In this episode we have four different stories and none of them involve a tree or gifts, but to feel the Christmas time, we can hear the Christmas carols (two great scenes: Charlie and Kirsten walking by the street and giving alms to Santa Claus, Claudia and Bailey at the supermarket). Begins with Bailey and Will hanging out at a coffee, talking about how Kate is doing in her boarding school back East. But soon, Bailey gets involved with the waitress, Jill. The next day, he kicks Will out of his Jeep to give Jill a ride, so his friend already starts to notice Bailey's change of behavior. Then, they sleep together in two consecutive dates, and at some point, Bailey realizes that is meaningless if they don't do anything else. She feels upset because he was eager for it and didn't complain before, so he finally reaches her again in the coffee house to ask her to go for movie and dinner after she finishes her shift at work. This is not a bad story but recently Kate left so Bailey seemed painless. He moved on too fast. This is not the Bailey Salinger we know. Anyway, the best part was that at the end, he realized that sex is not everything in a relationship, so he returned to himself a little (check Julia's description of Bailey in 1x20, and you'll see what I mean). A detail to highlight, Jill mentions that in her family are five, but this can't be truth, in the series only appeared her mother, her father and Griffin, her only brother.
On the other hand, Julia feels guilty over the closed club and wants to make ammends with Morgan, who does not want to know anything with her. When Julia gets into his house to cook something or clean, he is mad at her and kicks her out, breaking plates and bowls. In the club during the day, Loren tells her that Morgan's problems started a long time ago, this was his 3rd strike, so it's not her fault. If Morgan drinks is not because of her. Julia finally undertands that she has to let it go, and tells Morgan in a park to grow up and do the same. I never liked much this story, it caused many problems for Julia, so I'm glad it's over. Meanwhile, Claudia has her first period, a funny story. First she came to Bailey because Julia was busy chasing Morgan. But when Julia learns about it she helps her. Claudia says she doesn't feel like a woman as she still plays and laughs at sesame street with Owen, for example, and she would like to freeze her age and stay there. Julia undertands her but says she will be ok. In their last scene, Julia lets her sleep in her room for the first time after months. It's always good when Julia and Claudia spend time together, it's clear Claudia needs her. But considering the older sister is out many times, Claudia needs someone else too (a maternal figure). Julia has her own life with friends and boyfriends, so for Claudia she is a sister, not a mother. Anyway, like in many episodes during the first seasons, Claudia is a sunshine and will make you smile.
And the best of the episode for the end: Charlie and Kirsten are starting their day at her place, probably on Monday, she has to choose a topic for her dissertation (she thought about early childhood and the development of a moral code), and has a meeting with her commitee. He helps her with a necklace, she says "Those who can't do, teach" implying she'll focus on teaching when she finishes her dissertation. He comforts her and she asks him if he'll be in the house later, so she can go to see Owen (she already loves the baby). He helps her to look for her watch and finds a ticket, while she finds the watch in her medicin cabinet, then she leaves for her meeting, and they say goodbye with a kiss, like any common couple. With the ticket in hand, Charlie finds out that Kirsten may be going to Chicago for a time. Later in the evening, they walk by the street with coffee, he asks her if her sister Meg is coming the day after tomorrow, she says yes and that she saw her last time a few days in Christmas 1993. He implies that he found the ticket and Kirsten says that Meg sent it, that she wants her to go home for a while. Charlie asks why she is running away, that she'd be going to Chicago because she can't have kids, in other words, running away from her problems (remember this line), but she says she'll be with her family and that they will take care of her. He questions this, as her family usually drove her crazy, and he offers to take care of her. She tells that she doesn't want to screw up their friend stuff, but still, to comfort him, says that she still is unsure about leaving. I have to say that this scene was especially quiet, romantic and wonderful. Kirsten looked even more beautiful than usual, and while walking with Charlie surrounded by Christmas decorations in the street, she giving alms to Santa Claus, and the carols as soundtrack, everything was a perfect combination. The day after tomorrow, in dinner at Salinger's, Meg meets them and when Kirsten asks about hometown gossip (who's engaged, divorced or cheating on income taxes), she says that she'll find out soon, everybody is waiting for her, and that Carl (who is this man?) already arranged a meeting with the ad firm. Kirsten looks at Charlie because she wouldn't want him to feel like she decided to leave, and goes to the bathroom, knowing they'll talk about her. Meg thanks Charlie for comforting Kirsten, who said he has been wonderful through this (seems the sisters talked by the phone previously), but makes clear she doesn't like him as a boyfriend/husband for her sister. Besides, she thinks that they figured out that they are meant to be just friends, and Charlie seems to nod reluctantly. Anyway, he loves Kirsten, so later he tricks her into going to the restaurant again while saying he forgot his wallet and impulsively proposes (I think that of the three proposals they have in the series, this was the best: a romantic dinner at Salinger's in Christmas with a burning fireplace). He knows that they are much more than friends, and with all in her life up in the air, he just wants to tie them forever, telling that he loves her and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. She is shocked, and takes a time to breathe, but then she accepts dancing with him, tells that she loves him and says yes. The problem comes when they tell Meg. Kirsten is happy and wants her sister to be happy but she's not and questions their decision because his record (the early cheat on) and their short time as a stable couple. Meg admits that she could be wrong about Charlie but thinks that he proposed only to make Kirsten stay and that he doesn't seem to know what means forever. Kirsten defends him, and Charlie, offended because Meg doesn't know him, kicks her out. Shortly after, he recognizes that Meg was partially right that they had a rocky time together and that they didn't spend too much time thinking, but he knows she doesn't have the right answer. Kirsten tells she has her eyes a little closed and that everything he says makes her feel wonderful, but now she's confused. He wants to handle her indecision but she finally says that they shouldn't get married, is not the right time to make that decision. He accepts, admitting that he thought she would say no, but he says that it wouldn't been a mistake. This implies that right now, he already chose Kirsten for the rest of his life, he feels that his love is strong enough to tie them forever. Anyway, later she visits him at the house, and he notices she cried. Initially, she refuses to go inside, saying that she needs a change (for the bad news, she feels she can't live alone), but that she can't go to Chicago because would be like running away. Knowing they can't decide to get married for now, she thinks she has no options, so the obvious solution is the one that he offers her: moving in the Salinger's house. His speech was very well written, he convinces her that things doesn't always work out the way they think, but still, is meant to be. He tells she's 24 years old and can't imagine a life without kids, he's 24 too, and he "has four of them". He tells "And I love you, so why don't you share mine?", she takes his hand and finally enters the house, where they hug and kiss. This was one of the happiest scenes of the series, because this party of five orphans finally got something nice: a wife for Charlie, a mother for Owen, a maternal figure for Claudia, a sister-in-law for Bailey and Julia. Also, for Kirsten, who thought she would never have kids, to have suddenly Claudia and baby Owen is great. Was like a Christmas present for the Salingers. All their scenes today were amazing, their first scene, walk, the proposal and her yes while dancing slowly, Meg's two scenes, their friendly canceled engagement and the ending. That ending scene was one of the best of the whole series as depicted the moment when Kirsten entered the family. This storyline and that excellent end are the main reasons for me to rate 10 the episode. The proposal seemed too rash, but Charlie's reasons were pure. He lost his parents 10 months ago, so now he wants to hold on to the woman he loves. He already lost her once, but he realized that he doesn't want to let her go, and he's ready to committ. By the way, wasn't showed the moment he gave her the ring, but when they told Meg, Kirsten was wearing the ring, which means he actually had one prepared. One last thought: it's a shame that Meg (Leslie Hope) didn't return for another episode/s, she was mentioned sometimes, but never appeared again. It was an unfinished story, I mean, how she reacted to the later events? She was mentioned in seasons 2-3-5, but not after that. I would have liked to see her in season 6, but the character was somehow "erased". Now seemed like she really wanted Kirsten to be in Chicago, and that she'll find hard to accept Charlie as family, but sooner or later, she must. Would have been a great story to follow, could have been a good contribution for the series.
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