In this week’s episode of Ruby, our southern belle confesses to having recurring nightmares, and she thinks it might be a good idea to videotape herself sleeping.
Ruby attended another one of her regular “Women’s Fat Night,” this time with special guest Tennie McCarthy, founder and CEO of Shades of Hope, a counselor who brings up the pattern of heavy women who eat as a way to fill a void for those who lacked a healthy relationship with their fathers. This was pretty evident in the women who attended the meeting. McCarthy refers to it as “Father Hunger.”
Next, Ruby meets up with Ron, her private investigator who she hired to help find the mysterious “Dr. Duke” from her childhood. In a previous Ruby recap, a commenter on our blog, who claimed to be a relative of hers, mentioned that his name is actually Dr. Dukes. The mistake is corrected in this week’s show, as Ron says that he has found him, and that he is not actually a doctor, but a physician’s assistant… and his name is Dukes.
Ruby mustered up the nerve to call Mr. Dukes, and he answers the phone. The purpose of the call was to see if Dukes could give her any clues as to why she has blocked out her early childhood memories. The phone call leads to a conversation that brings all kinds of emotion to the surface. But, instead of speaking about his suspicions over the phone, Dukes preferred to talk in person.
The show veers back and fourth between the Dukes story line and Ruby’s concerns about her nightmares. When she gets to the sleep clinic, she gets nervous about being wired up for her study, but reluctantly gives in.
I don’t fully understand the dynamic of the relationship between Mr. Dukes and Ruby’s family, but Ruby’s mother opened up more than normal when the three of them sat down to discuss the past. Ruby’s mom admits to having suicidal thoughts when Ruby was a child. Plus, they discuss how Ruby’s mother was feeding her to make her unattractive to men. All signs of what should end up being a pretty devastating secret… if they ever get to the bottom of it.
The show wraps up by tying the results of Ruby’s sleep analysis and her repressed memories. The doctor from the sleep clinic says that her night terrors may be a sign of a major trauma from her past. And, Ruby’s therapist recommends that she takes part in a 12-week program. That’s where we end up this week, so you will have to wait until next Sunday to see if anything from Ruby’s past is finally revealed.