Jerri becomes a sophomore?

There’s something beautiful about the season finale of Strangers With Candy having an actual real moral lesson in it, albeit one told with twisted lessons and a warped conclusion. It’s the closest the series actually gets to a being a serious after-school special and it makes some intelligent commentary about drug addiction and addicts as well as misconceptions about weed.

The episode starts out with Jerri on the brink of finishing the school year. She has solid D grades and if she maintains her completely mediocre but passable status she gets to go on to sophomore year and potentially graduate by age 50. All she needs to do is not fail the final exam, and you know that something is bound to happen to mess that up. And that comes in the form of Jerri slipping back into her old drug addiction which she has surprisingly managed to stay clean of since the show started.

There’s a few standout stars here. Trish, played by Stephanie Sanditz who is one of the few single-appearance characters to actually maintain a career in Hollywood. Trish is part of a group that Orlando refers to as “career freshmen,” the kind of stoners who probably believe themselves to be the next Steve Jobs who drop out of high school and go nowhere because unlike Steve Jobs they lack talent, intelligence, determination, and business insight to actually be the next Steve Jobs. Trish’s friends are just losers, but they catch Jerri’s eye because Trish is hot and has access to weed.

The second actor is Mitch Rouse who plays Officer Savillion. I’m going to call him Rouse because I’m not referring to him as Savillion in every reference. Rouse is brought into the school by Principal Blackman on the suggestion of Orlando to root out the druggies. Problem is he’s terrible as an undercover cop and that’s a running gag the episode sticks with to great effect. Particularly bringing him on as an undercover “transfer student” on literally the last day of classes and the fact that he talks very much like a cop.

In true Strangers With Candy fashion the episode is also a big parody of how DARE actually got kids into drugs. Jellineck gives a dire warning about marijuana by noting that all it accomplished was to fix his life and make him happy, and that while it isn’t addictive and there are no side effects all it can do is make you laugh and have fun with your friends. Acknowledging this, Jerri decides maybe it’s time to get off the weed and go sober. Again. But probably not.

Ironically the difference between Jellineck and Jerri is what gives this episode good social commentary. Jellineck can smoke weed and be a functioning (you know that’s probably a bad word to use) member of society, as millions of people use drugs on a daily basis and it doesn’t affect them too much. America runs on Dunkin, but the court system runs on delicious Columbian cocaine and I know that because I was a law student. Jerri meanwhile is an example of someone who actually can’t handle a stick of pot, and she literally told us that herself. It’s not so much the weed itself, but Jerri’s addictive personality and her need to constantly take things to the next level.

And Amy Sedaris should have won an Emmy for her performance as Jerri being hung over and pretending to be sober. There’s the usual bits of racism and Jerri just blurting out a slur at Jellineck in the closing scenes. Jerri’s step-mother is now suddenly the head of MMAD, a group of mothers who are against drug addiction but believe the best way to help people is for them to hit rock bottom, even if they have to purposely steer them in that direction.

  • Noblet: “I’ve been pretty tough on you at times. I’m sure you think I hate you, but I want you to know that I hate you.”
    Jerri: “I hate you too, Mr. Noblet.”
    Noblet: “I guess we shouldn’t hug.”
  • Trish: “Can I get some water? I’m a little dry.”
    Jerri: “I’m plenty wet.”
  • Jellineck: “All I’m saying is that if you still want to smoke pot, then prepare to spend a lot of time laughing with your friends. Think about it.”
  • Jerri: “I’ve got Indian underwear on. It’s creeping up the trail.”
  • Jerri: “My asshole’s hungry, baby.”