(S02E21) Boy, did this episode speak to me.

Like Chris, I've never been very good at math. This is an example of how my brain tries to solve a basic math problem:

Problem: x + 9 = 18 - 2x

My Brain: I haven't had Corn Flakes in a long time.

See? It's like it doesn't even try. If numbers are involved, my brain pretty much shuts down and starts playing elevator music. Perhaps if I had been offered pizza like Chris' class I would have done better, but I doubt it. At least Chris had some outside help from his mother and grandmother. I also had outside help from a tutor, but despite her efforts, she just couldn't get through to me.

Well, actually, Chris' mother wasn't much help, since her method of teaching was to yell at Chris whenever he did something wrong. I found myself getting angry with her character for making it personal, rather than accepting that Chris fared better when his grandma taught him. At least by the end of the show she realized it was better that way. I did, however, love her little tirade when she found out Chris was sneaking around on her: "What else are you learnin' on the side? English? Science? History? Where does it stop?"

The B-story focusing on Julius trying to help out local thief Risky was decent, and I think as a whole the episode was a good study of Julius' and Rochelle's personalities. Rochelle makes everything personal, and Julius is an "old school" type who believes hard work and effort is its own reward. Of course, he's not above buying a few stolen good here and there.

I'm still iffy about Chris' teacher and her racism, though. I laughed when she told Chris she tried to accommodate him by having them serve "ribs and pig knuckles" rather than pizza, but statements like that seem blatantly racist rather than just ignorant. What I loved about her character originally is that, yes, she said racist things, but they were said with good (albeit stupid) intentions. Now, her character seems two-dimensional.

I'll give this one a 6 out of 7.