Season 6, Episode 3: Bye, Bye, Love

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Written by: Mimi Schmir and Allan Heinberg
Directed by: Adam Nimoy

Co-starring: Matthew Morgan Scott as Derek
Transcribed by Rachel

Charlie and Kirsten come home from work. They are both tired, with Kirsten complaining. The doctor she is working with hasn't hired a new assistant, so she has to do all of his paperwork as well. They call out to Daphne and Diana, but there isn't any answer. As they come into the kitchen they are surprised to find a strange young man feeding Diana. He greets them, calling both Kirsten and Charlie by name. They wanted to surprise them. Charlie admits that he is surprised. He's Victor, Daphne has told him all about them. Kirsten says they haven't heard anything about him. He knows, he's a secret. Daphne comes in apologizing to Victor for being late. She sees Charlie and Kirsten and realizes she's been caught. She wants to tell them something before they begin yelling. She got fired. She's been looking for a job and Victor has been taking care of the baby for her. He's great. He's like the new millennium Mary Poppins. Kirsten tries to say something, but Daphne keeps going, she's almost done. She's completely broke, behind on her rent and her close are being held captive at the Fluff'n'Fold. The only money she has is to buy baby food. Charlie reaches for his checkbook. He's not going to yell. He just wishes she would tell them when things happen. He hands her the check. Will that do it? Victor clears his throat. She asks if he can make out two. Victor smiles and Charlie reaches for the checkbook again.

Credits

Kitchen
Julia comes into the kitchen. Bailey is buttering his toast and Owen is eating breakfast. Just once she would like to be on time for something. She calls out to Claudia that she'll have to walk. Julia grabs Bailey's first slice of toast and walks out. Claudia follows her, grabbing Bay's second slice on her way out the door. The phone rings and Bailey answers it. It's for Sarah, someone named Mindy. She says that she'll take it upstairs.

Sarah is taking down an address in Menlo Park when Bailey comes upstairs to find her. Bay asks who Mindy is. She asks if he's late for work. He's the boss, he can be late. He asks again about Mindy. It's a long story, but Mindy was her mom, Robin's best friend from high school. Bay asks how Mindy found her. Julia told Sarah about how she could find her mom's yearbooks at the library and she found a picture of them together. She did some digging and found Mindy. She called Sarah back and now she's going to meet her tomorrow. Bailey can't believe she did all this. When Julia started working on her book it got Sarah thinking how there is so little she knows about her mom. Bay can't believe she didn't tell him about any of this. She says there was very little to tell before this. She remembers how Bay felt when she started looking for her mom. Sarah braces herself for his criticism. No, it's not that way. He wants to help and he wants her to be careful. How can he help?

Stilman Press
Evan and Julia are sitting at the table in his office. He has taken a look at her second chapter and he has some questions. In the book she talks a fair amount about her father's temper. She tries to downplay it, but Even continues. He's talking about when her dad got mad, she talks about her own reactions, but Julia doesn't mention anyone else. What about her mom's reaction? What did she do? Julia says she was great, she knew exactly what to do. She'd tell him a joke or lighten the situation. So, she enabled him? Julia doesn't think it was like that. Evan points out the similarity to her own situation. Julia doesn't think so. Evan reminds her that she says her mom was great, that she admired her. His only point is that she must have wanted to be that way too.

Charlie and Kirsten's apartment
Kirsten is holding Diana while Charlie gets there breakfast ready. Daphne's late. Kirsten thought Victor was coming, but Charlie says Daphne is. She doesn't have any job interviews that day. Kirsten shoots him a look. He wonders what she means. She isn't sure he should have given Daphne money like that. What else is he supposed to do? Kirsten thinks he should find her a job. He's tried, but there's nothing at the school or at the restaurant. What about her? Didn't she say Dr. Franklin needed an assistant. Kirsten can't believe he's serious. Her Dr. Franklin? His assistant Daphne? Charlie wonders why not. She doesn't have a good answer. Why not.

Grant High School
Claudia comes to join Alexa and her friends for lunch. Rhiannon comes over with her boyfriend with the latest from a web site that is talking about everyone at their school. The anonymous author has reported on Rhiannon's summer trip to LA and her new breast implants. Cameron laughs. Alexa tells Cam it isn't funny, but wonders how he (the author) knew. Claudia asks if she's in there. Cameron says she's safe. Rhiannon wonders how he knows. She's fresh blood, not even on his radar yet according to Cam. Claudia wonders how they know the guy is a guy. Alexa tells her to just ignore him. Rhiannon shares the part about Alexa. Who does she think she is volunteering for Big Sisters? Is she going to help the poor by doing their color charts? Alexa doesn't understand. She didn't even tell anyone. Except every college recruiter she meets, Cameron comments. Alexa says the author is going to pay. The bell rings while something seems to have become clear to Claudia.

Shop class
The bell rings as Charlie goes over to Myra, one of his students. She is banging on a piece of wood. It's her furniture project. Charlie asks her what it is. It's a bed of nails. He calls after her. He knows this isn't her favorite place to be, but he's looked at her transcripts and the D+ she's getting from him is the best grade she's got. A zero on this project will bring her down to an F. If she doesn't want to be held back, he's the best friend she's got. If she needs a little extra time or help... She cuts him off. No offense, but the last thing she needs is advice from the guy who grew up to be the shop teacher.

Kitchen
Julia and Claudia are washing dishes while Bailey works with Owen on his homework. Julia asks if Claudia remembers the time they were making cookies with their mom and Claudia dropped the bowl and it smashed into a million pieces. Claudia does...their dad got mad. Julia reminds her that their mom made them run up to their dad and tell him that they loved him. She never remembers their mom telling him to stop being angry. Bailey comes over. Why is she saying this in front of Owen. He's listening to every word. She doesn't understand what's wrong. He asks why she's trying to make their dad seem like such a bad guy. She doesn't need to trash their family. None of them want to hear it. He walks away.

Mindy's apartment
Sarah's mom's friend, Mindy shares stories with Sarah about her mom. She was very popular. She was beautiful and a very good actress. Mindy pulls out a Playbill from her first real show. She played Roxanne in Cyrano. The male lead was William Landford. Robin told Mindy he was wonderful. Robin had signed the Playbill, "Everything in my life is about to change." Mindy doesn't know what she meant. They fell out of touch after that. Sarah wonders what she meant. Mindy points out it was twenty years ago. She could have been talking about Sarah.

Hospital
Daphne comes out of the interview upset. It was such a joke. Kirsten tries to comfort her. Daphne needs it because Dr. Franklin wants her to start that day. Kirsten can't believe it. Daphne admits that she lied and said she could do what the job requires. Kirsten can't believe it. Daphne needs Kirsten to tell her what to do because all she knows how to do is make long distance phone calls and steal office supplies. Kirsten comments for the third time that she lied. Daphne points out that they covered that.

Grant High School
Claudia shows up at Cameron's basketball practice. He wonders what she's doing there. She's figured out that he is running the web site. He asks why she cares. She wants to know what they all did to him that he's ragging on Alexa, Rhiannon, etc. He needs to get going.

College of Fine Arts
Isabelle, the woman from Julia's class comes over while she's studying. She's sorry, she has been a total bitch to Julia. She was just jealous of her book deal, but that was pretty unoriginal when everyone else in the class already hates her. She thinks Julia looks really sad and wonders if she can help. She sits down. Julia admits that her editor doesn't like what she's been writing and wants her to blame her parents for what happened to her. Her siblings hear that and are upset. But, how can she explain who she is without talking about her parents? Isabelle understands. She didn't come out of the womb this way. She asks Julia if she wants to go get coffee.

Woodrow Wilson Junior High
Charlie finds Myra at her locker. He has her new shop project. She looks at it. He wants her to build a guillotine. Something about it screamed out "Myra." She thinks that he doesn't know her well enough to pick something for her and she's not going to be his good deed for the day. She hands the project sheet back to him. Charlie wants to know what the problem is. Is she bored? He is too. He's going to die if he was to see one more pine branch foot stool. What, he's using the "I'm just another outsider like you" trick. He should be careful, he might have to pierce his tongue just to prove it. The bell rings and she starts walking down the hall. He goes after her. He wants to tell her the secret behind high school, why it's so awful. They want kids to leave, because if they don't, they turn into people like him, teaching shop. Is that what she wants? To have to teach shop to put food on her table? She takes the project sheet back and walks away.

Charlie and Kirsten's apartment
Kirsten is helping Daphne with the paperwork. Daphne is acting very tired, so Kirsten offers to finish them up for her. Daphne gets up and goes over to where Victor is playing with the baby. She shows Diana how to play with the toy, but Kirsten tells her that it's better if Diana figures it out for herself. Victor thinks it's a good idea for everyone to learn for themselves. Kirsten gets the hint and turns the paperwork back over to Daphne.

Bailey and Sarah's bedroom
Bailey comes home to find Sarah in bed reading Cyrano. Every night she would look into his eyes and he would look into hers...how could they say the words every night and not fall in love? (Her mom and her co-star.) Bay points out that they were acting. Sarah knows, but her mom told Mindy that they were great together. She was born a little more than nine months after the play opened. This man could be her father. She did an internet search and found a William Landford Studio in New York. Bay asks if she found a phone number. She decided it might be better to just show up. It's a lot harder to slam a door in someone's face than it is to hang up on them. Bay wonders if she's actually considering flying all the way to New York. She isn't just considering it. She already has the ticket.

Living Room
Bailey comes in where Julia is working on her book. She's looking at pictures trying to jog her memory. Bailey picks up her manuscript and reads about their dad having his arm on their mother's arm, on her neck. He wonders what point she's trying to get at. She's just trying to figure things out. Bay wonders if she thinks their dad was controlling. She's just writing what she saw. So, that's the angle. Their dad was like Ned, so she was like their mom and that's why she got abused. Julia wonders if that had something to do with it. Bay points out that she's putting it all in a book. She's making their dad out to be an abusive person and their mother a victim. They will be villains to thousands of strangers. Julia doesn't think anyone is a villain, not even Ned. Bay thinks she is just trying to let herself off the hook. This is the way to make it okay, to blame everyone else. She wants to make sense of it. That's fine, she just shouldn't pile it all on top of their parents. Maybe instead of looking in the past she should look for the answers that are right in front of her.

Shop class
Myra is working on her project when Charlie comes in. She wants to know how heavy to make the blade off. Charlie doesn't know...heavy enough to chop the tips of her old man's cigars off. That would work, if she had an old man...or took up smoking cigars. Charlie asks if it's just her and her mom. Myra says it's just her most of the time. Charlie moves in to help her. He doesn't want any fingers cut off. He puts on his safety goggles and Myra slips on her shades.

Grant High School
Claudia comes over to join Alexa, Rhiannon and Cameron for lunch. Alexa accuses her of writing the web page. Claudia doesn't understand why they think that. Nobody started trashing them until they started hanging out with her. She's the only one that they told all the stuff to who isn't being trashed on the site. Cameron wonders why she would do it and she pointedly tells him she has no idea why they would think that she did. Claudia takes her food and leaves.

Hospital
Daphne comes in to find Kirsten. She quit her job. Kirsten can't believe it. Daphne apologizes. She can't do it. Kirsten tells her that she's doing a good job and quite frankly, Kirsten didn't think she had it in there. Daphne thinks she's working her ass off. Kirsten says it's part of life. If she keeps quitting jobs because she doesn't like them, when she sees one that she does like her resume will be so spotty that no one will hire her.

Coffee house
Isabel finds Julia looking at the classifieds. She's looking for an apartment. Isabel commiserates about families. It's not just that. Evan is driving her crazy too. He keeps telling her what to think. Isabel thinks she should realize he's going to be a bit frosty considering... Considering what? Evan's wife killed herself. Isabel can't believe Julia didn't know that.

Dining Room
Sarah is working on her laptop. She's going to stay somewhere nice in case things don't pan out. Bailey thinks it's her trip and it's up to her. Sarah tells him again that it's just five days looking for her dad...that's all. And then what? And then she comes back. And then what? And then what does he mean? Then all her questions are answered? She just wants to meet her father. He wants her to meet her dad, but what if it doesn't turn out okay? Yeah, her mom and dad were together at some point, but they weren't together when she was born. Maybe she'll go racing across the country and her questions won't be answered. This is about the problems that they are having, not the search for her dad.

Stilman Press
Evan looks through Julia's new chapter. He wonders what happened. What happened to taking a harder look at her mother? She decided it wasn't the story. Why not? This book is her story, about her state of mind, not her mother's. Evan understands that her mom is gone and Julia doesn't want to judge her, but she needs to be honest. Honest? Why doesn't he just tell her what he wants her to write because she thinks that he has a pretty clear idea of it in his head. She gets the feeling that this means a lot to him, that it's personal somehow. Someone did something to him and he needs someone to blame. Evan asks if she's talking about his wife. She doesn't know...is she? She knows nothing about her. Julia agrees and she would never presume to tell him how he feels. Evan tells her that this is completely uncalled for. Julia is sorry if this upsets him. They'll take it up later...he's done.

Grant High School
Alexa calls out to Claudia. She reads to her from the latest update on the web site. It rags on Claudia, calling her a big mouth and a big phony. She's a desperate climber in discount boots. Alexa apologizes. She should have known it wasn't Claudia. Claud looks at the print-out. There is also something on there about Cameron, accusing him of not having any self-esteem. Claudia doesn't bust him.

Kitchen
Bailey is doing some paperwork when Sarah comes in. She needs to feel spontaneous...find her father if she can. She needs to feel twenty for a few days, to look at the world like she doesn't live in a three bedroom house with a grand piano and a view of the bay; that she doesn't have a kind-of husband who has a real job. Bay wonders if that is what this trip is about. It is. Everything that makes it foolish is what makes it so important. It's like she left her passport in the middle of New York and she has to go get it so they can go somewhere together. That isn't such a scary thought, is it? Bailey doesn't think so. She kisses his hand.

College of Fine Arts
Julia comes out of class to find Evan. He calls to her. She immediately interrupts him. If he came to yell at her, she was way out of line. She knows that he wasn't trying to work out his stuff about his wife in her book. She's just not comfortable blaming her parents, so she's sorry. He knows. He tries every day to figure out why his wife did what she did and it makes him mad. But how can he not forgive her? He has to. He misses her which is just to say that she shouldn't not look at the ways that they might have let her down. He tells her that she isn't trying to blame them, she's trying to understand. She can be disappointed and still go on loving them, just like when they were here.

Shop class
Charlie is leaving for the day when Myra comes in. He asks if she needs something. Actually she does. Does he know anything about sine, cosine...and the other one. He says that he can take a look. When they're done...does he speak French? Charlie sits down with her.

Attic
Julia is packing when Sarah comes up. Isabel said she could crash at her place until Julia can find her own place. Sarah asks if Bailey knows yet. Julia doesn't know, but she doesn't think he'll care...he's so upset about her book. She tells Sarah to talk to him. Sarah understands, but Bay just wants to keep the family together. Julia thinks that's why he's so upset about the book. Sarah wonders why he cares about them so much. He needs things around him that don't change. That's why he's still living in the house and that's also why he proposed to her. Julia should stay. He needs her around now.

Charlie and Kirsten's apartment
Charlie is crashed on the couch while Kirsten picks up. She comments that between the two of them they have about a hundred kids. His students, her clinic, Diana, her mother. Kirsten thinks it feels good. Charlie tells her to ask him again when his feet stop throbbing. She's spent so much time thinking about not having kids of her own that she's learned to accept that. First there were the medical problems, then she was married to someone who didn't want them, but maybe she could have a child. Maybe she doesn't have to accept that. She loves all the kids in their lives, but she would love to have a child with him. It doesn't compare to the feeling of having their own. Charlie wonders if she wants to adopt. She doesn't know, but saying the words now, the concept of having a baby with him...she wants that so badly. He holds her. Just the idea of it.... He nods.

Kitchen
Julia and Owen are baking cookies. Bailey and Sarah are headed to the airport. Julia tells him that she's not going to move. He's pleased. She is still going to write her book and she wants him to know that it isn't easy for her. Letting them be something else is actually making her feel closer to them, that she's letting them be who they were, not who she wanted them to be. Bailey tells her that he's glad she's staying.

Airport
Bailey and Sarah say goodbye at the gate. As she goes to leave he tells her to wait. He understands why she's going, but even if he didn't she wants it and he wouldn't ever stand in the way of what she wants. She asks him to come. He can't. He has Owen at home and the restaurant. Anyway, she needs to take the trip alone, that's part of the point. He tells her to say hello to her father for him. They kiss. He tells her to smile. She starts to cry, but he dries the tears. She should show her dad her smile. If there is a heart in his chest, she will own it. The final call for the plane is announced. Sarah is ready to go. It's only five days and she'll call him constantly. Bay tells her to find what she's looking for. He'll be right there. She tells him that she loves him. He does too. He kisses her again. They hug and then she turns to leave. Bailey watches as she gets on the plane, waving one final time. After she's gone, he says goodbye one more time.

Notes:

If an episode makes me cry, it rarely does the second time I watch it. This one did. Sarah has been an important character on the canvas of this show and she and her portrayer, Jennifer Love Hewitt will be missed.

This episode was about change and growing up; about doing the things that you might not necessarily want to do because they have to be done. Kirsten is being a good friend to Daphne; not cutting her any slack when she shouldn't. Life is hard and sometimes we have jobs that pay the rent rather than making us terribly happy. It's not a great way to live, but it happens.

Julia's trip of self-discovery is taking a turn that I hadn't necessarily expected. I'm intrigued to learn more about Nick and Diana. We have always seen a very idealized version of them. Even when we found out that Nick was an alcoholic there wasn't much "bad stuff" shared. I'm not surprised to hear that there were some control issues in their marriage. Bailey has a real need to have control. He isn't abusive, but he does dominate situations. Charlie is just the opposite and he might be that way in reaction to the control their dad tried to exert over the household.

I like Charlie's mentor relationship with Myra. My one questions is…how old is she? According to the story last year he was teaching at Woodrow Wilson Junior High. This student, studying trig, etc. seems to be in high school. Continuity glitch? Is he at Claudia's school?

Speaking of Claudia...interesting story. I was surprised they didn't think it was her right away. She did run that advice column in grade school...

Shades of things to come: I have often wondered what exactly prevented Kirsten from being able to have a baby. I'm glad this plot point has come up. I think it will bring a great deal of challenge to this new marriage, and it will be interesting to see how these characters have grown over the years while they deal with being able or maybe not being able to have their own child.

Finally, I must comment more about Bailey and Sarah. They really have seen a lot of things together. When they first met she was about 15 and a really young girl. She had such a crush on Bailey and his heart had been broken when Jill died. Now, as she leaves on her adventure she is a young woman who has seen so much. For the most part she has stood beside Bailey supporting him no matter what he did. There relationship was unlike a great number we have seen elsewhere on television. I don't think it's wrong for her to go and I understand her need to regain her youth, but I will miss her. I just hope her new show is as good as this one!

Copyright ©1999 by Rachel Vagts. All rights reserved.
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