Speechless – S-I – SICK D-A– DAY

By: Taylor Gates

Maya (Minnie Driver) manages to peacefully get all the kids to school on time, having a solution for every problem that arises including forgotten food donations, unwritten book reports and red lights. She finishes off her morning by doing her favorite volunteering job—loudly directing people through the carpool line.

That afternoon, Maya simultaneously helps JJ (Micah Fowler) with his physical therapy while complimenting Ray’s (Mason Cook) space-based science project. She feels invincible until Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) sneezes into his hand, spreading his germs everywhere. She panics, demanding that everyone shield their noses and mouths as to not catch his illness. Jimmy (John Ross Bowie) explains that a cold can really take out a family like theirs since JJ takes longer to recover. Maya orders Kenneth to go home and Dylan (Kyla Kenedy) offers to attend classes with JJ and read his board for the day.

Dylan is disgusted and confused that all the upperclassmen seem to be giving each other back rubs, but her tune changes when she spies an attractive boy, Chase (Matt Cornett). JJ immediately notices Dylan’s crush and warns her against flirting with him. Dylan insists they’re just friends, but her actions tell a different story. She cakes on crazy amounts of makeup to try and impress him and JJ fires her for embarrassing him.

The next morning, despite her best efforts, it’s clear Maya is too sick to take care of the kids. She reluctantly passes the torch to Jimmy, who does a surprisingly excellent job. He picks up donuts and runs a zen carpool lane.

Kenneth brings Maya some soup, apologizing for bringing the sickness into her house. He promises to take care of anyone who comes down with it. Maya is still trying to micromanage everything, but Kenneth encourages her to relax. They gossip together while he gives her a manicure and stylish haircut.

Jimmy joins the kids in their room. Maya is still sick so he’s forced to sleep in the “well room” with them. He warns the kids not to mention how well he did with them as Maya takes pride in everything she does for the family and how hard it is for her. Ray begins to sneeze and he is immediately banished to the “sick room” with Maya.

The next morning at the breakfast table, Maya announces that she’s fully returned to health. Jimmy tells her that his job is going to feel like a spa day compared to what she does, but this lie doesn’t convince Maya. She interrogates Jimmy when he gets home and he admits he wanted to make her feel important. Maya shoots back that she patronized him first—she took it easy on him. She hands him her real to-do list, which is pages longer than the tiny post-it she put him in charge of. Jimmy’s spirit deflates and he can’t think of anything he does besides work and occasionally chase away possums, making him feel like he brings nothing to the family. He sneezes, gets isolated in the sick room and yells for everyone to think of ways he adds value.

The house quickly erupts into chaos. Maya and Ray get into a screaming match about his now ruined school project and Dylan has put parental locks on the television as payback for JJ keeping her and Chase apart. Jimmy directs Kenneth on how to diffuse the situation: give Maya ice cream but tell her it is fat free yogurt, make Dylan do some physical activity, put on light jazz for JJ and coax Ray out of his room by saying something scientifically inaccurate.

Jimmy gets Ray to tell him what’s wrong with his project. He’s frustrated he can’t perfectly build a model of the moons of Mars and Jimmy suggests he just do his project about Earth’s moons instead. Maya sees this and has an epiphany—Jimmy is the moon of the family; he is the light in the darkest hours. The family decides to stay up all night and help Ray fashion a moon out of an aerobics ball.

The next day at the science fair, Dylan overhears Chase and his friend making fun of her “clown makeup.” She tells JJ he was right: Chase is a jerk. She realizes JJ was protecting her all along. JJ says even though he can’t drive her places or beat anyone up for her, he still has some big brother moves. Dylan tells him his methods are perfect, but her blossoming into womanhood is still happening.