'Swingtown': 'Deep' Thoughts

Reems may even have worked marital magic on his hosts, Tom and Trina, and not just because he inevitably ended up taking the party to the basement. (So far, he's the only character who has a better mustache than Tom.) Tom reassured Trina that he loved her and that no one would come between them — the way Trina, back when she was a stewardess, had come between Tom and his ex. He also assured her that there'd be no hanky-panky during his Tokyo layovers. We saw the party animals among Tom's flight crew bring the carousing to his hotel room, but we didn't see Tom do anything he'd have to apologize to Trina for later. Still, I have a feeling that Trina will start to demand more from Tom — that is, to recognize that even she has limits to what she'll put up with in her marriage, and that she has the right to demand that Tom respect those limits.

As for the kids, B.J. and Samantha are becoming awfully adorable. B.J. is happy with who he is, unlike Samantha, who said she wished she were Nadia Comaneci (the kids were watching the Romanian gymnast on TV) because then people would think she was perfect. B.J.'s gesture, holding up a ''10.0'' sign outside her window, was aw-shucks sweet. Also sweet was Samantha's reconciliation with her mother (after the latter had unsuccessfully thrown herself at Reems at the party), reassuring Gail that she didn't think her mom was a bad person, just an unhappy one. Still, the differences in their home lives could mean rough waters ahead for the teenage not-quite-a-couple, as suggested by B.J.'s apprehensive expression looking at Samantha and Gail's tearful moment.

I'm also not sure where the Laurie-Mr. Stephens relationship is going. His diffidence toward her could be read as an attempt to return to more formal and appropriate teacher-student roles (yeah, good luck there), or an effort to keep his passions in check during the last week of school, or coy flirtation. Laurie was more overt, bringing him late-night doughnuts as he graded papers, but while it was clear where she wanted things to go, she was still on her best behavior. She managed to neutralize her wild-card ex, Logan, who observed that he had the power to get Mr. Stephens fired. Laurie countered that she knew from experience that Logan could be sweet and chivalrous when he wanted to, and that he had the power to do the right thing and let her have what she wanted.

So, what do you think? How long will Logan's silence last? Did Tom misbehave in Tokyo in ways we weren't shown? Will Roger stop thinking about Susan now that things are heating back up with Janet? Will Bruce have to learn to love TV dinners? Will Samantha ever truly warm up to B.J.? And where was Rick this week?

You Might Also Like

• Television Commentary Does 'Swingtown' sizzle or fizz | Henry Goldblatt, Ken Tucker
• Photo Gallery 'Swingtown': A '70s fashion affair | Lindsay Soll