Following disaster and one of the most forgettable episodes of the series where the only interesting fact was that Sarah turns out to be adopted, the streak of sadness continues. For the record, this episode aired on january 3 of 1996, and considering the events of 2x9-10 happened in late november, can be said that the current episode occurs in early january, especially considering Christmas and New Year's Eve weren't shown. By the way, the winter holidays surely were pretty sad for Charlie and Claudia in San Francisco, and for Kirsten in Chicago. Bailey and Julia spent better times. Anyway, in this chapter, the only happy Salinger is Bailey, who celebrates Sarah's birthday with a lot of gifts from her parents, including a red luxurious car. Sarah thinks they want to please her after she discovered that she is adopted, so she wants to go to ski with Bailey, telling him that is all paid. When the Reeves tell their daughter no to spend much money, she doesn't listen, and takes Bailey for dinner. There, he thinks that she's trying to get back at her parents while "using him" to spend money, so she leaves offended. He apologizes in the hall of her building like in 2x04, and convinces her that they love her. Then, in a romantic gesture, Bailey gifts her a star in the sky, after he comforted her. This story is like a light in the middle of the dark, because the rest of the episode is overall depressing. Bailey is doing great and having happy times, and well, he needs that after the past suffering. But things in home are not fine, and that still makes bittersweet his storyline. Also, Owen still shines for his absence.
Julia has troubles with the teacher that appeared in the happy episode Dearly Beloved, who now seems to be atracted to her. After almost a kiss on his car, she spends a horrible time and not even Justin can help her. He tries to make her feel better, but she's affected because she feels she provoked the teacher. She explains that after what happened in 2x09, the next day she ran into Nina in the lockers, and she knew inmediatly that she had sex. Julia thinks that she's different and people notice that, and so the teacher did after reading her essay. Later, she talks to Principal Stickley so she can be in another class, but is asked why. Julia doesn't want to tell what happened, not yet. After Charlie talks to her, acting like his older brother, she finally tells what happened to the Principal, clearing her doubts and fears. This was a good story, and shown the right level of drama for Julia. She is understanding why is hard being a teenager. Also, seeing Charlie in a responsible way is always good. As for Claudia, obviously still affected after losing the closest thing to a mother she had since the accident, she gets drunk (yes, drunk at 12) with Jody and skip classes in school. In one moment, they go to the ice cream shop to ask for free desserts, tricking the salesman with a dirty ice cream they found in the trash. When she wakes up with hangover after drinking, Charlie gives her soda, and asks her why she got drunk. Claudia tells it seemed funny and that she saw him (this implies Charlie drank in the holidays). He forbids her from spending time with Jody because she's a "juvenile delinquent", and she says "ok". Anyway, she keeps hanging out with Jody after school: she pretends to be sick in class, the teacher lets her go out, so she and Jody get out of school happily. Of course, Charlie has no authority over her, because he's not the father anymore. Considering the irreversible mistake in 2x09, this is the right storyline for Claudia, she must be rebel, cut classes because there's no parent for her at home. Her parents are dead, her "adoptive mother" left the house with a broken heart, and her "father" doesn't deserve any respect after the disaster. Also, Bailey and Julia are busy with Sarah and Justin, so she has no one else.
After the writers ruined his happy relationship with the love of his life, Charlie now tries to be "young again" hangin out with his employees. One of them is Shelly (better known as Sarah Shephard), who tells him she was surprised to see him as a family man when she was hired. She heard the boss is Mr Salinger, and thought he was a 50-year old man with a wife and kids. In the interview, she was asked for qualifications and exemplary references, so he tells he was being a grown up, and assures he had a fiancee, not a wife. Now, Shelly is surprised by his new attitude as a immature guy who drinks with his employees. At Salinger's, she asks him for a favor, to help her to move a big Christmas tree from her dorm. In this moment Jody asks Claudia (who were spending time there) if the new waitress is the bimbo, and she answers she doesn't know (no Claudia, Sarah Shephard is no bimbo). Later, when Charlie helps Shelly to move the tree on his truck, he mistakenly thinks it was a date and tries to kiss her. She rejects him (fortunately), and kindly says she's not interested in that way, so he gets mad, tells he understands and leaves. Then, he acts in a mean way as his boss, cutting off her hours and paying her a lower salary, so she quits. After the talk with Julia, he regrets what he did and reaches her to give her a check. He apologizes and asks her to return to work any hour she wants, but she notes his anger, the anger of his ruined life and decides to leave the restaurant for good. Finally, alone at Salinger's, he calls Kirsten only to hear her voice in the machine, and is shown in the look of her eyes that she has been really depressed, likely having the worst month of her life (thanks to the writers). Turns out that she just got back to her new place, with keys and a book (I guess she returned from Chicago after New Year's Eve). Kirsten hears Charlie's voice, but she doesn't pick up the phone, she just sits saddened, wearing one of her old wool sweaters, and covered with a sheet. He says he hopes she's ok, that he wanted to hear her voice on the machine, and tells "I'm a mess lately, if that makes you feel any better". Still, he feels like she wouldn't want to hear him, so, thinking he doesn't want to hurt her more, he says he's sorry, that he "shouldn't have...", and hangs up. This was the best scene of the day, the most touching. Charlie's storyline here was a mild improvement, he realized once again how bad became his life, how he lost all the respect, from Claudia, and even from the workers at the restaurant. He doesn't know what to do with his life after the disaster, that irreversible mistake he can't take back. At the end, he called Kirsten because he needs her, she's the love of his life, and he wishes he could be with her. But the damage caused was big, he knows he hurted her. And Kirsten was really sad, it's hard to tell how much she cried in the last month because she lost the family she formed with him in a blur. For that, I think this episode has a sad tone. The failed wedding left me really bummed and angered, the last one, just left me mad, with rage, and this one, finally left me sad.
Julia has troubles with the teacher that appeared in the happy episode Dearly Beloved, who now seems to be atracted to her. After almost a kiss on his car, she spends a horrible time and not even Justin can help her. He tries to make her feel better, but she's affected because she feels she provoked the teacher. She explains that after what happened in 2x09, the next day she ran into Nina in the lockers, and she knew inmediatly that she had sex. Julia thinks that she's different and people notice that, and so the teacher did after reading her essay. Later, she talks to Principal Stickley so she can be in another class, but is asked why. Julia doesn't want to tell what happened, not yet. After Charlie talks to her, acting like his older brother, she finally tells what happened to the Principal, clearing her doubts and fears. This was a good story, and shown the right level of drama for Julia. She is understanding why is hard being a teenager. Also, seeing Charlie in a responsible way is always good. As for Claudia, obviously still affected after losing the closest thing to a mother she had since the accident, she gets drunk (yes, drunk at 12) with Jody and skip classes in school. In one moment, they go to the ice cream shop to ask for free desserts, tricking the salesman with a dirty ice cream they found in the trash. When she wakes up with hangover after drinking, Charlie gives her soda, and asks her why she got drunk. Claudia tells it seemed funny and that she saw him (this implies Charlie drank in the holidays). He forbids her from spending time with Jody because she's a "juvenile delinquent", and she says "ok". Anyway, she keeps hanging out with Jody after school: she pretends to be sick in class, the teacher lets her go out, so she and Jody get out of school happily. Of course, Charlie has no authority over her, because he's not the father anymore. Considering the irreversible mistake in 2x09, this is the right storyline for Claudia, she must be rebel, cut classes because there's no parent for her at home. Her parents are dead, her "adoptive mother" left the house with a broken heart, and her "father" doesn't deserve any respect after the disaster. Also, Bailey and Julia are busy with Sarah and Justin, so she has no one else.
After the writers ruined his happy relationship with the love of his life, Charlie now tries to be "young again" hangin out with his employees. One of them is Shelly (better known as Sarah Shephard), who tells him she was surprised to see him as a family man when she was hired. She heard the boss is Mr Salinger, and thought he was a 50-year old man with a wife and kids. In the interview, she was asked for qualifications and exemplary references, so he tells he was being a grown up, and assures he had a fiancee, not a wife. Now, Shelly is surprised by his new attitude as a immature guy who drinks with his employees. At Salinger's, she asks him for a favor, to help her to move a big Christmas tree from her dorm. In this moment Jody asks Claudia (who were spending time there) if the new waitress is the bimbo, and she answers she doesn't know (no Claudia, Sarah Shephard is no bimbo). Later, when Charlie helps Shelly to move the tree on his truck, he mistakenly thinks it was a date and tries to kiss her. She rejects him (fortunately), and kindly says she's not interested in that way, so he gets mad, tells he understands and leaves. Then, he acts in a mean way as his boss, cutting off her hours and paying her a lower salary, so she quits. After the talk with Julia, he regrets what he did and reaches her to give her a check. He apologizes and asks her to return to work any hour she wants, but she notes his anger, the anger of his ruined life and decides to leave the restaurant for good. Finally, alone at Salinger's, he calls Kirsten only to hear her voice in the machine, and is shown in the look of her eyes that she has been really depressed, likely having the worst month of her life (thanks to the writers). Turns out that she just got back to her new place, with keys and a book (I guess she returned from Chicago after New Year's Eve). Kirsten hears Charlie's voice, but she doesn't pick up the phone, she just sits saddened, wearing one of her old wool sweaters, and covered with a sheet. He says he hopes she's ok, that he wanted to hear her voice on the machine, and tells "I'm a mess lately, if that makes you feel any better". Still, he feels like she wouldn't want to hear him, so, thinking he doesn't want to hurt her more, he says he's sorry, that he "shouldn't have...", and hangs up. This was the best scene of the day, the most touching. Charlie's storyline here was a mild improvement, he realized once again how bad became his life, how he lost all the respect, from Claudia, and even from the workers at the restaurant. He doesn't know what to do with his life after the disaster, that irreversible mistake he can't take back. At the end, he called Kirsten because he needs her, she's the love of his life, and he wishes he could be with her. But the damage caused was big, he knows he hurted her. And Kirsten was really sad, it's hard to tell how much she cried in the last month because she lost the family she formed with him in a blur. For that, I think this episode has a sad tone. The failed wedding left me really bummed and angered, the last one, just left me mad, with rage, and this one, finally left me sad.
