Episode 6x13 "We'll Have A Good Time Then..."

At the end of the previous episode, Shawn decided he needed time alone, but it seems that time has come and gone. He's hanging out with Cory again today, as they walk into The Union and coincidentally meet up with Jack. The plot is set in motion when some fellow informs Shawn that an old guy is taking everybody's money at the pool table, and Shawn quickly recognizes him as his father, Chet. The last time we saw our favorite deadbeat was season 5, episode 2, and I for one am happy to see him again. He always brings so much life and energy to the show.

Shawn claimed earlier that he's never beaten his father at pool before, but manages to do so today and win back everyone's money. He doesn't make a big deal out of it though, which is a nice touch. Chet goes to buy a Pennbrook sweatshirt, while Shawn explains to Jack that Chet is going to be leaving soon, no matter how much he insists that he's staying.

The Hunter men find themselves at The Apartment later after lunch. It's pretty much exactly what we'd expect. Chet's got his trademark swagger and starts flirting with Rachel, still insistent that he's going to stay this time, while Shawn lurks in the background knowing all too well that his father has never followed through on that promise in the past. Rachel takes a picture of the Hunters, and Chet takes a picture of Jack hugging Rachel, which is Eric's cue to storm into The Apartment and pull them apart.

Even Eric knows that Chet never really stays.

Shawn and Chet mince words about whether he's staying or not, and the phone starts to ring. Eric answers, and hands it to... Chet... How the hell... Why is no one questioning the fact that Chet just got a call at The Apartment? Not one person comments on how strange this is. Regardless, it's a buddy of his, offering a job in Vegas dealing blackjack. We're given the impression that it's a lucrative opportunity, and Chet doesn't say yes or no right away, prompting Shawn to jump on his case about leaving again. There's this whole whiny self loathing rant from Shawn as he realizes he's exactly like his father, running away from the people who care about him. And I mean, it's sort of true, like with Angela, but he says "I hurt everybody I care about" and that's just being dramatic. It's really only Angela that he's hurt.

Shawn hating himself is somehow the turning point for Chet, who declares that he'll call his friend back and decline the job, but just as he says that, Chet has a heart attack. Or rather, a myocardial infarction, since I was watching House on netflix last night.

At the hospital, tensions continue to rise between Shawn and Jack. Jack has proceeded through this episode as if he knows Chet the same way Shawn does, or at least that's how Shawn sees it. But Shawn's the one who's always had to deal with their father's BS, so.. Gah, I can't think of the right word. I keep wanting to say that Shawn doesn't think Jack deserves to be so concerned, but that's not the right word. It's something like that. It's a compelling dynamic, either way.

Cory and Topanga are talking about wedding stuff, including Cory's vows, which Topanga wrote for him to say, and that shouldn't surprise anybody. Topanga wants to go snorkeling in Bermuda during their honeymoon, but Cory's really only interested in staying in the hotel room.

Damn... That's the realest shit I ever heard.

Angela's there too, and the gang are soon informed about Shawn's father being in the hospital. There really isn't a whole lot going on this episode for a while. First we have Eric and Rachel visiting Chet, but who cares? They have no relation to him at all. The one significant thing is that he asks Rachel to get Jack a birthday gift for him, which she agrees to.

Jack and Shawn argue some more out in the waiting room. Shawn is convinced that he's exactly like his father, always running away from relationships, and Jack tries to calm him down, unsuccessfully. Feeny and the Matthews parents arrive and offer their sympathies and all that to the Hunter boys, and proceed into Chet's room. I feel like they missed a GIGANTIC opportunity in this scene. Shawn grew so much in the second half of season 5, and this is the perfect setup or Feeny to tell Chet how proud he is of Shawn, or something like that. You know what I mean? It just feels like it should be happening, but it doesn't. Their only exchange is an agreement to play pool against each other.

Chet does have a more meaningful exchange with Alan though. He asks him to look after his boys when he's "gone", meaning, once he's moved to Vegas. So indeed, Chet hasn't changed one bit. Shawn is right about him. Feels kind of like when Will's dad ditches him in that one episode of Fresh Prince. I think he even a similar conversation with Uncle Phil that Chet's having with Alan. It hits hard, it's hard to watch.

It's finally time for Shawn and Jack to have their turn in the room, and... I don't know I've watched this scene five times and I'm still not sure what to write. I mean, you kinda just... have to see it... But Shawn and Chet finally get all of their issues out in the open, and tearfully agree that they need each other. It's a fantastic scene, they really nailed this one.

Shawn thinks the only way to stop being like his father is with his father's help, and Chet promises that he's going to stay this time. Shawn believes him this time, and so do I. Chet pulls out the gift he had Rachel get for Jack, and just as Jack starts to open it Chet has another heart attack. The last thing he says here is "I'm sorry, Shawn."

Everyone's gathered out in the waiting room while Jack finishes opening the gift, but we don't quite see what it is yet. A surgeon enters the room and informs the Hunter boys that their father died on the table.

That's honestly one of my favorite shots in the entire series. Rider and Matthew look perfect right there, and Alan's reaction is absolutely heartbreaking. I love how they wrote the surgeon's line too. There's no warning to the audience, we're not prepared for this at all. Even Feeny is convinced that Chet's going to make it out. But the very first thing he says is "We lost him..." and it hits you like a train, just "holy shit...". Extremely well done, extremely emotional, A+.

The last shot of the episode shows us what that gift is, and it's a framed picture, the one Rachel took earlier of the three Hunter men.

There's no "during the credits" in this episode, and that was absolutely the right call.

Why did the writers want to emotionally devastate Shawn so completely? It seems almost sadistic, but it's also excellent. As a writer or creator, you have to push your characters to their limits to see what they're really made of. The extremes are where we can truly explore a character. So while we're all obviously hurting for Shawn, we're also caught in the development, and we want to see where he goes from here. On the other hand, killing off a character is a classic technique for boosting ratings mid-season, so I guess it depends on how cynical you want to be about this.

Plot: 1.0 - I think I have adequately explained this already.

Character Development: 1.0 - Shawn.

Humor: 0.5 - It was about as good as you could hope for, for an episode this dark. Cory and Eric snuck in a few jokes, and Chet was funny in the first half.

Life Lesson: 1.0 - "I need you dad."

3.5 out of 4.0. Honestly the score doesn't matter. You'll either love or hate this episode. For the casual viewer it will seem needlessly dramatic and sad, and really not what you're looking for in a sitcom, but if you're invested in the characters like I am, it is exceptional.

Thanks for reading, see you Monday.

All images used under Fair Use.