The Diner

The Diner is the second episode of season one. Content warnings: misgendering (quickly corrected), descriptions of spoiled food, extensive discussions of food, mild jump scares, threatening people, fire, and conflict within family.

The transcript can be found here.

Episode Description
In which food becomes an issue.

Summary
Investigating noses coming from the pantry, Dot finds Lily throwing away old cans of food that had expired. She also finds out that Lily has thrown out all of the casseroles because they had been in the fridge for more than three days. They argue about this, with Dot insisting that both the cans and the casseroles were fine, and Lily saying that both were a health hazard. During the argument, the radiators begin to clang, growing louder and louder as Lily yells, only quietening when Lily apologises. Dot attributes this to the ghosts of Fenwood morning the loss of the ham balls casserole.

Abbie, the current boarder, comes down, thanking whoever threw out the casseroles as they were 'becoming a non-option'. Lily, trying to organise dinner, offers to get takeout, but Wes points out that, since Mount Absalom is a small town, there isn't anywhere open at that time. Abbie mentions the 24 diner, which Wes insists doesn't exist, even though Abbie had seen it multiple times since moving to the town. Lily, wanting some space, decides to walk there, despite it being two miles away.

While walking, Lily calls her dad, expressing her frustration about Dot, and about how far away Fenwood is compared to the rest of town. During the call, Lily gets surrounded by a cloud of gnats, and shortly after, the call is cut off by bad signal.

Abbie drives by in their car, and offers to give Lily a lift. Lily says she's fine, but Abbie points out that Mount Absalom is a dark sky town; no streetlights, no light pollution, nothing but the thoughts in your head and the noises from animals. Lily accepts the lift. As the car radio plays, the two of them discuss their areas of work - Lily as a call-centre person for Spoodle, and Abbie's research in small town urban decay for their doctorate. They also discuss food options, deciding that the diner is their best option, since the only other options were over an hour away in the next town over.

At the diner, Lily and Abbie order three cheeseburgers, a burger-less cheeseburger (Hunter's doesn't do grilled cheese), and onion rings. While waiting, Lily notices there's no sanitation certificate or sign about health inspections. She asks for the manager, who claims that the diner has no need for health inspections because he is a gentleman. Baffled, Lily and Abbie take the food and leave. On the drive back, Lily decides that the food probably isn't safe to eat and throws it away, and they drive to the Seven-Eleven outside town to get frozen pizza.

Just as Dot is wondering whether they've gotten lost, Abbie and Lily return to Fenwood and begin getting the pizza ready. As the oven preheats, Lily asks for Abbie's impression of Wes, and Abbie says that he seems polite, 'like a Boy Scout', and that he's good for Dot. As the pizza is cooking, Abbie notices a burning smell, and smoke coming out of the oven. The fire alarm goes off. Dot comes down to investigate, and there's a brief panic as everyone struggles to turn the oven off. Wes calmly turns off both the oven and the fire alarm, and directs Abbie to fan the smoke out with the back door.

Checking the oven, Lily finds raw cake batter, which Dot had put in earlier and forgotten about. They start arguing over it, which eventually fizzles out after a few heated comments, and Dot goes up to bed early. Lily offers to make her up some cereal, as the pizza fell to the floor during the oven debacle, but Dot declines. Abbie continues to fan the kitchen.

Wes checks in on Dot, then says goodnight to Lily and Abbie. Lily then hears him playing a banjeaurine outside - Wes wanted to stay a bit longer in case Dot has trouble sleeping. The two of them has a terse conversation about Dot, before Lily tells Wes that he should be getting home. Wes says he'll be off in a bit, and that he's already called his parents letting them know where he is.

Post-Credit Fact
Notorious serial poisoner Deirdre Abernathy stayed at the Fenwood House for two nights in the April of 1935. Fortunately, she was not allowed to cook dinner.

Cast

 * Clarisa Cherie Rios as Lily
 * Marsha Harman as Dot
 * Kathleen Hoil as Abbie
 * Michael Turrentine as Wes
 * LaQuin Groves as Dale
 * Sebastian Orr as the Proprietor
 * Ele Matelan as the Waitress

Crew

 * Writer: Jessica Wright Buha
 * Sound design: Ryan Schile
 * Director: Jeffrey Nils Gardner
 * Music composer: Stephen Poon
 * Recording engineer: Mel Ruder
 * Lead sound designer: Ryan Schile
 * Executives Producers: Eleanor Hyde and Jeffrey Gardner
 * Theme performed by:
 * Stephen Poon
 * Lauren Kelly
 * Gunnar Jebsen
 * Travis Elfers
 * Mel Ruder
 * Betsey Palmer
 * Radio music:
 * Stardusk Encounter
 * Sadie and the Stark
 * Action Camp