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Original Air Date: March 14, 2008
SARAH TOMPKINS, a successful children’s book editor in her late 30s, just broke up with her boyfriend of ten years named Matt. Although they were together for a decade, they never got married or had children. As a result, Sarah’s father is gravely concerned that if she waits much longer, she’ll never have kids because she’ll be too old.
Despite her anal-retentiveness and dedication to her career, Sarah is ready to have a child, and she pursues getting pregnant with a sperm donor. Her doctor informs her that she won’t be able to conceive, however, because she has a condition called Asherman’s Syndrome that causes scarring on the uterus. It’s possible to correct the problem surgically sometimes, but not in Sarah’s case.
Sarah’s first reaction to the news is disbelief. So, she tells her doctor a childhood story about how she wanted to be a cheerleader, which required doing cartwheels. She couldn’t, though, and she forced herself to stay outside one day until she learned how to do them perfectly in both directions. Unimpressed, the doctor suggests she consider adoption. But, Sarah is against that option because she doesn’t even like strangers using her bathroom.
Sarah takes the adoption literature the doctor offers anyway, and we next see her frazzled after having dinner with MARCUS, her “no drama, no emotions, just sex” man-friend. Marcus notices that Sarah’s been out of it all evening, but since they don’t discuss anything significant, all she does is bawl and talk nonsense.
This scene really brought home to me just how annoying I find Parker Posey‘s performance in the lead role of Sarah Tompkins. Her facial expressions and body language are painfully unappealing and distracting. I keep thinking of a horse when she does that slack-jaw thing with her mouth hanging open, and a ditz when she starts flailing her arms around while bobbing her head. Combined with the equally annoying, forced way she delivers her lines, the mannerisms make her character seem too airheaded to have a top job in a demanding industry like publishing.
Anyway, moving on…
Next, Sarah goes to a rundown diner to meet with her younger sister COCO, whom she hasn’t seen or talked to in almost a year. Coco arrives last and sits in the booth next to Sarah’s instead of the one Sarah’s already occupying. After prolonged, antagonistic chitchat meant to show how estranged the women are, Sarah finally gets around to asking Coco to act as a surrogate mother for her.
Coco is predictably shocked that her sister would request such a thing, given that they are not and have never been close. She understands a bit better when Sarah reveals her medical diagnosis, although she still doesn’t agree to carry Sarah’s child.
Before leaving, Sarah dumps everything in her purse on the table in order to find her wallet and give Coco some money. This gives Coco the opportunity to find the book Sarah is carrying, The True Adventures of Jezebel James. She then learns that Sarah turned her imaginary childhood friend Jezebel James into an independent, strong-willed teenage heroine in a series of novels.
After the meeting, Coco returns to her friend’s dingy apartment, where she’s sleeping on the couch, and reads the book about Jezebel. She then goes to Sarah’s job and gives her sister the news she’ll carry the baby, causing much hugging and ecstasy on the editor’s part.
RESOURCES
- The Return of Jezebel James Episode Guide
- The Return of Jezebel James Summary
- The Return of Jezebel James Website
