Opening credits

Griffin's shop
Julia comes in to find Griffin watching TV. She offers to make dinner, just for the two of them. There's a commercial for the shop down the street. Griffin is going to have a grand reopening like Charlie did for the restaurant. Julia offers to do flyers, whatever he needs. But, Griffin has called around and found someone who will shoot a commercial for $2000 and air time isn't too expensive on some of the channels. Julia wonders how they'll pay for it, but he points out that they take credit cards. It's not just another scheme, he has to try to save the shop. She agrees and they kiss.

Laundry room
Bailey is spotting Elliot when Elliot asks about Bay's relationship with Sarah. Bay says they never "did it" because of complications. Elliot says he probably shouldn't ask about their relationship, but Bay will do whatever he can to help Elliot "survive Sarah." She clears her throat, they've been down there for over an hour. Elliot says that Bay has two more sets. Annie and Natalie show up. Bailey is supposed to play the Madeline game with her. Sarah explains to the little girl that they have "2 more sets." Elliot asks what Bailey does for cardio. He runs, 3 miles a day. Elliot thinks it sounds great.

Salinger basement
Charlie is working on a pencil drawing of a chair. Kevin comes downstairs. He has the results of his tests. He asked for them in writing, because he could not get more bad news across the desk from his doctor. Either the radiation worked or he still has cancer. He wants to go to Drake's Beach to look at it. Charlie offers to come along for moral support. Kevin wonders if it occurred to Charlie that that is why he came there first. Charlie just asks Kevin to do the same for him.

Salinger living room
Griffin and Julia are discussing the commercial. He has some ideas, they could show some oil change specials. Julia points out that he shouldn't put any prices in the commercial because the shop down the street will just undercut his prices. He should sell something they can't. He is the mechanic they can trust, not some big company. Claudia (who has been sitting at the coffee table) asks if they have any magazines from this decade. She has to put something in the school's time capsule and they don't have anything that talks about this year. Julia is completely unhelpful. She asks if Claudia can do it without talking. Claudia leaves. Griffin asks Julia to be in the commercial, wearing a sexy outfit. Motor heads dig two things: chicks and bikes. They start to make out.

Annie's apartment
Annie and Bailey are clipping coupons while Natalie plays with two "Ken" dolls. She is pretending they are Bailey and Elliot. Annie asks if it's weird to hang out with Sarah's boyfriend. He says it's nice for her to have someone. Annie also thinks she's in a better mood since she started seeing someone. Bay says they're not sleeping together, Elliot and Sarah are both still virgins. But, he doesn't know why because Sarah certainly would like to change her status and Elliot's thinking about it. What reason could they have to not be doing it. As he says this Nat starts singing, "Elliot and Bailey sitting in a tree..." Bailey can't believe it, but it does strike a grain of truth.

Drake's Beach
Charlie and Kevin are at a beautiful cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Kevin says it is like Groundhog Day. If he opens the envelope and sees his shadow, there's 6 more weeks of radiation. Even if he's in remission he has 6 weeks of follow-up radiation. Maybe Hemingway had the right idea, when he found out he was sick he blew his head off. Charlie disagrees with this attitude. Kevin tries to get Charlie to open the envelope, but he doesn't want to be the one to give Kevin bad news. He's there for moral support, either way. If it's bad that means chemo. But Charlie points out that if it's good it means radiation works and Charlie has a lot riding on that right now. Kevin opens the envelope, he's in remission. The friends rejoice. Radiation works!

Griffin's shop
Julia has a skimpy dress on. She and Griffin are acting very tentative. Way too many "ums" and "likes". The cameraman asks what they're doing. Griffin says it's the way they talk. The guy points out that it's unintelligible. After several takes they get a good product. The Holbrooks are very happy and the cameraman says it was fun to film someone with their clothes on. Julia and Griffin aren't quite sure how to take that.

Salinger basement
Charlie comes downstairs to find Kevin has started to develop a software program that will design furniture. They take Charlie's prototypes and manufacturers can manipulate them to their needs. Kevin points out that since they are going to get better, they should go into business and make some money. Charlie thinks it sounds like a good idea.

Park
Elliot and Bailey are running. Bailey starts asking Elliot questions trying to solicit his sexual orientation. He asks if Elliot saw the hockey game. Elliot missed it because he was listening to opera. He was listening for his music class, he would have preferred to watch the game. Bay asks if he's seen "Cats". Elliot hates musicals. He asks why Bailey is asking all these weird questions.

Grant High School
Claudia's classmates have an assortment of things they would like to put in the time capsule, but when the teacher asks Claudia, she says she couldn't find anything. There's nothing they can put in that tells what life is like now. The teacher tells her to write a 5 page typewritten letter to herself in 25 years. She has until tomorrow.

Salinger house
Julia and Griffin are very happy after the commercial. They are hugging and kissing. Julia asks if she should become a spokeswoman. Griffin says that Julia can do anything she wants. She calls out to see if anyone is home. What is she doing? Whatever she wants as she starts to unbutton Griffin's shirt.

Hospital
Charlie and Kevin are waiting for their treatments. The first thing they are going to do is design comfortable waiting room chairs. A nurse comes out with some forms for Kevin. She congratulates him on his remission. He's happy, he beat the odds. He quotes the 3 out of 4 recovery figure as Charlie's face starts to fall. Kevin is one of the lucky ones.

Salinger's
It's ten minutes until the first reservation so Bailey tells them to "put on the romance mix and turn down the lights." Elliot comes in and apologizes for interrupting, but can Bailey talk for a minute? Bailey agrees and escorts Elliot to a rather intimate table for two by the fire. Elliot says he was thinking about what they talked about on their run. It was kind of weird. He knows what Bay was hinting around at and he's happy because he's been thinking about it too and it makes it easier to admit that he might be gay, too. As Elliot says he thought that Sarah was going to be it, would prove to him that he isn't...Bailey looks increasingly uncomfortable. Elliot now is sure and the Annie thing kind of threw him, but.... Bailey tries to explain that he isn't...gay that is. Elliot has gotten the wrong idea. He wanted to see if Elliot was. Elliot is rather stunned and he leaves suddenly.

Bailey and Sarah's apartment
Sarah tells Bailey to clear out. Tonight is the night. Elliot called and he needs to see her. Bailey should stay away. Tonight he can't steal her boyfriend. That's for sure, Bailey says. Annie tries to get Bailey to tell her, but he can't. Elliot should. Sarah asks what they are whispering about and Bailey considers telling her, but he doesn't. She should be careful. Sarah says she will not listen to a safe sex lecture.

Salinger kitchen
Kevin continues with plans for the program. Charlie is not acting very enthusiastic. Kevin asks what's wrong. Is Charlie tired? No, he just doesn't think the idea will work. He comes up with a bunch of reasons it won't work. Kevin tries to refute him, but Charlie tells him to forget it. It's a bad idea and he won't do it.

TV station
The sales manager thinks that Griffin's commercial is a practical joke. The picture is snowy and the dialogue practically intelligible. Griffin says he put out money and he wants it on the air. The manager says a commercial they can air would cost way more than $2000, but can they keep a copy? The people around the office thought it was hilarious.

Sarah and Bailey's apartment
Bailey comes home to find Sarah sitting in the dark. He turns on a light. She's been crying. He tries to console her. Elliot broke up with her. He came over and said it was his fault and started to cry and then just left. What is wrong with her? Bailey asks if he told her why, but he didn't. Sarah is horrified that Elliot would tell Bailey why and not her. Is it something she did or did he find her repulsive? Bailey tells her that Elliot is gay.

Charlie's bedroom
Claudia comes in to find Charlie moping in his chair. She has good news. She had to write this letter for the time capsule and her teacher really liked it. He says that's great. She wants Claudia to read it at the assembly to bury the capsule and again at her 25th class reunion when they dig it up. She asks Charlie if he will come to the assembly. It's so weird to think about. She'll be 42, she might be married or even have some kids. He gets upset with her and asks how she could be so insensitive. He can't think about the future right now because he might not have one.

The shed
Griffin comes home. No one would air the commercial. Nothing he does is good enough. He'll never be able to compete. He needs to come up with one good idea. He won't give up. Julia points out that they just lost $2000. He'll figure something out. Julia says that the continued money problems are killing them. He has to get rid of the shop. He tells her to believe in him. She says that he has to stop making it about whether or not she believes in him. Their life is a mess, he has to let it go. He won't. Julia says if he won't, she's leaving. Griffin walks out.

Coffee house
Sarah finds Elliot at a table. She is furious. Why did he lead her on. Was it some big act? He asks if she talked to Bailey. She did, but he should have told her. He made her feel like there was something wrong with her, but he was lying to her. But he wasn't. He wasn't sure that he was gay and he really liked her. If he loved this woman, that would make it all go away. Sarah points out that he made a pass at her ex-boyfriend. She finally met this great guy, who's smart, sensitive, who knows who Dinah Washington is...okay, she should have seen it sooner. They agree that it's not fair. She pauses and then asks if he's sure. He is. She doesn't get men at all, Elliot agrees.

Griffin's shop
It's pouring rain and no one is there. Julia comes in. She tells him that it's the business, not him. It's not his fault. He says he had $100,000 and now he doesn't. How is that not his fault?

Apartment
Sarah is picking up wet newspapers. She asks Bailey if he ever reads the personals. There are some nice people in there. Maybe if she ran an ad it would mean that there are other nice people out there. She's going to die a virgin. Bailey tries to cheer her up. He offers to take her to a movie. How long has it been? The night before he told her he slept with Callie. Anyway, she and Elliot are going to see "Oliver." Bailey thought he hated musicals. Well, he lied. They both laugh.

Salinger basement
Kevin is packing up his computer equipment. He wants to know why Charlie is bailing on him. It would give Charlie something to look forward to, something to hold on to. Charlie apologizes. Kevin can make plans, but Charlie can't yet. The thing that they had in common is gone now and he can't be around Kevin anymore. Charlie sees him as one of the 3 out of 4. Kevin got well and it makes Charlie feel like his chances got worse. When he looks at Kevin all he can think is "you took my place."

Grant High School
The students are assembled to bury the time capsule. The teacher calls Claudia up to read her essay, but she isn't there. The teacher begins to read it:

(Read over the following scenes.)

To the class of 2001 in the year 2026 from the Class of 2001 in the year 1998. Hi! How's it going? I thought this whole time capsule assignment was kind of lame until I started thinking about it. And that's when I realized something. It actually doesn't matter what we put in here because I can't remember stuff that was important 6 months ago let alone 25 years. I mean man, I can't wrap my brain around 25 years because I haven't been around that long yet. So, it seems that the only thing that matters, the only thing that is real is the here and now and some stuff is important and some stuff isn't and time is the only thing that can sort out which is which. That only means that the more we live in the present, the more we store up memories, good and bad, the more we have to hold on to once people, places and things are gone. Because believe me, I speak from experience, when I say things can change forever with like no warning. So no matter how much you love something, no matter how much you take it for granted, nothing lasts forever. So for now all we can do is hang on and wait and see and hope for the future.

Claudia is sitting at a bus stop. The bus comes and goes but she's still sitting there.

Sarah and Elliot are leaving the theater. They both check out a guy who is roller-blading and they laugh.

Annie and Bailey are in bed rolling around when they find the two Ken dolls.

Griffin and Julia watch the liquidators clear out the motorcycle shop.

Charlie is at his drafting table working on his chair design.