May 30, 2015
Party of Five 6.22, Falling Forward: Stay in Your Comfort Zone! Trying New Things Is Bad!
I’m as happy as this dog because there are just two episodes left!
Summary: Business is good for Charlie and Bailey, and they’re eyeing some accounts that just came up for grabs. Bailey offers to put together an offer while Charlie takes the evening off to spend time with Kirsten. Julia’s stuck trying to find something to write about now that she’s put her book to bed. Will still isn’t living with Holly full-time, which annoys Bailey. Holly hears them bickering, but Bailey brushes it off, not wanting to tell her about Will’s feelings for her.
Todd’s mother leaves him and Claudia alone in the house, studying, because I guess she thinks they’re only going to study, or if she thinks otherwise, she doesn’t mind. They start making out, and Todd suggests that they take advantage of the fact that they’re alone. He makes it clear that he’s not going to pressure Claudia to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Fortunately for him, she wants to do it…at least at first. She decides she’s too distracted by thoughts of her educational future.
Julia’s also wondering about her future – should she stay at school or move on? A professor thinks she should meet with someone who writes for a women’s magazine. Justin tells her that Maggie called, and Julia wonders why he was hanging around the Salingers’ house all day instead of, say, studying or ending his marriage. Anyway, Maggie’s organizing some conference and wants Julia to speak. Julia’s annoyed that people only want her to talk about her book and her experiences with Ned. Griffin pops in for 30 seconds to notice that Justin and Julia are apparently back together.
Holly stuns Bailey by announcing that she’s going to have her marriage to Will annulled. She’s mad at Bailey for not telling her the truth about Will’s feelings for her. Bailey argues that he was trying to protect her. Her goal is staying in the U.S., so they need to focus on that. Charlie tells Kirsten that he’s going to have to work late a few more nights to get offers together. There’s more bad news when he learns that Mitch, the difficult foreman, collapsed at work and was taken to the hospital with heart problems.
When Charlie gets to the hospital, Mitch is in surgery to repair damage from a heart attack. His wife admits that he had a heart condition he never told Charlie about. She begged him to slow down, but Mitch worked hard to help Charlie reach his goals. Julia looks into an internship at the women’s magazine, Goddess, but is instead offered the chance to try for a monthly column. In light of Mitch’s medical problems, Charlie cuts back the schedule at the factory. Bailey objects, but Charlie won’t budge.
Claudia and Todd compare their college acceptances and rejections; she’s gotten into both Stanford and Juilliard. Todd’s even more excited than Claudia about Juilliard and urges her to go. Claudia says she only auditioned to see if she could get in. She doesn’t want to go because it’s expensive and far away. Bailey goes against Charlie’s decision to slow things down by trying to pick up some new business. Someone suggests that he get a business degree because it could bring him a lot of success.
Julia asks Justin to cancel their plans so she can work on her column. Bailey tracks down Will, who’s moved out of the Salingers’ house and quit his job without telling anyone. Will says it’s too hard to be around Holly now that she knows how he feels about her. Bailey reminds him that he took an oath. Will blasts him for not caring about his supposed best friend’s feelings. He reminds Bailey that Holly can go to med school somewhere else. Bailey needs to figure out why he’s trying to hold on when everyone else is ready to let go.
Julia’s first column doesn’t quit hit the mark, as the editor’s looking more for advice on how the readers will feel if they try to reinvent themselves. Julia realizes that the column wouldn’t really allow her to express herself. Charlie visits Mitch, who urges him not to slow down the line. He blames himself for his condition because he pushed himself to fulfill Charlie’s dreams, which would in turn help his own family.
Claudia and Todd head towards sex again, but he stops when he starts questioning the timing. He thinks Claudia’s trying to assuage her guilt over deciding to go to Juilliard. Claudia says she’s not going, but Todd knows she really wants to. Julia works on another column, taking up the little time she and Justin have together before he goes back to school. He doesn’t like that she’s “blowing off things that actually matter,” like the conference, so she can write silly articles for a silly magazine. I hope she dumps him.
Holly tells Bailey that she’s going back to London. He thinks she’s giving up, but she’s recognized that they’re not meant to be together. Staying there, with him, is just holding her back. At the factory, Charlie gets the horrible news that Mitch has had another heart attack, this one fatal. Julia tells Justin that he was right; she should speak at the conference and not write a stupid column for a dumb magazine. I hate them both.
Charlie gets emotional at Mitch’s funeral, telling Kirsten how much he loves her. Claudia tells Todd she’s going to Stanford because she’s not willing to give up everything she’d have to sacrifice to go to Juilliard. He suggests sex again. Charlie wants to slow things down again at the factory, telling Bailey that it’s more important for them to spend time with their families than to make money for them. He also wants to change the name of the company to Salinger Brothers. Bailey is noncommittal.
In bed, having just had sex, Claudia says things feel different now, but that’s clearly not a bad thing. Will has decided to go back to school, having “wasted” his year. He knows something’s wrong with his life if he could only feel useful by entering a sham marriage. He would do it all again. Bailey acknowledges what a good friend he is and promises that he understands why Will needs to make a change. Music montage! Julia speaks at the conference. Claudia considers Juilliard. Charlie spends time with Kirsten and Diana. And Bailey weighs his options for his future.
Thoughts: Claudia caught Julia’s co-dependence. It’s okay to go to school across the country, guys. It doesn’t mean you’ll never see your family again.
“Waaaah, my girlfriend isn’t 100 percent focused on me because she’s trying to get her career off the ground.” Shut up, Justin.
Claudia: “I had sex.” Todd: “I know. I was there.” THAT’S ADORABLE.
May 23, 2015
Party of Five 6.21, Taboo or Not Taboo: Temptation, Frustration, So Bad It Makes Him Cry
Not a good look for you, Kimberly
Summary: Bailey and Holly are pressuring Will to move out of the Salingers’ basement and into Holly’s apartment to continue their ruse with the INS. Will resists, saying he’s settled where he is. Plus, his girlfriend, Meredith, won’t be happy if he moves in with another woman. Bailey thinks something else is going on, but Will won’t talk about it.
Also not wanting to talk: Julia, who’s avoiding calls from a woman who wants to interview her about her book for an online magazine. Claudia reminds her that the point of writing her book was to help people. She made an appointment for Julia behind her back. Daphne’s supposed to go out for a crazy night with some friends, happy to have a break from motherhood. Kirsten, who’s been focusing a lot on getting ready for the baby, decides to tag along.
Claudia has a paper to write, so she can’t go out with Todd (who can somehow go out a lot despite having a job and schoolwork). A work friend suggests that she get a paper off the Internet and use it to “help” her. Bailey goes to Will’s work to confront him over not wanting to move in with Holly. He thinks it’s because Will doesn’t like her. Will insists that he does, but doesn’t confess that the problem is that he likes her more than he should.
Daphne, her friends, and Kirsten go to a club, but Daphne doesn’t have the stamina she used to. Julia meets with the interviewer, Phoebe, but they’re interrupted by Justin. He announces that he and Laura are done, and now he wants Julia back. She closes the door in his face. Phoebe praises her for what she thinks is Julia standing up to a bad boyfriend.
Kirsten tells Daphne and her friends that they’re brave for being strippers – she could never do it. She’s a rule-follower and has always done what was expected of her. Will moves in with Holly (sleeping on the couch) and resists any kind of physical contact with her. She and Bailey make plans together, then invite Will and Meredith along.
The interview turns into a therapy session for Julia, who tells Phoebe the whole Justin saga. Phoebe can relate since she has an ex who would come to her crying every time one of his relationships broke up. Then she would sleep with him. Julia says it’s different because Justin’s still in love with her. She admits that she feels the same about him. Phoebe thinks Justin’s selfish, and Julia shouldn’t feel bad about rejecting him.
Todd visits Claudia for a study break, surprised that she says she has to rewrite her paper. Apparently she’s taken one from the Internet and is going to use it as a guide. After some sweet talk, Claudia decides to put off the “rewrite.” Kirsten finds Charlie’s date-night plans for them boring now that she’s had a taste of Daphne’s fun friends and their fun life. He promises that they’ll do something crazy sometime. (As if Charlie could ever even think of something crazy to do.)
Phoebe tries to meet with Julia to finish up her interview, but Julia’s made plans with Justin. So much for all that encouragement Phoebe gave her. Bailey, Holly, Will, and Meredith’s double date goes south when Meredith reveals that she and Will broke up. Bailey says Will should have said something so they wouldn’t have an uncomfortable date. Will objects to the idea of Bailey and Holly wanting him to be comfortable, since it’s so clear he isn’t.
Kirsten complains to Daphne that her night with Charlie was boring. Daphne admits that her friends’ life – her former life – isn’t that great, and she doesn’t miss it as much as she thought she did. Kirsten points out that at least Daphne used to have that life and knows what she’s not missing. Will watches Holly through her shower curtain, which is pretty creepy.
Julia meets with Phoebe to make sure she won’t be portrayed negatively in the interview. She says she had to be nice to Justin because he was upset about his marriage not working out. While they were talking, she realized she’s not mad at him. In fact, they’re back together. Phoebe points out that the article has nothing to do with Justin – why does Julia feel the need to talk about him? If Julia wants to be with him, why does she feel like she needs to explain herself?
Claudia’s teacher praises her for her great work on her paper. Daphne takes Kirsten to see her friends at their strip club, which Daphne now looks down on. A stripper suggests that Kirsten take the stage just to see what it’s like. Justin’s happy to be back with Julia, who wonders if their reunion was too easy. He didn’t treat her that great while he was with Laura. She thinks they’re both rebounding. He thinks she’s overanalyzing it and trying to talk herself out of it.
Bailey tracks down Will in the Salingers’ basement and asks again what’s going on with him. Will finally admits that he has feelings for Holly. He tried to avoid her, but Bailey kept pushing them together. Bailey tells him that if he wants to be Bailey’s friend, he needs to find away to ignore his emotions.
Julia has been cut out of Phoebe’s article, which now talks about taking back the ex who cheated on her. Phoebe says that sometimes you need to rewrite the rules for something important to you. Charlie wants to take Kirsten somewhere fun, as she requested, but now she’s fine with their boring life. When she gets ready for a bath, a dollar falls out of her pants. Oh, Kirsten.
Claudia tells Todd that she failed an exam on purpose to make up for the paper she plagiarized. She needs to spend more time on her schoolwork, which means she can’t go out with Todd all the time. She admits that that makes her feel like he’ll leave her behind. Todd suggests that they turn their time together into study time. He’d rather be with her than go out anyway.
Will apologizes to Bailey for not confessing that he has feelings for Holly, but Bailey isn’t mad. He still wants the plan to go forward, though. He says it’s because Holly could get deported and Will could be arrested if the truth comes out, but we all know it’s really because Bailey wants to keep Holly around, even if it makes Will miserable.
Julia makes a parallel between buying ice cream she likes, knowing she shouldn’t, and being with Justin, knowing it could be a disaster. She thought buying the ice cream/giving into temptation made her weak, but it doesn’t. So the lesson is that you should go after what you want even if it hasn’t been good for you in the past and you could get hurt. Awesome.
Thoughts: Phoebe is played by my girl Kimberly McCullough from General Hospital. Meredith is played by Samaire Armstrong from The O.C. and the just-cancelled Resurrection.
Matthew Fox directed this episode, in case anyone cares. That’s probably why he’s not in it much.
I love that Daphne and Kirsten are friends. They could so easily hate each other. It’s so much better for Diana if her mom and stepmom actually like each other.
“Stop having feelings you can’t control!” Shut up, Bailey. “My relationship is more important than those feelings anyway.” Seriously, shut up, Bailey.
May 16, 2015
Party of Five 6.20, Great Expectations: My Best Friend’s Fake Green-Card Wedding
This hedgehog is taking a soak to get his mind off this endless season
Summary: Will and Holly are at a courthouse, getting married. The judge marrying them asks if Will has anything to say to his bride. “You look nice,” he says. After a short ceremony, they’re officially hitched. Bailey’s a little uncomfortable to watch the new bride and groom kiss. Holly immediately goes on guard, noting that the INS could be anywhere, watching her.
Charlie already has a crib for the baby, but Kirsten worries that they’re tempting fate. (By the way, they haven’t told anyone about her pregnancy yet.) An INS agent surprises the McCorkles, suspicious because Bailey seems to have his own set of keys to their apartment. He sets up an appointment to interview Holly and Will about their relationship. Adam shows up at the Salingers’ after spending some time at an artists’ colony in Mexico. He announces that he’s moving there, but wants to spend the next few days with Julia.
Will’s sure that he and Holly won’t be able to fool the INS agent. He knows that if they get caught, he’ll never be able to run for elected office. Bailey’s like, “Hey, future president, you live in my basement. Chill.” He advises them to pretend Will is Bailey and answer questions as if they’re being asked about him. Will still isn’t assured.
Claudia tells Julia that she had an awesome dream about Todd declaring his love for her. Julia doesn’t think it’s that great – after all, it didn’t really happen. At work, Charlie and Bailey clash with a guy named Mitch who disagrees that they should be training people on a new process so they can increase their output. Charlie tells him to give it a try and go back to his way if things don’t work out.
Adam asks Julia to come to Mexico with him so they can be hipster starving artists together. She resists, so he invites her to just come for a week. He’s sure that she won’t want to leave. Holly admits to Will that she feels bad for making him go through so much so she can get a green card. He’s equally apologetic, calling himself a coward. She thinks he’s actually being selfless.
One of Julia’s professors lectures on Charlotte Bronte, who encouraged her readers to follow their dreams. Kirsten cancels a weekend away with Charlie, worried about being too far away from her doctor. Claudia tries to enact the dream she had about Todd, but he’s not clear on what she’s doing. He’s speechless when she mumbles that she loves him.
Charlie tells Bailey he’s firing Mitch for not following orders. Bailey asks permission to talk to Mitch and try to get him in line so they don’t have to pay him severance. Charlie’s more concerned with the money they’ll lose if the business goes under. He announces that he’ll do Mitch’s job if they let him go. Bailey reminds him that he can’t do every job; after all, that’s why he hired Mitch and Bailey in the first place.
Julia tells Adam she’ll go to Mexico with him for a few weeks. She sees it as a chance to do some writing that actually interests her, instead of writing boring papers. Will asks Bailey some intimate questions about Holly so he can put on a believable front for the INS. He also asks about the couple’s worst fight, which leads to Bailey and Will having their own fight about it.
Claudia’s written Todd a Dear John letter, and says Julia was right about how she shouldn’t have read too much into the dream. Julia feels differently now, and praises Claudia for saying “I love you” before Todd did. Claudia tears up the letter.
Bailey’s annoyed with Holly for telling Will about their fight; he feels like they’re exposing everything about their relationship. He accuses her of caring more about her green card than him. Holly angrily says that might be true. She calms down and tells Bailey that the only thing she’s ever felt sure of is her desire to be a doctor. She knows it’s her future, and she can’t afford to jeopardize it.
Julia finds Kirsten crying in the Salingers’ house, where she’s picking up some of Daphne’s old pregnancy books. She’s bleeding, so Julia takes her to the hospital, but everything’s okay. Her doctor urges her to have faith that things will work out so she doesn’t stress herself out so much worrying about something that might not happen.
Will and Holly meet with the INS agent, who asks the one question they can’t answer: How did they fall in love? Will talks about how great Holly is, and it becomes clear that he’s speaking from the heart. Todd tells Claudia that his parents always said “I love you” to each other, even though they were having affairs, so the phrase never meant anything to him. Instead of saying it to Claudia, he demonstrates his love for her by letting her drive his beloved car.
Mitch comes in to get his last paycheck, and Charlie tells him that he was right about his method being a bad idea. He recognizes Mitch’s hard work and would like him to stick around. They agree to try to trust each other more. Instead of meeting Adam to leave the country with him, Julia meets him to tell him she’s staying put. She needs to be close to her family because they give her strength.
Holly’s pleased with the way Will snowed the INS agent, apparently clueless that he’s actually in love with her. She and Bailey make up, as he says he’s grateful that she told him how she feels. Will’s saddened to see them close again. As Charlie and Kirsten finally announce their pregnancy to the family, Adam leaves Julia a message asking her to change her mind and join him in Mexico. She ignores it so she can celebrate with her family.
Thoughts: How pregnant is Kirsten supposed to be now? She found out weeks ago, and she’s still not showing.
Holly knows they have doctors in England, right? Why does she hate to be one in the U.S.?
Scott Grimes (Will) is really good in this episode. It’s too bad they never gave him more to do.
Julia, you can leave your family for a few weeks. Try to work on not spiraling into co-dependence.
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.
May 2, 2015
Party of Five 6.18, Too Cool for School: Taking Classes, Building Things – the Family Business
This little duckling says, “There are only six episodes left!”
Summary: Things are going well at the furniture factory with Charlie in charge. Gus reveals that a company wants to buy him out, and he’s considering the sale. Charlie’s annoyed that Gus put him in charge and is now taking away what he’s worked so hard to build up. He has a ton of ideas that he hasn’t been able to start working on yet. Gus thinks the sale will give him more time for that.
Owen wants to take Victor to school to talk about his life for show-and-tell. Victor refuses multiple times, then runs off. One of Julia and Adam’s professors objects to Julia’s use of stream-of-consciousness writing, but Adam stands up for her. He’s defensive about there not being rules in writing. Bailey meets with a woman who I guess is a career consultant or headhunter; whoever she is, she tells him he needs a business degree to do the kind of job he wants.
Charlie meets with people from the company that wants to buy the factory, and though the offer is impressive, he’s hesitant to take a job where he’ll need approval for his ideas. Claudia and Todd spend some time together before he goes to New York for a few days. He’ll be working with an old friend who happens to be a woman, so of course Claudia’s jealous. He assures her that she hasn’t been in love with him for a very long time.
Bailey tells Holly that he really, really doesn’t want to go back to college. She thinks he just needs to find something that really interests him. She’s pre-med and fascinated by everything she reads about for her classes. He just needs to find his own “pre.” Charlie tells Kirsten that he’s not sure he can take a job where someone’s always looking over his shoulder. Plus, he’ll have to make popular items, not the things he wants to make. Kirsten jokingly suggests that Charlie buy the factory, and he admits that he’s considered it.
Julia asks Adam why he got so defensive with their professor. He doesn’t like that she accepts everything their teachers say and lets them pass judgment on her. Julia points out that that’s kind of the point of college. Claudia tries to find out more about Victor, who claims there’s nothing interesting about him. She encourages him to open up about whatever he’s obviously trying to keep from Owen. Victor won’t budge.
Charlie goes over his business proposal for the factory with Bailey, who’s supportive but realistic. It’s going to be super-expensive. Downtown, Claudia spots Victor in a heated argument with a woman who he appears to buy something from. Holly invites Bailey to sit in on a class with her, but he’s made up his mind that school is a bad fit for him. Classes make him feel dumb. Adam picks a fight with his professor over his use of language and whether his story is clear. Apparently he just turned in a story by Samuel Beckett to make a point. I don’t know. Shut up, Adam.
Charlie tries to get a bank loan, but he doesn’t have enough collateral. Bailey peeks in on a biology class but finds it over his head. Then he’s drawn to an economics class, which is much more his speed. Claudia and Todd talk on the phone about Victor, but they’re interrupted when his friend Mabel picks up the line. It turns out they got caught in a rainstorm and she needed dry clothes. Plus, she lost her purse, so Todd’s letting her spend the night.
Bailey tells Charlie that he spoke to some venture capitalists who think he can come up with enough collateral for the factory sale. Charlie announces that he can’t ask everyone involved to take such a big risk just so he can make his own designs. The sale will give him lots of money and allow him to spend more time with Kirsten. Bailey thinks Charlie should go through with buying the factory – it’s right for him. Charlie says that there are things that are more important.
Claudia hears Victor on the phone, threatening to go see someone for a face-to-face confrontation. She admits that she saw him fighting with the woman downtown. Victor accuses her of suspecting that he was buying drugs. She has no right to interrogate him or invade his privacy. Julia’s distressed because Adam could get kicked out of school, but he doesn’t care. She tells him she’s at least committing to school. Adam shoots back that she’s begging for approval. He may not commit to school, but he commits to himself.
Bailey stays up late reading an economics textbook, interested in learning more about what the professor was talking about in the class he audited. Holly guesses that it’s more interesting to him now than a couple years ago because he’s had real-world experiences and knows how to apply it. He admits that he’s considering going back to college after all.
Bailey, Claudia, and Julia stage a sort of intervention on Charlie to urge him to buy the factory. They’re willing to put up their shares of the restaurant as collateral. Bailey thinks it would be riskier not to take the chance. They’d like to own a piece of Charlie’s business and be a part of something that’s growing. Charlie worries that something will go wrong and they’ll lose the restaurant. Julia and Claudia say that the family’s different now, so maybe the family business should be, too.
Claudia apologizes to Victor for prying into his personal life, but he thinks she has a right to know what’s going on. He tells her that the woman he fought with was Valerie, his sort-of girlfriend from when he was a teenager in Brooklyn. She got pregnant and wanted to marry Victor, but he’d started to realize he was gay.
Victor wouldn’t help her with the baby, so Valerie moved to San Francisco to live with her parents. Later, when Victor matured, he moved here to see Valerie and their daughter, but her parents have kept him away. The thing she gave him was a picture of their daughter. Valerie’s parents don’t think Victor wants to be a father, but that’s what he wants more than anything.
Julia goes to see Adam, but he’s split town. Todd brings Claudia flowers and a huge model of the Empire State Building to try to convince her that he doesn’t want to be with Mabel. She just wants assurance that she doesn’t need to worry, which he easily gives her. Bailey’s more anxious than Charlie to hear back from Gus about which buyout offer he wants to take. When Gus accepts Charlie’s offer, both brothers are super-excited. Charlie takes a moment to look at his designs and think about what he’ll get to make in the future.
Thoughts: Adam gives English majors a bad name. There’s always at least one who thinks he’s above critique and, you know, actually learning stuff. Why go to college at all if you’re not going to listen?
Also, this plot is turning out just like the Joey/Oliver Hudson (I can’t remember his character’s name and I’m not interested enough to look it up) plot from Dawson’s Creek that this was already similar to.
Everyone being supportive of Charlie is so sweet. I’m such a softie for supportive families.
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 18, 2015
Party of Five 6.16, Blast from the Past: Better Call Bailey
Imagine being married by this guy
Summary: Bailey’s at group therapy in rehab, being heckled by a guy named Oliver. Bailey says he’s not scared about relapsing because he feels like he can switch it on and off now. Oliver doesn’t think he should be in rehab, since he only had one slip. He doesn’t believe Bailey really has a problem with alcohol. He should go home and live his wonderful, fantastic life.
Adam catches Julia reading an email from Justin announcing that he and Laura are eloping in Vegas. Adam wonders if Julia’s going to go to the wedding. Julia doesn’t know if Justin wants her there – is he inviting her or asking her to stop it? Adam encourages her to go. Kirsten tries to sympathize with the distraught mother of a girl in a depression-drug study, but the mother doesn’t think Kirsten can really understand how she feels. Little does she know that Kirsten can.
Bailey’s discharged from rehab but sticks around to try to talk to a counselor. The counselor urges him to talk to his family instead. Claudia and Todd find it awkward to spend time alone together. Julia’s decided to go to Vegas, but she’s stalling her departure for Vegas, telling Claudia that she’s not sure what to say to Justin. She sees two options: Ask Justin to get back together, or encourage him to move on. Claudia invites herself and Todd along on a road trip.
In Bailey’s absence, Charlie’s putting in some time at the restaurant. He clearly feels uncomfortable working with Joe the thief. Joe’s hurt that Charlie doesn’t trust him, but…come on. Will’s the only person home when Bailey arrives, so Bailey faces his first night home alone. Kirsten tells Charlie how difficult it is to see the kids in the drug trial, struggling with depression. Charlie thinks she’s having a relapse of her own depression because she went off her meds to get pregnant.
Will brings Holly over to see how much progress Bailey has made. Bailey confides that he’s sick of people telling him how great he looks. He feels like quitting drinking was easy, but he feels worse than he did before. He may look fine, but he’s not. In Vegas, Todd gets distracted by showgirls. I think we’re supposed to think that he’s sexually frustrated. I don’t care. Justin’s happy to see Julia but scampers off right after just a minute of chatting.
Kirsten allows the distraught mother to pull her daughter out of the drug trial, which her boss is upset about. Kirsten thinks she did the responsible thing, since the kids on the drug aren’t improving and the kids not on the drug are miserable. Her boss argues that the kids are in the study so thousands can get help. He’s noticed that she’s been acting strange lately.
Bailey goes back to the rehab center to see the counselor, and while he’s there, Oliver steals a bottle of pills. Bailey stops him with a tackle, reminding us all how he was a wrestler in high school. Adam shows up in Vegas to give Julia a very When Harry Met Sally-like speech listing what he loves about her. He wishes she would let Justin go and pair up with him instead. Justin shows up, sees them together, and runs off again.
Julia catches up with Justin, who tells her that marrying Laura is a leap of faith. He wants to go through with it, even though he still loves Julia. He’s not sure he’s supposed to take the leap with her or Laura. Julia says she’s not sure what she wants. Joe calls Charlie on his attitude toward him, like…you stole from his business. You’re lucky you still have a job there, dude. Joe thinks he should be forgiven because they have 20 years of history. Charlie won’t budge, so Joe considers quitting.
Bailey goes back to the rehab center yet again, and Oliver tells him that taking the pills wouldn’t have killed him, so Bailey stopping him was a waste of time. Bailey just wants to know what’s wrong with Oliver. Oliver recognizes that he and Bailey are both fans of crises. In Oliver’s case, he likes being rescued. In Bailey’s case, he likes being the rescuer.
Claudia catches Todd watching porn and asks him to start noticing her instead of other women. Todd says he’s been trying not to come across as a dog because he knows what happened with Claudia and Derek. Claudia kisses him, assuring him that they don’t need to move quite that slowly. Julia goes to Justin and Laura’s wedding but stays out of sight and leaves before it’s over.
Charlie tries to catch Bailey up to speed on the restaurant, but Bailey stops him. He admits that he hates working there even though he’s good at it. The only time he feels useful is when someone calls him needing to be rescued. If their parents hadn’t died, he wouldn’t have a reason to live. Bailey continues that the high point of his life was when Charlie got sick – Bailey was able to take charge and prove his worth. He hates that he needs people to suffer so he can feel successful.
After Bailey’s meltdown, Charlie goes home to deal with his wife’s ongoing struggle. Kirsten confides that she felt like her depression had come back, but a trip to the doctor told her otherwise: She’s pregnant. Her mood swings have been hormonal, not related to a mood disorder. Charlie manages to be happy, despite the fact that they’re throwing a baby into the mess the family has become.
Julia leaves Vegas to tell Adam that she wants him in her life. She’s happy he came to tell her how he feels. Charlie asks Bailey to help Owen with his homework, but Bailey recognizes that Charlie’s trying to keep him busy. Owen shows Bailey a letter he wrote while Bailey was in rehab, and the effort he put into it makes Bailey emotional.
That night, Charlie invites Joe to join the family (and Will) for dinner at the house. He wants Joe to stay on at the restaurant until they figure out what will happen with Bailey. Bailey learns that the family has been having dinner together once a week, a new old tradition. And then I assume Charlie and Kirsten announce their pregnancy, but we don’t get to see it.
Thoughts: We only see him for a few seconds, but the minister at Justin and Laura’s wedding is played by Doug Jones. He’s been in tons of stuff, but is usually unrecognizable because he plays a lot of creatures in heavy makeup. If you’ve seen anything by Guillermo del Toro, you’ve seen Doug Jones.
How are all these people paying for this Vegas trip? And don’t they have school?
’90s music alert: Filter’s “Take a Picture.” Ugh, that song.
April 4, 2015
Party of Five 6.14, One for the Road: Luke and Laura
Still a better relationship than Justin and Laura
Summary: Charlie and Daphne discuss the details of her move to Texas with Luke, and her desire to take Diana with her. Charlie warns that Daphne doesn’t get how difficult it’ll be to take care of Diana without his help. Plus, she can’t be sure that things will work out with Luke. He thinks they should work everything out in Texas, and then he’ll take Diana to visit. Daphne doesn’t like that Charlie will only be letting her visit.
Claudia and Julia corner Bailey to talk about the restaurant’s money situation, but only to thank him for giving them his own money. He’s confused that they’re not mad at him. Justin and Laura are in town, and they go see American Beauty with Julia and Adam. Justin and Julia clearly still have a deep bond, leaving Laura and Adam feeling like outsiders. Bailey visits Evvie, who invites him to a party, warning that it’ll be wild and there will be lots of beer.
Adam’s uncertain about attending Justin and Laura’s engagement party the next day, admitting to Julia that he thinks they’re a horrible couple. They don’t have much in common, and certainly don’t have the connection that Justin and Julia have. This seems to be the first time Julia’s thought about this. Evvie busts Bailey for drinking at the party, figuring out that he’s been skipping AA meetings because he’s not sober. She thinks she can drink a little, too.
Daphne decides to challenge Charlie’s plans and try to take Diana to Texas with her. She questions whether he’ll even let Diana visit once Daphne moves. She tells Charlie that she feels like he believes he’s Diana’s father and mother, and Daphne’s mother as well. Charlie tells her that she doesn’t get to make all the decisions on her own, and if she tries to take Diana, he’ll stop her. Daphne won’t be backing down without a fight. Meanwhile, Bailey and Evvie have drunken sex.
Charlie and Kirsten meet with a lawyer so they can be ready in case Daphne fights for custody. Kirsten warns that Charlie’s going to be in the same situation he was with Bailey when they fought for Owen. A judge will be deciding what’s best for Diana, instead of Charlie and Daphne doing it themselves. Kirsten doesn’t think a judge will give Charlie custody anyway. Plus, he should have known this could happen, considering the circumstances of Diana’s conception.
At the engagement party, Laura tries to keep Justin away from Julia. Julia complains to Adam that he put the idea in her head that they’re a bad couple. She thinks the marriage was Laura’s idea from the start, and Justin doesn’t really want to get married. Adam encourages her to say something to Justin. Julia refuses, knowing that Laura will accuse her of wanting Justin back, which she totally doesn’t! Really! She doesn’t want him! Adam thinks she should look after her friend.
Luke tells Charlie that Daphne’s decided to stay in San Francisco while he moves to Texas. Charlie feels bad. Julia and Adam decide to leave the party early, and as they’re saying goodbye to Justin, he tells Julia that he feels like things are moving too fast. She says he can stop it, then backtracks. Justin thinks she wants him to call off the engagement. He reveals that Laura thinks Julia’s jealous, and now he’s starting to agree.
Bailey goes to Evvie’s place and finds her unconscious, apparently from alcohol poisoning. He takes her to the hospital, where he runs into Holly. Evvie’s sponsor arrives and yells at Bailey for letting Evvie drink at a party, and for drinking himself after two years of sobriety. Bailey’s more concerned with what Holly thinks of him. Things are now super-awkward and tense between Charlie and Daphne.
Julia tells Griffin about the Justin situation, because if there’s one thing Griffin likes to talk about, it’s Justin and Julia’s relationship. He thinks she’s jealous of Laura, not the other way around. When Griffin and Julia were married, he wasn’t as worried about bills and marital problems as he was that one day Julia would realize she should be with Justin.
Charlie wants to smooth things over with Daphne so they don’t fight for the rest of Diana’s life. Daphne complains that she’s done everything Charlie wanted her to do, and he won’t let her have Diana. She feels like he sees her as putting herself ahead of Diana. Daphne hates that she has to see how happy Charlie is with Kirsten and Diana, but gets shot down when she tries to have the same thing.
Julia shows Adam a story she wrote about a couple reconnecting after being separated for years. She tries to make out with him, but he gets that she’s trying to prove to herself that she doesn’t want to be with Justin. He encourages her to talk to him. Charlie tells Kirsten that he wants to be fair to Daphne, but he’s worried that she won’t let him see Diana again. He wants to do the right thing but doesn’t know what it is.
Bailey gets drunk and goes to see Holly, rambling that he was trying to be a good person. Holly’s annoyed that he hasn’t changed. He snaps at her for looking down on him for not being perfect. She needs to accept that people have problems. Charlie tells Daphne that he does see her as Diana’s mom after all the work she’s done to get there. He supports her decision to take Diana to Texas.
Julia admits to Justin that she’s jealous of Laura. It’s hard for her to see her first love committing himself to someone else. Justin reveals that he said he felt things were moving too fast because he thought he might still have feelings for Julia. He plans to go back to school with Laura, and then “we’ll see.” Sorry, Laura! Your fiancé is a coward who doesn’t want to marry you! Charlie says goodbye to Diana, who of course has no idea what’s going on.
Bailey drinks at the restaurant, then goes home, where he tells his sisters to leave him alone. Julia guesses that he’s been drinking. He rambles that he’s been in charge of the family for years, and just wants a break. Julia tells him not to blame the family situation for his problems with alcohol. Before she and Claudia can stop him, Bailey leaves the house, driving recklessly.
Thoughts: Someone needs to tell Charlie and Daphne about the concept of joint custody.
Julia wants to have Kevin Spacey’s baby. Awww.
If the show hadn’t ended at the end of this season, I hope Lacey Chabert and Jeremy London would have left, because they had nothing to do.
March 14, 2015
Party of Five 6.11, Fear and Loathing: Use Your Words (or, Failing That, Kick Someone in the Chest)
Charlie wants to build this? Cool! I don’t think it’ll make a comfortable chair, though
Summary: Claudia’s packing for a big East Coast college trip, which is news to Bailey. She’s still planning to apply to college early so she can get away from high school. Julia knows about the trip since she wanted to go visit Justin at Yale, but she didn’t realize it was happening so soon. Claudia’s determined to go on her own if no one can accompany her. Julia volunteers to chaperone her, all excited about a sister road trip.
Kirsten calls Charlie at work to report that the surgical procedure she wanted is going to be mostly covered by insurance. This means they might be able to conceive without fertility treatments. She schedules the surgery, though she’s worried about Charlie making a tight deadline at work. Owen tells Victor about a kid named Morgan who’s been bullying him. He doesn’t want Bailey to know. Victor encourages him to stand up to Morgan, which will definitely, 100 percent work.
Claudia and Julia head to Yale; Julia’s staying at Justin’s apartment while Claudia stays on campus. Since Victor is now effectively raising Owen, Bailey has more time for sex with Holly. Yay? She wants to spend more time together, because being apart for 48 hours was too much for her. He’s hesitant to push things too much. Charlie’s late picking up Diana, thanks to work, and discovers that Luke has moved in with Daphne.
Julia meets Justin’s girlfriend, Laura, who’s full of energy and has turned Justin into a runner. (She also broke the nose of a guy who once tried to assault her, so: new role model.) Charlie’s still working on finding ways to spend money, with no luck. He’s also stressing over Daphne’s new living situation, and the possible complications of Kirsten’s surgery. Kirsten thinks he should be focusing on his work project instead.
Owen stood up to Morgan, but it didn’t work. Womp womp. Claudia meets up with her student guide, Peter, who thinks they should skip the standard freshman tour since it won’t tell her what she really wants to know about college. He’s going to take her on the insider’s tour instead. Claudia, if he makes a move, pull a Laura.
At a bowling alley with Owen, Victor encourages Bailey to take Holly up on her suggestion that they spend more time together. Bailey doesn’t want to change their schedule since then they won’t be casual. (Because nothing says “casual relationship” like a schedule.) Owen runs into some musclehead, spilling ice cream on him, and when Victor steps in, the musclehead threatens to hit him. Victor bends the guy’s arm back, so now Owen has a new role model, too.
Daphne takes Diana to visit Charlie at work, because that’ll help him meet his deadline. Daphne suggests that they alter their custody arrangement so Diana spends a few nights with her. After all, Charlie’s working later hours, and Diana’s already falling asleep at Daphne’s. Charlie declines, and Daphne immediately guesses that it’s about Luke. Charlie’s worried about leaving his daughter alone with a guy they don’t know well. He doesn’t think Daphne’s being as responsible as she wants to be.
Julia has dinner with Justin and Laura, hearing all about Laura’s goodwill work in Kenya. When she leaves the table, Justin tells Julia how being with Laura has made him a better person. He admires how she’s already planned out her life. He’s been thinking about proposing, and has decided that he’ll just do it instead of talking about doing it. Julia’s like, “No, yeah, she’s totally great! I’m not exhausted just listening to her talk!”
Outside Holly’s building, Bailey – who has apparently become a stalker – sees her with another guy. Daphne goes to Charlie’s to get Diana, but he’s dozed off and lost track of her. Fortunately, Diana’s just wandered into the bathroom to play with the toilet paper. Daphne remarks that things like this happen, “even to responsible parents.” Nice one. Claudia’s enjoying her time with Peter, experiencing actual college things like attending classes and hanging out at coffee shops.
Victor teaches Owen some self-defense, reminding him that violence is always a last resort. Owen would also like to learn some wrestling moves in case words aren’t enough. Claudia stops in at a restroom before going to class with Peter, but he surprises her by meeting her inside. She’s understandably upset, lecturing him that a girl being nice to him doesn’t entitle him to anything. Peter tells her that it’s a co-ed bathroom and he wasn’t there to do anything sketchy.
Charlie decides to take the night off to spend time with Diana and Kirsten. Kirsten’s surprised to hear that he’s put his big project on hold for a while. She thinks he’s giving up because he hasn’t come up with any ideas he likes. Charlie says he’s just focusing on more important things right now. Kirsten encourages him to face challenges rather than avoid them. He’s dreamed about making furniture for years, and this is the first time he’s gotten the chance to actually do it.
Bailey asks Holly for clarification on their dating arrangement, which she says is open, but only between each other (whatever that means). He wonders if she would tell him if she wanted to go out with someone else. She asks if he would want her to. He would, so Holly says she will if that ever happens. Bailey questions her recent social activities, and she says she’s spent some time with a co-worker, but nothing’s going on between them. She’s not happy with him for stalking her.
Julia confides to Claudia that she doesn’t think Justin should propose to Laura, since they haven’t been together that long. Claudia announces that she doesn’t care. She’s skipping the rest of the trip and going home tomorrow. Julia asks what she can do to make things better. Claudia asks her to go back in time and stop her from going into the bedroom with Derek.
Charlie drops Diana off with Luke, seeing that Luke has done a lot of decorating in Diana’s room. He agrees to let Luke and Daphne keep Diana overnight. So I guess putting up pictures of sheep is all it takes to prove you’re responsible! Justin thanks Julia for being supportive of his decision to propose to Laura – he’s officially decided to do it. Julia pretends to still be supportive.
Owen is sent home from school for using his newfound self-defense moves on Morgan. Bailey confronts Victor for not telling him about the bullying, and for teaching Owen to fight. Victor thinks he’s justified in using violence if using words has failed. He spent years feeling ashamed and afraid because of the way other kids treated him. If Owen can get through his childhood by taking care of himself this way, he should.
Julia tracks down Claudia and asks for more information on her decision to go home early. Claudia refuses, ordering Julia to leave her alone. Julia also refuses. Claudia cries, unable to figure out what to say. Kirsten’s surgery goes well, and Charlie tells her that the doctor thinks it could be successful. Kirsten admits to being scared because conception is dependent on her now; there are no more excuses for failure. Charlie admires her courage, saying he also has no more excuses for his career.
Bailey tells Holly that he needs to face his fears about commitment – they should become exclusive. Holly knows he’s not over Sarah, and that she’s a rebound for him. She knew that going in, but she thought dating for long enough would help him work through his breakup with Sarah. Holly wants Bailey to take more time before he gets into another serious relationship. However, she can’t promise she’ll still be available when he’s ready to commit.
Charlie gets up in the middle of the night to work on a design after having a Frank Gehry-inspired dream about unfinished work. Julia and Claudia are also up late, getting ready to head home. Claudia asks Julia if it took her a long time to trust another guy after she and Ned broke up. She thinks that’s what’s hurting her the most. She’s ready now to tell Julia what happened with Peter.
Thoughts: What a waste of a title. No one went to Las Vegas!
Hello, Charles Esten’s biceps! How you doin’?
Victor, please teach Claudia some self-defense as well. Maybe it’ll help her feel better.
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.)
'90s Flashback 