BWW Recap: It's Hard To Go Back Home(coming) On RED BAND SOCIETY

Hey Stranger Friends, week four of RED BAND SOCIETY is behind us, and last night's episode had our favorite residents of Ocean Park Hospital stepping outside of their rooms, and to be honest, it wasn't a great night for any of them.

This week covered Jordi's first adventure in his Chemo treatments, and that teenage rite of passage, Homecoming. I don't know about you, but it was stressful enough picking out the right corsage and cummerbun for the tuxedo, I can't imagine going back to school after being in the hospital, let alone accompanied by a recently single and highly emotional, Nurse Brittney.

I do have a couple of side notes before we get started though. I am happy that the writers and producers are tooling the show, or at least learning as they progress, and I feel that is evident in the absence of Ruben, the rich hypochondriac portrayed by the great Griffin Dunne. He was a benefactor to the hospital, but frankly, an unnecessary friend to the kids and an odd addition to the cast. Also the writing has tightened up, which they were criticized at first for some poor dialogue options.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. It's cheerleader Kara's homecoming, and she is not going to let something like being in the hospital, ruin her plans to ascend back on her throne as the high school's Queen Bee. Surprisingly, our favorite Grumpy Cat, the ever snarky Nurse Jackson, is doling out favors left, right, and center this episode, and gives Kara permission to go, chaperoned by Nurse Brittney, who in turn coaxes, (demands) a reluctant Emma to go as well.

At the dance, as Kara ditches Emma at the entrance, we turn to see Leo, dressed in a suit and carrying flowers that he "borrowed" from another patient for Emma. Things start to blow up pretty quickly however, as Leo runs into an old soccer opponent, who really has a hard time relating to Leo's bald head and prosthetic leg, as well as Leo's insistence that he will be up and back in soccer shape by next season.

Kara discovers that she has been selected homecoming queen, not by her school dominance, but due to her heart condition and is mortified having to be wheeled up onstage, ("insurance carriers orders," says the principal).

Emma is freakishly flattered and friended by some of Kara's classmates who seem to idolize her size zero body. and are morbidly impressed that she has the strength inside to be so dedicated to being thin; they are actually jealous of her ability to keep at her eating disorder.

I really like Leo being the head of this RED BAND SOCIETY, but I want to see the writers' zone in on his character a bit more, rather than play the fences as they currently have been; alternating from weak and irresponsible one week at the frat house, to having an almost God-like complex in having to fix everyone's problems like he is here for Emma AND Kara.

Back at Ocean Park, Jordi's mom comes late to his first chemo session and Nurse Jackson dumps some reading material on her to "catch up," on her son's Cancer. It's obvious to Jordi's mom, and Dr. McAndrews, that Jackson is not a fan of her. Jordi's mom tries to make it up to her son (buy back his affections if you ask me), by giving Jordi and Dash some money to go to the movies, the last place he should be after a day getting chemo ran through your body all day.

I loved how Jordi explained to Dash what his mother was like when they were at the concession stand at the movies, "Being a mom for her is like being on a camping trip, she gets excited and goes out and buys all the equipment, but two days into it, she wants to go back to a hotel."

McAndrews scolds her for her recklessness, and Jordi does indeed get sick and collapse at the movie concession stand, and soon Jordi's mom is going to get him a ginger ale, via a waiting taxi in the parking lot as Dr. McAndrews tries to get her to stay. Jordi see's all of this from his room upstairs, and flashes back to his mom putting him on the bus to his grandmother's in Mexico. Nurse Jackson was right again!

The dance seems to have effected everyone that went, as Leo decides to make his soccer dream come true through his own hard work; Emma is having some lingering thoughts of what her new friends at Kara's school were telling her, as we see her decide to push back her daily meal without at least trying her usual bite; and Kara decides that she will not be going back to her old high school. The episode ends with some wisdom by Charlie, still narrating from his coma, and realizing that home might just be the feeling you get about the people you like the most.

Questions of the Week:

• Why was Nurse Jackson so touchy when it came to raising children this week?
• Now that Brittney has broken up with boyfriend, Ben, Will she and McAndrews get together?
• How does bad girl Kara know how to ask permission to leave, but Jordi takes mom's money and just leaves

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