The second episode of American Classic unfolds with Richard, seething with frustration over the loss of everything he once held dear. He urgently calls his agent, Alvy, imploring him to make some connections and secure an escape route out of town. Dinner becomes a tense affair, especially when Richard confronts the family about the dinner theater. They are all acutely aware of Linus' homosexuality, as he has been openly coming out every day.
Kristen brings up her status as the Mayor and how difficult things have been since Richard's absence and the dwindling resources in the town. They had a plan to revolutionize the theater and generate a substantial profit. However, their approaches to achieving their goals are vastly different. Richard is self-absorbed, content to frolic in his ivory tower, unaware of the difficulties with his home theater.
Richard believes that Kristen is jealous that his career has taken off while hers has not. He boasts about being the superior actor, and Miranda is caught right in the middle of this. She is acutely aware of the elephant in the room, and neither Kristen nor Richard seems to avoid addressing it, given that they used to date before she eventually married Jon.
Miranda is actually in the process of leaving, but with Ethel gone, she is contemplating her direction in life. She's unsure whether she wants to act just to piss off her mother or whether it's something she genuinely desires to pursue. The scene is filled with tension and emotion as the characters grapple with their pasts and present circumstances.
As for Richard, he's made the decision to let the theatre come alive through a self-produced swansong, taking the spotlight away from his mother's funeral for one final performance to say goodbye. Back to the dinner theatre, and Richard is in his element, discussing what he knows best - himself. Along with arranging a large portrait of his mother on stage, the opposite side of the stage features a picture of him from that career-defining performance in King Lear. Jon is shocked and manages to twist his brother's hand, replacing the picture. However, it doesn't stop the theatrical way he's decided to "introduce" their mother's coffin by descending from the ceiling. In his own way, Richard wants to try and make everything perfect for Ethel, but of course, given Richard's character, he's also very much the star of the show here.
When the funeral does start, Jon stands up and pays his respects to Ethel but he struggles to control himself, weeping on stage. The only person who doesn't fully know what's happening is Linus, who's under the assumption this is one big stage play. There's also a compilation of clips for Ethel, but it's too much for Richard to watch, who has to vacate the theatre. However, he runs right into Nadia and Connor Boyle, the latter working with Kristen in the Mayor's office.
After his ego is suitably stroked, given Nadia is a huge fan of his, Richard shows back up to hear Miranda's beautiful voice. In the middle of this though, Richard receives a call from Alvy. The theatre is willing to have Richard back. However, he needs to consent to a full psych evaluation and two weeks of anger management training. With everything going well, Richard decides to step up after Miranda's performance and explains how the theatre is in trouble. Richard is not about to let that happen and decides he's coming home. He's going to try and restore the soul of the theatre, delivering the "greatest show the world has ever seen." This will be a performance of a true American classic, Our Town.
