Season 6, Episode 17: Getting There

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Written by: Tom Garrigus
Directed by: Joe Pennella

Co-starring Nathan LeGrand as Dale Zott, Haunani Minn as Helen Chong, Brynn Harris as other patron

Transcribed by Rachel

Julia is at Adam's apartment. They are both on his bed. He's working hard while she ares at her laptop. She asks how he's doing. It's going really well for him. He asks if she's stuck again. She says that he isn't, but he reminds her that the story is due on Friday. She keeps giving him a look. He asks what's going on with her. She asks him if he remembers how they decided after she came back from Las Vegas that they wouldn't do anything too rash. They would see how things turn out... Yeah, he remembers. She thinks things are pretty developed and she's ready for them to turn out. She plays with his hand, until he pulls her to him and they begin to kiss.

Credits

Street
Holly and Bailey are walking down the streets after they saw a movie. He asks her if she thinks he would be a good salesman. She tells him to relax. Everywhere they go he looks at people and wonders if that would be a good job for him. He reminds her that he has his whole life to look forward to. She apologizes. He says that he'll give it a rest. She asks that he just do it for tonight. He can't believe it, three and a half dates and she's already sticking it to him. She stops...he hasn't called them dates before. He wasn't sure... She wonders if his doubts are about them. No, the only doubts that he's having are about his professional future. He's not taking anything for granted, but he's very happy with things between them. They start to kiss. They're interrupted by Holly's sister, Fiona. She's much different than Holly, larger, with bigger hair and much, much louder. Holly is surprised to see her. Fiona tells Holly to please pay the cab. He's been waiting an hour for her to return and she should give him a nice tip...he's been very patient waiting for Holly to return.

Charlie and Kirsten's apartment
Charlie calls into the bedroom. He's going to be late again. Every time he meets with the engineers they have 25 more questions for him. Kirsten slowly comes out into the kitchen. She doesn't look like she feels well. Charlie tells her she looks horrible. She knows, it's the morning sickness. He says that he'll cancel everything until noon. She says that she's fine as she pulls out the box of saltines. Instead she ends up with her hand over her mouth, sick again. He asks if she's alright. It was a false alarm. She says she's fine, better than fine. Feeling like this means she's pregnant, that the baby is growing. Every breakfast that she loses, she's one toss closer to having their baby. Charlie says that she makes him laugh. She tells him to laugh all he wants, but he could stand to look at his job that way too. He asks what she means by that. She points out that he always says that he can't wait until all his lines are going so he can get back to designing. Maybe if he saw all these hassles as steps toward that goal they would give him less pain and more pleasure. As he leaves he tells her again that she makes him laugh.

Studio
Claudia and Todd are talking before their latest recording session starts. He's very stressed. He wants to be the first chair. Claudia tells him to relax, he has the job. Todd think that the conductor will pick someone else, Martin. He went to Juilliard. Claudia points out that he doesn't have any bow control, no vibrato, no phrasing. Todd points out that she has to say that, it's in the girlfriend book. Claudia says that she isn't just saying it. Todd says that first chair doesn't matter, but Claudia disagrees. It is a big deal and he should feel good, because he deserves it.

Mr Frailey, the conductor comes in. Todd asks about the first chair, he realizes what a tough decision it must have been. Mr. Frailey agrees, but lately she's really stood out. She? Todd can't believe that Claudia was selected over him. She'll start as first chair the next day. Claudia and Todd are stunned. He congratulates her, but doesn't seem very sincere.

Adam's apartment
Julia wakes Adam up. She made lattes. Hers is decaf, but his isn't. He looks like he's about to pass out. He knows...he wants to sleep. She tells him that he can't because she's wide awake. He hopes she doesn't feel like more sex. She doesn't, she feels like talking. About what? Anything. He tells her to not get this wrong, that the past few hours were great, but now his body is screaming for sleep. Okay, she'll talk and he can listen. While she was making the lattes she figured out some things about her story. She knows what the device should be for switching the view points. She gets up from the bed and goes over to her laptop. Adam turns over and goes back to sleep.

Holly's apartment
Bailey comes into Holly's apartment to find loud music playing and fabric everywhere. Fiona comes out and apologizes, she was in the loo. Bay thought the place got robbed. Fiona says it's for her creating. He asks where Holly is. Fiona thinks she isn't back from work yet. Bay asks what she's creating. She's a fashion designer. Bailey asks what exactly she's working on. Fiona pulls out a dress she's been working on. It's made out of rubber. If she gets enough of those sold for summer, it could pay for a trip to the Milan shows in the fall. It could be the launching pad for the whole FBE line. Bailey wants to know what FBE is. Fiona Bleggins Europe...kind of like DKNY, only larger. Bailey looks a little unconvinced. Fiona realizes she might be getting ahead of herself, but she'll have a great time in Milan.

Holly comes in from work looking tired. She's upset to see the horrible mess Fiona has made. Bailey follows her into her bedroom, closing the door to try and muffle some of the loud music. Bay comments that Holly didn't prepare him for this... Holly doesn't even want to get started. Bay asks if she knows about FBE. Holly says it's never going to happen, none of it. Fiona will have forgotten of it tomorrow. Holly's seen it a million times. She gave up the university to go traveling, gave that up for dozens of different days jobs, gave those up to follow Yogi. Every time she tries to find herself she ends up even more lost. Bailey wonders if Holly is saying that Fiona should give up trying to find what she wants. Holly isn't saying that, but Fiona is her older sister, she's 27 years old. Quite frankly, the more she keeps changing her mind, the more Holly wonders if this things she's searching for even exists. This seems to bother Bailey. She tells him that it's not his problem. Bay asks if her calling has to exist. Holly wasn't talking generally, she was just talking about Fiona.

Factory
Charlie comes in for a meeting with a Mrs. Wong. He's sorry that he kept her waiting. She says it's fine, she was just looking over the latest line. It's very impressive. Charlie thanks her. The new things they are making are very different from the things she's purchased from him in the past. She tells him that hers is a new order. He thought she was from Sweet's Discount Furniture in Boise. She isn't, she's from Discount Suites hotel chain. A few months ago she saw his booth at the Expo. He apologizes, they're a little understaffed at the moment. She brings him up to speed while he locates her file. The chain is repositioning themselves, shooting for a more up-scale customer which means major remodeling. His designs feel hand-crafted and that's the look they're going for. Charlie finds the folder and sits back down. They have 72 hotels, each with 50 rooms with 2 chairs in each room. They want those chairs to be his, his Diana chairs. Charlie tries to do the math in his head. That's like a billion chairs or something. She corrects him, it's more like 7000 or so. Charlie says that it might as well be a billion. They're a small operation. She tells him to get bigger. That means delays and start up costs that they would have to absorb. She tells him to work it out, she'll be in town two more days. Charlie tries to explain again. She can't believe that he's saying he might turn down their order. No, he doesn't know.

Kitchen
Griffin and Will are trying to help Fiona get started with the old Salinger sewing machine. They are both being very attentive while Bailey and Holly watch. Bay tries to stop them. They're taking the machine back to Holly's apartment. Griffin and Will want to know why. Bailey says that Fiona needs to work on her prototypes so she can show them around to the boutiques. Holly also points out that Fiona will only be in town a few more days. Fiona looks surprised at this comment. Fiona thinks she should stay a little longer. Holly reminds her that she has a wedding she needs to get back to. Fiona thinks she only wants her out of her flat. Griffin offers his couch. Will thinks there is plenty of room in the Salinger house. Bailey doesn't think so. Holly says that she really cannot stay and watch it. Bay asks Fiona if she's ready for work. He's lined up a lot of appointments for her. Will asks what it matters if she goes back to work now. Bay says that she's been working hard on it for a long time, and now is when it could start to pay off. Fiona wants to stay and finish her coffee first. Bay asks if she remembers FBE...she wouldn't want it to turn out to be FBS. She agrees. Bailey carries the sewing machine out to the car. Fiona says goodbye to the boys.

Empty factory
Charlie goes to look at new factory space with a realtor. He asks why it's so much more expensive. It's the ideal industrial set-up. The realtor asks him a lot more questions, but Charlie isn't sure about their needs. He has to level to the realtor. It's like he's speaking a foreign language that Charlie only took a semester of in college. He's getting about every fifth word. The realtor thinks he needs a professional to help out. That's why Charlie called him...isn't he the expert? Dale, the realtor says he needs someone who will figure out Charlie's best strategy, a management expert.

Library
Julia comes to find Adam in the library. She sits down behind him. She asks what he's doing. He's writing. What's she doing? She's kissing his neck. He thinks that she's trying to start something. She wonders if that's a bad thing. He thinks that she's procrastinating. The stories are due Friday and the night before she said she was throwing out half of her draft. She did, but it was because she came up with such a great ending she had to throw the other stuff out to fit in the ending. The reason she got such a great idea is...sex. Adam can't believe that sex inspired her. It makes her all wired. He wonders what it means if it does the opposite for him, makes him a blissed-out senseless blob. She's surprised. She wonders if he can have sex and then drink caffeine. It still doesn't wake up his mind. She asks if she can help him work on his story. Will she? If he helps her first. She smiles and then they start to kiss.

Music studio
The conductor hands out the music. The ad agency needs the recording in an hour. They'll start in a minute. Todd asks Claudia if he should rub her hands or anything, to warm her up. Claudia says that she isn't nervous. He tries to psyche her out. She asks if he's okay. He seems like he's upset. He says he isn't. He was a little bummed out, but then he realizes he got beat by Claudia Salinger and that used to happen every week in junior high.

The conductor calls for them to begin. They put on their headsets and start the music. She looks over at Todd and then misses the cue. They stop and start again. She misses again. The conductor realizes that she's under a lot of pressure, but they have a deadline. They start again and she misses it again.

Bailey's bedroom
Bailey is working at his desk when Charlie comes over. He's been taking aptitude tests to figure out what he should do. Charlie asks what they say his perfect career is. Restaurant manager. Charlie laughs and then apologizes. Bay asks what he's doing there. Good news, he guesses. They just landed a huge order from Discount Suites for approximately a billion chairs or something. Bay says it's awesome. Charlie thinks it might be a little too awesome. He needs to set up a whole new factory, like yesterday. There's so much that goes into it, with taxes and financing, etc. Bailey knows, he's been there. Charlie knows. The thing is, he can't do it and run the plant they do have. If he can't find someone to help him out, someone he trusts... Bailey hopes he isn't saying... Charlie knows that Bay doesn't want a career in the furniture business, but he thought maybe while Bailey was figuring things out he could help Charlie out. Bailey says no, he knows how Bay is feeling right now. He's starting from scratch, filling out "who am I" surveys. Charlie knows, but what could it hurt him to work with Charlie and make some good money for a little bit. Bailey thinks it could hurt him the same way running the restaurant did. He wasted so much time! Charlie points out that Bay is only 21. He's not talking about years here, he's talking about months. Just until Charlie gets it off the ground. Bailey doesn't think Charlie understands. He's scared right now, scared that he'll look and look and never find what he wants. That might not make sense to Charlie because he's found what he loves, but every second that he spends doing something that's wrong makes him that much further from doing what's right.

Kitchen
Bailey comes in the kitchen the next morning to find Will staring out the window. Will gestures and says that he loves the guy and everything, but what does he have that Will doesn't? A tattoo? An old limp? Will can get those things. He asks Bailey to kick him in the shin. Bailey looks out the window to find Griffin and Fiona making out in the backyard. Bailey is shocked. Will tried, but he thinks she goes for the Brando act. Will tells Bay that they are going to Alcatraz. They can't go. Bailey goes outside to talk to Fiona. Fiona asks how he's doing. She tells him about the trip, doesn't it sound like fun? Bailey says she can't, she has too much to do. Will backs up everything Bailey says. Griffin thought it was up to Fiona. Bay says it isn't. Griffin wants to know who it's up to. Bailey? Yes, cause he spent all day lining up buyers to look at her work, but so far there isn't any work to look at.

Fiona says she tried to work on things, but she kept hearing a voice saying she would never be able to do it. Bailey realizes that she's scared, but doubts are fine. He's there to help her succeed. She should tell him what he needs to do to make this work. She needs a fashion show.

Grant High School
Claudia finds Todd after school. He left so quickly the day before, she wanted to make sure he wasn't embarrassed or anything. She got rattled or something, maybe that means she wasn't the best choice after all. The second Todd took over, he got it right away. Todd knows that she's trying to do, so she should just cut the act. Every time she wins she comes in with some kind of fake humility and try to explain it away. She did the same thing in seventh grade. He walks away. She follows him. What's he talking about? He wanted first chair, but not this way. She can't believe he thinks that she messed up on purpose. He tells her not to patronize him. He's not that fragile. Oh no...his act wasn't all that good either, pretending to support her. He was completely against her. He was praying for her to blow it. She caught all of his looks. That's why she blew it...not to spare his feelings. That's what he's talking about. She can't handle competing. She can. Does she want to see her handle competing? He's got it.

College for Fine Arts
Julia finds Adam in the hallway. She asks him where he's going. He's headed to the computer lab to type up his story. She asks if he's done. Pretty much. She's kind of stuck again. The ending is kind of causing her trouble now. Adam points out that with her it's always about the ending. Not just the ending of the story, but about what she gets when it's over. The only reason she wants him right now is so she can finish her story and get it published. Julia disagrees. Of course she wants to get published, but she wants him for him. It doesn't matter what happens with the story, it won't change the way she feels about him. She knows that he wants to get published as well, otherwise, what is the point? Adam stops and looks at her. How can she say that? The point is, the reason for doing it is doing it. She can't believe he really thinks that. It has to be about people reading the story, otherwise, what is the point? He pulls him story out of his notebook and starts to rip it up. She asks what he's doing. He'll write it again and it'll probably be better and the feeling of that would be better than sex.

Charlie and Kirsten's apartment
Charlie domes home to find Kirsten clutching an empty bottle of Pepto Bismal. She asks where he has been. He was just driving around. She tried to call him, she wanted him to pick up more of the "pink stuff." He asks if she's having more morning sickness. Yeah, and noon sickness and afternoon sickness and dinner sickness and midnight sickness. She asks if he remembers when she said that she was grateful for every lost breakfast and she wanted to savor the journey. He remembers. Well, screw the journey. She just wants the baby. That was a joke, she was trying to make him laugh. He apologizes. He tried everything, he made calls, talked to headhunters, put an ad on the internet, but there isn't anyone to do the job. He tried to do it himself, but the more he ran the numbers, the more he thought "why?". He can't stand that stuff, it isn't why he took the job. She asks what he's saying. He's going to turn down the order. She wonders if he's sure. She knows it isn't fun, but to get to his goal.... He points out that at some point the stuff you're doing stops being the stuff you need to get through and ends up being your life and the life he wants is supposed to be something else. He wants to be spending time with his pregnant wife and dreaming up new things to build. It's not supposed to be trying to find a way to finance a new factory. He doesn't want that to be his life.

Salingers
Fiona's fashion show is in full swing with all the servers dressed in her creations, including Will and Griffin. One buyer asks Griffin if he can turn around. He refuses, he's not going to show her his ass. He walks away. Fiona comes over to find Bailey. There are no orders yet, but a few of the buyers haven't shown up yet. He told him that he would comp their dinners. Fiona thanks him anyway, it's been thrilling to see all of her clothes. Holly comes into the restaurant looking shocked. She wants to know what he's doing. He's helping Fiona. She points out that they weren't going to do anything like this, they weren't going to spend any money helping her. Bay says it's no big deal. She disagrees. Then why is he doing it? Did he freak out so much when she said that Fiona might not find her calling. Bailey wants to know how anyone is going to buy her designs if they can't see them. Holly wants to know who's buying it now. He's making the same exact mistake her parents made. He's giving Fiona breaks that she can't expect to get from the real world. It doesn't really help her out at all. Holly leaves.

Adam's apartment
Adam opens the door to let Julia in. She's been thinking about what he said about the process instead of just getting what you want. He's sorry, but he doesn't want to talk about writing anymore. She's not, she's talking about "The Beginner's Guide to Tantric Sex," and holds the book up so show him. It's a form of yoga. You can do it for days at a time. Adam pulls her into the apartment.

She tells him that he probably is right. She does worry too much about finishing stuff and about what's going to happen. But the thing about tantric sex is because it can't be about the end, because if you do it right, there is no end.

Kitchen
Bailey looks out the French doors to see Holly. He lets her in. They both apologize at the same time. They smile and start over. Bailey says he shouldn't have done it. She sold like two things. Holly says that Fiona is at home singing about it. Bailey was so desperate to prove that she had found the right thing for her, because it would have been easier for him to say relax, that he'll find the right thing for him. Holly thinks that he's wrong. If he could have seen her at home the night before sweating her organic chemistry mid-term while Fiona is dancing around the living room clutching the 9 bucks she made from selling her hideous scarf thing, it made her realize that maybe she's wrong about some of this stuff. She's the one who's allegedly going somewhere and Fiona is the one allegedly going no where. Fiona seems to be doing a lot more dancing than Holly.

Music Studio
Todd comes in to find Claudia warming up. She's sitting in the first chair. He sets his things down and tells her that she's sitting in his chair. It's still her chair. Todd only got to move to finish that take. He says that's fine, they'll see who is sitting there in an hour. Claudia continues to warm up while Todd gets out his violin as well. He finishes her line, then plays another. Claudia mimics him. They begin to go back and forth, playing "Dueling Banjoes." They both seem to really get into it. When they finish she can't believe he knew bluegrass. She followed him note for note. She compliments all of his bowing. He usually screws it up, but he only made it through because of her. They move in and begin kissing. She pulls away, saying that she's still going to have the first chair.

Factory
Bailey comes in to find Charlie in his office. He asks if it's a bad time. Charlie says it isn't. Bailey said it sounded like Charlie might walk away from the chair order. Did he? Charlie says that he hasn't called her back yet, but... Bailey tells him to not turn down the order. That would be a huge mistake. Charlie thinks it's easy for Bailey to say, he wouldn't have to do all the work. No, he wouldn't...if Charlie turned the order down. Charlie looks up at him, surprised. Would he take the order if Bailey came on with him, to help with all the expansion stuff? Charlie said he would, but when they last talked... Bailey thinks that it might take him a while to figure out what he wants to do and for him to just run around until he figures it out might cause him to make another huge mistake. It might make him jump right into the next thing that felt half-right. Besides, this would be better than sitting around all day. They both laugh. It would be a lot better, he'd be working with Charlie. Does that sound okay? It sounds good to Charlie.

Adam's apartment
Julia and Adam are lying in his bed, candles lit all around them. He asks about the last one they did. They're still on the foreplay chapter, they still have 400 pages left. He asks where she just went, her mind seemed to wander after the "Butterfly Stampede." She had a story idea. He doesn't mind. If she wants to stop and write something down. She says it's okay, she's more in the mood for reading. They roll over to face one another and kiss softly.

Street
Holly and Bailey are kissing as the waiter comes up to their table at the sidewalk café. He clears his throat. Holly and Bailey pull apart. He tells her that it's the international sign for "pay your check and go home." Holly can't believe how long they've been there. They were just having dessert and coffee and now it's two hours later. Bailey gives the waiter the money. Holly asks if they should go somewhere else. He wonders where. Home? They could do that, but on the other hand, what's the rush? They've got a nice table, a good candle, each other. Why don't they just stay there for a while?

Notes:

It's taken me quite a while to do my summary and review this week and I apologize. I'd like to think there are a lot of good excuses (and there are some...a great sushi meal last Friday night) but what it really comes down to is I didn't think this was a very good episode and it makes me sad. We only have six left now and I want them all to be incredible! I think the past few weeks have been quite good and this was a let down. I get a fair amount of mail from people who talk about the show having gone down hill. I don't necessarily think that is so. Sure, it has its ups and downs, but for the most part, it has been one of the finest shows on television. A lot has happened over the last six years. When we started Owen was a baby....he's a young man now. Charlie was an immature, ne'er do-well, now he's the patriarch of this family. Everyone has changed, but then again, haven't we all? Since I started watching this show I've gone through 5 jobs, lived in 4 different states, gotten a master's degree...I've changed a whole lot. Why wouldn't we expect them to do the same. We can't remain the same, we have to change...that's life.

Okay, back to the show...

First of all...thank you Adam and if tantric sex can cure Julia, then I think this is the biggest breakthrough of the show. I've never been able to put my finger on what it is that makes her tick, but this concept that she's all about the finished product says a great deal. Too bad that she didn't figure this out before she went plowing through the last few years leaving people like Griffin and Evan in her wake.

I do like the character of Adam. I think he gets Julia in a way that no one else ever has. He seems to have some perspective on her. He doesn't seem to get sucked into her little world to the exclusion of everything else. I think that at times her boyfriends have seemed to lose themselves in her aura and then when they realize it, they act out. It's kind of like the moth that is so attracted to the light it starts itself on fire.

I don't get Bailey. Last week he realized that his behavior has been all about helping other people, that this his reason for existing, so what does he do this week? He goes overboard trying to put Fiona's life back together. Thank goodness he finally got a clue and realized that helping Charlie out is what he needs to be doing. I'm actually pretty intrigued by this. For the whole run of the series we've either had the brothers working against each other, or Bailey pulling Charlie's butt out of the fire. This will be their first real cooperative effort. I've been wanting a nice mission-style bed for a while. I wonder if Salinger Bros. could make one for me? I wonder if Owen is good with his hands?

Claudia and Todd's relationship is sweet. And appropriate. I really like this story and hope he sticks around for a little while. It's nice to finally see Claudia having a little normalcy in her life.

Finally, Will cracks me up! The whole scene where he wonders what Griffin has that he doesn't was great. Made me laugh out loud.

Okay, it might sound like I really did like this one and it did have its moments, but with only six episodes left, I want my head to explode...every week. This was pretty forgettable.

Copyright ©2000 by Rachel Vagts. All rights reserved.

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