June 11, 2015
Party of Five 6.24, …That Ends Well: Get Thee Behind Me, Salingers
No more of these weirdos
Summary: Everything looks fine with the baby Kirsten’s supposedly pregnant with despite not showing. The doctor casually tells her and Charlie that they’re having a boy, thinking they wanted to know. They’re happy with the news. At home, Kirsten shows Owen the sonogram, and he asks if he can name the baby. Charlie’s on board, though Kirsten’s hesitant. Owen knows it would be a big deal to give the baby a meaningful name, like Charlie did with Diana.
Downtown, Claudia tells Bailey that she’s decided to go to Juilliard. He tells her he’ll be just a train ride away, in Pennsylvania. Unlike her brother and sister, Julia wants to make a big deal out of her announcement that she’s moving across the country. Justin thinks she’s going overboard. No one cares what you think, Justin. Julia wants to announce her plans at a family dinner, hoping everyone will be as excited as she is.
The Salingers, plus Kirsten and Justin, gather for dinner at the restaurant. Bailey hijacks Julia’s big night to tell her that he’s going to Pennsylvania; everyone else already knows. Julia blurts out that she was planning to move, too. Claudia realizes that everyone’s leaving, revealing that she’s going to Juilliard. Owen just wants to know who’s staying with him and Charlie while everyone else goes to the East Coast.
Back at the house, Julia tells Bailey her worries about how the family will stay a family when everyone’s scattered. Bailey thinks Julia will have other opportunities, but he has to take advantage of what he has right now because it won’t come back. Julia tells him that she already said yes to the internship. Bailey complains that he’s always the one who backs down, but this time, he won’t. Who says anyone has to back down? What is wrong with this family??
Charlie can’t believe he spent so much time thinking about what would happen after Bailey left when now everything is going to be different. After their parents died, Charlie resisted being a family guy, and now he’s the only one who’s left. Because…living in different geographic areas means you’re not a family? Whatever, I only have to care about this for another half hour.
Everyone spends the night moping, and the next day, Justin jabs at Bailey that he got what he wanted. Julia turned down the internship so Bailey can go to Pennsylvania. WHY? WHY?? These people are insane. Justin tells Bailey that Julia’s plans are about more than just her career. They’re both moving to D.C., partly so Julia can be her own person and make decisions for herself. Holy cow, did I just side with Justin on something?
Owen tells Charlie that he’s picked a name for the baby. It’s in honor of someone who means a lot to him, and who he looks up to and owes a lot to. The name is Stewie, after a kid he knows. Stewie’s really good at soccer and flicking boogers. That’s quite a legacy to look up to, unborn baby boy Salinger. Charlie wonders exactly how Owen is indebted to the kid.
Claudia’s decided not to go to Juilliard, because Bailey is a big baby and is the only one who’s allowed to get what he wants. She wants to pay Bailey back for how much he’s taken care of her over the past six years. Her older siblings stayed to keep the family together, so now she wants to repay the favor.
Now Bailey’s playing martyr, telling Charlie that he’s not going to go to Pennsylvania. If he goes, Julia and Claudia won’t, and he doesn’t want them to give up what they want. Plus, the guilt would be too much for him to handle if he left. Charlie thinks there could be another solution, but Bailey’s already resigned to giving up his dream so his sisters can be happy. “It’s not okay, it’s just how it is,” he says. I roll my eyes.
At the house, Charlie calls a family meeting and tells everyone that for years he’s always tried to think about what their parents would do. He thinks they would tell their children to do what they want to do. Charlie notes that if their parents were alive, all of the kids would have split up long ago. The family has stayed together longer than most because of their parents’ deaths. Now they need to be okay with taking care of themselves.
Bailey’s reluctant, since things work so well when they’re close to each other. Charlie asks if they plan to live around each other forever. When their parents died, the kids clung to each other, but now six years have gone by. They want each other to be happy, which means they did something right. They have to trust that they’ll still be a family when they’re not right next to each other. If the Salingers could survive everything they’ve gone through, they can handle some distance.
Charlie leaves, and the other Salingers discuss keeping in touch and coming home for special occasions. Kirsten and Charlie pack up their place, talking about how different it’ll be to live in the Salingers’ house again. Charlie isn’t looking forward to raising little kids in a house with a lot of stairs. Kirsten reminds him how happy the family was living there. She notes that the others are going to new places, but Charlie’s going somewhere he knows. Charlie says he’ll always think of it as his father’s house, not his own.
Charlie’s solution is to sell the house, an idea that stuns Bailey. Julia isn’t sure about selling the home they shared with their parents. She needs a place that she knows everyone will come back to together. Charlie wants to start his own traditions. Also, the house is pretty expensive. The money from the sale will benefit everyone.
Griffin learns of the sale from Julia and sees it as the push he needs to find a new place to work. He’s not sure why he’s stayed so long anyway; it’s weird to work where you used to live with your ex-wife. Plus, he has a girlfriend, and it seems they’re getting pretty serious. He and Julia muse about having kids in the future, but not with each other. Julia thinks their kids will be friends.
A nice couple with young kids checks out the house while the Salingers consider whether or not to sell to them. Claudia’s the first to say that she thinks things will be okay. They still have the restaurant, and plenty of other mementos and memories of their family. “I’ve had 17 years here. That’s enough.” The couple wants to make an offer on the house, and the Salingers accept.
The siblings, Kirsten, and Diana spend one last night in the house. They tease Charlie and Kirsten about having to name the baby Stewie. Everyone separates to have memories in different rooms. Kirsten remembers her and Charlie’s first engagement. Claudia remembers putting up her living-room tent for the first time. Julia remembers teaching Charlie to dance in the kitchen. Griffin comes in and Julia gives him glasses they got for their wedding, so he can toast good things with his girlfriend.
In the backyard, Charlie remembers a late-night project/singalong with Bailey and Julia. In Owen’s room, Bailey remembers tending to his brother when he was a baby. He tells Owen stories about his babyhood, when they shared a room. Charlie and Kirsten spend their last night in their old room, reminiscing about the first time they had sex in his parents’ bedroom. Julia and Claudia share a room for the last time, not wanting to sleep because they’ll miss their last hours together.
In the morning, Bailey, Julia, and Justin decide to turn their drive to the East Coast into a road trip. Kirsten feels the baby move for the first time, and everyone gathers to celebrate. Charlie suggests that they let Owen name the baby Stewie, but give him the middle name Nicholas and call him Nick. Nice compromise.
As the furniture is taken from the bedroom, Kirsten notices the kids’ height charts on a doorframe. Julia remarks on how fast they grew. Claudia spots a mark for their father, and notes that Charlie’s taller than him. Everyone shares a nice last moment together, and then they’re out of our lives, FINALLY.
Thoughts: Letting a child name a baby is so, so risky. Always retain veto power.
Heh, even the show can’t explain why Griffin’s still hanging around the Salingers.
Wow, this show was a lot more boring than I remembered. Thanks for reading my recaps! I promise that the next show will be a lot more interesting.
P.S. This was my 1,000th post!
June 6, 2015
Party of Five 6.23, All’s Well…: Everything Good Is on the East Coast, I Guess
One episode left! One episode left! This frog is pumped!
Summary: Bailey’s planning to spend some quality time with Owen, which must mean he’s feeling guilty about something. He confesses to Victor that he got into a summer college program that could lead to a spot in a business school. The only problem is that the college is in Pennsylvania. And we all know how Salingers feel about leaving San Francisco. Victor urges Bailey to ask Owen for his opinion, since he would have to go to Pennsylvania, too.
Julia’s weighing her own options for the summer: school, more conferences, or counseling abuse victims. She also has an interview with the National Organization for Women. Griffin gets bored and wishes Justin were having to listen to this instead. Over at Todd’s, he and Claudia have fallen into that part of the relationship where they keep having sex and losing track of time. She suggests that they live together next year, since they both plan to be in San Francisco. Todd thinks they should wait until they have a “practical reason” to move in together.
Daphne and Luke are in town so Luke can mansplain that Charlie’s selling off pieces of the factory so all the employees can have a stake. Daphne tells Charlie that they keep looking at apartments but she doesn’t like any of them. She misses Diana, and she knows Luke’s fed up with her being so grumpy about it. Julia interviews for an internship with NOW that sounds like a combination of her three other options – she’d be writing, counseling, and doing public speaking. The catch is that she’d have to move to D.C.
Bailey tells Owen about the possible move to Pennsylvania, though Owen questions whether he actually gets a vote. He announces that he wants to stay in San Francisco. Typical Salinger! Bailey still wants to go, though. Owen doesn’t like that idea either. Claudia tells Julia that she and Todd are having sex, assuring her sister that they’re being safe and everything is good. However, that increased intimacy in their relationship has made other parts of her life more complicated.
Charlie comes home to find Daphne upset. She loves Luke, but everyone else she loves is in San Francisco. Since she could never ask him to give up his job, and he could never ask her to give up Diana, she feels like she needs to break up with Luke. Bailey discusses Pennsylvania with Joe, who tells him about the dreams he gave up to help with the restaurant when he was younger. He doesn’t want Bailey to give up his own dreams. Joe reminds him that other people can take care of Owen.
Claudia has a lesson with Ross, but she’s too distracted to play well. She confides that she got into Juilliard but isn’t going to attend because of Todd and expenses. Ross tells her that money and a boy aren’t good reasons to give up something so huge. He thinks Todd would understand. Julia tells Justin about the internship offer and how perfect it would be for her. He notes that she would be closer to him, but he gets that it would be tough for her to be away from her family. Julia thinks that the rest of them will still have each other, so it’ll be okay. She’s going to D.C.
Bailey brings up Pennsylvania to Charlie, who’s annoyed that Bailey let him believe they might become business partners. Bailey can’t decide what to do since getting what he wants would mean Owen’s unhappy. Charlie reminds him that they had that big custody battle, so Bailey better not expect to be able to just pass Owen back to him. Parenting means sacrificing, and Owen deserves the best, so Bailey better give him that.
Justin’s not so sure about Julia living in D.C., because it can be dangerous, and humid, and also he won’t be there. Bailey looks into colleges he could attend closer to home. The guy who helped him get where he is now is like, “You want to go somewhere that’s not Wharton? Are you crazy?” Todd confronts Claudia for not telling him that she’s thinking about going to Juilliard. He found out from Ross when he asked their boss for a signature on an aid application. But Todd’s not mad that she wants to go – he’s mad that she’s hesitating. If it were him, he’d definitely go.
Julia’s annoyed that Justin seems to be trying to prepare her for the big, bad world. He actually wants her to ask him to leave Yale and come to D.C. with her. Apparently she’s on board with that, which I just don’t get. Charlie berates Bailey for having his head somewhere other than their business. Bailey whines that he’s finally close to getting what he wants, but he can’t have it because what Charlie wants is in the way. Basically, he wants Charlie to let him back out of the promise Bailey made to take Owen.
Charlie talks to Owen about the possibility of him coming to live with him and Kirsten. Owen likes the idea of being a kind of big brother to Diana, like Charlie was to the other Salingers. Claudia admits to Todd that she asked him to live with her partly because she wanted a reason to stay in San Francisco. She didn’t want to hurt him by leaving. Todd thinks he hurt her, though, because he let her feel guilty when she should have been excited. He points out that they don’t have to break up, and they still have the whole summer to spend together before she leaves for New York.
Julia laments to Justin that she and her siblings will grow apart if they don’t see each other every day. I CAN’T HANDLE THESE PEOPLE’S CO-DEPENDENCE ANYMORE. Charlie tells Bailey that he’s made the decision for him about Wharton: He’s going. Charlie has given Bailey’s job to Luke, which allows Daphne to move back to San Francisco. Charlie will take Owen, and possibly move back into the Salingers’ house. He tells Bailey that he’s earned the chance to do something for himself. Bailey’s touched by his brother’s generosity.
Thoughts: Dear Salingers: You are ADULTS. You do not have to live within five miles of each other forever. Go live your own lives!
Julia, don’t laugh at Justin for cautioning you about finding an apartment in a safe neighborhood in D.C. Some parts of the city are flipping scary.
Julia was at Stanford. Claudia got into Juilliard. Bailey could go to Wharton. Why so many overachievers in one family? How did that happen?
Part of me thinks Owen deserves a vote in where he lives. But part of me is like, “Bailey gets to make the decisions. Suck it up and go to PA.” And then there’s the rest of me, which stopped caring two seasons ago.
There’s just one! Episode! Left! I’ll probably post the recap during the week instead of waiting for next weekend. That way I can get started on my next show sooner (and be rid of this one already). I’m too excited to wait!
May 9, 2015
Party of Five 6.19, Isn’t It Romantic: Indecent Proposals
I bet Daphne made these
Summary: Apparently Adam has gone to an artists’ colony in Mexico, but Julia isn’t mad, since the stuff he said about her not doing things for herself was true. Claudia’s surprised that she’s stopped working on her book. Julia says it just has problems and people don’t get it; otherwise, it would have been published. The sisters suddenly spot Ned and everything goes into slow motion. They leave before he can see them.
Bailey has signed up for three classes but is now considering going back to school full-time. He’s thinking of going to Stanford, which is where Holly wants to go to med school. She tells him she’s probably not going to be able to go after all – she has to work full-time to pay her rent, but that violates her student visa, which has now been revoked. After exams in a few weeks, she has to go back to England. Holly’s optimistic that her lawyer will work things out for her.
Kirsten makes Charlie breakfast in bed to commemorate the first anniversary of the day they got back together. Charlie’s too overworked to remember the anniversary. He offers to skip a meeting that night so they can celebrate. Claudia encourages Victor and Ross to talk, since Ross knows a little about custody issues, and Victor now wants custody of his daughter, Charlotte. Victor quickly catches on that Claudia’s trying to hook them up. He notes that he and Ross aren’t automatically compatible just because they’re both gay.
Holly’s lawyer doesn’t have good news for her, and she can’t think of any other options to keep her in the U.S. Bailey suggests a green-card marriage. Holly doesn’t want to put any pressure on their relationship, since they haven’t been back together that long. Plus, they could get caught lying. Bailey says that people only get caught when they don’t love each other. Holly can start keeping some of her things at his house, and everything else will stay the same.
Julia’s jumpy knowing that Ned’s in town, and she’s considering being proactive by going to see him before he can ambush her. Griffin hears her and Claudia talking and objects to the idea of Julia visiting him. Julia insists that he’s not going to hurt her, but Griffin notes that she’s scared anyway. He tries to get her to promise not to see Ned. Charlie and Kirsten’s romantic evening is interrupted when Daphne and Diana show up a week ahead of schedule. Daphne says they may be back in town for good.
Julia ignores Griffin’s concerns and goes to see Ned, blasting him for taking away a year of her life. After only about a minute, she leaves. Daphne tells Kirsten that Luke travels a lot and there’s nothing to do where they live, so she decided to come for a visit. She wonders how Charlie and Kirsten find time for each other. Kirsten admits that she’s not sure how she manages to be as patient as marriage requires her to be.
Bailey calls for information on getting married, pretending he’s looking for a fishing license when Will walks in. Will’s not as dumb as he used to be, and he easily figures out that Bailey wants to marry Holly so she can get a green card. Bailey insists that he’s only being helpful; he doesn’t really want to get married. Will’s happy that Bailey has finally made a solid decision about something. If he felt the way Bailey does about Holly, he’d get married, too.
Claudia’s matchmaking has been half successful, as Ross is now interested in Victor. Claudia tries to let him down easy, telling him that Victor would rather stumble across a guy he likes than be set up. Kirsten tries to talk to Charlie about Daphne, but he doesn’t think they should worry about her. She just needs to be patient while Luke gets settled. Kirsten feels bad that Daphne’s alone with Diana in a place she doesn’t see as home. She doesn’t think Daphne will stay at the base long if Luke keeps traveling.
Holly’s annoyed to learn that Bailey discussed their marriage with Will. He tells her to relax – this could be fun! There’s almost no chance the INS will catch on! This is a totally brilliant, not-at-all-risky plan! Bailey thinks a honeymoon will be a good way to convince the INS that they’re a legitimate married couple.
Ned goes to the Salingers’ to apologize to Julia, telling her that his abuse landed him in jail for two weeks. He’s trying to become a better person, and has made a vow not to date anyone until he’s sure he won’t hurt her. He wishes people would stop looking at him like he’s a monster. Julia points out that it’s not up to her to make him feel more human. Griffin walks in and chases Ned off.
Ross tries to chat with Victor when he comes to the house to meet Claudia, who claims she forgot he was coming. Ross calls Victor on saying Ross wasn’t his type because he’s too smart and sweet for him. He thinks Victor has the wrong idea about love – working for it is hard, but it’s worth it. After all, he worked hard to adopt his daughter, and he doesn’t love anyone more than her.
Luke makes a surprise visit to San Francisco with the news that he wants to be home more. Charlie admits to Kirsten that he got Luke to see what Daphne needed. Kirsten isn’t impressed – she needs Charlie to make the same kinds of promises about being home more. Otherwise she’ll feel like a single mother, too.
Griffin thinks Julia’s crazy for wanting to talk to Ned, but she wants to forgive him. She thinks that will help her forgive herself. After all, she did love Ned, and she wants to feel like that wasn’t the wrong decision. Griffin thinks that forgiveness will make Ned believe that his abuse was okay. Holly tells Bailey that she appreciates him for coming up with a solution to her problems, and she loves him, but she can’t marry him. She doesn’t want a relationship where they’re confused about what’s real.
Julia finds a website for victims of abuse where people can share stories of their experiences. She wants to upload her book so people can read it. She’s added an afterword about seeing Ned again, and now thinks the book is “good enough.” She thinks it’s ready, and hers is the only opinion that matters. Claudia runs into Victor at a coffee shop and apologizes for trying to fix him up with Ross. Then she spots Ross and realizes that the two of them have decided to go on a date after all.
Charlie comes home from work early and promises Kirsten that he’ll work shorter hours a few nights a week. She doesn’t think he’ll be able to keep that promise. Thanks, Kirsten! Will has a proposal for Bailey and Holly: He’ll marry Holly so she can get her green card without jeopardizing her relationship with Bailey. Holly agrees to this, clearly not having thought this through. Julia gets positive feedback about her book, from women who are happy to have someone to relate to. One woman says that now that she can count on herself, she’s never alone.
Thoughts: How is Victor single, though? He’s such a catch!
“Person I abused, don’t you feel sympathy for me?” Go away, Ned.
“I know I told you that you should take over the factory, but now I’m mad that you did.” You go away, too, Kirsten.
April 25, 2015
Party of Five 6.17, Getting There: The Sense of an Ending
You can tell Fiona’s wacky beacuse of her curly hair
Summary: Adam’s working on a writing assignment, but Julia’s stuck on the ending to hers. She may be distracted by the idea of ramping things up with Adam, even though they agreed to take things slowly. Adam’s on board. There’s a scene with Bailey with Holly, but part of it is cut off, so I don’t know what’s going on.
Charlie wants to take care of Kirsten while she goes through morning sickness, but she sees it as a positive – it means she gets to have a baby. She thinks Charlie should look at the hassles at his job in a positive way as well. They’re all steps getting him toward his goal. Todd’s stressed about an audition for first chair, but Claudia thinks he has it sewn up. She’s wrong – she’s gotten the honor.
Adam wants to sleep after sex, but Julia wants to talk, now that she has a ton of ideas for her story. He goes back to bed while she gets to work. Bailey goes to Holly’s place, which has been taken over by her sister, Fiona, an aspiring fashion designer. Holly confides to Bailey that Fiona will lose interest in this pretty quickly, like she’s lost interest in all her other hobbies. Bailey thinks she should keep trying to find what she loves to do. Holly assures him that she’s talking about Fiona specifically, not people in general looking for their callings.
Charlie meets with a buyer from a hotel chain who wants to use his chair design (called the Diana – aww!) in all the chains. That means building thousands of chairs. Charlie notes that the company is small, so the buyer tells him to get bigger. He’s hesitant to accept the job because he doesn’t think the company is equipped to handle it. The buyer thinks he would be crazy to turn her down.
Griffin and Will pretend to help fix Fiona’s sewing machine, but it looks like they just want to hang out with her. Griffin offers to let Fiona sleep on his couch to give Holly her apartment back. Will invites her to stay in the house, like there aren’t enough people there already. Bailey just wants the sewing machine to get fixed so Fiona can get back to working and discovering her calling and making him feel better about needing to find his, I guess.
Charlie looks for new space for the factory, realizing that it’s a lot more complicated than he expected. He’s advised to figure out his business strategy. What a concept! Julia wants to have sex while Adam’s trying to write; he thinks she’s procrastinating, but she thinks sex will inspire her, since it did last time. Adam resists because he really needs to work (and also, they’re in the library – keep your pants on, Julia).
Todd claims he’s totally okay with Claudia being first chair, but it’s obvious he isn’t. Claudia may not be either, since the new dynamic affects her playing. Charlie finds Bailey with an aptitude survey in hopes of figuring out what he should do with his life. The test says he should manage a restaurant. Heh. Charlie tells Bailey about the big hotel job, asking him to help get the new factory location up and running. Bailey doesn’t want to waste more time on a job he doesn’t love, when he could be looking for what he’s supposed to be doing.
The next day, Bailey learns that Fiona’s hooking up with Griffin, much to Will’s dismay. Fiona’s excited to tour Alcatraz with Griffin, but Bailey urges her to work instead. After all, he’s lined up buyers for her, so they’ll need something to look at. Fiona decides that she needs to put on a fashion show. Todd thinks Claudia’s faking humility, as she’s done in the past, and that she messed up on purpose to make him feel better. She calls him on pretending to support her when he was mad about losing first chair to her. He says she can’t handle competing.
Julia’s stuck on her ending again, which annoys Adam – “it is always about the ending with you.” He’s annoyed that she’s using him to finish her story so she can get published. Julia doesn’t see a problem with having that as a goal. Adam argues that the point of writing is writing, not to have people read it. He tears up his story, telling Julia that rewriting it will be better than having sex.
Kirsten is no longer as positive about her morning sickness and savoring the journey and all that. Charlie laments that he can’t find someone to help him out on such short notice, and he can’t do it himself, so he’ll have to turn down the hotel job. Like Bailey, he doesn’t want to spend time on something he doesn’t like when he could be enjoying his time with his family.
Fiona holds a show for Bailey’s buyers at the restaurant, using Bailey, Griffin, and Will as models. (The clothes are awful, by the way.) Holly thinks Bailey’s doing too much for something Fiona will lose interest in. He’s giving her breaks she won’t get in the real world, and feeding her fantasy. He may think he’s helping her, but he’s not. Julia thinks she and Adam should have tantric sex to tap into their creativity. She admits that he’s right about how she approaches endings, but with tantric sex, there isn’t an end.
Bailey and Holly make up, and he admits that he led Fiona down the wrong path. Holly, however, likes that Fiona’s happy – in fact, she’s happier than Holly, who supposedly has her life figured out and is going somewhere. Claudia and Todd do a really stupid dueling-violins thing. I want those 30 seconds of my life back. Apparently they’re inspired by each other, and also turned on by the competition. They kiss while I beg for the sweet release of death.
As we all expected he would, Bailey agrees to help Charlie so he can accept the hotel job. He doesn’t want to run around looking for something new and end up making a mistake. Plus, he would enjoy working with Charlie again. Julia and Adam are good now. Bailey and Holly appear to be back together, making out at a café. He’s ready to slow down a little and savor their time together.
Thoughts: I’m so over this show. It’s SO BORING. This season is ENDLESS. Also, I already know what I’m going to recap after this, and I’m eager to get started, which makes this show even more boring.
And thus Claudia learned at a young age the perils of the workplace romance.
No, no, no! Adam’s wouldn’t rip up his work if he actually liked it! Or if he did, he’d start screaming once he realized what he’d done.
April 11, 2015
Party of Five 6.15, What If…: It’s My Life. Well, at Least According to Bailey
This is how Bailey thinks Charlie would dress if their parents hadn’t died
Summary: Bailey drives his car into a stoplight post, then imagines the conversations of the people in the car he swerved to void hitting. Suddenly Will’s in the car, yelling at him for running a red light. Will wants to check on some other people, but Will warns that if they call the cops, the two of them will get in trouble for drinking – and Bailey’s parents will be furious.
Bailey and Charlie head to the restaurant, where Julia and Joe are planning a party for Mr. and Mrs. Salinger’s 31st anniversary. Charlie doesn’t get why they’re making such a big deal out of it. Julia doesn’t think last year’s party was a big enough deal. Claudia arrives, home from a music tour. Julia’s annoyed because her visit was supposed to be a surprise for their parents.
Julia goes home to Justin, her fiancé, though they haven’t announced their engagement yet. He thinks they should do it at the anniversary party. Julia admits that she sometimes wonders if they’re together because they love each other or because their parents always wanted them to be together. Mrs. Salinger leaves a message reminding Julia to take her car in to a garage.
Bailey and Will take Claudia to their place, and she scoffs at her brother’s smoking habit. She thinks he’s working to screw up a really good life. Bailey complains that their father wants him to take over the restaurant. Claudia points out that he gets free beer, and his money doesn’t go straight into a trust. Will thinks Bailey will find the courage to get out, like Charlie did.
Julia takes her car to the garage, where she meets Griffin. Looks like he’s hot for her already. Charlie hangs out with his girlfriend, who tries to encourage him since he’s hit a rough spot working on his designs. An ex named Felicia shows up and announces that she’s pregnant. She wants him to come with her the next day to talk to someone about their options.
Claudia and Julia go shopping for lingerie for their mother, which is really weird. Julia’s surprised to learn that Claudia has some lingerie of her own, because she’s not a virgin. Claudia’s equally surprised to learn that Julia’s only ever had sex with Justin. Will bugs Bailey about not telling Claudia his plans, but Bailey doesn’t want her to tell their parents. Will can’t believe that Bailey hasn’t yet let them know that he’s quitting college. (The guys apparently want to be roadies.)
Claudia hangs out with Ross, who’s more excited about her tour than she is. She admits that she’s considering taking some time off from recording and touring. Ross doesn’t get why someone who’s been touring since she was 11 might want to spend more time with her family.
Charlie’s late to Felicia’s appointment with a pregnancy counselor, who happens to be Kirsten (with a bad haircut). He’s surprised that Felicia’s considering keeping the baby. Kirsten has no sympathy for Charlie, blasting him for not thinking of the possible consequences of unprotected sex, and showing up late for the appointment.
Julia arranges to run into Griffin at a bar, and they start chatting. He reveals that they went to the same high school, but he dropped out. Griffin’s figured out that Julia came to the bar to see him, not to use the phone. He invites her to his apartment, but Julia doesn’t want to get that close to him. Bailey and Will do their roadie thing, and Bailey gets a moment on stage where he realizes he really does want to leave school and go on tour with the band.
The next day, Julia and Bailey discuss the fact that a couple of their parents’ friends won’t be able to make it to the party. Bailey doesn’t want their parents to get any bad news. Julia makes it worse by revealing that Claudia wants to quit touring. Bailey wants everything to go as their parents have always wanted, so his news won’t be seen as bad. He encourages Julia to announce her engagement, but Julia says it’s her life and she’ll do what she wants.
While Felicia’s with a doctor, Kirsten apologizes to Charlie for the way she spoke to him when they met. He confides that Felicia’s considering abortion, but Charlie kind of wants to raise the baby by himself. However, he knows his parents won’t think he’s capable. Kirsten tells him that parents don’t know everything. Charlie replies that his know more than he does.
Claudia and Ross go to the Salingers’ to get scrapbooks, and she’s saddened to see that her room is now for storage. Will leaves for the band’s tour, but Bailey hangs back. Julia goes to see Griffin again, telling him she remembers him from high school. She thought he was cute, in a bad-boy way. They kiss, so…sorry, Justin.
Charlie thinks Bailey’s going to catch up with the tour after the anniversary party, but Bailey’s worried about how their father would react. Charlie points out that he never did what Mr. Salinger wanted, and now they barely talk. Bailey needs to figure out what he wants, not what Mr. Salinger wants him to do.
Julia visits Griffin yet again, finally telling him she’s in a relationship. He doesn’t like that she used him to “figure stuff out.” Charlie goes to see Kirsten, telling her that he and Felicia are going to place the baby for adoption. He adds that they’re not getting back together, so, you know, he’s single, if Kirsten’s interested.
At the party, Claudia tells Ross that she’s not going to announce her decision to quit touring tonight. She wants to let everyone stay happy for a while. Justin has an engagement ring for Julia, but she tells him she wants to put the brakes on things. She needs to make sure they’re together for the right reasons, not because they think they should be. She asks him to hold on to the ring until she figures things out.
Bailey tells Charlie that he tried to talk to Mr. Salinger, but stopped when Mr. Salinger started discussing all the plans he has for them and the restaurant. Charlie thinks Bailey will be disappointed in himself in five years, when he realizes he made the wrong decisions. Mr. and Mrs. Salinger arrive, and everyone puts on happy faces while Bailey drinks.
Bailey’s vision of everyone turns black and white, and suddenly he’s back in the car, having just crashed. He goes home, where he tells his worried siblings that he was in an accident but no one was hurt. He knows now that he can’t blame his parents for the way his life has turned out. Bailey’s already arranged to go to rehab.
Thoughts: Felicia’s blond, so Charlie officially has a type.
Who buys lingerie for THEIR MOM?
Bailey and Will are roadies for the Flys, who had one ’90s hit, “Got You (Where I Want You).”
Even in Bailey’s fantasies, Julia’s horrible at relationships. I guess that’s one thing that had nothing to do with their parents’ deaths.
March 7, 2015
Party of Five 6.10, Dog Day After New Year: Another Tragedy for the Salingers
For us, too, Thurber
Summary: The Salingers (minus Charlie) take down their Christmas tree while discussing their plans for New Year’s Eve. Bailey’s going to Holly’s cousin’s wedding, though he insists that they’re just casually dating. His sisters think he’s being naïve. Kirsten had a rough day at work, so Charlie tries to cheer her up with news of a promotion. It means longer hours and only a little more money, but Charlie’s excited about the possibility of showing his boss, Gus, his own designs.
Julia helps Griffin with some paperwork, since his hand is still messed up. She’s been trying to get in touch a potential new editor – Evan dropped her – but the woman keeps cancelling their meetings and can’t see her until March. Griffin thinks she should just go to the woman’s office and ambush her. Bailey asks Claudia to help with some errands, including taking Thurber to the vet. She tells him she’s busy because she’s taking a test that will let her opt out of her senior year and go to college early. Bailey doesn’t get why she’s so eager to get out of high school.
Griffin and Julia go to the editor’s office, but she’s already gone. Griffin has done some reconnaissance and learned that the editor is mostly likely going to visit a psychic before she leaves town. Julia can “bump into” her, and the editor will see it as a sign that she should publish Julia’s book. Bailey and Holly shop for wedding gifts and debate signing the card as a couple. They determine that they’re exclusive, which she likes, though it makes him a little nervous.
Gus is impressed with Charlie’s chair designs, thinking he’ll sell a lot if he can get the right person to make them. Charlie’s like, “That’s you, right?” Gus doesn’t have the money, and admits that the company is dangerously close to going under. Holly’s family knows all about Bailey, though one elderly relative is confused about their relationship (and Bailey’s name – she calls him Barry Salender).
Julia and Griffin check out psychics, and Julia lets Trudy, who needs more experience, practice on her. Her “readings” are accurate, and she tells Julia to find the answers she wants by looking inward…or maybe outward, at a gathering. You know, one of those two. Griffin learns that the editor is going to a New Year’s Eve party, so Trudy decides that Julia will get her answers at a gathering. At the house, Owen sadly tells Claudia that Thurber’s sick.
Charlie and Kirsten go to dinner with Daphne but ignore her to talk about Charlie’s job. Kirsten thinks he should convince Gus to make and sell his chairs. Daphne suddenly has a new boyfriend, Luke, and the two of them are in that early-relationship stage where they’re just sickeningly cute all the time. Bailey freaks out when he’s pulled into a picture with Holly’s family and someone mentions that they could be at Holly and Bailey’s wedding in a year.
Julia and Griffin track down the editor, Elaine, who’s not thrilled to have party crashers. Julia reminds Elaine that she read and liked Julia’s book, but now won’t talk to her about publishing it. Elaine informs her that her managing editor has already signed someone with a similar book. Julia lost the race, so she’s not getting published. At the wedding, the bride throws the bouquet too far and Bailey catches it. He throws it back and it lands on the floor.
Claudia, Owen, and Diana take Thurber to the vet and learn that things don’t look good. Holly slams Bailey for what he did with the bouquet, but he points out that if he’d thrown it to her, her family would have started bugging them about getting married. He objects to her saying that her family’s just happy that she “found someone.” After all, just the day before, they weren’t even sure if they’re a couple. Holly thinks Bailey’s too focused on words when they should be thinking about their feelings.
Claudia calls to tell Bailey about Thurber, so he tells Holly he has to leave. Holly’s like, “Really? You’re using a sick dog as an excuse?” While Daphne’s away from the table, Luke tells Charlie and Kirsten that he’d like their blessing, since they’re the closest thing Daphne has to a family. Kirsten wonders what Luke would do if they didn’t approve of their relationship. She knows that he would try to change their minds, and even if he couldn’t, he’d do what he wanted. Hey, Charlie, I think she’s trying to tell you something.
Thurber’s kidneys aren’t functioning properly, and dialysis, the only treatment available, is expensive and probably won’t fix him. Claudia knows that their only real option is to have him put to sleep so he won’t suffer. Bailey wants to call Charlie and consider dialysis. Claudia tells him that they wouldn’t be doing it for Thurber, but for themselves. At the house, Julia and Griffin get a message from Claudia summoning them to the vet.
Charlie and Kirsten go to Gus’ New Year’s Eve party, which looks pretty pricey for a guy who’s supposedly on the brink of losing his business. Gus says he’s just rewarding his employees for their hard work. Charlie doesn’t care if Gus uses his designs or not – Gus needs to do something to try to save his business. Charlie doesn’t want to be a manager anymore if it means having to give people bad news.
Julia and Griffin are stuck in traffic on the way to the vet, but at least they have a good view of the fireworks downtown. Julia’s too upset to enjoy them, since the psychic’s reading didn’t pan out. Claudia doesn’t want Owen to know too many details about Thurber, but Bailey wants to be honest. Claudia argues that some bad things shouldn’t be let out in the open. Owen deserves to stay young and innocent. Bailey notes that being honest will give Owen the chance to say goodbye to Thurber.
The next day, the Salingers, Kirsten, and Griffin take Thurber’s ashes to a park and share happy memories about their dog. Claudia’s hit the hardest by the loss. Gus calls Charlie in to ask him to reconsider quitting, though he’s not willing to take a risk to keep the company going. Charlie says that he needs to do something that creates a future for him. He can’t move sideways anymore. Gus agrees to take a look at a business plan if Charlie will draw one up.
Bailey and Holly make up, agreeing not to worry so much about what their relationship is, exactly, as long as they’re together. The family gets together to discuss who had the worst New Year’s Eve (I’d say Claudia). Claudia laments that she only got to watch the festivities on TV; she missed the big moment. Julia thinks they should decide for themselves what the big moments are. They do their own countdown to officially ring in the new year.
Thoughts: Luke is played by Charles Esten (Nashville). Before he started going to Charles and doing dramas, he was Chip Esten on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
How long have Daphne and Chip been together? Wasn’t she sleeping with Griffin two weeks ago?
This episode aired in 2000, so there are some mentions of Y2K, but no freak-outs, which is refreshing. (Remember Y2K freak-outs? We were so naïve then.)
February 28, 2015
Party of Five 6.9, Ties That Bind: Less Money, Mo’ Problems
This might be the worst publicity still I’ve ever seen. At least pretend to be happy, guys!
Summary: The Salingers gather at the house to discuss Griffin’s medical bills. Guess what, guys – hospitals are expensive! Julia suggests that they each give up a portion of their shares from the restaurant’s profits. She also offers to pay more than the others, but everyone agrees to chip in equally. They all think of things they can cut back on for a little while. Charlie and Kirsten pretend that they can completely afford trimming 30 percent off their monthly budget.
Griffin needs further surgery for nerve damage in his hand, and Julia approves it. Griffin doesn’t know that the Salingers are paying his bills. At the house, Bailey prepares for a yard sale while Will, who’s just moved in, tries to talk him into going to a party. (Apparently he works for the 49ers now.) Bailey doesn’t see the point since he never meets a woman he likes at those parties. Will thinks he’s messed up over Holly.
Charlie and Kirsten discuss their fertility treatments and how helping Griffin hurts their budget. Kirsten suggests postponing the treatments, which would give her time to take a job she wanted. Charlie would rather move forward, even if it means giving up luxuries like frozen yogurt. Kirsten makes up the difference a little by stealing sweetener packets. Hee. Holly shows up at Bailey’s yard sale and gets the cold shoulder.
Claudia visits Ross (hey, it’s Ross!) at his studio space and tells him she wants to start playing again. She can’t pay for lessons right now, but he’s willing to start her on credit. Holly goes to the Salingers’ and tells Bailey that she thinks she can get Griffin into a special rehab program at the hospital. Bailey questions her decision to come by the house instead of calling. He orders her to apologize for judging him based on one incident, and when she does, he asks her out again.
Daphne visits Griffin in the hospital, apologizing for crashing his motorcycle and injuring him. They decide that they don’t owe each other anything. Griffin asks who’s paying his hospital bills, and though she pretends she doesn’t know, she eventually admits that it’s the Salingers. He immediately leaves the hospital, but Julia tracks him down at home and blasts him for putting his recovery at risk. Griffin’s mad that Julia made decisions for him that left him in debt to the family.
Ross gives Claudia a lesson at the house, and though he says she’s doing well, she’s frustrated that she has to relearn some things. She announces that she signed up for a competition and needs to perfect what she’ll be performing. Bailey takes Holly to a football stadium so they can have a picnic on the field. He insists that it didn’t cost him anything since Will works for the 49ers. They’re saying nice, romantic things to each other when the sprinklers come on.
Charlie and Kirsten are trying to save money by living like the Amish. Charlie thinks they can also get her fertility drugs at a lower price from some not-so-legal back channels. Griffin has trouble working on his bike with one hand in a cast. Bailey and Holly go to a locker room to warm up in the shower (and make out, of course). They take the date back to her place, and after they have sex, she tells him that she’s surprised by the speed and intensity of their relationship.
Griffin calls his mother from a bar and asks her to let him stay with her for a few weeks while his father is out of the country. She says no because the Holbrooks are horrible people. Claudia’s nervous before her competition, sure she won’t win. Bailey and Holly’s date is interrupted by a guy she’s been seeing; he’s upset to learn that she’s seeing someone else now. Holly lies to Bailey about who came to the door.
Charlie and Kirsten meet their drug contact, who seems like a nice guy who just wants to help out people with problems because he and his wife also had fertility issues. Claudia doesn’t think she’s up to the level she was before, and Ross is surprised that she didn’t already know that. He thinks she was right to give up her lessons before because it gave her the chance to have a normal life. Kirsten realizes that she and Charlie got ripped off – their drugs are expired and the dealer is gone. Oh, and then their car gets booted because they have outstanding tickets.
Griffin tells Julia that he’s moving out of the shed – he can’t pay rent because he can’t work and earn the money for it. Julia assures him that he can still stay, but Griffin isn’t going to accept charity. She reminds him that they don’t have a business relationship, and that the Salingers didn’t just pick out a random person to help. Plus, he’s helped them plenty of times without any obligation. “It’s too late to say you’re not a part of this family,” Julia says. He took care of them, so now they’re taking care of her.
Holly worries that she’s freaked Bailey out by telling him how she feels. Charlie calls Bailey to ask for help getting his car back, and Bailey jumps at the chance to get the heck away from Holly. Kirsten and Charlie end up telling Bailey about the treatments, and he offers to help them with savings bonds. Kirsten wants to put the brakes on the process for now. She reminds Charlie that he wanted to trust fate – maybe fate wants them to hold off for a little while.
Ross tries to remind Claudia that not being the best at something doesn’t mean you’re not good. Claudia wishes she still had something to count on, like always winning. If she can’t be the best, she doesn’t want to play. Bailey tells Will that things with Holly are going awesomely, and he sees them on the edge of making a big commitment. He’s hanging out with Will right now so they can spend a little time apart, but then he calls Holly and ignores Will.
Griffin agrees to keep his things in the shed for now, but he tells Julia that he doesn’t want to be a burden or ask anyone for help. Daphne sees the two of them hugging and…is jealous? I don’t know. I don’t care. That whole thing is weird.
Thoughts: Holly, you can go away now.
I sure hope Victor’s watching both Owen and Diana, because neither kid is ever around. They weren’t even mentioned this week. Maybe Charlie should spend less time trying to have a baby and more hanging out with the child he already has.
What’s up with Claudia? When did she become like this? I thought maybe she was competing to win money, in which case her frustration would make more sense, but no, she’s just being weird.
I feel like there was a deleted scene between when Bailey leaves to get Charlie and Kirsten, and when he’s with Will, telling him how great things are going with Holly. All of a sudden, everything’s good?
February 21, 2015
Party of Five 6.8, Fate, Hope and Charity: Fate Is a Poor Excuse for Becoming a Stalker
I want to like you, Holly, but…
Summary: Bailey has dinner with some really annoying girl, ditching her to talk to Joe, then Tracy. He’s disappointed that he can’t spend more time with his married girlfriend. He tells the annoying girl that they’re dating, but she doesn’t care. Charlie’s 30th birthday is coming up, and though he tells Kirsten he doesn’t want to make a big deal about it, he kind of wants to make a little deal about it. At school, Claudia and her friends plan Homecoming, but she splits when Derek shows up.
Brian tracks down Julia to apologize for kissing her. She’s happy to forget about it and move on. Bailey wants Charlie to move some of his things out of the Salingers’ basement so Will can live down there. Charlie would rather talk about how he’s dating two women at once. Then suddenly there’s a third woman in the picture; she’s at the wrong house, but Bailey wonders if they were meant to meet. He asks her on a date for the next night, bugging her when she keeps saying no.
Back at the house, Bailey invites Daphne and Griffin to Charlie’s birthday party. Somehow, they realize that he’s figured out that they’re…dating? Is that what they’re doing? Julia gets down about some critiques of her book, then gets more annoyed when Evan doesn’t show her any sympathy or give her support. Later, Julia and Brian encounter each other again at Evan’s house, and he tries to make her feel better about the critiques. Hey, do you think the show is trying to tell us that Julia and Brian are a better match than Julia and Evan?
Bailey’s fated woman, Holly, must be crazy because she agrees to go on a date with him. We’re supposed to think they’re cute, but it’s gross. She’s all type A and a control freak like Bailey, but she gave in to a guy who harassed her, so I can’t root for her. Julia has also figured out that Griffin and Daphne are…whatever, and she assures him that she’s fine with it. Griffin says it’s just casual, and he can’t picture them actually dating. Julia wonders if he could picture her with him before they got together. She encourages him to tell Daphne how he feels about her.
In the Salingers’ basement, Charlie finds a model of a house he made back when he was in architecture school. Claudia tells Alexa that she’s quitting the Homecoming committee because of Derek. She doesn’t get how Alexa can hang out with him like nothing happened. Alexa points out that Claudia didn’t tell anyone that he assaulted her; Derek didn’t get punished, so Claudia can’t expect other people to punish him.
Brian says goodbye to Julia before heading back to college, admitting that he doesn’t want to hang around and watch his father date someone he’d like to be with. Evan overhears them talking about the kiss but doesn’t say anything. Bailey wants to go out with Holly again, but she likes the idea of ending on a high note and keeping their good memories of each other. Their date is interrupted by Tracy’s husband, who confronts Bailey in the restaurant and punches him.
Julia pushes Evan to talk about her kiss with Brian and how she kept it from him. She wants to make sure he knows that the kiss didn’t mean anything to her. Evan believes her and isn’t surprised that Brian’s interested in her. Claudia’s an outsider at school again, now that she doesn’t want to spend time with the popular kids. Myra’s snuck in some alcohol, and Claudia decides to join her for a drink.
Bailey tracks down Holly, which is REALLY GROSS, and tries to get her to see that he’s really a good guy. He only hooked up with Tracy to get Sarah out of his system. Holly thinks they’re a mismatch because Bailey’s not mature enough to know that a meaningless affair is a bad idea. Julia’s upset that Evan’s always so nonchalant about everything and never shows emotion. Evan admits that the kiss bothered him, but he doesn’t see the point in complaining about it. Julia would like him to give her more emotion than he would any other random person in his life. Otherwise, why be together?
Myra’s alcohol loosens Claudia up, and when Derek starts to leave to get his own bottle, she announces that girls should be careful around him. She accuses Alexa and Cameron of knowing his true nature and not saying anything. She’s tired of the view she’s gotten from being in the top tier. Griffin goes to see Daphne at her job and asks her to go somewhere to talk. She knows what he wants to talk about, so she asks to go for a ride on his motorcycle instead. He puts his only helmet on her and lets her drive. She’s bad at it, and they crash.
Charlie, Kirsten, Julia, Claudia, and Victor convene at the hospital; Daphne’s mostly okay, but Griffin has a head injury and needs reconstructive surgery on his hand. He may not be able to fully use it. Plus, Griffin doesn’t have insurance, so he’ll have to be sent to a hospital with lesser facilities. Julia authorizes the surgery, declaring that the Salingers will figure out a way to pay for it. Bailey arrives late and runs into Holly, who works there and finally finds it creepy that he’s always around. Victor visits Daphne, who cries and asks, “What have I done?”
Evan shows up, ready to do actual boyfriend stuff for Julia. He knows she’s right about his problems showing emotions; she’s not the first person to mention them. He asks her to bear with him while he works through them. Julia, however, has realized that she has the bad habit of dating men who ask her to bear with them while they deal with their issues. She thought he was the opposite of Ned, who couldn’t control his feelings. She can’t keep dating someone who requires so much work.
Charlie spends the morning of his birthday on the roof of the hospital, telling Kirsten how seeing Griffin made him remember when he was in the hospital. He’s decided to start focusing on what’s important to him. He’s going to quit teaching and will eventually go back to architecture. Whenever anything bad happened to him, Charlie would try to trust fate; if he held on long enough, things would get good again. He’s going to try to remember that.
Holly tries to be nice to Bailey (nicer than he deserves), but he’s snotty to her because she said he wasn’t mature enough for her. He thinks he should get a pass because he made a mistake. Acting like an idiot got him a date with Holly, so she can’t say that being reckless is all bad. Julia tells Griffin that the doctors are hopeful, but no one’s 100 percent sure what kind of recovery he’ll have.
Thoughts: Holly is played by Rhona Mitra. When I looked up what she’s been in to find out what she’s known for the most, I realized that I’ve never actually seen her in anything.
Rejected Homecoming theme: the Heart of the Sea. SO ’90s.
Bailey, bugging Holly: “Sometimes you just can’t take no for an answer.” Well, you’d better learn to. Alert to all men: Bailey’s behavior in this episode is not cute. Asking a woman out multiple times and ignoring her when she declines is not romantic. You are not the star of an adorable Hollywood movie. Shut your mouth and walk away.
February 14, 2015
Party of Five 6.7, We Gather Together: Regrets Only
A lot of people on this show could use some time with this crew
Summary: Charlie’s back in the principal’s office, eager to do something about Myra and her mother’s accusations. The principal, Mary Anne, tells him that they won’t file charges if Charlie resigns. Charlie refuses – quitting would be like saying he’s guilty. Mary Anne disagrees, arguing that it would be like saying it never happened. If charges are filed, all the other parents will immediately see Charlie as guilty, whether he is or not.
Julia spends the night at Evan’s, then wakes up to find his son, Brian, in the house. Brian is also a college student, and he’s not thrilled that his father’s dating someone so young. He’s been reading Julia’s manuscript and wonders how she could have so many life experiences in so few years. Evan is disappointed to learn that Brian dropped out of college, but Brian thinks it’s just because Evan can’t get his tuition back. Evan accuses him of ruining his college career out of spite. Brian shoots back that Evan cares more about other people’s children than his own.
Joe has no Thanksgiving plans, so he wants to have a meal at the restaurant. Bailey invites him to have dinner with the rest of the Salingers. Tracy stops by the restaurant to confront Bailey for avoiding her calls. He tells her he doesn’t want to get involved with someone who’s already married. Tracy thinks her husband’s already cheating, so why shouldn’t she have some fun, too? Bailey still resists, but he doesn’t look happy about it.
Claudia returns to school after playing sick for a while to avoid Derek. He admits that he had too much to drink and got “out of control,” but it was all in fun. Claudia clearly doesn’t agree. Victor tries to help Daphne look for a job, but she’s distracted at the sight of Griffin, who she suddenly has the hots for. Victor thinks she should go for it. Daphne resists, so Victor gets Griffin to give her a ride somewhere. It’s all very high school.
Julia questions Evan and Brian’s relationship, which has been bad for years. (Evan gives the exposition that he was 18 when Brian was born, so don’t go thinking he’s old or anything.) He wonders if the badness is his fault. Joe invites Victor to the Salingers’ Thanksgiving, which already various non-Salingers anyway.
Kirsten agrees with Charlie’s first instinct not to quit, but Charlie’s reconsidering – they could use the money he would get as severance. He also wants Kirsten to avoid stress; she’s already undergone IVF treatments and could be pregnant. Claudia confides in Julia that Derek tried to rape her. Julia comforts her, then urges her to report him. She thinks Derek has probably assaulted other girls, and if Claudia doesn’t say something, he could attack another girl. Claudia’s not ready to speak up.
Charlie and Mary Anne meet with Myra’s mother and a lawyer so Charlie can resign, but Myra’s mother also wants him to apologize. He wonders why she’s offering a deal if she thinks he’s guilty. Myra’s mother says it’s so Myra doesn’t have to face Charlie in a courtroom. Charlie blasts her for being a horrible mother. Mary Anne tries to negotiate wording that Charlie can agree with so he’ll just be saying he regrets how he handled things with Myra.
Claudia tells Alexa about Derek’s assault, now also thinking that she should report him. Alexa thinks Derek should get a pass – he was drunk, he regrets what happened, and an accusation like this could ruin his life. If there was no actual rape, then no one got hurt. Alexa adds that she believes Claudia, but other people won’t.
At Evan’s, Brian accuses Julia of playing house to make her family think everything’s great. Julia tells him to come out and tell her whatever his problem is with her. Brian doesn’t like that his father is dating someone so young, and that Julia’s acting like his mother when they barely know each other. Evan walks out during the argument, which is always mature. Kirsten tells Charlie that she got a false positive on a pregnancy test.
The next day, Charlie and Claudia go grocery shopping and discuss the Myra situation. He’s decided to fight back. Claudia warns that the whole school will find out about Myra’s accusations, and everyone will be talking about him. Charlie knows it’ll be tough for both him and Claudia, but he wants the truth to come out. When they get home, they’re impressed with how nicely Victor has decorated the house. Evan and Brian are both there, so this is going to be awkward.
Will wants Bailey to go on a double date with him; he’s caught the attention of two ring girls. He reminds Bailey that he wanted to be more spontaneous. Daphne and Griffin start drinking, which can’t end well. Brian blows up at Evan, then runs off. Evan doesn’t see the point in chasing after him since they always have the same conversation. Julia points out that Brian doesn’t have anyone else to chase after him. A drunk Daphne and Griffin head to the basement to look for more alcohol but only find balsamic vinegar. They console themselves by making out.
Myra shows up and promises Charlie that she never made any accusations; her mother made inferences and took things too far. Not that Myra denied them, of course. She’s upset that taking the case to court could lead to Charlie accusing Myra’s mother of being a bad parent, which might get Myra taken away from her. After Myra leaves, everyone else sits down to dinner, which kicks off with Victor singing grace.
After dinner, Bailey goes to Tracy’s to tell her he used to be fun. She kisses him and invites him inside. Charlie goes to Myra’s to tell her mother that Myra’s going to testify that the accusations are false. Both of them want to protect the people they love, so he would like Myra’s mother to do the right thing for her daughter.
Daphne and Griffin have an awkward conversation, avoiding discussing their hookup while agreeing to still be friends. Maybe friends who make out. Claudia tells Julia that she’s decided to keep her assault quiet so people won’t start talking about her. Julia thinks that’s a bad idea, not least because she’s going to have to keep going to school with Derek. Claudia just wants to pretend it never happened.
Will surprises Bailey at work, ready for their double date with the ring girls, and Bailey is suddenly so spontaneous that he cancels plans with Tracy to go out with them. Charlie’s ready to move on from the whole Myra mess, and he tells Kirsten that he’s optimistic that she’ll get pregnant. She thinks they should wait before trying again, but he notes that they fought through their struggles and things turned out all right.
Julia’s meddling worked, and Evan and Brian have patched things up. Plus, Brian has decided to go back to school (partly so he doesn’t have to pay his father back for his tuition). He knows Julia talked Evan into doing some actual parenting for once. Brian still thinks Julia’s too young for Evan, but he doesn’t mind her so much anymore. In fact, he minds her so little that he tries to kiss her. Now that’s awkward.
Thoughts: Brian is played by Eric Mabius from Ugly Betty. He looks so scrawny here.
I can’t remember ever seeing an assault plot on TV where the person who was attacked wants to keep it quiet. Usually the show wants to send the message that you shouldn’t let the attacker get away with it.
They really overloaded the cast this season. There are way too many people on the show. I wonder at what point they knew this would be the last season, and they decided to just do whatever they wanted.
“If you report this, you could, like, ruin his life.” Go away, Alexa. Juliet would have already beaten the crap out of this guy.
February 7, 2015
Party of Five 6.6, Too Close: Maybe Having Children Isn’t Worth It
Still a better relationship than Evan and Julia’s
Summary: Julia’s anxious for all of Evan’s co-workers to go home so the two of them can get it on. This is a completely normal, professional relationship, guys. She thinks it would be okay to tell everyone. Evan knows tells her how dumb that is, especially for her career. Bailey’s depressed over his breakup with Sarah, so Will tries to put a positive spin on things: He took control and got out of a bad situation.
Kirsten and Charlie have a doctor’s appointment and learn that things are progressing well in their attempts to conceive. Charlie gets an emergency call from a pharmacist – Myra was caught shoplifting condoms and gave his number to the police since her mother wouldn’t answer the phone. Charlie gets her out of jail and makes it clear that her mother will hear about this. Claudia and Alexa work in the school’s darkroom, and Alexa tells Claudia that a guy named Derek likes her. She thinks they should double-date with Alexa and Cameron, who are back together.
Julia tries to get out of Evan’s place before her family starts getting suspicious about all her late hours at the library. She suggests again that they start telling people about their relationship. This time he’s okay with that, and even agrees to have dinner with the Salingers. Charlie goes to see Myra’s mother, showing sympathy for how hard it is to be a working single parent. Myra’s mother thinks things are fine; Myra’s always been able to take care of herself. Charlie disagrees.
At an AA meeting, Bailey talks to his friend John about how annoying his family and friends have been about trying to make him see the good side of his breakup. John’s on their side, though – he thinks Bailey was too dependent on Sarah for his sobriety. Bailey admits that she was a big reason he stayed sober. Now that he’s “free,” he wants to drink again. Claudia takes pictures of Derek at football project, and he invites her to a party he’s having.
Charlie gets Kirsten home from an egg extraction in time to get a call from Myra, who’s desperate to see him. He gently tells her that it’s not a good time. Bailey, Julia, Claudia, Owen, Joe, and Victor gather for dinner at the restaurant and discuss the age difference between Julia and Evan. Claudia thinks it’s weird; Joe doesn’t, which makes sense, since his wife was a lot younger than him. Claudia’s surprised to hear that Joe is now managing the restaurant. Evan never shows, and everyone has to leave.
Bailey goes to a bar and, after almost backing down, asks for a drink. A police officer brings a drunk Myra to Charlie and Kirsten’s place; she told the cop that Charlie was her father. Charlie and Kirsten deny it, but when the cop says he’ll take Myra back to the station, they let her spend the night. Bailey stares at his scotch but doesn’t drink it, instead letting someone else take it. In the morning, Kirsten is maternal toward a hungover Myra while Charlie tells her mother what happened. Kirsten hates that they’re trying so hard to have a baby while Myra’s mother neglects her own child.
Julia passive-aggressively talks to Evan about how he missed dinner the night before because of a meeting that went long. She asks him to pick out a night to reschedule. Evan’s like, “Oh, I’m soooooo busy…” Julia threatens to bring everyone to the office so he can’t get out of it. Evan claims that he just wants to make Julia happy and isn’t trying to get out of anything. Will and Griffin take Bailey to a strip club, and Griffin goes in alone while Bailey works up his courage. Griffin discovers that Daphne has gone back to stripping but promises to keep it quiet.
Outside, Will blasts Bailey for being so mopey when other people have problems. His parents have threatened to kick him out if he doesn’t quit his wrestling internship. He wanted to go to the strip club to get his mind off of his problems. Claudia goes to Derek’s party and gets a lot of attention from him, which bugs Cameron. Claudia notices and asks Derek to go somewhere private. Back at the strip club, Bailey tries to talk to Will about his issues, but Will’s too busy looking at boobs.
Kirsten’s egg extraction was fruitful, and she’ll be able to have some implanted the next day. She and Charlie try to celebrate, but they don’t have time before Myra shows up, upset that Charlie told the principal that she spent the night. He tells her that he was required to, and now he has to take a step back from helping her. Myra blasts him for acting like a friend, then abandoning her. Charlie tells her they can’t be friends outside of school, and she can’t keep coming over unannounced.
Julia addresses her and Evan’s problems again, telling him that she doesn’t care what other people think about their relationship. However, she doesn’t think he’s okay with their differences. She’s worried that he’s ashamed to be with her. Bailey calls up his bar buddy, Tracy, who he had a long conversation with the night before. It seems like he just wants to talk some more, but that quickly goes out the window and they start making out.
Claudia and Derek head to his sister’s bedroom and also start making out. But things move way too quickly for Claudia, and when Derek pulls out a condom, she decides she’s done. Despite her loud repetition of “I’m saying no,” Derek keeps going. Eventually Claudia fights him off and runs away. Also running away: Tracy, who doesn’t want to spend more time with Bailey after they’ve hooked up in a hotel room.
At school, Charlie is called into the principal’s office just as Myra and her mother are leaving. The principal, Mary Anne, asks if Myra ever showed him her diary or discussed her feelings for him. Charlie’s confused. Mary Anne then asks where Myra slept when she spent the night at his place. Did they discuss birth control? Did they talk about whether Charlie found Myra attractive? Mary Anne reveals that Myra’s mother has accused Charlie of having a sexual relationship with Myra, and Myra isn’t denying it. Charlie is understandably offended.
Claudia pleads illness to stay home from school, not even telling Julia what happened with Derek. Daphne goes to see Griffin to make excuses for why stripping is the only job she can keep right now. Griffin points out that he can’t judge since he was there for a show in the first place. Plus, she looked good, so why not strip? Bailey invites Will to move into the Salingers’ house but is disappointed that Will has to travel for work.
Evan finally mans up and makes a dinner date with Julia, in the process letting his office know that they’re dating. Elsewhere, Charlie misses Kirsten’s implantation. Bailey and Tracy meet at the bar again, and he’s shocked to learn that she’s married. She thinks he should have figured it out when they hooked up in a hotel room and she gave him her pager number instead of a home phone number. She invites him to tell her about his day.
Thoughts: Myra’s mother is played by Jenny O’Hara, who was also Scott Scanlon’s mom. So…her TV parenting history is pretty sketchy.
Dear people everywhere: If the person you’re dating doesn’t want people to know you’re dating, you are not in a good relationship.
On the other hand, Julia should have been more concerned with the publishing world finding out about her relationship with Evan. She’s definitely going to be accused of sleeping with him to get her book contract.
Who takes a girl to his sister’s room to have sex? Is the creepy doll collection a turn-on for Derek? I guess that’s the least of his problems, though.
'90s Flashback 