Solid Citizens

Solid Citizens is the tenth episode of season two. Content warnings: profanity, public sharing of medical information, and gaslighting.

The transcript can be found here.

Episode description
Find entertainment where you can. Public revelations. We always knew it would come to this.

Summary
Dot is convincing Lily to attend the town meeting that night. Lily is sure that it will be boring, but Dot views it as one of the best kinds of entertainment, comparing it to a petting zoo and community theatre. Abbie is eager to attend, as part as their research into the town. Lily eventually agrees to go just to keep an eye on Dot.

Lily then brings up Wes, and the three of them discuss some of the possible supernatural things about him: how he tends to appear as if from nowhere; how he's never been to Julian; the strangeness of his house; the fact that he has a gravestone; the incident with the radiators and him not remembering his address; and his epileptic fit during the celery festival.

Dot points out those none of the things conclusively mean that Wes is a ghost, and that there's other things about Wes; that he helps with the accounts, that his ghost tours are corny, that he has a habit of biting his nails and spitting them on the floor, and that a series of unconnected details doesn't make Wes a ghost. She adds that while Wes is strange, he came to Fenwood exactly when she needed help and that they should still treat him like a person.

Feeling tired, Dot goes upstairs to have a nap before the town meeting, and Lily and Abbie finish preparing the snacks, both confirming that they need to talk to Wes.

At the mayor's office, Chester welcomes Mayor Lopez back into town from Washington. Lopez finishes up his call, and the two of them make small talk about Lopez's campaign for Senate seat. Chester turns the conversation to the town meeting, but Lopez seems more interested in the knot in his necktie, trying out several during the scene.

Lopez wants to skip the town meeting, but Chester explains the situation of the budget shortfall and Fenwood owing $30,000 in exception fees. He outlines his plans to repurpose Fenwood as a tourist attraction, taking ownership of the house away from Dot and forgiving the debt. Lopez is unsure of how the situation will appear to the council, but Chester assures him it will look like steadfast leadership. Assured by this, and settling on the Eldridge knot, Lopez agrees.

At the town meeting, there is a unanimous decision to double fines for unattended fires, due to the recent fire in the woods. As Bonnie Buckley talks about her proposal for student athletic centres, Abbie, Dot, and Lily whisper among themselves; Lily is entertained by the meeting, despite her initial reservations. As the meeting is about to come to a close, Mayor Lopez stands and asks if he make a proposal. The council members agree it's irregular, but allow him to talk.

At the microphone, Lopez talks about the budget deficient and Fenwood. From the audience, Dot asks him what his plans are, and Lopez explains the proposed tourism scheme that includes both the house and the observatory. Lily and Abbie are both outraged, since the debt is due to Ohio's outdated brothel law. Dot strides over to the microphone, ready to make a statement in response, but not knowing where to start when she gets there. Lopez says that he knows Dot has Alzheimer’s, that he sees the proposal as being for the best for her.

Dot snaps that she simply needed a moment and takes the microphone back. She acknowledges that yes, she owes $30,000 worth of bribery so that Fenwood isn't classified as a brothel, that she hadn't been able to pay for several years because of her growing memory problems. She then talks about how towns aren't built from money but by people being there for each other, and speaks of all the things in the town she's grateful for - the stars at night, The Golden Groove, local ice-cream in the summer, seeing people at Halloween; all of her memories of the town and of Fenwood. Dot asks for her debts to be forgiven, asks to be allowed to stay in her house and make a few more memories even as she knows she'll lose them.

After her speech, Russell Epstein chews Lopez out, calling the exception fee an injustice to Dot's family, and saying that if Lopez spent more time in Mount Absalom he wouldn't be advocating the town becoming overrun with tourists. Chastised, Lopez withdraws his proposal and leaves, asking to speak to Chester outside. As the meeting is adjourned, Russell asks that they discuss a referendum to forgive any debts owed by Fenwood House at the next town meeting, and Lily gives Dot a tight hug.

Abbie asks how Mayor Lopez knew about Dot's Alzheimer's, given that it isn't common knowledge and that he's barely in town. They all conclude that Chester must have found out. Dot had hoped she would have more time before people started treating her like she had Alzheimer's, but leans into it, asking Lily to go to the cat shelter in Julian with Wes. Abbie points that Wes doesn't go to Julian, and Dot realises that they still need to talk to him about his supernatural-ness.

Post-Credit Fact
The Delphic Order makes charitable contributions to a number of local organizations including the Mount Absalom Historical Society, the Mount Absalom Public Library, the Mount Absalom Rotary Club, Mount Absalom High School, and Mount Absalom Family Medical.

Cast

 * Clarisa Cherie Rios as Lily
 * Marsha Harman as Dot
 * Kathleen Hoil as Abbie
 * José Angel Donado as Mayor Lopez
 * Pat King as Chester
 * Clint Worthington as Russel Epstien
 * Corbette Pasko as Maureen de Souza
 * Catherine Dvorak as Bonnie Buckley

Crew

 * Writer: Bilal Dardai
 * Sound design: Ryan Schile
 * Director: Jeffrey Nils Gardner
 * Music composer: by 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