An earthquake hits San Francisco and aftershocks are affecting the Salingers. The episode starts with Charlie and Claudia arriving home after buying food, groceries, and Claudia offers him an ant log (seems that has raisins, peanut butter). While she goes to the kitchen, he goes upstairs and gets mad at his brother when he finds him having sex with Jill with loud music (and Claudia is downstairs). Bailey challenges Charlie's authority, but like the older brother says is different with Kirsten because they live there, and Charlie has to act with Bailey like his dad and mom did with him. Then, they go downstairs and Charlie lectures Jill about rules in the house, Claudia offers her food, but she gets the message and accepts to leave. And right there happens the earthquake, Charlie rushes to protect Claudia while Bailey does the same with Jill, being all in the kitchen. Bill is with Owen while Justin and Julia were in the coffee house. Kirsten surely was outside and she arrived home after it (otherwise Charlie would have called her inside the house). No one gets hurt. When it ends, Jill fears an aftershock, and is so shaken that Bailey is forced to take her home. Then, Claudia is fearful and curious, so she asks the repair guy who went to check on the broken fridge, about the big earthquake in 1989. She tries to give warnings to the family and overreacts, although the others try to calm her down. She suggests an emergency plan, call uncle Kurt in France if there's another earthquake (she says long distance calls are easier), but Charlie says they can't call so far away, and she changes to call home or come home if there's a big aftershock. The three siblings don't take her seriously, they just listen to her. Then, she worries too much during an aftershock and yells at Bailey and Julia when they arrive late without calling her to say they were fine. They explain that it was little and in case of a huge earthquake, they would reach her inmediatly. Also, to comfort her they say the house is old enough and was built for those situations. At the same time, the aftershocks force Justin and Julia together, so he breaks up with Libby. Julia comforts her old friend during the next days but when she finds out that Justin wanted to be with Julia, she hates Julia too, even though her old friend means her apology. She tells Julia that she could have said no to Justin if she was truly her friend, and now she'll never forgive her. Then, near a park and a lagoon, Julia tells Justin that she is glad that they are together, but she wishes it could have started in other way (she didn't say exactly that, but she meant it). Somehow Justin feels the same, but tells her that they'll be fine. It's sad how things turned out for Libby, we see that Julia didn't want to hurt her, but still Libby will hate her. Things could have been different for Justin and Julia, now they'll remember how they got together (hurting a good girl).
Following the earthquake, in their room, Kirsten tells Charlie that it was 4.6 (Bill, Libby guessed, Charlie thought 4.0) and they watch some broken figures and shaken stuff. She also tells him that Gwen somebody called asking for his decision, and he downplays the call, so she jokingly says that the woman is pregnant with his child. He explains that Gwen is a designer he met in college (Berkeley), who offered to form a business to produce furniture after seeing his designs for Bruce Curran. Gwen asked him half money to start it, but he says it won't work, he doesn't have the money because the lost investment (Pilot). Kirsten says her grandmother left her something when she died and wants to loan him 7000 dollars for this. He is dubious for the responsibility, but accepts. The next day, Gwen visits and asks him to use the shed for the business but he wants to find other place because the shed is not so big. Kirsten comes and also suggests using the shed, and hire another carpenter with the money budgeted for rent, to work faster. Charlie reluctantly accepts when Gwen says her idea is brilliant. Later, while Claudia does homework in the kitchen, Kirsten checks the ice and then checks on paper the carpenter hired and is surprised that Charlie didn't check his references or if he is good with deadlines. He doesn't want her second guessing his decisions but she says that considering her investment, she has the right to be involved. Claudia leaves the room for their argument and then Charlie tells she should be a silent partner, upsetting her. Then, while she is reading on bed, he convinces her that they (or he) are not ready yet to deal with that stuff together, so he gives her back the money. She thinks he's wasting the chance for not accepting her ideas, her help, so he tells that he doesn't want be second guessed all the time, and that it wasn't a good thing for them. As the fridge was broken because the earthquake, they must buy a new one, and he says that is the kind of things they have to do together for now. She accepts his reasons but doesn't seem really comforted. In the store, he chooses a refrigerator with juice dispenser in ivory, but she, reading consumers guide, says that the better option is one without the dispenser (that raises annual costs) in ecru. She also says that the fridge he chose is low in temperature uniformity and in the crisper humidity. They argue and finally leave without buying. A few hours later, Kirsten arrives home, comforts Claudia about an aftershock (who was with Thurber thinking the dog might predict it) and then tells Charlie that they just have different approaches to life (she goes by the book, he trusts his gut). He thought exactly the same so they realize it doesn't matter as they still love, trust and have faith in each other. At the end, she bought the fridge he liked, but turns out that he did the same for her, so I guess Claudia decided which one will stay. Somehow, Charlie and Kirsten are simply learning to live with each other, to make decisions together, to share. In couples, it's a common trouble to get pass, but they solved it well (they are in the good road). They are getting to know each other better, and they accept their differences because they love and trust each other. Their story here was very good and shows how little by little, they are building a deep relationship, a marriage, a family that includes Claudia. Also, the jealousy theme is over considering Kirsten now trusts Charlie with Gwen as a business partner. The three were together the shed and there was nothing weird between them, it's great and natural. To finish this part, the refrigerator sub plot was a really creative idea, very well done for the writers.
And for Bailey, drama hits him. When Jill visits the house the day after the earthquake, Charlie correctly guesses Jill is on drugs, as she is kind of wired and shaken, in a similar way than the day before. Later, Jill asks if Charlie thought that Bailey and Kate belonged together. Bailey obviously doesn't know, and means no (and probably it's truth, still, he surely prefers Kate than Jill for his brother). Jill reveals Charlie's guessing so Bailey gets mad at him. He then confronts him, but the guardian convinces him that because he talked to her first, and the signs are clear, he is right. Then, when Bailey finds the drugs in her purse (great scene), she is forced to confess. She still thinks it's not big deal, and to assure him she will stop using, she easily throws the package in the bathroom. Anyway, later in the Salinger house, she takes some pills (painkillers) of the medicin cabinet, while Claudia sees her in the bathroom. Claudia tells Charlie and Julia, who then tell Bailey how bad is the situation. He is clearly affected, and says he'll handle it. Charlie knows she's not in control and that needs help, and tells they would like her not being around so much. Bailey is upset for making it harder for him and leaves. In the coffee shop, he tells Jill he will leave her because she lied and doesn't think she has a problem. He says he cares about her but she doesn't want his help. So Jill chases him when he leaves, saying she knows she has a problem, but she can't stop using if he walks away and begs him not to, so he finally stays with her. That scene at the coffee shop, was perfect and touching. Jill's case is more serious than what it looks like, so Bailey's wishes to help her become totally selfless. I admit that at first I didn't like how Bailey-Jill story began, but the development was great, especially in this episode.
Keeping the brilliant streak that began in Thanksgiving, the season is progressing in a excellent way, the dramatic turn out for Jill and Bailey is emotional. And we have Charlie who, unlike the first episodes, now is acting like a true "father" to his siblings, first thanks to Joe and since a few episodes, thanks to Kirsten's support. The last scene at the truck was really nice: the six together sleeping in the truck (I wish is not the same truck that appeared in All's Fair-Much Ado), to make Claudia feel safe (she was in the front seat with Owen). Julia, Kirsten, Charlie and finally Bailey agreed to sleep one night in the back, for Claudia's sake. That moment tells how strong has become the bond between them, and how Julia already accepted Kirsten in the family. After seeing the whole series, episodes like this shows how happy and how wonderful was life for the Salingers in 1994-95. Everything was perfect.
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