Rehab center
Bailey and Natalie are waiting for Annie to be released from rehab. When she comes out it is very uncomfortable. Annie hugs and kisses Natalie telling her how much she missed her. As she goes to hug Bailey they bump noses, undecided whether to kiss on the lips or the cheeks. He tries to take her luggage, but she holds on to it as they leave for the car.

Coffee bar
Julia is filling Justin in on her marital troubles. He asks if he can hate Griffin. Julia says he can't. She tries to change the subject, but Justin asks why Griffin's actions were acceptable. Julia says they aren't, but she loves him and she thinks he loves her so they need to try and make things better. She can't listen to Justin say bad things about him. Justin agrees and then suggests that they sleep together. She looks at him and then realizes he isn't serious, they both laugh. It was just a thought.

Opening credits

Annie's Apartment Annie and Bailey are having a hard time talking. They keep avoiding sensitive topics. They admit the conversation is dumb. He doesn't know if she wants to talk about it, but she doesn't yet. She wants to take things slow, but he could kiss her. He's like that. He kisses her, first slowly and then more intensely.

Theater
Daphne is begging Charlie to take over the lead in the musical. Her "Henry Higgins" took a job as Papa Smurf in "Smurfs on Ice." Charlie tries to beg off, he only signed on to paint sets. He's busy trying to get a job, she should have had an understudy. Much like a former Charlie girlfriend, Daphne proclaims to be an optimist. He knows the role. She goads him about how not fun looking for a job is. She says she'll have to call the foundation and tell them they had to cancel. He starts to soften, can't she find someone in the chorus? She asks why she would settle for a cubic zirconia when there's a big, sexy diamond right in front of her. He asks if it's snowing. She begs until he agrees.

Bailey and Sarah's Apartment
Sarah is on the phone with a friend arranging a beach house for the summer. Bailey comes in and she tells him her plans. He thinks it would be weird to not have her around. She thinks he'll be too busy, with Annie. Bailey doesn't know what they are, he doesn't know what to say to her. One minute she wants to take things slow, then they were ripping each others clothes off. He thinks they jumped into bed just to not have to talk. Sarah says that she'll take his word for it.

Shed
Griffin comes home to find Julia reading. He says he's going to go up to Taos to a buddy's cabin for the weekend. Every time he walks into the shed it seems smaller and every time he walks into the house her family gives him the evil eye. Julia says they don't. She doesn't want him to leave, they need to work things out. He needs a few days with no fighting. She offers to go with him, but he doesn't want her to. He needs a few days away from her.

Charlie's bedroom
Claudia and Jamie are helping Charlie prepare his lines while he gets ready for a job interview. Claudia can't believe that Charlie is going to be in a musical. Jamie says that's what happens. You meet someone and it changes your whole life. Charlie pulls out his dress shoes. He hasn't worn them for months and they're scuffed. Claudia offers to go get the polish downstairs. Jamie says he'll miss her, she gives him a strange glance as she leaves.

Kitchen
Justin is trying to make plans for the weekend with Julia. Griffin walks in. He's surprised to see Justin, Julia hadn't told him Justin was back. He wonders if Julia told Justin about them. Justin comments that he's heard about some nice art galleries in Taos. Griffin says he's not sure if he's going, now might not be the best time. He leaves.

Bailey and Sarah's Apartment
Annie made a mug for Sarah as a thank you. Bailey tries to make plans to go to AA together, but then says they should just catch up later. They make plans for dinner. It's pretty awkward. Bay leaves for the restaurant. Sarah comments on his skittishness. Annie admits that they are both scared. She apologizes for talking to Sarah about this. Sarah says it's okay and Annie immediately launches into talking about their sex lives. This was not what Sarah wanted to hear at all.

Basement
Justin is helping Julia with the laundry. He continues with a litany of complaints about Griffin. Julia stops him again. She's trying to save her marriage. Justin wants to know why she wants to save it. Julia admits that she doesn't want to fail. She doesn't want to be someone who's divorced. Justin points out that it's okay to admit that you've made a mistake. If they split up, she'll always have that mark against her. Justin says that no one who loves her will love her any less. She spends a lot of time trying to prove that she and Griffin aren't a mistake. If she's going to stay with him it should be a good reason, not because it looks good.

Living Room
Daphne is fitting Charlie's costume. Bailey comes in with the documents to transfer the liquor license. Julia comes in with her laundry basket. She asks about Charlie's job interview. It was okay, he might go back next week. Daphne says she hates those offices where you can see the butt prints in the chairs because people have been sitting there for years. Charlie agrees. Julia points out that he has a family to support. Charlie gives her a look. Daphne takes the costume and leaves. Charlie tells Julia he thought she was kind of pissy to Daphne. Julia wants to know if that's who he's going to for career advice, someone who takes their clothes off for a living. Charlie says she's his friend. Julia wants to know if she's more than a friend. He wants to know if that matters. Bailey interjects that it doesn't matter if she's a little wacky, it's not always obvious why people are together. Charlie takes offense at Bay's characterization. Julia says if two people seem to be wrong for each other than maybe they shouldn't be together.

Annie's apartment
Bailey and Annie are in bed. She tells him she's allergic to his aftershave. They agree that it's good that they are talking. He tells her he doesn't like her putting her tongue in his ear. She can accept that. She was surprised that he's there now. She didn't think he would be there for her because he left before. He did, but maybe he did her a favor because when he left she got help. She got help when she could face that she needed it. She understands now, he's mad that she wouldn't let him rescue her. He isn't mad at her. He says this is a bad idea. She asks if he just wants another roll in the hay so they don't have to say anything. He says he'll go. She thinks it's a good idea.

Shed
Griffin comes up to bed. They have a therapy appointment the next morning since he isn't going away. He says he won't go to therapy. She tells him that the longer he stays upset the harder it will be to get over it. He wonders if that's her theory or Justin's. He can't believe she told him. He hates that Justin has an opinion about it. She wants to know why everything has to be an argument. He doesn't know, why doesn't she go ask Justin.

Theater
Charlie and Daphne are rehearsing a musical number. Charlie stops. He doesn't think the lyrics make sense. Daphne says it's a song and it doesn't have to be logical. He's just nervous and that's okay. The night before her first bachelor party she threw up like six times which was okay because then she looked really skinny in her G-string. This analogy is not helpful for Charlie. He didn't say he's nervous. He wants to know what they're singing about. She says it's about a guy who is such a pain in the ass that the woman doesn't think he would want to be with her. Charlie questions how two people like that would ever get together. Daphne points out that that is the point of the play. They take it from the top.

Department store
Sarah has gone shopping with Natalie and Annie. Natalie is now like Sarah's little sister. Annie asks if Bailey said anything about the night before. She apologizes for asking, but Sarah asks if something happened. As Annie starts, "well, we were in bed..." it is clear that Sarah is sorry she asked. Annie tells her about their fight and how Bailey left. Then she tells Sarah about the tongue problem. It's too much for Sarah and she makes an excuse to get away.

Coffee house
Griffin finds Justin studying. He tells Justin to butt out, because he doesn't have a vote. He knows Justin loves it that they are having problems. Justin points out that none of this would have happened if Griffin hadn't cheated on her. He wants to know how Julia ends up feeling guilty. He wants to know what Griffin gives her...loyalty, support, intellectual stimulation? The biggest favor he could give her is to go on his trip and never come back.

Theater
Daphne is getting ready backstage. Claudia comes looking for Charlie who forgot his gloves at home. Daphne says he went for a walk. Claudia is concerned, this means he has stage fright. Daphne asks if Jamie came with her. She thinks he's a cutey. Claudia thinks he's a little intense, but Daphne thinks they're sweet together. Claudia says she thinks Daphne and Charlie are too. Not everybody gets it, because Charlie's so Charlie and she's so her, not exactly the "girl next door" but Claudia's rooting for them. Claudia wishes Daphne good luck, and then apologizes for the backstage gaff. Daphne comments that it's too late, the look on her face showing that Claudia's words have hurt her deeply.

Charlie and Daphne are acting out the scene after the big dance. Charlie's acting is a little stilted, but Daphne is obviously upset. When she's supposed to throw the slipper at Higgins she hurls them at Charlie, smacking him. As the camera pans into the audience we see Bailey there with Sarah, Julia with Justin and Claudia with an ever attentive Jamie. As he makes the move on her, she points out that they aren't at the movies.

Bailey asks Sarah if she's finding this really sad. She wants to know if he means the play or Charlie's acting?

Backstage Charlie comments on the ferocity of the slipper throw. Daphne doesn't look at him. They fight all through the curtain calls. She thinks that they've type-cast him pretty well.

Outside Bailey and Sarah's Apartment
Bailey wonders if Sarah thought Eliza was like Annie, the way he had to fight through her tough exterior. Sarah points out that his socks remind him of Annie. Actually they do because she gave them....that's it, Sarah drags Bailey up to Annie's apartment. They need to talk because they are each obsessed with each other and she isn't going to be in the middle anymore. She leaves.

Shed
Justin and Julia come home to find all of Griffin's stuff gone. She thinks it feels bad to come home to an empty house, but it feels empty even when he's there. Justin says she needs to decide which feels worse. Julia says she has to leave him, doesn't she? He thinks she does. Six months ago they renewed their vows, how did everything happen so fast? Justin doesn't know, stuff happens. Julia doesn't know how to stop being married. He doesn't think it'll hurt forever. She asks if he'll help her. He says he will. She asks if he'll think she's a loser. He won't. She meant it when she said her vows. He holds her as she cries.

Airport
Griffin is in the airport bar drinking. He's already quite drunk. There's a couple coming back from their honeymoon. They invite him to share a toast. Griffin wishes them luck. He says they'll love each other until they can't live up to each others expectations. Griffin gets into a fight with the groom who smashes Griffin's bad knee with a bar stool.

Police Station
Julia picks Griffin up. His leg is in an immobilizing cast and he's on crutches. He reluctantly accepts her help.

Bailey and Sarah's Apartment
Sarah gets up in the middle of the night to find Bailey's empty bed.

Kitchen
Claudia is reading the newspaper. When Charlie comes in she tries to hide it. He wants to know what she was reading. There is a review of the play. He hopes they weren't hard on Daphne. Claudia says they weren't. He reads the review. Daphne got raves, but the reviewer hopes Charlie has a day job and if he doesn't...he should get one. She didn't want to show it to him. The doorbell rings. It's Jamie with a bunch of her neighbor's flowers. She needs to talk to him. In the two weeks they have known each other they have seen each other every day. She thinks it's a lot, too much. She likes him, really likes him. She would like to miss him sometimes. She tells him to go away so she can miss him.

Theater
The cast is sharing their feelings before the performance. Charlie takes this chance to comment on the review. He hopes that people won't not come because of what was said about his performance. He knows that somebody can say something negative and it can grow in your mind and you start to miss out on things that could bring something good to your life, make you really happy if you aren't so dumb you walk away. He looks at Daphne as he says that. He asks if he wasn't that horrible. She says he wasn't, just now he wasn't.

Shed
Griffin is sitting in the chair with his leg propped up while Julia tries to get the blood out of his shirt. He says he's going to call his dad and go crash there. She says he must really hate being there if he's willing to do that. Griffin doesn't want her taking care of him. She's doing it. She goes into the house.

Kitchen
Julia comes in with pillows and asks Charlie how the matinee went. He thinks he stunk a little less. He asks how Griffin is doing. He tells her that he isn't going to take the job because they wanted him to guarantee them two years. He can't do that right now. He got this second chance. Getting sick and then better was God's way of telling him there were other things out there, other people. "Like Daphne?" she responds. He admits that he doesn't know where things are going, but he likes her a lot and he feels good with her. He's not saying that Julia has to like her, although she might if she gave Daphne a chance, but he doesn't want Julia to dislike Daphne out loud. Julia agrees. He thanks her.

Bailey and Sarah's Apartment
Sarah comes home to find Annie and Bailey talking. They stayed up all night and worked things out. It was a little hairy, but things are better. They aren't going to bore Sarah with their stuff anymore. Annie thanks her as she leaves to get Natalie. Bailey is headed to the shower when Sarah tells him that she's going to get the beach house for the summer. That's great, because he and Annie are talking about him moving in upstairs. If she's not going to be there, then they can let the place go if that works for her. She says it will. She is visibly disappointed.

Lisa Melamed has crafted an wonderful episode tonight. She got the job done by moving story and giving us the moments that really matter. The last five minutes were perfect examples. The scene between Charlie and Julia was exactly what I've been wanting to see. Julia is quick to strike with her acid tongue, Grace felt the brunt of it more than once. Her early strikes on Daphne were symptoms of her own unhappiness. Charlie recognizes this and calls her on it. He doesn't force her to accept his choice, but he demands her respect. It says a lot for both of these characters that we've gotten to this point because Charlie certainly has not always been the greatest Griffin supporter.

But, it wasn't this moment that brought the tears, it was the devastation on Sarah's face when she discovered that she may have sealed her Baileyless fate. We watched her pain last week and it wasn't any easier this week. This relationship has cycled and endured for quite some time. I'm intrigued to see what happens next.

I continue to like the story with Claudia. This "first love" is cute to watch and real. It's a nice twist to see the young man as the overeager pursuer for once.

Good to see Michael Goorjian back. I think it is important to see Julia with some friends and Justin has been her friend for a very long time. The animosity between Griffin and Justin is exciting to watch. Griffin came alive in ways that I don't always see. It's nice to see him stick up for himself instead of the usual, "I'm sorry for drawing breath, Julia" manner.

Daphne--she isn't embarrassed to say she's a stripper, but she's human. The criticism laid on by Claudia, however innocent still cut like a knife. She's really good for Charlie, another optimist, which he does need to balance out his inbred pessimism. I was also plenty amused to hear Matthew Fox sing. It added a whole new side to his character.

Finally, as I feel I must say just about every other week--where the heck was Owen? If he isn't going to have a story and I understand that the twins are only 5, the least we could have is him covering himself in Daphne's magic glitter and dancing naked in the backyard with Thurber.