Fan Forum - Joan of Arcadia S&S #2: God's all about hints, but WE want the "big picture" (Feb 4)

Welcome to the JOAN OF ARCADIA SPOILERS/SPECS THREAD!

(All new information has little [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]'s on either side.)

updated: Feb 4th, 2004. New episode info, 1.18 "Requiem of a Third-Grade Ashtray." Tidbits for NWS and NBG.

SMILIE KEY
SOG [img]smilies/roswell_lonnie.gif[/img] - used Dupe!Isabel...it was the only one with short blonde hair (for Grace).
NWS [img]smilies/broken_heart.gif[/img] - for the J/A shippers, since Iris shows up in this episode.
TTB [img]smilies/hug.gif[/img] - because Casper could sure use one.
NBG [img]smilies/read.gif[/img] - because of Iris reading the diary.
ROA3GA - smilie still pending.

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Upcoming Episode Listing
1.14: State of Grace (airing February 6th)
1.15: Night Without Stars (airing February 13th)
1.16: Ties That Bind (airing February 20th)
1.17: No Bad Guy (unknown airdate)
1.18: [img]smilies/star.gif[/img] Requiem of a 3rd Grade Ashtray (unknown airdate) [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

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Important Links
JoanofArcadia.Com
TVGuide Online
Television Without Pity
Film Jerk
TV Tome's JoA Episode Guide

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Quote:

[img]smilies/roswell_lonnie.gif[/img] Episode 1.14: State of Grace [img]smilies/roswell_lonnie.gif[/img]
Directed by: Unknown
Written by: Unknown
Original Airdate: February 6th, 2004

(JoA.com Episode Summary): A new security system is implemented at Arcadia High following Steve Ramsey's dangerous actions at school, but the administration's approach to security causes more trouble than good -- especially to Grace after she is stopped and searched by a guard. The tightening of security at school causes the art teacher to leave to find a safer job, leaving Adam with no mentor to inspire him as he makes his way back to working on his art; the search for a new teacher leads Helen to question whether she would be right for the job. Joan is asked by God to join the debating team in order to help Scott, a student who stutters, find his voice -- but finds herself reluctant to use her own when she finds out that she will be arguing for the new security measures, a position which puts her on the wrong side of the argument as far as Grace is concerned. Kevin and Luke both separately deal with the aftermath of a kiss: Kevin's, with his boss Rebecca; and Luke's first lip-lock ever, which doesn't happen exactly how he expected. At work, Will and Toni handle the assault of a reverend at the hands of a local man who claims the reverend molested his son, who is furtive about the situation.

(posted by Chickie): "State of Grace" is Grace's big episode, out of the upcoming ones.

(posted by azuline, from Zap2it article about Everwood star Gregory Smith's younger brother): As it turns out, February is a big month for Douglas Smith on CBS. On Friday, Feb. 6, he guest-stars on "Joan of Arcadia" in an episode called "State of Grace," playing a boy whose father assaulted a priest.

Quote:

[img]smilies/broken_heart.gif[/img] Episode 1.15: Night Without Stars [img]smilies/broken_heart.gif[/img]
Directed by: Unknown
Written by: Unknown
Original Airdate: February 13th, 2004

(from FilmJerk, posted by Wildfire Girl): In �Night Without Stars,� God tells Joan to work with kids so she babysits kids whose mothers have been abused. Adam falls for one of the other volunteers, and Joan must dea(l with her jealousy.

(from TVTome, posted by Sweetwater Gal): Joan's newest mission from God is to work with kids, so she volunteers to help babysit children of abused mothers. Joan becomes jealous when Adam falls for one of the volunteers.

God the Father: Russ Tamblyn Guests on 'Arcadia'
NOTE: the entire Zap2It article posted by Jasper1975 is on page 7 of thread. What follows are the spoiler-ish portions only.

The story has God telling Joan she should work with kids, so she signs up for a program that babysits children of abuse victims. However, her friend Adam (Christopher Marquette), who has harbored a crush on Joan, ends up smitten with another volunteer and asks her to a White Stripes concert on a night when Joan is set to babysit.

A peeved Joan then encounters God in the guise of an aging hippie dog walker (Russ Tamblyn). When she complains about Adam's date, He reminds her that there might be more important things she should focus on.

He also informs Joan that Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes aren't really brother and sister.

(posted by Chickie): Grace doesn't have a major storyline revolve around her in the script parts I've got [for NWS and TTB]. She's basically just giving advice to Joan (re: Adam) and being a friend. She's got some good lines though.

(summarized from Chickie's info): This portion of the script picks up with Joan being very exicted, telling Adam he rocks and giving him a hug. (Note: Though there's nothing in the script stating so, I think this is about Adam buying tickets for the White Stripes concert.) Grace isn't impressed with whatever has happened and tells them they are handing over to the "corporate conglomerate." Joan wonders if Grace even listens to music -- Grace assures her, "Nothing legal." Her reasoning is that she shoudln't have to pay for art.

Joan protests that Jack White is hot. Adam chimes in that Jack's "sister" is hot too. Joan tries to correct him: "Girlfriend?" Adam says that the matter of Jack White and whether that's his sister or his girlfriend is "unresolved." (Note: I guess this is why RussTamblyn!God brings up the subject.)

Suddenly Joan notices a table nearby -- there's a sign on it saying "VOLUNTEER TO WORK WITH KIDS." Joan remarks on the subtlty of the sign.

The girl at the table is Iris. Iris is about 16 years old, with long hair (that has a tendency to get in her eyes) -- also a lot of jewelry and an air of cynicism about her.

Joan says hi to Iris, Iris says hi back. Adam takes note of one of the pins on Iris' jacket and says it looks cool. Iris says that it was made from some hangers that were "crushed and soldered together." Adam asks if Iris made it herself, and she says that she did.

Adam is impressed, which irks Joan. She interrupts the conversation, saying that the pin is indeed "neat-o" and then she and Iris introduce themselves to one another. Joan tells Iris that she's here to volunteer. Iris tells her to fill out a form.

But Adam's not finished with Iris. He asks her if she is in fifth period art. Iris says she is. Adam remarks that he never noticed her there before. Iris says, "I know."

All of this flirting is going on while poor Joan attempts to fill out the damn form. That's the end of the scene.

Second Scene

Some little kids are painting at a table in a room at Arcadia High. Iris is walking around, watching them. She comments that the tree that one little girl is painting is "happening" and wants to know if it talks. The little girl, Emily, nods.

That's when Joan walks in. She and Iris say hi to one another. Emily pipes up and tells Iris that she's not painting a tree, she's painting her Mom. Iris says that Emily's mom's leaves are very pretty. Emily thanks her.

Iris introduces the kids to Joan. Joan says hi, awkwardly, then asks Iris what she's supposed to do. Iris says that the kids are doing art therapy -- their mothers are all victims of domestic violence. While the mothers are in a group session, the kids sit and draw as a way of coping with the trauma.

Joan says that's cool -- Iris is a little thrown by her response, but both shake it off. Iris shows Joan a bulletin board, where she has already written Joan's name in. Uh oh -- she's got Joan down for Thursday night...otherwise known as the night she's supposed to go to the White Stripes concert with Adam.

Joan tries to protest, but one of the little kids starts throwing paint and Iris has to go and intervene.

At that moment, LittleGirl!God appears. LittleGirl!God tells Joan point-blank: "Stick to the schedule, Joan." Joan replies that she really wants to go to the concert with Adam! She adds that if she cancels Adam will kill her.

LittleGirl!God says sensibly, "He won't kill you."

Joan begs God not to make her cancel on Adam. She says she knows she won't be able to stand it if he starts hating her again -- that it was like being in some kind of "Russian Goulash."

LittleGirl!God corrects her: it's "Gulag." And, anyway, God says: "I don't make you do things. I'm getting bored with saying that."

Go onto the concert, LittleGirl!God says, if that's what you really want -- and by the way, "they" (meaning Jack and Meg) aren't brother and sister...they were together, but they broke up. LittleGirl!God's parting words to Joan: "Have fun."

Third Scene

It's daytime and Joan is walking alone outside of Arcadia High. Iris rushes to catch up with her. Joan's greeting to Iris sounds less than thrilled.

Iris tells Joan that Adam invited her to the White Stripes concert tomorrow night. Iris seems to be happy with this, which bothers Joan (though she tries not to show it). Joan is all, "Really? Great."

Iris says that she wanted to tell Joan to make sure that Joan was cool with it. Joan's very peeved response: "Why would I care?"

Iris replies that she'd sensed a weird "item" vibe between Joan and Adam. Joan asks, "Yeah?" and then quickly corrects Iris: she and Adam are just friends.

Iris thinks that that's cool. Joan agrees that it is, and then asks Iris if she likes Adam. Iris says she likes Adam enough to go see a band that she doesn't really like. Joan says that that's cool, and then she takes off, saying she has to go study. As she is leaving the "jealousy [is] overwhelming her."

Fourth Scene

At the Girardi house. Helen is "trying to get her teaching act together" by working on a lesson plan. Luke is packing up some books to go study somewhere. Helen is telling Luke that she was planning to bring in the work of an artist from the Italian Renaissance to help her students better understand that period, but then she thought that instead maybe she should try to get them to "free themselves from form" by having them just randomly throw paint at the canvas "like Pollack."

Luke quips that that sounds like a good idea if Helen wants to clean up after them.

As Helen is considering this, Kevin wheels into the room -- he's dressed up for a date with Rebecca. Kevin tells his mom that he might be back late, so not to wait up. Helen tells Kevin that he looks very good, and then she asks Luke, "Doesn't he look nice?" Luke wants to know if his participation is really required for this kind of conversation. Kevin snarks that the dating thing is kind of beyond Luke, as there isn't enough science involved in it.

(Note: I don't think that's the end of the scene, but it is the end of the page. So...)

Fifth Scene

Where we pick up, Joan says, "Okay everyone, line up to clobber your work." She's talking to the kids, who follow her lead...she hands one of them, George, a broom handle and tells him to go ahead have at it.

It turns out she's talking about a pinata. The kids are all taking turns hitting it and cheering and stuff.

Then, Iris walks in. She sees what they are doing and freaks out completely, screaming at the kids to stop -- she even starts crying. Joan is taken aback. Iris asks Joan if she thinks it's funny to beat something, if she thinks that any of them (meaning Iris and the kids) want to see someone swinging a stick. At which point Iris grabs the broom handle from one of the kids and throws it to the other side of the room.

Iris tells Joan that she had to watch her father beat her mother with a stick like that -- that he kept the stick next to his chair so that it would always be ready in case he needed it. And then, after her mother, it would be Iris' turn for a beating. "Why would you do this!?" she asks Joan.

Joan can't think of anything to say. Iris looks around and sees all of the kids staring at her, frightened. She runs out of the room, still crying.

Joan's first instinct is to run after Iris, but she stops herself and looks back at the kids, realizing she can't leave them unsupervised. Luckily, she sees LittleGirl!God, who Joan appoints as "in charge" of everyone else until she gets back. (Note: Talk about leaving the kids in capable hands!) Then she goes after Iris.

Joan finds Iris out in the hall. Iris is still crying. Joan apologizes, saying that if she had known she never would have let the kids beat the pinata. Iris replies that Joan did know what kind of lives all of the kids have led and the reason they were all involved in art therapy. Joan's response is that the kids did want to hit the pinata and had asked to do it. Iris says that she herself had told the kids no -- didn't the kids tell Joan that?

Joan says that she hadn't realized, that she's such an idiot, that she just thought it would be a chance for the kids to have fun.

Iris tries to pull herself together and tells Joan that it's okay, that she should never have broken down in front of the kids...that doing that was worse than the pinata. Joan says that she should have just asked Iris before letting the kids do it...Iris says that she just gets so scared, seeing stuff like that, and that it's not Joan's fault.

Joan, still feeling a little awkward, gives Iris a hug and asks her how the concert was. Iris manages a smile and says it was good. Joan remarks, "You know they aren't brother and sister."

Sixth Scene

The Girardi house. Luke is sitting at the table eating when Kevin wheels in to get himself a drink. Both feel awkward. Finally Kevin says that he's been thinking about what Luke said.... Luke interrupts Kevin, saying he has to study. Kevin wheels over to Luke and closes the book Luke's got with him. He tells Luke, "It wasn't your fault. I was a dick. And not having legs doesn't make me any less of one now."

Luke replies that it doesn't excuse him (Luke) from thinking what he had.

Kevin denies this, saying that it does excuse Luke. Then he thinks about it and wonders, "Doesn't it?"

Seventh Scene

It's night-time outside of Arcadia High...Joan is standing with some kids who are waiting to be picked up by their parents. She is surprised to see Adam there and says "hey" to him.

That's the end of the page.

(posted by Chickie): Adam shows up and goes to get Iris and they hold hands, which makes Joan tear up. Joan talks to Little Girl God and says she doesn't understand why she's so jealous and hateful of Iris. God says "Without jealousy, there couldn't be compassion. Without hate, there couldn't be love"

(posted by Chickie, from Sci-Fi Wire article about AT and her father, Russ Tamblyn): In an episode to air in February, the elder Tamblyn appears as God in the form of a hippie dog walker, Amber said. "He actually grew his beard out so that he could look scruffy, like a hippie," she said. "It was a lot of fun. He was walking six dogs, these big dogs, and they started wrapping around us and tying us up together. It's going to be a really funny scene."

(posted by Chickie, script scene referred to in above snippet):
JOAN: That's great. That's hilarious. You know what you are? You're passive aggressive. (mocking) God suggests I do something...but I have a choice. Like I'm not going to do what God suggests. (falling apart) Look at me! I'm yelling at God!
DOG WALKER GOD: It's okay. I get it a lot.
Dog Walker God walks off with his dogs YAPPING in tow.

JOAN: (calling after him) Why am I working with kids? Why are you torturing me? (beat) I hope they pee on you!

Chickie's note: And then the next scene has Joan working with a kid who's peed his pants. Hee!

(posted by Slayerfan714, from the TV Guide site): Joan's excited about going to a White Stripes concert with Adam, but the thrill is gone after he becomes infatuated with a girl in his art class. Elsewhere, Will is already operating on a dangerously short fuse when he loses his composure over an unwanted work assignment, and Kevin receives pointers about maintaining a sex life, while Luke acts resentful of his older brother's returning confidence.

[img]smilies/star.gif[/img] (posted by Payton Tyler): Also, did you guys get next weeks TV guide yet? There was a side picture add for Night Without Stars. I'd scan it, but my scanners broken. Anyway, it showed a picture of Joan, holding a heart necklace looking really depressed and the caption read "Will God's request cause Joan's first broken heart?" [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

[img]smilies/star.gif[/img] (cast info contribution from Slayerfan714, Chickie and Elizajoey):
* CafeteriaLady!God (actress Baadja-Lyne Odums), last seen in the pilot episode, returns for NWS.
* LittleGirl!God (actress Juliette Goglia), returns as well.
* Speculation is that Iris will be played by actress Misti Traya. [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

Quote:

[img]smilies/hug.gif[/img] Episode 1.16: Ties That Bind [img]smilies/hug.gif[/img]
Directed by: Unknown
Written by: Unknown
Original Airdate: February 20th

(posted by ~ Chickie ~): God (in the form of a guy playing and singing "What If God Was One of Us" horribly off-key in the street) tells Joan to reach out to this girl, Casper, who lives at a homeless shelter. Casper's into jump rope and Joan goes to join her and has to get in the double dutch thing to prove herself to Casper. After much prodding, Casper goes to have dinner with Joan's family but leaves when she finds out that her dad's a cop. Joan tries to get her back in school.

Kevin and someone named Michelle Turner who is firting hardcore with him in the bookstore. Kevin's incredibly nervous and uncomfortable. They eventually go out on a date. He's still nervous, blushing...but she's very forward...and they kiss.

Adam has made some mixed media piece that's supposed to represent what's inside him. They're angry and disturbing and Helen is upset (apparently she did something before that made him angry?).

ETA: Adam is dating some girl named Iris. She's on Adam's side regarding Joan's mom and Joan finds herself defending her mom.

I see a lot of Joan/Adam shippers and this may be of interest. God also shows up in the form of a Double Dutch Girl and says:

"The connection you and Casper have, you think that's gone just because she went away? Is your connection with Adam gone because he's with Iris? Real connections, they can't be broken by time or space."

(posted by Chickie): Grace doesn't have a major storyline revolve around her in the script parts I've got [for NWS and TTB]. She's basically just giving advice to Joan (re: Adam) and being a friend. She's got some good lines though.

(quote from TTB, posted by Chickie):
GRACE: Rove and Iris, they're perfect for each other. They'll probably have a houseful of emotionally damaged babies by senior year.

(posted by guerinschick, from TVTome): God tells Joan to learn to jump rope in "Ties that Bind." Kevin goes on a date, but not with who you think. God appears as a mascot, a pizza guy and a double dutch jumper.

Quote:

[img]smilies/read.gif[/img] Episode 1.17: No Bad Guy [img]smilies/read.gif[/img]
Directed by: Unknown
Written by: Unknown
Original Airdate: Unknown

(originally posted by Chickie): This mean girl Angela is rude to this girl Alice. Joan defends Alice and in retaliation, Angela takes a picture of Joan with her cameraphone (they're in the locker room, wearing not much) and somehow it gets blown up into a poster in the hallway.

Everyone's angry. Joan complains to ExchangeStudentGod and he says to her that high school is nothing compared to the Crusades. He tells her to go sign up for band and bang on some drums to get rid of her anger.

Somehow Joan ends up on crutches?

Adam and Grace are plotting something big as revenge. Somehow Friedman gets her back by hacking into her journal and publicizing it. Iris reads a portion of it aloud about Angela's mom having cancer. Joan gets angry and rips the papers away from Iris.

...

I think the "lesson" is dealing with anger and it's not anyone's job to punish people but God's? Alice, the girl that gets picked on in the opening scene, tells Joan later on that she can't fight back with all of this stuff, because she's a Quaker. So that's why she takes part in band and another rock band of her own.

Okay about Joan being on crutches...instead of plotting revenge with Adam and Grace, God tells Joan to go home and do the laundry. Apparently nobody touches the laundry but Helen. Something happens with Luke pressing buttons, Joan standing in the laundry machine (?!?!?) and voila...Joan with a sprained ankle.

Oh I can't wait for this to get on camera!

ETA: I completely agree on the Iris thing. At first I'm thinking "okay, I can deal with her, she's got *some* purpose" and after reading this latest thing...she's just coming across as horribly horribly insensitive.

...

Okay, with the new episode numbering, No Bad Guy will be Iris' first episode. My CrazyShipperSpeculation is that Iris has more problems than we think. Maybe she's only showing off a certain side of herself to different people or whatever but...something just doesn't seem right.

Re: God, laundry, and band
He tells her to join band...and then he tells her to skip band practice one afternoon and do the laundry. Which, as God explains it, are just supposed to be distractions from how people have wronged her.

(originally posted by Chickie): Latest revisions, Full Blue version of the script for No Bad Guy: They rewrote the part of Angela's diary that Iris read. In the previous version Iris was aware that she picked up the part where Angela's mom had cancer. Now Iris reads the part where Angela talks about her own breasts and changes her tone when she gets to the cancer part.

(Side note: and I really wanted to hate Iris for that. Oh well.)

They rewrote the part where Alice talks to Joan about God. Alice also admits to Joan that God sort of instructs her to do things, she doesn't always understand them but she does them. Joan still doesn't confess that God talks to her and she sees him.

...

I think it's just because of Alice's religious beliefs/experience because Joan asks her if she's ever seen God and she says no. And when Alice asks her the same question, Joan doesn't answer.

(originally posted by Chickie):
INT. ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL - HALLWAY - DAY
Joan, still on crutches, makes her way down the hall.
ADAM'S VOICE: Jane!

He catches up to her, puts his hand on her arm.

ADAM: There's something you should know.

JOAN: You're all about Baby Voice. I get it. I swear on my honor to tolerate it, but only for you.

ADAM: No, the act of revenge. It's big.

[img]smilies/star.gif[/img] (posted by Wildfire Girl, from Film Jerk): Joan of Arcadia: Joan joins the band. I�m still waiting for God to tell the series� hero to make like Mary Magdalene. Or, in a promotional tie-in, tell her to join her church group to see �The Passion of the Christ.� [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

Quote:

Episode 1.18: Requiem of a 3rd Grade Ashtray
Directed by: Unknown
Written by: Unknown
Original Airdate: Unknown

[img]smilies/star.gif[/img] (posted by Chickie): Just skimming so far...Luke is sick and watching Dr. Phil. Grace has some family dinner and is not happy about it. Joan calls Iris Yoko Ono of the study group. Kevin sees the doctor. Adam has to load his artwork at the coffee shop, having his first art show. Joan calls Iris "Squeaky". Adam says he wanted Joan to be there, not Iris. Joan lets Adam down again. [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

Quote:

Various Episode Info

(posted by Chickie): Re: the not so positive Luke/Glynis reactions. You guys aren't the only ones. Even Joan is grossed out by them (it's quite funny). I just wish I had more of a reaction from Grace though...

(posted by Sweetwater Gal, from a Mercury News article about JoA): Hall and her writers have the rest of the season planned out -- although she wasn't willing to share. One thing that probably won't happen: Joan confiding to someone about her little chats with God. And it's likely that it will never be clear why God picked Joan to do his (or her) work.

If anyone else has anything they would like to share, please post!
-[-*colormist*-]-

Titles
JoA Spoilers/Specs #2: Only God knows.. no REALLY only God knows. (from Sweetwater Gal)
JoA Spoilers/Specs #2: What if God were...a cute boy! (from Neany)
JoA Spoilers/Specs #2: It's a Joan, it's a Jane, no - it's Cousin Florien (from Neany)
JoA Spoilers/Specs #2: We're Stupid About Spoilers (from The_OC_girl)

[ 02-04-2004: Message edited ColorMist ]