This episode is the culmination of three seasons worth of Nick's behavioral ups and downs into their psychological root cause. After nearly two years community service as a public welfare child advocate opening his cold corporate attorney's heart, Lulu's surprise pregnancy and her rejection of his marriage proposal have stressed Nick over the edge of trying to rehabilitate his crutch dependent addictive personality, emotionally distant shield and tendency for self-destruction. Triggered by his father's insistence, in the previous episode, that Nick come clean with Lulu about his return to drinking and cheap motel affair with the fabulously seductive Suzanne Pell, Nick begins to reap what he's sowed as Lulu breaks-off the relationship and moves-out.
Nick trips then into Beautiful Blue Mystic irresponsibility and realization. He doesn't show-up in court to handle the slam-dunk case of a woman who has gone sober, taken parenting classes and earned back the right to mother her child. Nick is also M.I.A. from a big client meeting at his father's law firm...in both instances, Nick possesses the 'make it or break it' vital documents on which people's productive futures depend.
Instead, Nick has apparently taken his father's advice and checked-in to a swanky rehab clinic. Here subtle hallucinatory tips abound, gradually increasing in frequency and outlandishness as Nick's core is exposed and phases into meltdown. The clinic is stark, posh and free of problem clients...the dress, hairstyles and atmosphere of the place are straight out of a 1950s hold-over notion.
The receptionist is Marsha Brady--a slightly frumpy Maureen McCormick. Glenne Headly puts-in a stellar performance as the angel-hearted rehab counselor--Anne Joplin--who, while doing intake with Nick, receives a phone call informing her that her cancer has turned malignant. It is a pristine white rotary phone.
Their roles then switch as Nick now must help Anne draw-up a DNR Living Will and find foster placement for Anne's pre-teen, privately schooled son--whose hard-hearted attorney father has no time for the child and refuses to raise him. Nick comes into Anne's home, furnished out of the 1970s, and is given lunch--a sandwich with the crust cut-off and large glass of milk...which Nick eats joyfully basking in Anne's presence. Her son arrives home and Nick is strangely drawn to him, in no interactive way, but observationally--as if brought there by the Ghost of Christmas Past.
The boy is content, studious and quiet, but not happy, playful or social. Outside of her aurora, Anne's home is profoundly lonely and languishes in time. Anne reveals to Nick that her plan is place her son in foster care immediately and remove herself from his life by checking-in to the hospital without explanation to the boy.
Tension and panic rise within Nick who spits-out reasons why Anne should reconsider, stay with the boy and communicate through the illness 'til it's end. Meanwhile, back at Fallon & Fallon, Jake has been dispatched to find Nick--unsuccessfully--and gets his hands on the Offering their client requires. Lulu is furious with Nick's absence at her legal clinic and Suzanne Pell's presence there.
Finally, Alvin Masterson catches-on and, after checking the bars, finds Nick at home. Nick is 100% disheveled, half lying on the floor and tripping his brains out. In his hallucination, Nick is in a purely desperate panic realizing that Anne is his mother, the boy is him, and he's is being left alone and unloved forever by cancer and emotional incapacitation.
Glenne Headly absolutely makes the episode. Nick has returned to the rock-bottom of his psychological problem--from where he began the series. His father, Lulu and Alvin have lost their normal relationship to Nick and adopted roles as interventionists.
Nick trips then into Beautiful Blue Mystic irresponsibility and realization. He doesn't show-up in court to handle the slam-dunk case of a woman who has gone sober, taken parenting classes and earned back the right to mother her child. Nick is also M.I.A. from a big client meeting at his father's law firm...in both instances, Nick possesses the 'make it or break it' vital documents on which people's productive futures depend.
Instead, Nick has apparently taken his father's advice and checked-in to a swanky rehab clinic. Here subtle hallucinatory tips abound, gradually increasing in frequency and outlandishness as Nick's core is exposed and phases into meltdown. The clinic is stark, posh and free of problem clients...the dress, hairstyles and atmosphere of the place are straight out of a 1950s hold-over notion.
The receptionist is Marsha Brady--a slightly frumpy Maureen McCormick. Glenne Headly puts-in a stellar performance as the angel-hearted rehab counselor--Anne Joplin--who, while doing intake with Nick, receives a phone call informing her that her cancer has turned malignant. It is a pristine white rotary phone.
Their roles then switch as Nick now must help Anne draw-up a DNR Living Will and find foster placement for Anne's pre-teen, privately schooled son--whose hard-hearted attorney father has no time for the child and refuses to raise him. Nick comes into Anne's home, furnished out of the 1970s, and is given lunch--a sandwich with the crust cut-off and large glass of milk...which Nick eats joyfully basking in Anne's presence. Her son arrives home and Nick is strangely drawn to him, in no interactive way, but observationally--as if brought there by the Ghost of Christmas Past.
The boy is content, studious and quiet, but not happy, playful or social. Outside of her aurora, Anne's home is profoundly lonely and languishes in time. Anne reveals to Nick that her plan is place her son in foster care immediately and remove herself from his life by checking-in to the hospital without explanation to the boy.
Tension and panic rise within Nick who spits-out reasons why Anne should reconsider, stay with the boy and communicate through the illness 'til it's end. Meanwhile, back at Fallon & Fallon, Jake has been dispatched to find Nick--unsuccessfully--and gets his hands on the Offering their client requires. Lulu is furious with Nick's absence at her legal clinic and Suzanne Pell's presence there.
Finally, Alvin Masterson catches-on and, after checking the bars, finds Nick at home. Nick is 100% disheveled, half lying on the floor and tripping his brains out. In his hallucination, Nick is in a purely desperate panic realizing that Anne is his mother, the boy is him, and he's is being left alone and unloved forever by cancer and emotional incapacitation.
Glenne Headly absolutely makes the episode. Nick has returned to the rock-bottom of his psychological problem--from where he began the series. His father, Lulu and Alvin have lost their normal relationship to Nick and adopted roles as interventionists.