While you're supposed to feel sorry for the character of Howard played by Marc Silver, it's difficult because his extreme insecurities also make him extremely dislikeable. He basically black males Mary Jo into going to his high school reunion with him, threatening suicide if she doesn't. His limited screen time in the cruise episode was fine but to bring him back and the focus of an entire episode becomesrather manipulative on the attempts of the writers to make you feel sorry for him. When the women begin to recall the boys in their own class who were picked on, its attempts to be touching start to grate on your nerves.
Since the main plot doesn't work, it's the little bits of dialogue with the usual Julia snark or Charlene naivete that score points. Julia's call to a magazine editor to comment on an old article is typical Dixie Carter magic, as is her response to Mary Jo's decision to pretend to be not going to deliver her mother some oxygen in the nursing home, simply an excuse for her to avoid going out with Howard.
When they do get to the reunion, it's an embarrassment, and even the attempt for an amusing conclusion with a thank you gift from Howard doesn't get applause from me. The story is hard is in the right place but the execution is what makes it difficult to stomach.
Since the main plot doesn't work, it's the little bits of dialogue with the usual Julia snark or Charlene naivete that score points. Julia's call to a magazine editor to comment on an old article is typical Dixie Carter magic, as is her response to Mary Jo's decision to pretend to be not going to deliver her mother some oxygen in the nursing home, simply an excuse for her to avoid going out with Howard.
When they do get to the reunion, it's an embarrassment, and even the attempt for an amusing conclusion with a thank you gift from Howard doesn't get applause from me. The story is hard is in the right place but the execution is what makes it difficult to stomach.