A new nanny is hired, Mona (Kathleen Freeman), but Bailey, Julia and Claudia don't think she is right for the job. Charlie defends his choice because Mona has experience, yet, the siblings are not convinced while they hear her singing loud through the walkie talkie. Then, Charlie gets a good carpentry job, a bed, for a man named Bruce Curran, and he wants it so much that he accepts cutting half the price. The problem is that he needs to finish it fast, by Saturday. Julia keeps failing at school and spending good times at the club, with Nina and Danny, the musician. But her writing teacher, Mr McQuilkin, calls the house after Julia's absence and Charlie inadvertently says she had a doctor's appointment for the dentist, blowing off her alibi (she said she had allergies). He tells her that "they never buy allergies", and that she should have told him she wasn't going to school. He refuses to cover for her saying maybe she needs to get in trouble. At school, the teacher interrupts Julia for skipping classes, knowing she's not the same person from the last years, so he sets an appointment for her with the school therapist. In the session, the therapist remembers what she and Julia talked right after her parents death, so now she wants to see how she feels. She knows Julia is walking away the things that used to matter, the straight A in the last years, and that lately her grades are lower. Julia asks if the therapy is optional, and after learning it is, she refuses to talk and leaves. At the club, Julia tells Danny that she likes the place because no one asks her about her life, and shows him a poem she wrote about Owen when he was born, which Danny turns into a song. The next day, principal Stickley calls Charlie to talk about Julia's absences, and offers help to the siblings to deal with life at home without their parents. He says they talked to therapists before (right after march 1994), but that now, he can deal with it. She insists with help, but Charlie reassures that he knows, Julia screw up but he can handle it. In the night, Charlie takes a break from working with the bed, and decides to hear Julia's thoughts. He admits he managed things wrong, and that instead of questioning where she was going, he should have questioned why. Julia says she just wants to feel like a real person and be in a place where no one remembers her "you are an orphan", that in the club she feels that way. She promises she won't cut school anymore, but that she wants to keep going to the club, and he accepts her decision. All this part was very well written. Charlie is learning little by little how to be a responsible parent, he's just 24, but he's trying. Julia's reasons were perfectly explained and she is being a true teenager, struggling with her parents absence, especially without her mother.
The story also follows Claudia, who feels like a star after a great review of her performance in the competition (fifth episode). She downplays Ross lessons saying that she's one of the most promising talents of the bay area, so her opinion should count. She also skips school ("she doesn't need it as much as the other non gifted kids"), and pretends to be paid to perform a gig Ross got her. He tells it's a benefit and she accepts, but says she could "have a new agent". In the meantime, Charlie fires Mona because she appeared hours late and drunk at the house. A great funny scene shows Owen crying and missing Kirsten, while Charlie holds him and jokingly blames him for what happened. But I know both of them truly miss her. Later, with Owen crying, Charlie asks Claudia for help so he can work on the bed, but she says she's busy writing her bio for the concert. She even asks if brilliant has one or two "l", and he obviously answers two. She bothers him for not being careful while hiring a new nanny and leaves. I don't know how he did it, but Charlie alone had to take care of Owen and work on the bed. I guess he put him to bed, and then went to work. The next day, Claudia's eccentric behavior continues, and refuses to take her turn in walking Thurber, so the dog poops inside the house. Julia tries to make her clean, Bailey arrives and tries too, but she doesn't care, saying "her fans will suffer". When Charlie learns what happened, he yells at her so she obeys him, but there's no case. Phone rings, and Claudia says "if it's the media, take a message". All these scenes were hilarious, funny. Obviously Claudia's behavior was exaggerated for laughs, so I don't have to take her seriously. And that way, she was still amazing, like usual. Her presence balances perfectly the episode because while her older siblings deal with grown up themes, she has the freedom to be a child, to make people smile like no one else can.
Then, there's Bailey's part. After fooling around and Kate's wishes to stop, he feels stuck because she refuses to sleep with him unless they marry. He tries to accept giving her time, but she explains that she thinks sex should be meaningful, not something to do with any common boyfriend she has. Kate also tells that the divorce of her parents changed her view on life, that after the separation her mother used to sleep with guys many times like it didn't matter. Initially he seems to accept her reasons, but when they see a movie together in the house, he starts to feel uncomfortable next to her. During her mother's birthday, he imagines he orders to the waitress and Kate's mother to change her mind, but actually, he pretends everything is fine and accepts the compliments for being a good guy. That scene was a good detail from the writers, showed the two Baileys: the one who thinks with hormones, and the one who actually controls his emotions. Later, while they light the candles for the cake, he finally loses some control and blasts Kate for refusing to sleep with him. He thinks it's important and gives many other things that come with. She doesn't think the same and implies that being 16 is too young yet, though he thinks it's the opposite. The next day, he visits her at her home, and they break up. He feels bad because he has to stop himself from wanting her close, and she feels bad because he's disappointed of her. This story wasn't so good and seems almost impossible to happen now in 2021, but I know the last century was different. Kate's position is easy to understand, she gave good reasons. And Bailey usually is not a bad guy but, tempted again, he can't ignore his instincts so he prefers to break up. If he really liked her, he'd hold on, he'd stay with her and see if he can fall in love of her. But seemingly that's not the case, probably he felt she wasn't "the one".
To finish, Charlie still works late with the bed for Curran but the machine breaks. Without choice, he recruits Bailey and Julia's help, and when he asks Claudia, she says it's "too risky" for her hands. So the three have the "sanding party" while working in the backyard, with the radio on. During a break, Charlie tells Julia about the stories she used to send her in letters when he moved out the house to go college, and says she always was very good at it, they came naturally to her. He understands if she doesn't want straight As, but she shouldn't stop writing. And right after that, comes one of the Best moments of the whole series. Julia sings Stop In the name of love, in company of Bailey and Charlie while the three work on the bed. They sing, smile and enjoy the moment so much that Claudia arrives to help. Trying to get back at her, they send her to sleep, and they keep working. There are no much parts when the older siblings are ok together because usually Claudia is the one who unites them. Still, that moment is memorable, unforgettable and a clear proof of how united are this siblings in comparison to many others. When Bruce Curran sees the bed finished, he's so glad with the job that pays Charlie more than what he expected. He even says he'll offer him more jobs like that and wants to introduce him to other colleagues, but Charlie chooses to postpone the meeting. He goes to Claudia's concert, where he talks to Ross about her behavior. Claudia finally learns the lesson, refuses to give comments when a journalist asks her opinion, and reconciles with Charlie. He takes the violin to help and carries her on his back like a dad, while she laughs. At the end, Julia hears how Danny sings the song she wrote (Owen's poem), and writes how glad she is that some people liked it. The episode was almost perfect. Was great to see a responsible Charlie acting like a Father, taking care of Claudia, Julia and Owen, even while working. Julia's side was amazing too, much more enjoyable than many of her storylines in the future. Claudia was brilliant as usual this season. Bailey's part was somehow behind but still makes people think. Still, the Salingers are this united family, and when they are together, they make excellent things, the sing along, the bed were the examples today.
0 out of 0 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
