Sweet Thirteen 3x11

Sweet Thirteen

The episode begins with Amanda, her mother, and her mother's new boyfriend Mel discussing Amanda's upcoming thirteenth birthday party. Amanda wants a more grown up motif without any chaperones, which her mother objects to. It's also clear that Amanda isn't too keen on Mel, though he seems perfectly nice. He calls her Mandy when she prefers Amanda.

 

In the next scene it is stated that Amanda's dad is taking her and Busy out to eat at a French restaurant for her birthday, because he is aware of Amanda's maturity. Amanda finds a letter she wrote when she was ten predicting what she would be like at thirteen, but the envelope says she can't open it until her birthday. Even Busy seems a little weary of Amanda's stupidity and the episode has barely begun.

 

 

Phyllis and Mel tell Amanda they are going to New York. At first she thinks they mean she's going too, but it turns out just the two of them are going on Friday, Amanda's birthday. Sounds horrible, right? But then Amanda will be at her father's on that day and wouldn't see her mother anyway. She still gets angry and writes "sMel" in the soap on Mel's car. Clever and witty as always.

 

 

At school on Friday Amanda reads the three year old letter to herself. Ten year old Amanda wanted to have become an awesome French kisser, have her poetry published, played hooky, and have an older boyfriend by age thirteen. Feeling down at not having accomplished any of these tasks, Amanda convinces Busy to skip school with her.

 

 

Amanda and Busy are bored sitting on a bench at a shopping center when friends of Frankie show up. One guy asks for money to buy cigarettes and Amanda gladly hands over the $20 her mother gave her. After he comes back having spent nearly all her money, the cops show up. Not sure why the cops would bother them about skipping school as these three guest stars all look to be in their 20's. But anyway, in need of a place to stay, Amanda offers up her mother's empty apartment.

 

 

Amanda tells Busy that this "party" will make up for the unchaperoned one her mother wouldn't let her have. The guy who took her money, Wright, comes in and asks why they were skipping. Amanda mentions it's her birthday and Wright says that means they'll have to party all night. Amanda swigs some beer and runs out of the scene.

 

 

Amanda calls her dad and asks if they can go to the restaurant another night because Busy is throwing her a surprise party. Busy is in the background waving her hands as if she wants nothing to do with this scheme.

 

 

Busy is bored as Joy and Reed make out on the couch. Amanda goes out to Wright with more horderves. There's a weird close up of Wright eating a cracker in a very dramatic fashion while looking creepily into Amanda's eyes. Amanda notices Mel's car out in the parking lot. She explains that she calls her mother's boyfriend Smel. I wonder if she's copying Chrissy when she called her mother's boyfriend Dick instead of Rick.

 

  

Amanda hands over Mel's keys and they all go for a joy ride. There's a funny scene where they get an old lady to wave back at them and everyone laughs. Even Busy loosens up and begins to have a good time.

 

 

The group stops under a freeway to spray paint graffiti on the cement walls. Amanda is asked to try it and I swear it looks like she is just writing "Smel" again. Busy goes to be the lookout in case the cops come, which I guess is as good an excuse as any to get her out of the way so Amanda can be tricked into writing "Smell" on Mel's car. The gang tells her that "indelible" means "can be washed out with soap and water" and of course she believes it.

 

 

Wright drives fast (50 or 60 mph according to the speedometer). Bizarrely, Busy laughs and smiles during this ride, but when Wright stops she yells at him for nearly wrecking the car. When they get back to Amanda's place, Amanda demands the keys back, corrects Wright when he calls her Mandy and tells the group to get lost.   

 

 

Phyllis and Mel believe the writing of the word "SMELL" on his car was gang-related. They think Amanda stayed at her dad's house after all.

 

 

It's the day of Amanda's party and she's feeling guilty. Mel has convinced her mother to go out for the evening like Amanda wanted. Busy tries to tell her she did the right thing because she would've gotten into a lot of trouble for her behavior.

 

 

In the next scene, Amanda asks to speak to Mel privately. It's pretty sad because Mel and Phyllis look pleasantly surprised at this, not realizing that it's to confess that she spray painted his car. I think this episode would have been more realistic if it had ended with Amanda feeling like shit but not confessing. How many times did you own up to doing something you knew would get you into heaps of trouble when you were off the hook? I guess this is supposed to show that Amanda is growing up after all, but it doesn't ring true.

 

Next episode: Amanda is jealous of Mel's daughter.