Episode 115: Independence Day
When we last left off with Kevin in the gripping cliffhanger of the last episode, he had just witnessed the love of his life, Winnie Cooper, getting a serious snog on with hunky head lifeguard Eric. Side note: Although the last two episodes in syndication and on Netflix are considered separate, because they originally aired as one long hour-long episode I'll always consider it as such. But for the purposes of these write-ups, I broke it down into two episodes so I could write up more without boring everyone. Also, because a tiny part of me wanted to prolong this a wee bit longer. Kevin's a wreck, lying around the busboys cabin, when Jack shows up unexpectedly. They have a quick talk - Kevin expected him to grovel and ask him back, but Jack just wants to give him some clean underwear (and cookies). He thinks Kevin screwed up, and wants him to come home to make his mother happy. Kevin, of course, wants none of it and sends Jack away. In a huff, he heads to the pool to talk with Winnie, and that goes about as well as expected. He says that it wasn't a good idea to go up there (meaning Winnie), but Winnie agrees that he's right - and he should go. Kevin confesses that he saw Winnie and Eric kissing, hoping that Winnie will understand how distraught he is, but she takes to mean that he was spying on her, earning him a push into the pool. That night, Kevin heads off to play poker with the band, expecting to win big (millions? Thousands? Hundreds?) and has to toss in his car keys to cover his bets. It's at that point he realizes that the band duped him earlier, when every single one of them has a better hand than him, and he no longer has a car. The next morning, he storms into the dining room of the resort, knocks out Eric with one punch, and tells Winnie that he'll be leaving. OK, c'mon, if you're a guy, you know you clenched your fist and said YEAH when Kevin decked him. Without a car, Kevin's reduced to hitchhiking home, and thankfully an older couple stops to give him a lift to the bus station. Unfortunately for Kevin, sitting in the back seat is Winnie. Turns out she got fired after Kevin's takedown of Eric. They immediately start arguing, and get kicked out of the car, so they decide to continue their argument on the side of the road. Kevin calls Winnie a tramp (uncalled for), and she tosses his luggage into the middle of the road. Kevin retaliates by doing the same, and then of course a truck comes by and demolishes it all. Of course, this is when the skies open up and it pours. The two run for it, and find shelter in a barn. Sitting with their backs to each other, Kevin whines about how he doesn't really know Winnie any more. She counters that he's changed as well, and they're growing apart. She quietly lets him know that it was bound to happen, that they had to grow up. Kevin confesses that he thought they'd always be together, but admits that he is realizing it's not going to happen. Winnie lets him know it's not... but tearfully admits that she doesn't want it to end.
Image from btvguide.com And so, shivering, wet, and alone, Kevin begins to kiss away Winnie's tears and the two wrap each other up in a blanket to stay warm and continue making out. Adult Kevin gives us his memories of Winnie, how much he loved her, and how much she meant in his life. It's been hotly debated for years over whether or not the two became intimate, but that's a discussion for another time. The next day, Kevin and Winnie made it home on the 4th of July, and met up with the Arnolds at the local parade. Adult Kevin lets us know what became of all of our favorite characters - I don't want to say anything here in case there's still a few of you who've never experienced this final scene in it's entirety. All I'll say is... I still can't watch this scene without welling up with tears. Every time. Every. Time.
If you want to watch it right now, here it is on YouTube. Interestingly, the narration is delivered over the song "Prologue", from Randy Newman's soundtrack to "The Natural". It's a beautiful piece, and sort of ironic that the end of the series is underscored by music that opens something else.
Side note #2 - I'm pretty sure the ebony Remo Pinstripe heads on the marching band's bass drum are an anachronism. I'm almost positive the ebony series wasn't introduced until the mid-80's. But I could be wrong. It's a final closure on the series, settling everyone's futures, and a few moments that allow us to say goodbye to the characters we grew to love, either over the years when the show first aired, or over a few short weeks if you binged on Netflix. No, things don't turn out exactly the way you planned, according to Adult Kevin, and he's right - you never know what life is going to toss your way. "Growing up happens in a heartbeat; one day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of houses. A yard, like a lot of other yards. On a street, like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back... with wonder."
