainful that is.
And there you have it.
Folks, seems like all is wellthat ends.
Well, uncle joe decides tostick around.
I think I'm going to reallyenjoy that dynamic.
I don't know how long he's here, for I was looking at it again
and it seems like he's able tostay for the full semester.
(44:51):
He decides he wants to.
He really just wants to kind ofhelp Karen take care of her
kids and I think it's going tobe good to have a father figure
in the house, a guy that theyalready know and trust.
He's related to them, he'sgoing to love them and care for
them.
But I love the contrast betweenthe sort of complicated nature
of different levels ofabandonment.
(45:12):
Yes, you can abandon someoneand still be in the same home.
You can abandon peopleemotionally, mentally, but I
love how strong my girl Val isbecoming.
That had to be hard to say.
No, listen, I got, I have to dowhat's best.
You hurt my baby Olivia,unfortunately.
I know you're hurting, but Ican't.
I just can't do this anymore.
(45:33):
That's super tough.
All right, guys, that's it,that's all.
Join me next time as we jumpback into some vintage primetime
soap opera debauchery in themeantime, in between time.
Justice for cricket.
I appreciate this episode forbringing back a wonderful
childhood memory.
Yeah, justice for cricket.
(45:55):
Stay hydrated, stay moisturized, mind your own business and
keep all of your trauma on TV.
Thank you, bye.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome and
welcome back to so Cool, theofficial gathering place for
newbies, novices and OG diehardfans of the golden age of
primetime.
I'm your host, chad, viewingand reviewing one of the
stokediest, studdiest primetimestorylines of 1981.
So, whether you're new to thisor new to this, get back and
enjoy it.
Tell the kids it's time to playoutside or out of sight.
(00:22):
Tell babe no questions,suggestions or concerns for the
next 25 to 35 minutes.
Everyone else in Ayrshire youcan be cool, you can be quiet,
or you can pack your things andget out Because we are watching
our stories.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys andgirls, this is SoFloor.
Hello, gorgeous, Welcome backto another fun edition of
(00:44):
SoFloor.
I hope your day is shaping upbeautifully.
We're back on the west coastbecause life can always do the
absolute most.
And the moment I saw the titleof this episode I got giddy, I
(01:08):
got goosebumps, I was all kindsof pumped.
This episode is called Cricket.
Now I'm sure you're thinkingone of two or three things
Either that hoity-toity gamewhere people play a game that I
don't really know the rules ofand I'm just realizing I don't
know how to play cricket, isthat the one with a little
(01:31):
birdie thing with the net.
Let me not.
Let me not insult anybody,whatever.
No crickles.
Yeah, it's played with like apaddle, right, let me not do
that.
That drives me crazy whenpeople show up to football games
or baseball games and nowwhat's going on?
Now, who's that?
Do your research before you gethere.
So did you think of a cricketas in the game?
(01:51):
Did you think of that?
Musically inclined, I guess youcould say a noisy little bug
with an exoskeleton?
I know from experience that thebig country ones like to hide
and mops outside.
Oh my gosh, I don't even wantto relive that.
No, no, no, I didn't thinkabout either of those things.
I thought about one of my veryfirst ever bffs, my girl cricket
(02:15):
.
So go ahead and pour yourselfup something bubbly and bright
and I'll tell you all about her.
Then we're gonna get to getinto Knott's Landing.
Season three, episode 14,cricket.
Oh my gosh, what can I tell youabout Cricket?
She was so, so cool.
This is my, probably one of myfirst childhood friends.
Cutest little cheeks, prettybrown skin.
(02:36):
She was so good.
You tell all these wonderfulstories.
Natural order.
Funny, as a girl kept meinformed the woman that you are
listening to today was heavilyinfluenced by the wonderfulness
of this beautiful girl, and somemight call her a doll.
I find that language veryreductive and a little bit
(02:56):
insulting.
Cricket was not a doll.
Cricket was a child's companion.
Cricket was an educatedchildhood companion with
auxiliary options andcapabilities.
Me and Cricket would doeverything together.
I couldn't really put her on mytricycle because she was real
top heavy.
She had a whole cassette tapein her chest and, if memory
(03:17):
serves me correctly, to mylittle body it felt like she
weighed all of 40 pounds.
I remember thinking a lot likedang, this girl is heavy, but
she was my girl, so wherever Iwent she went.
Now Gen X.
This is where you can kind ofcome in handy and help you grow
out a bit.
Sadly, I had forgotten what shelooked like a little bit, or had
a picture of her in my mind,and I went to Google it and the
(03:40):
first thing I saw was like thesebaby Angela Channings, with
little tight perms, little tightsmiles, and they had that sort
of I'm watching you smile onyour face.
You know the one.
I don't know why that was thedefault setting on so many dolls
back in the day, where it'skind of like looking out the
side of its eye at you, creepy,I hate it so much.
I can think of Christmas elves,all sorts of things that look
(04:01):
like that.
That's what cricket looked like, but I'm like, no, that's not
what my girl looked like.
She must've come out later.
So I Googled when did the blackcrystal cricket doll come out?
And the one that I saw thatlooks so much like my cricket
looks like it came out in 1986.
So best I can tell they're theymade it sound like this was the
only year she was created, thatparticular style of cricket
(04:25):
where she had the pigtail.
She had loose hair.
I'm assuming I must have gottenher for Christmas either from my
parents or a relative orsomething.
I would have been way too youngto play with her in 86.
So I vaguely remember openingthe box with her in it or seeing
her in the box or having thebox in the house.
So I'm guessing I probably gother early in 1986 at some point
(04:49):
and once I was old enough tolike sit up and play with her
and stuff, I did, cause Iremember this like early
nineties, very late eighties,early nineties, kind of playing
with her.
Anyway, that's neither here northere.
She was amazing, beautiful doll, took her everywhere.
She would sit at the kitchentable with me.
Sometimes she's reading me herlittle books, and the way she
works.
She put the tape deck in herback.
Genex, this is where I needyour help now.
(05:10):
I can remember the my buddy dolldistinctly because he had a
whole commercial my buddy, mybuddy, wherever I go he goes.
And then he had his littlesister, kid sister, kid sister.
Wherever she he goes, she goesvery catchy, cute or whatever.
But they could never.
(05:31):
And then I remember a TeddyRuxpin, donna.
I don't recall if he had a song, but I do remember always being
a little bit afraid of him andI remember his commercial.
So I'm assuming these were allsort of giants at the time.
Maybe they were competingagainst one another, but I
couldn't find.
I don't remember seeing acricket commercial.
Anyway, life was good.
(05:54):
She was reading me books.
I'm listening to her as I do mychores.
You know what I'm saying.
We're kiki and we're having areally good time.
Until one fateful afternoon inthe fall of some year, I don't
recall, my family had atradition of going to the movie
place picking out a littlepopcorn.
(06:14):
We didn't have a Blockbuster inmy town, so it was just like
the local video store.
Don't even remember the name ofit, don't believe I don't even
know if they officially named itanything, but we would go down
there, pick out a couple ofmovies on a Friday night, have a
little pizza, a little Pepsi,have us a good old time.
Now, me and my brother werelittle, so obviously, when this
(06:35):
happened so you know we'repicking cartoons, obviously We'd
watch the family movie, quoteunquote, on the Friday night,
and then he and I would usuallywatch something like Saturday,
for whatever reason, my oldersister got to pick out two films
.
Now, as I say this all out loud, my mom, my dad, my sister
(06:56):
must've been in cahoots.
She picks out a very specificfilm.
If you're a movie buff, ifyou're a horror film fan, you
know exactly what movie I'mabout to tell you.
You know the one.
She picks out Child's Play 1and 2.
Now, movies at the time did notcome out like they did now.
I think Sinners was just in thetheater and now it's already on
streaming.
I feel like it used to takeforever, like months and months
and months, like six months plus, for films to come out.
(07:19):
And since we were watching 1and 2, I really do feel like
these movies had already passed.
I feel like they'd been out fora couple of years when we got
to watch it.
So we're sitting in the livingroom.
I vaguely remember part one,child's Play one, being so scary
that I just lay flat on thecouch and looked at the ceiling
the whole time.
But then the second movie, forwhatever reason it didn't freak
(07:46):
me out.
Once I got a good look atChucky and him walking around
wielding a knife, brandishingdifferent weapons, I immediately
lost all respect for him.
I wasn't afraid anymore becauseI had my girl Cricket.
So back to my buddy.
My buddy had on the exact sameoutfit as Chucky.
I don't know what that wasabout.
(08:06):
He was very, very similar tohim.
So they have this soft sort ofplushy body.
Yes, he had the latex handsthat were supposedly scary, but
so did my girl Cricket.
So after the whole familywatches these movies and if
you're judging, go ahead andjudge, it's fine I'm telling you
kids were precious and judging,go ahead and judge, it's fine.
(08:28):
I'm telling you kids wereprecious and important, but I
don't think we were thatimportant.
I'm not saying we weren'timportant to my family.
But nobody seemed to flinchfrom kids watching stuff like
that, like my kids have never.
I would never like rent thatmovie for them to watch.
But I feel like all of myfriends had seen this film too.
Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Let friends had seen this filmtoo.
Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Let me stay focused.
Suddenly, cricket, who had beenmy BFF, my buddy, for as long as
(08:49):
I can remember, was suddenlypersona non grata.
Suddenly she was creepy.
Suddenly she was a threat tothe safety of our family.
Let my sister tell it.
I couldn't believe it and I sawmy parents trying to be all
civil and diplomatic and whatnot.
But I knew they agreed with herbecause everybody, yeah, she
was kind of creepy, she is kindof, yeah, she's kind of scaring
me, now she's scaring you.
She's lived hereunproblematically for the last
(09:12):
umpteen years but now she's aproblem.
So my allegedly traumatizedsister would sneak under the
cloak of darkness Once I went tobed.
She would remove Cricket frommy bed and go put her in the
living room lest she animate andwake up and chop us all up to
bits and pieces.
There was two things wrong withthis.
(09:34):
First off, I would not standfor these accusations.
This was egregious.
It was absolutely out of therealm of possibility.
Plus, let's say she did animate.
Why would you put her?
It keep her in the room.
You just put her in the livingroom.
She has to walk through thekitchen and pick out the knife
to decide how to chop us up.
But, like I said, she was mygirl, I wasn't worried about
(09:55):
being destroyed.
Also, I had this thought.
I was more afraid of chucky.
So I'm like what if chuckycomes crawling out of the closet
?
My sister sister's?
Like that's ridiculous, is it?
Why are the cabbage patchescool, but not Cricket?
I kept trying to, just, youknow, trying to reason with her.
(10:16):
Because in my mind I wasn'tafraid of Cricket, because on
part two, if memory serves mecorrectly, chucky gets plastic
and stapled and arm stuffed todeath by the end of the movie.
He couldn't even hold his own.
Plus I knew how top heavyCricket was.
If ever she animated and hadbeef with me for some reason, I
knew I could take her.
Plus my little brother was atoothy little bitey toddler at
(10:40):
this point, so I had been bittenand bashed in the back of the
head with that little tykes toy,you know, the little yellow
cylinder with the circles.
Yeah, he'd get bored.
He'd hit me with that.
So I had wrestled a baby atthis point in my life.
I was loading, I was carryingaround a 35 pound doll.
If Chucky wanted the smoke, Icould take him.
I knew this.
(11:00):
Also, if he could becomeanimated and come to life, so
could Cricket.
Cricket had at least threeinches on him.
I felt like me and her couldget him together.
I wasn't worried about it and Itried to express this to my
family.
But I started to see less andless of Cricket because she
would end up in my parents'closet.
Sometimes she'd be sitting inthe living room.
(11:21):
You know what was the mostinsulting part about all this?
Remember when I told you shehad a tape player in her back?
Do you know that sometimes Iwould come home from school and
she would be rapping NWA.
She would be singing BobbyBrown.
She'd be singing New Kids onthe Block.
My family, who was so allegedlyafraid of her, was using her as
(11:45):
a utility.
Do you know she recorded someconversations.
One time I walked in.
She's sitting on the kitchencounter Spilling all the tea to
my mom and my auntie.
I'm like, who did they record?
It was a whole mess, but shewas scary at night.
(12:07):
Oh, it just felt so horrible.
I felt helpless.
I felt very frustrated thatthese people, who should be
celebrating this beautifulorator who was your child's best
friend, instead they wanted topoint the finger at her, she's
persona non grata in a home thatshe should be welcome in.
So as I watched episode 14, Iimmediately understood what
(12:29):
Valene was going through,because her cricket too was
perhaps, maybe just a little bitmisunderstood.
There's severalmisunderstandings on this
episode.
We have a late entry people.
Episode 14, season threeintroduces Karen's little
brother, joe.
Joe seems to be this professorof sorts.
He was in Europe, so he hasn'tbeen back since before Sid died.
(12:51):
My theory with relatives isthat it's never a good thing.
He seems to be okay.
This episode, though I will sayall of Karen's guests have been
very interesting and not toomuch trouble.
Yeah, they've been a littleannoying, or they've had, you
know, they had their own littlequirks, but nothing too serious,
and this one isn't bad at alleither.
(13:12):
So I guess we'll go ahead andget them out of the way first,
not calling them bit players,because I think Uncle Joe is
going to stay around for alittle bit.
So the temperature in the homeis is quite pleasant,
considering all that's going onwith with Sid's death and then
moving on.
But it appears that the middleboy, eric, the one with the
(13:33):
little feather duster mustachelove that kid.
He's feeling like he don't wantto go to college.
He's only 15, he's a sophomore,so it's not dire, you know,
it's not super urgent.
But one of his teacherscornered Diana in the cafeteria
and kind of chastising Dianabecause her brother isn't going
to class.
I find that incrediblyinappropriate on all levels.
(13:55):
On what planet is it herpersonal responsibility to make
sure that he goes to class?
I mean she's doing her duediligence as a big sister she's.
I mean, maybe she's a littlemore authoritative.
He's going to listen to class.
I mean she's doing her duediligence as a big sister she's.
I mean maybe she's a littlemore authoritative.
He's going to listen to her.
So she confronts him about itwhile she's making dinner Like
dude, what's up with you?
Why aren't you showing up toclass?
How are you going to get tocollege if you don't take the
(14:15):
college prep courses?
He's like what if I don't go tocollege?
So what if I just do otherthings?
She is appalled.
I can't even believe you'd havethat thought.
Turns out, karen feels the sameway.
I keep forgetting not that it'simportant, but I keep
forgetting that Karen actuallydropped out of college.
Actually, I don't know if Iforgot or if I just didn't
realize that she had dropped outof college because she's so her
(14:38):
.
But Eric is having secondthoughts about that education
and, plus, his dad never went tocollege.
He owned a whole business.
That business is stillsustaining his family after his
death.
So Uncle Joe shows up and Iimmediately like the guy.
He's like oh my gosh, the kidsare all over him.
He's apologizing to Karen oncethey have some one on one time,
(15:01):
like, hey, I'm really reallysorry I didn't make it back for
Sid's funeral.
She's like no, I didn't really.
It almost seems like she didn't.
Maybe she told him, but shedidn't tell him in enough time.
Like she waited till she knewhe wasn't gonna be able to make
it.
And for what reason, I don'tknow yet, but I'm sure Noss
Landing will let us know at somepoint.
But throughout the episode hecasually mentions that he has a
(15:25):
possibility of teaching at USC.
He could be a professor there.
He's going to go check it outand just kind of get a feel for
it.
So by the end of the episode itis my impression that he really
just wanted to kind of check upon her and having him there is
a huge blessing for her and herkids.
Because there's something aboutyour baby brother.
I have a little brother who Iabsolutely adore as an adult.
(15:49):
That relationship is still kindof the same.
Like this kid has grown up withyou.
He's watched Karen throughouther whole life.
He knows her like the back ofhis hand.
So if you know he can see she'sstruggling with one of the kids
, he steps in.
Karen has a mild argument, asmuch, you know.
Eric doesn't really talk backto her.
But Eric's pleading his caseMom, I don't really want to go
(16:10):
to college.
You're going to college.
She ain't trying to hear.
So her brother pretends like heneeds socks from the mall and
he takes Eric with him.
What he's really doing is justkind of pouring into the kid,
talking them, saying listen,you're 15, you just decided last
week you didn't want to go toschool.
You're going to change yourmind a dozen times.
If you're going to change yourmind, that's fine, but be
(16:31):
prepared, just take the courseat the end of the day, it's
better to have it and not needit than to need it and not have
it.
And Eric's like you know what,bro?
You're right, I'll go ahead andfinish these courses.
I'll do that.
Uncle Joe does decide to stay.
Uncle Joe's kind of cute too.
He also reminds me of the guyfrom I'm so Embarrassed I almost
(16:54):
said Shark Tale Jaws.
He looks like the main guy fromJaws a little bit to me.
So I don't know how long he'sgoing to be on the show, but I
do like his sort of laid backnature.
He also reminds me of is itDavid Aykroyd, the guy who was
originally playing Gary?
There is a kind of a calmnessto him, a very laid back, chill
(17:17):
vibe, but he's still funny.
I don't know, though.
Relatives on a soap opera neverreally turn out well.
Hell, look at Abby.
Abby had me completely duped.
I thought about this before.
I bet if I had never seen herin that Christmas movie I
wouldn't have had such a,because she was so sweet.
I would have never had thatsame impression.
(17:40):
I don't think.
I don't know Either way.
Joe's in town.
Uncle Joe's a cool guy.
Uncle Joe gives good advice.
He doesn't seem to be acokehead or anything like that
as of now.
So we're going to have to waitand see what Uncle Joe has to
say later on.
Let's get to Valene in there.
I also suppose as the showcontinues to go forward, we'll
(18:03):
get more and more of everyoneelse's backstory.
It's not always important, butI do think, specifically in the
case of a Valene and a Gary,there's probably a whole lot of
life they lived in between those15, 16 years they were apart
and for the first time weactually get a peek of Valene's
(18:23):
life.
I say even as I say that it'slike no, we actually know she's
still so much of a mystery.
All we know is that she marriedyoung, had a baby, was run off
from the baby, probably justworked for a really long time
until she had worked up thecourage to go back to find the
baby.
And then you know Gary, blah,blah, blah, blah blah Seems like
she had herself a little bit ofa past.
(18:44):
Now I'm going to make severalassumptions on this podcast.
Today's not any different.
I'm assuming she may have had aromantic relationship with this
guy or, if nothing else, theywere very, very good friends.
So the show sort of opens upwith this guy in a pickup truck,
cowboy type.
(19:05):
He looks a little dirty.
He's got a girl in the car withhim.
She looks to be about 10, 11years old.
They're in Los Angeles and Iknow this because I can see the
road sign for the 405.
Side note I wish god.
I wish so badly that there werejust countless hours of film of
(19:25):
people just driving around inlike the 60s and 70s.
You can tell this seems to be afather and daughter seem a
little down on their luck.
So they're in the pickup andthe little girl's looking around
as they pull into this hotelmotel A motel, not a hotel.
She's like oh, this isextremely skeevy, but I guess
(19:46):
it'll do.
Rusty, as he is known, hesecures a motel room and the
little girl is just not reallyfeeling it.
So he brings her a soda, hebrings her comic books.
She knows that he's about toleave.
So you immediately get thisimpression that this is kind of
a normal routine.
There's clearly no mother inthe picture, so you don't know
(20:09):
if he's going to work or whathe's doing, but you know that
he's going to.
I mean, she's used to himleaving.
She's not really feeling thehotel room or the motel room.
She's jumping on the bed and hetells okay, well, I gotta step
out for a little bit.
She's like how long you gonnabe gone this time?
Oh, I don't know, somebody saidsomething to where she goes.
At least I have a brain.
Well, he turns on his heels andthey do this sort of I can't do
(20:34):
the whistle, like they have alittle duel.
It's fun, it's cute.
So immediately, you see, thisis a good relationship, they're
friendly.
He's trying to keep her, herspirits high.
Now, what she doesn't know isthat he's already made a phone
call over to valine's house.
He goes to the phone book,looks her up, uh calls lily may
(20:55):
answers a phone and valine is.
I guess she's doing homework orshe's paying bills or something
.
She's on a typewriter.
You want to talk about beingstressed?
The hell out.
If I had to type on atypewriter I would feel like God
.
That scene in Indiana Jones orthe bridge snaps.
It just freaks me out a littlebit to think I'm so glad I
(21:15):
missed that boat, even though Ilike typewriters.
Anyway, valene is busy doingwhatever she's doing at the
table paying bills.
Right, probably doing her herpaper.
Now that I think about it, Isuppose she is still in college.
She must be writing her finalsor something or doing a book
report.
Either way, lily may is kind offloating around getting on her
nerves.
Okay, mama, uh-huh, mama,that's cool, mama.
(21:36):
Well, he calls over to the houseand he's like is this, uh, mrs
Ewing?
No, this is Lily Mae Clemens.
I'm Mrs Ewing's mother.
Is that Valene Ewing of Dallas?
Yes, this is the house.
And he just hangs up.
She's like well, damn, that wasrude.
I can't believe he got on thephone.
I hate when people play on thephone.
Why don't you go through allthat trouble of calling, asking
and then and then hanging up inmy face and finally he's like
(21:58):
that's good, mama, basicallygone and get somewhere.
Oh, my God, I know who he lookslike.
He looks a little bit like thekid from Seventh Heaven.
You know, the oldest brother, Ithink.
And then I think the guy's namewas Jensen Eccles.
Oh gosh, what's that show?
What's the one with JeffreyDean Morgan, and it's the two
(22:20):
brothers and they go aroundfighting spirits and stuff.
Kind of looks like if you canbind them.
That's what he looks like.
He looks like the two of themin a little bit.
Yeah, forget what I said aboutthat seventh heaven kid,
whatever the name of that showis.
It is not because parrotsupernatural.
He looks like the kids fromsupernatural, like if they were
squished together.
He looks like them.
So the girl, so the girl reallyjust wants to know okay, what
(22:42):
are we doing here?
Seriously, what are we doinghere?
He's like I have friends here,I need to see some people Go
ahead and enjoy your soda, watchthe TV.
But you can tell she don'tquite believe it.
She even asked him if he'scoming back.
She doesn't quite believe whathe's saying back.
(23:02):
She doesn't quite believe whathe's saying.
So it leads you to believe like, does this happen a lot?
Why would she be so suspicious?
She looks absolutelybrokenhearted as he leaves, but
he seems to be in good spirits,like their.
Their energy is different andyou would never know what's
coming next.
It is at this point in the showI'm realizing she is calling
him by his full government name.
Now, is that unusual?
No, I guess I've seen the moviecurly sue.
(23:24):
I still don't have clarity onthat.
Who the hell was he to her?
Probably a lot like thissituation dusty heads straight
over to valine's house.
And I'm so excited by this wholescene because because as he
drives up he takes his time.
So you really get to see eachone of these houses and I'm like
I can't freaking believe thisis a real neighborhood.
(23:46):
It's so exciting and I really,really, really really want to
see that beat up old rv.
I know they've probably gone togreat lengths to keep it out of
the the frame, but yeah, we getit.
So he drives in and he makeslike a jay to get to valine's
house.
Oh god, I want to see it so badlike I'm.
(24:08):
I'm watching it like a hawk now.
I'm trying my best to see itanyway.
She's surprised to see him, notunpleasantly, but she also isn't
like all butterfly.
So I don't know if they had arelationship or not, like a, a
romantic one.
At least they seem to have beenvery close.
Okay, no, I definitely lied.
I had to go back and rewatch.
She was happy to see him.
(24:28):
He was extra cute at the door.
He's all playful and not hidinghis face with the the cowboy
hat.
Hey valley, oh myy, what youdoing here?
Oh my God, come here.
Rusty seems to be scoping outthe place like man.
This is nice Valley.
This show is nice.
They end up having a chatter,chatter, chitchat, before
(24:51):
everyone else shows up and she'sjust sort of catching him up on
things.
Hey, I know it's been 12 years.
He's like, oh my God, girl, youlook so young, so beautiful,
even more beautiful.
How are you even youngerlooking?
Oh, stop, stop, we're doingfine.
You know, I'm a totallydifferent person than I was 12
years ago.
Gary and I are back together.
My marriage got back together.
(25:12):
But she says she's like Garyand I, and then she just kind of
pauses and she's like thingsare going real good for Gary.
I guess they they might stillbe.
There might still be a littlebit of tension.
I've kind of not forgotten aboutit, but it didn't seem, I don't
know.
They seemed fine last episode.
So I'm so curious.
(25:33):
It's my only thing.
I wish I went a little bit moredetailed, so curious as to who
she was, where she was, who elseshe ran into.
In my heart of hearts I'mhoping this is an X-Wing.
They seem to be getting alongjust fine.
Of course, I've seen this allthe way through the end.
Nothing unsavory happensbetween the two of them like
(25:54):
that.
But gosh, don't.
We need a Valaine backstory.
We do need a valine backstory.
It would appear she has a type,though he's going on about like,
well, man, we used to havethese good old times like yeah,
we did when you weren't drunkand drinking or hanging out with
those rodeo clowns of yours.
I'm like, damn, she's got atype.
(26:16):
Bad boy, let me fix you, let medo there anybody who's in love
with a bottle.
She's in love with him.
She's got an emotional type.
It's a little bit dangerous.
The most ironic part of thisnext scene is that the man's
name is Rusty and I feel likewardrobe.
Put everyone else in the scenein a rust colored top.
Valene is wearing a rustcolored off the shoulder dress.
(26:39):
Looks like it could be.
What do you call it?
Calling it cabana wear nowresort wear.
Lily Mae has on like a brickcolored sweater.
Gary's is very, very similar.
But, gary, you want to actuallytalk about acting a fool.
It's the thing.
It's him.
It is Shackleford for me.
Gary want to know who is thisRusty?
(27:01):
Why is he coming over here?
How do you know him, rusty?
God, he sounds like one ofthose ballplayers, like that's
an insult.
God, he sounds athletic andstuff.
Can't believe you.
Like jocks, mister, I paint mytop and bottom on lily mays.
I know I think he was with therodeo.
Tell me why, gary cackles rodeo.
(27:23):
You like the rodeo, sir, sir,sire, did you or did you not
grow up a dicker yourself?
I guess he's not the real one,did you?
Or did you not grow up on aranch?
Where do cowboy come on now?
Is that really that far?
I can't believe, can't believeyou.
What is he bringing here?
What are you doing?
Why did you invite him over fordinner?
(27:44):
Lily Mae's like why don't youcalm down, gary?
Listen, she didn't know thiskid was coming.
She's just doing the properSouthern thing, inviting him to
eat a meal.
That's all.
Suddenly, gary's like well, howserious were you with him?
Who is he?
Who's that?
I love him, jealous, but he'sso animated, he's so goofy with.
(28:04):
He got his tongue hanging outhis head.
We got his neck stretched outlike a giraffe.
Ted Shackelford is acting as ifhe's on stage.
I not that I'm a director oranything, I'm not Scorsese, I'm
not an acting coach, but I willsay you can sort of tone it down
, but I guess that is just goingto be Gary.
Let me just accept that, asGary he is, he's hella intense
(28:28):
or he's absolutely ice cold,like he's just real chill or
he's turned all the way up, andin this scene he is definitely
turned all the way up.
Lily Mae is enjoying this,though.
She's like girl, you need tomake your husband jealous from
time to time.
Keep him on his toes.
This is also the point where welearned that Rusty's wife has
(28:49):
passed away recently.
He's just lost his job.
He's trying to find work.
He's heading up north.
Her point is like Gary, he justwanted to stop by and say hi,
like well he did.
Why is he still hanging aroundyou?
It would be hot if it was hot.
It's just not.
It's really obnoxious.
She also casually drops that hehas a stepdaughter, for whatever
reason.
Gary's like why are you tryingto meet her, sir?
(29:10):
She loves kids, obviously.
That's why, listen, nobodytalks more ish about gary ewing
than me.
But I will say this I can admitwhen I'm wrong.
The man's instincts are on par.
Maybe you know I won't go thatfar.
You can have a bad feelingabout somebody and it doesn't
really matter why.
He's just.
(29:31):
I just don't like him.
In this case he probably didn'tlike him because he was a
cowboy who's you know,potentially has banged his wife.
So suppose dinner happens andeverybody's sitting around
afterward drinking coffee.
Cricket looks like she'd ratherbe anywhere else but there.
But russie just keeps biggingher up.
Oh, she's quite a littlehomemaker.
(29:51):
She stepped right in after mywife died.
She's so amazing.
She loves music.
Lily may is like oh music, Ilove music.
Us musicians gotta sticktogether, girl.
Russie says why don't I go outand get your guitar?
You and Lily Mae play us an Aand B selection.
Cricket ain't trying to hear it.
Lily Mae's beside herself.
Eileen seems excited.
Gary's just like I'm only hereso I don't get fined.
(30:14):
Rusty gets up to leave.
Cricket jumps up Again.
She's not real comfortable withthis situation.
He tells her to relax, he'll beright back.
Do you know?
This man squats down as he saysthat he looks her right in the
eye.
I'll be right back.
He of course goes to the truckand all we hear is the tires
peeling out.
So everybody comes running outof the house.
Cricket's the first one to seenothing but the back end of that
(30:44):
Chevrolet and she throws herfist in the sky and she curses
him damn you, rusty, damn you,he totally has it coming.
Valene comes out and she's justlike holy crap, that did not
just happen.
Gary's like dang, everybodyfeeling a little bit of a way.
But I suppose Lily Mae takesCricket upstairs.
Gary's sitting on the couch,like what I tell you, he's like
man, calm down, he just maybe hejust went to go get a pack of
(31:04):
cigarettes, maybe he'll be backand he's like he ain't coming
back.
We can't say what about Cricket?
Cricket's probably got Lily Maelocked in the bathroom upstairs
and that fool probably went togo rob a bank.
Gary's like you know, let'sjust call the cops, get them out
here.
And Valley's like no, no, no,we don't know.
We don't know he's not comingback.
It's only been a few minuteslike relax.
(31:26):
Valine's afraid that if theycall the cops then the little
girl could end up in juvie and Idon't know how.
I don't know how that works.
I don't think CPS would justthrow a kid in juvie without a
crime or misdemeanor, at thevery least.
But that seems to be valine'strain of thought.
Gary's like man, let me just,let me just see what I can do.
I can't even believe you hookedup with a guy like gary wants a
(31:47):
drop top like she gotta go.
She'll be fine, let them takecare.
Can you imagine how absolutelydevastating.
That would be to have a gutfeeling that something was about
to happen.
And it happens exactly the way.
You thought she couldn't relaxbecause she knew she could sense
that he was about to get rid ofher.
(32:08):
She takes it as well as a kid.
Her age is gonna take it now.
First, things seem okay.
Val talks Gary down just callthe police to see what we can do
.
But let's wait for rusty tocome back.
Val weighs no time.
She takes her shopping.
She gets her all sorts of youknow nice, fresh things to wear,
but cricket ain't trying tohear that.
(32:30):
Cricket is pissed.
Cricket wants the smoke and shewants it with rusty.
So she snaps at valine talkingabout I need to get out this
house, I'm not staying with you.
I'm gonna go look for rust.
You want to find them?
It's on site.
Valine makes her sit down andsays listen, look, girl, you can
have a funky little attitudeall you want.
You can huff and puff and doabsolutely nothing with your 11
(32:51):
year old behind, or you canmanage to put on a little bit of
a smile, grin and bear it ifyou have to.
You could stay here threesquare meals a day.
Keep your clothes, you decideyou want to be in juvie or you
want to stay in my house.
So she didn't really get torespond.
Cricket, that is because LilyMae walks in and she's got
Olivia.
(33:11):
Olivia is super friendly and itseems like she and Cricket hit
it off pretty quickly.
But Cricket had other plans.
Baby Cricket organized a pokernight up in the attic.
She's whooping all the kidsleft and right and she
challenges karen's youngest boyto a one-card draw.
Winner takes ten dollars.
Luckily she wins because shedidn't really have no money like
(33:33):
that.
But then she and live, she andolivia go to abby's house.
They're trying on all of Abby'sclothes and Olivia's like
listen, my mom don't really playabout her clothes, she loves
clothes.
We cannot let anything happento this.
Cricket ain't trying to hearthat.
She's like oh, that's cute orwhatever.
She's putting on Abby's perfume, spills it.
Olivia leaves the room andCricket treats Abby's jewelry
(33:54):
box like a candy dish.
She's like I'll take that oneand that one and that one and
that one puts it in her utilitypocket.
Moves the hell on.
People are starting to noticeThings are not going exactly as
planned and one morning atbreakfast Lily Mae comes
bursting into the kitchen.
Oh no, hell, no.
Where's that little hooligan?
Eileen said calm down, what'swrong, mama, what's wrong?
(34:17):
She stole my idol heart.
You know, lily may don't playabout her music and gary's
looking like see, see, this isexactly what I'm talking about.
She's gotta go.
He was already telling vallisten, this little girl is
troubled.
We gotta get her somewherebecause if she keeps staying
here she's just gonna keeprunning amok.
Amok is at its peak right now.
(34:37):
Val is disgusted.
I can't believe you.
Two big, grown, dusty mofoshave a problem with this baby
now pointing fingers at thisbaby.
Just let her be.
She's disgusted.
Now Lily Mae is offendedbecause in her mind Val keeps
bringing up this little girlbeing abandoned and she's like I
know she's really talking aboutme.
(34:57):
So Lily Mae lets it ride forabout 15 minutes and then she
goes over to abby's house tobabysit brian and olivia, and
cricket comes with her.
She's going on and on about howspecial that auto hop was and
how great great grandmother gaveit to her the day she died and
it's so important she's notgonna lose enough.
(35:18):
Cricket starts to feel a littlebit bad, so she goes over to val
and gary's house to startpacking up her tings.
She's taken so long.
Everybody thought she just wentto the bathroom or something.
And olivia ends up going overlike girl, what are you doing?
Cricket's like I gotta get upout of here.
Girl, I got ten dollars to myname.
I'm gonna get on the bus.
I'm gonna go find rusty.
(35:38):
I just cannot do it any longer.
Olivia's like oh, despite itbeing 1980s, you have the
equivalent of about 40 bucks inyour pocket.
You ain't going nowhere withthat.
Let me go home.
Let me get you some cab fare Ifyou insist, but I don't think
you should leave.
Cricket ain't trying to hear.
So she's got her duffel bag inone hand, 's got her jacket in
(35:58):
the other.
She starts walking away.
Olivia gives chase.
Cricket stops abruptly at thelanding on the stairs and Olivia
tries to, I guess, get in frontof her, trips all over herself,
falls down the step, breaks herarm again.
She was just in a cast not toolong ago.
Well, right about the time sheslams into the wall.
(36:19):
Valine opens the front door andshe sees her.
Oh, my god, you know that'svaline's baby.
She loves her son.
Olivia runs up to her, sheturns and looks up and all you
see is cricket standing likemike myers with her luggage in
hand and a oh crap, look on herface.
At the hospital Abby is playingwith absolutely nobody.
(36:43):
Valene, you got to get rid ofthat girl.
You are putting the wholeneighborhood in danger.
So Cricket has been doing thesebad things.
She tried to steal Karen umLaura's purse, but she didn't
really.
So Valene's whole thing is thismaybe she is doing these
horrible things?
I know she didn't push oliviadown the step, which is what
abby believes.
Abby insists that olivia waspushed down the steps, but even
(37:06):
olivia's like no, mama, that'snot what happened.
I'm just kind of clumsy.
I tripped over.
I mean there's a lot going on.
I tripped and fell, hurt my arm.
But abby's point, it reallyhits home because valine is like
am I endangering the wholeneighborhood by keeping cricket
around?
I guess I'll have to get rid ofher for the greater good.
So she takes her to anorphanage or something child
(37:27):
protective services and she'sgonna drop her off.
So she explains to the nextlady hey look, her dad dropped
her off.
I don't know where he's at.
My husband's been looking highand low for him and gary has so.
So Gary's been on the phoneevery free moment that he has
trying to figure out where Rustycould be, he deduces that this
dude is a lifelong cowboy.
(37:48):
He likes a rodeo.
That's exactly where he's goingto be, probably trying to find
some work on a rodeo.
This is where Gary's ranchhandedness comes in hand quite a
bit.
He's going to know all the darklittle seedy places that a
traveling cowboy would frequentcirca 1982.
He even has a rodeo magazineand we know this because he's at
(38:09):
the office.
He's at knox landing motors onthe phone trying to figure out
where rusty is in walks abby.
And abby sees this magazine.
She's like you really trying tojoin the rodeo at this age?
He's like no.
He tells her about Rusty.
She's like, okay, dang, whythis magazine?
He says, well, it tells youwhere all the rodeos are, where
they're going to be, blah, blah,blah.
(38:29):
But she starts flipping throughit.
She's like, oh, cowboys arekind of hot.
Say, gary, are you done withthis here magazine?
He says, and she, I guess shesaves it for later.
The wink, wink, she walks outwith it back to baby girl
(38:50):
cricket.
It breaks Valene's heart tohave to do this.
But you know, little kids aregetting hurt, things are coming
up missing.
It's getting harder and harderto defend this girl.
So she promises Cricket, listen, I'll come visit you in about a
week.
I'll keep checking on you, Ijust want to make sure you're
okay.
And then she walks out the door.
You know this is a big moment.
That's hard for her to do.
(39:11):
She does not want to abandonthis child.
There was a conversationbetween she, gary and Lily.
May was about like we're theadults in her life, don't you
realize?
She has absolutely no one elseto depend on.
The one person she wasdepending on is gone.
She didn't have a motheranymore.
This pisses Lily May off.
She's like her mom didn'tabandon her.
(39:33):
Her mom died.
Valene says you know what?
It doesn't really matter to akid, she's gone either way.
It doesn't matter if she lefton her own accord or not.
She still does not have aparent.
Val refuses to not help thebaby, but so you can imagine how
painful it is to walk out onher.
Cricket leaps up from the couch.
(39:54):
She starts chasing Valene downthe hallway.
She's like I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, please don'tleave me here.
I only did those things so thatyou would find rusty.
She just wants her stepdad back.
Gary and lily may are in theliving room quietly talking ish
about cricket when lily may sayswell, you know, valine blames
this whole thing on me.
Valid, unbeknownst to them.
(40:15):
Valine is on her way back tothe house with the baby.
Lily may time my, you know,valene blames me for this whole
thing.
I can see it in her eyes.
Every time she says abandon,she acts like I abandoned her.
I left Valene with her fatherwho loves her.
That's hardly abandonment.
But Gary's like can we pleasejust not talk about this?
And you get to see these twopeople who have in some way
(40:35):
abandoned someone they love.
In this case it is going to beValene.
It's also Lucy for Gary.
But I wonder if it's just tooraw of a nerve where Lily Mae is
trying to deflect Like I neverabandoned you.
I left to chase my dream, Ileft you with your parent.
That's not the same thing, butit is Gary's not really saying
anything.
So I can only imagine what'sgoing through his head, Like
(40:57):
yeah, I have a whole daughterwho I don't really have much of
a relationship with because Ichose to leave on my own accord.
So you get two people who haveinflicted the pain and they're
dealing with it in suchdifferent ways.
So eventually Gary's hard workpays off.
He's found Rusty.
Valene makes her way to therodeo campgrounds where she
(41:21):
finds Rusty shoveling horsedookie or something.
Rusty, I can't even believe youwould leave that little girl
there.
And Rusty at first I was like Idon't like her, she don't like
me.
I was like, brother, don't lieto me.
We didn't used to lie to eachother, so that's why I'm like
they probably dated.
We never lied to each other.
So this is why I'm like theyprobably dated.
(41:42):
We never lied to each other.
Why are you lying now?
He says you know she's 10,going on 40.
I hate when adults say stufflike that.
I know a lot of it is tongue incheek, but it implies that I
don't know.
I feel like it makes it easierto justify children being in
adult situations and I don'teven mean like dangerous ones.
(42:03):
But oh, she's so mature for herage.
Yeah, but she's still 10.
I don't care how mature a 10year old is.
You got to remember they'reonly 10 years old.
She still needs the guidanceand that's his whole thing is.
She can take care of herself.
She doesn't really need me.
Val keeps pressing like I knowyou lying because I know you.
You don't lie to me, I don'tlie to you what's going on.
And he finally breaks down.
He's like I.
Just when I look at her, I seemy wife.
(42:25):
I see the same spirit, I seethe same joy.
She's got the same stubbornstreak and look at me, I'm a bum
, I don't have a job, I can't doanything for her.
It's like he.
He feels he's already failedher.
Without the mom there to be thebuffer, without the mom there
to kind of steer them in the waythey need to go.
He doesn't know what to do.
And so he's like Val, Iremember that you loved kids.
(42:47):
I looked you up and I knew Icould leave her with you because
you're going to take good careof her.
I was like are you right?
You sure right now I would takeher in a heartbeat, just like
that.
But she wants to be with you.
So Val goes back home and LilyMae and Cricket are arguing.
Because Cricket wants askateboard.
(43:07):
Lily Mae says she has homework.
I am immediately disappointedby this news because I'm like
what kind of kid?
You gotta milk this.
I was abandoned thing for allthis work.
How do you end up with homework?
First off, shout out to valinefor wasting no time enrolling
her in school like it wasnobody's business.
But girl, how you still havehomework.
(43:28):
I was like, oh my, you know Ican't really pick this pencil
because my stepfather left me.
Mom did, come on, girl, butcricket, cricket isn't worried
because she ain't going in thathouse to do any homework.
Good luck, willie makes withher out in the yard arguing when
val comes up and she's like hey, I've been somewhere.
(43:48):
I didn't want to say anythingbecause I didn't really know how
it was going to turn out.
But right as she's about totell her, we hear a beep, beep,
beep.
Rusty comes pulling up with abig old dookie Cheshire grin on
his face like nothing happened.
Hey there, put him up, put himup.
Cricket is a woman of her word.
(44:10):
It's on sight.
Soon as she sees him, she takesoff running, starts pummeling
him in his chest, beat them allin his chest, and he just brings
her in for a really warmembrace.
Beautiful, but that's gonna bedamaging nonetheless.
He's not gonna be able to leaveher without her second guessing
from now on.
(44:30):
God, I can't even imagine howpainful that is.
And there you have it.
Folks, seems like all is wellthat ends.
Well, uncle joe decides tostick around.
I think I'm going to reallyenjoy that dynamic.
I don't know how long he's here, for I was looking at it again
and it seems like he's able tostay for the full semester.
(44:51):
He decides he wants to.
He really just wants to kind ofhelp Karen take care of her
kids and I think it's going tobe good to have a father figure
in the house, a guy that theyalready know and trust.
He's related to them, he'sgoing to love them and care for
them.
But I love the contrast betweenthe sort of complicated nature
of different levels ofabandonment.
(45:12):
Yes, you can abandon someoneand still be in the same home.
You can abandon peopleemotionally, mentally, but I
love how strong my girl Val isbecoming.
That had to be hard to say.
No, listen, I got, I have to dowhat's best.
You hurt my baby Olivia,unfortunately.
I know you're hurting, but Ican't.
I just can't do this anymore.
(45:33):
That's super tough.
All right, guys, that's it,that's all.
Join me next time as we jumpback into some vintage primetime
soap opera debauchery in themeantime, in between time.
Justice for cricket.
I appreciate this episode forbringing back a wonderful
childhood memory.
Yeah, justice for cricket.
(45:55):
Stay hydrated, stay moisturized, mind your own business and
keep all of your trauma on TV.
Thank you, bye.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com