Each character shows their soft spots in this episode. Charlie still has effect on women, and now even more when he shows up with Diana in school. He accepts the requests of three women to show at his house, without noticing that they want to have a date, not help him. Only when Claudia warns him about the women's intentions, he realizes. But for now, the real Charlie Salinger is present and rejects any advances saying he just has time for Diana. On the other hand, Claudia still has a soft spot for older guys, so she goes in a date with Cody, the guy from Griffin's band. But Griffin, being wisest than anyone today, warns her that Cody is a jerk and that she shouldn't date him. This stories were the light ones of the episode. The dramatic side reaches Sarah, who, after being informed by Albert's sister and noticing his soft criminal record, realizes that he is not a monster and decides to let him go free, despite Bailey's protests. He still wants to testify, but the ADA Felllows tells him that without Sarah's cooperation, there's no case. It's very clear that Sarah has the soft spot of being kind, forgiving and giving second chances (she gave Bailey a second chance). She explains to him that she only has her kindness, her belief in second chances, to avoid living always afraid. At the end, she visits Albert in his house, seemingly to meet him. Sarah's behavior here wasn't strange but it was risky, I never thought she would accept seeing him in person again after he put a knife in her neck.
As for Kirsten's situation, finally, after a one season and some episodes, her wrong marriage is ending. First, they talk about international adoption of poor kids in China, which he prefers because has years of waiting, she doesn't want to wait but agrees with his wishes of saving a child. Then, they are with a lawyer staging the adoption, that will be now if they fly to Texas (these were two forgettable scenes for me), but after a long day of work-surgery, Paul regrets adopting the baby, so she is forced to give up on it. He explains that he almost lost a little girl in a brain surgery for tumor, and she didn't have insurance, so it's unfair how people may lose a child for not having money and they could have one for having it. He says this is not the right way so she, saddened, calls the lawyer to cancel the adoption. Then, in the hospital, Kirsten forces Paul to confess that he will never want to have kids, in any way. He says "I didn't mean to mislead you". Then, in the final scene, the love of her life was there, in a coffee shop, in the rainy night, to comfort her. She was in tears, saying she almost had a baby boy (a perfect match according to the lawyer, blonde with blue eyes like her). Charlie didn't say a word, probably being happy deep inside, he simply hugged her, holding her hand while she cried. I think that in that moment, the wall that kept inside Kirsten's deep love for Charlie, started to fall down. There's a way to explain what happened here. In the last 2 episodes Paul thought he could handle adopting a child because he knew that if he couldn't, it's over. But I think there were 2 big factors that made him change his mind: First, his work, like he explained. He goes everyday at the hospital and operates damaged kids, sometimes he saves them, other times he loses them and suffers inside. Kirsten loves him for that. But he can't take the chance of returning home and raise his own child, fearing that one day could be in the hospital, that one day he could lose him, like he lost many children in surgery. He implied this in 5x07, and Kirsten explained it in 4x17. So that's why today he wanted to delay the process, and thought about adopting a kid in China, probably to feel he is not his child. But despite the medical condition, Kirsten will never be happy without a child of her own, is one of her soft spots, one of the deepest wishes of her heart, so sooner or later they had to face their marriage is over. Second, Paul took a big risk here, concerning her manic depression, even though she's on medication. He knew that if he retreated when the lawyer informed about the baby in Texas Kirsten'd be really disappointed and saddened. But he also knew that Daphne abandoned the Salinger house, so he knew that Kirsten would lean on a lonely Charlie, and any possible chance of relapse in depression would be avoided. For this part, the writers did a great job and managed to set up the perfect situation to end the marriage in the best possible way. The only part where I don't agree is the timing. I understand how and why Kirsten married Paul (I guessed that story in 4x06), she accepted her medical condition and his unwillingness to raise a child. But in 4x17, she regained the happiness in taking care of her "lost children" Claudia and Owen, and since then, she realized she didn't have to accept it and her maternal instincts reappeared. So Paul should have known since that moment that he could never make Kirsten really happy. It's like their marriage has been hanging in the air for months, without reasons that would make it last. What happened in this episode should have happened much earlier this season, or even in late season 4.
And the saddest story was Griffin's. After Julia lied about her injured shoulder, he visits her in Stanford, telling he is there for her if she needs help, but she avoids his worries. What he doesn't know, is that Julia forgave Ned, thinking that he simply lost control because he didn't want to lose her. Anyway, Griffin warns Charlie about the kind of guy that is Ned, but he didn't listen, saying that Julia wouldn't allow someone hitting her. Griffin's story about his sixth sense in smelling anger because his dad's past behavior was great. He confronts Ned in the parking lot, but the bad guy pushes him away and then asks Julia to divorce from her husband, to avoid any chance of them getting back together. Then, Griffin goes to the apartment to ask Julia about Ned's hitting, she denies it and Ned enters the room. To prove his point, Griffin talks defiantly to Ned, who hits him in front of Julia. But then, in the rainy night next day, Julia visits Griffin in the shed, telling him that she called Emmett and will file for divorce. After all his worries and his caring for her, she breaks his heart. He is left devastated. This was the saddest scene of the episode, I feel really sorry for Griffin, he admitted, confessed and regrets his mistakes of season 4, but he let Julia go with the hope that she would be happy. And now, he knows she is in trouble with Ned, and he wants to save her, but she pushes him away. The last scene between them was perfect, I have to praise Jeremy London for it. Also, the last ten minutes of the episode were excellent and emotional, showing Griffin's good heart and caring to Claudia and Julia, Charlie comforting Kirsten, Sarah's deep kindness and Julia-Ned's selfish lonely life. Even showed a glimpse of the sunrise in San Francisco, and then Sarah walking through humble streets to reach Albert's house. The sequence was perfect, was definitely some of the best of season 5.
0 out of 0 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
