Episode #403 "Pay You Back With Interest"

When Eddie shows up with his new electric car, Jimmy can't believe how dorky it is. He also can't believe that his uncle traded his huge, gold S.U.V. for a bumper car. Eddie claims he's just being sensitive to the environment. Sean sees right through him. Eddie's trying to impress the hippie chick from the bar. Lily's begging Claudia to give her money to have the tattoo on her back removed. Henry says it looks like a brown elf. It's a golden sprite, says Lily indignantly. They don't have any money, Claudia tells her. They have enough, Lily points out, for Claudia to suddenly enroll in college. At the bar, Eddie pitches a direct e-mail marketing scheme and wants Sean to invest, but Sean wants no part of it. Back at the Finnertys, Brad comes in, and he's clearly upset. Lily tells Claudia that it's all her fault for not paying for the tattoo removal. It seems that Brad has discovered that the tattoo on Lily's back says "Dean," and he's not a happy guy. Eddie and Sean come in, and Eddie ties to give Claudia his investment opportunity pitch, but she's not buying either. Eddie breaks down and confesses that he's broke; he can't even pay his rent. He doesn't know how it happened; he just has a lot of overhead. He further confesses that his S.U.V. was repossessed. Sean is stunned. Eddie's skated through life for years while Sean sweated in a subway tunnel. Eddie's never even filed a tax return. Now Eddie's asking a working stiff like him for a loan. Eddie heads for the door. Sean can keep his precious money! Sean relents and offers to write him a check. No way! But Sean follows Eddie to his car, and Eddie "reluctantly" accepts the check. The next day, Sean's reading the paper in the living room when Eddie comes in wearing new shoes. They look pricey. They were, says Eddie. He had money left over after he paid the rent, and he has to treat himself right. A very frustrated Claudia enters. She stood in line at the college for an hour and a half to register only to learn that her name isn't in the computer. Sean doesn't know what she's talking about. She's registering for classes? He never listens to anything she tells him, protests Claudia. Sean pulls Eddie aside. Sean needs the money back right away. He gave Eddie Claudia's college money. Claudia overhears, and she realizes that her tuition check must have bounced. She's furious. It's their money, and she should have been consulted. Lily tells Brad that it looks as if her parents want her to keep the stupid tattoo forever. Brad pulls out a wad of cash. He was saving to buy her an iPod for Christmas, but this is more important. Lily wants the iPod badly, so she thinks fast. She tells Brad that since she dumped Dean for him, that tattoo is actually a monument to Brad. Brad kind of likes that idea, but Lily will have to look surprised at Christmas. Sean tells Claudia that he wasn't spending their money; he was loaning it. But Eddie insists on making things right. They're right; he's a bum! Sean tells Claudia that it's okay; they can afford for her to take classes. Later, Eddie slips Sean an envelope full of cash. He's given up his apartment and moved to a much smaller place that he can afford-above a Chinese restaurant, with a shared shower.