Episode 58 – Long Distance Call

It is young Billy’s birthday and his grandmother, with whom he has an abnormally close relationship, gives him a toy phone so that he can talk to her whenever he wants. Grandma dies shortly after the party, and Billy mopes around a lot. Billy’s mom overhears him talking on his play phone, and he tells her he was talking to his grandmother. Apparently, grandma is lonely and wants Billy to come stay with her.

The next day, while being watched by a babysitter, Billy runs out in front of a car. He is ok, but he told the driver of the car that nearly hit him that somebody told him to. According to the babysitter, Billy hadn’t been talking to anyone, just his toy phone. When confronted by his parents, Billy won’t admit to talking to his grandma, but once his parents leave he goes right back to his phone.

Late at night, Billy’s mom hears Billy talking and sneaks into his room. When she grabs his toy phone from him, she hears Billy’s grandma on the other end. She screams and Billy runs out of the room. After a short search, they find Billy in the pond on the patio. (Somehow, Billy has managed to drown in about 60 seconds.) Billy’s chances for survival don’t look good. Distraught, Billy’s father picks up the toy phone and pleads for Billy’s life, hoping his mother can hear him.

Downstairs in his iron lung, Billy suddenly recovers. Billy’s father’s pleas for grandma to not rob Billy of his life seem to have worked.

This was another fun episode, though it suffers a bit from being one of six episodes shot on video for this season as a cost-saving measure. Billy is a shitty actor, but then again, he’s a kid. The looks on Billy’s mom’s face as grandma dotes on Billy are pretty priceless. She conveys a great mix of jealously and anger each time. A solid showing.