Episode #303 "Lucas Discordia"

  Pauline invites Ruth to a concert at Carnegie Hall. Hilton insists on driving them and waiting until the performance is over to drive them home. Ruth is upset because it was supposed to be a ladies’ night. Griffin has had a fight with his girlfriend because in the car she always scans the radio stations and never listens to a whole song. Hilton says couples always have to deal with annoying habits that lead to arguments. For example, Ruth never orders dessert but is always swiping bites of his. When Ruth finds out Hilton has been talking about her, she’s angry. If she had a problem with Hilton, she would tell him, not everyone else. Hilton tells Pauline that Ruth is probably lighting the "argument candle." Ruth once read that couples shouldn’t go to sleep angry, that they should resolve the argument, blow out the candle and then go to sleep. Hilton muses that it’s really unlike Ruth to get angry over such a little thing. As Hilton tries to sort out the problem with Ruth, they move on to a couple of new arguments, and Hilton realizes that Ruth is hesitant to talk about whatever is really bothering her. Finally, Ruth confesses that during the two years of Hilton’s retirement, they’ve had nothing but togetherness. They have no separate time to themselves. His driving her and Pauline to the concert is just one example of this. She loves spending time with him but not all the time. She’s not mentioned this before because, for so long, Hilton was unhappy about being laid off. Now he seems content with retirement, so she’s telling him. Hilton understands but he tells Ruth never to hide a problem like this from him again. She agrees, and they blow out the candle with a kiss.