This episode is kind of the end of an age in the series. Sarah had an important role during the last four seasons, first for Bailey, then for Julia, and lately, as a member of the family. But being only 19, she couldn't commit herself to be Bailey's wife and somehow Owen's mother. And a lot of things happened to her in seasons 3-4-5, Bailey really made her suffer, especially in season 3. So the question is why she stayed so long if at some point she had to leave? Maybe because JLH was needed in the series. It leaves strange sensations because for one side, for Sarah is the right thing to do (to leave), but for the other side, she got so deep into the Salingers, that now it's hard to watch her leave. Just as Nick Salinger got married with Diana, both being nearly 20 years old (when they had Charlie), Bailey wanted to repeat that story with Sarah. And that's not crazy, they are similar: Bailey and Nick, son and father, restaurant managers, alcoholics, he saved by Sarah, Nick saved by Diana. But there are different times and Sarah couldn't be what Diana was to Bailey's father. The story of Sarah leaving to look for her birth father was well written. Her adoptive parents are divorced, her mother is moving on, her birth mother is dead, and she has only Bailey and the Salingers. But that's not enough. Robin Merrin's friend, Mindy gives her the information to search the man who could be her father, "William Langford", in NY. Bailey feels that she wants to leave not only because her father, also because she doesn't want to be his "wife" and Owen's "mother", so then she admits that she wants to feel 19 (she'd actually be 20 in january), and not be waiting everyday for him coming from work, in a big house with piano and a view of the bay. So she convinces him telling she will go for a few days, get her "ID" (who she is) and return to live forever with him. That way, he accepts that she has to leave, he loves her now more than she loves him, so at the airport he lets her go saying he would never stand on her way for what she wants. With tears in her eyes, she asks him to go with her, but for the restaurant and Owen, he says he can't, and that she must take this trip alone. After he wipes the tears off her face, he tells her "say hello to your father for me" and "find what you're looking for". The moment when he sees her walking away had a nostalgic effect. The last two scenes together were emotional, and the soundtrack was perfect. Finally, Bailey says goodbye for the second time to a girlfriend in the airport, this time much more significant and important. The series Time of Your Life continues Sarah's story, and it was canceled after one season, with her still in NY City where she found her father. Still, I hope Amy and Christopher could say that one day Sarah and Bailey reunited, got back together and started their own family, otherwise it wouldn't be fair to the story. Besides, in the spin off, Sarah mentioned sometimes that she missed the comfortable life she had with Bailey. It's like deep down she knew that a life with Bailey was the safe and right road for her.
On the other hand, Julia has to write about her parents in the book, and Evan pushes her to give a hard look in the realtionship they had. Her digging in the past, remembering only the bad parts, treating Nick as a violent alcoholic father and Diana as a sumise trapped mother, makes Bailey mad, because he, Owen and Claudia doesn't want to hear it. Bailey knows that their parents were good and left the bad alcohol times behind. I bet Charlie would say the same if he was in the house (and I'm with them). Turns out that Evan, the editor, had a wife who commited suicide, so he feels somehow connected to Julia's tragic story. Julia learns this from a girl of the new college, and she discuss it later with Evan. He tells that they can see their beloved ones who passed away, and try to understand them. This part of the story wasn't bad (in comparison to the future parts), but probably should have been more informative of Nick and Diana's marriage. Anyway, because the fights with Bailey, Julia considers moving out of the house, but Sarah, probably knowing she'll be gone for a long time, convinces her to stay. Finally, Julia tells Bailey that is not easy for her to remember and study their parents life for the book, but that helps her to know them better, to feel closer to them. This was the most interesting part of the story. As for Claudia, she connects with Cameron, while spending time with Alexa, Derek, and other popular people. Seems that Cameron criticizes Alexa and their friends through an anonymous blog and Claudia is the only one who figures out the scheme. This wasn't as good as other Claudia's stories but shows that she remains as good and smart as she always was.
Their happiest summer since the one in 1996 (since they both were free of work), the wedding and the honeymoon passed for Charlie and Kirsten, and now they have to return to work. Seems that Kirsten, thanks to her reapproved dissertation and regained Phd, got a job (surely in august) in a clinic where she works with children, testing drugs for neurology-psychiatry researches, while Charlie is still a shop teacher, working not only at Wilson high school, also at Grant. First, they arrive home together and find an unemployed Daphne and a nanny for Diana, hired by her, Victor (a Daphne's friend). Victor tells that Daphne has informed him about them, but they had no idea that she hired him. Daphne confess she was fired, that she's broke and asked Victor to watch Diana while she looks for a job. Charlie gives them a check, saying that she should have told them before. In the morning, while having breakfast together and with Diana, Kirsten tells her husband that Daphne should get a job, instead of giving her money, but he tells he doesn't know available jobs for Daphne (not at school or at Salinger's). He tells her to offer a job as the assistant for her superior, Dr Franklin, in the clinic. She is reluctant, thinking it might not work, but accepts. In the school, Charlie struggles and helps in class a rebel student, Myra, with shop stuff (he allows her build a guilotine as a project!), trig and French. About this, I know Charlie has good intentions because Myra has a deceased father and a hard working mother, but I think he exceeded with the help, was better if he just helped her about shop stuff. Anyway, his wife deals with Daphne's struggles in the job (who lied to get it, to Kirsten's dismay) and Victor's watching of Diana. She helps Daphne to type well the patient's data, and tells her not to solve Diana's puzzles, just let her see if the child can learn herself. The next day, while Kirsten is working and assisting the children, Daphne arrives and tells her that she quit, saying she can't do the same thing everyday as Kirsten does. In the hallway, Kirsten lectures her, saying that life is not always pleasant and sometimes you have to get a job, even if it's not the perfect one for you. She admits this is not the job she always dreamed and tells Daphne that next time she has to be careful because they may not hire her. In their third and last scene together today, after dealing with "children and teenagers (including Daphne)", Kirsten tells Charlie that now she is convinced that they can have a child of their own. He sees his wife is touched by the idea, and holds her, agreeing with it. This was the best scene of them here, after so many years together (despite the two years "separated"), the next step in their marriage is their first child. Still, considering her illness, it won't be easy for them, in the conversation she recognized that she accepted she couldn't have kids in the last 5 years, for medical problems (and that doesn't mean only the endometriosis) and for having a brief marriage with someone who didn't want kids. Now she already fulfilled her first deep wish, of marrying Charlie, being a part of the life of "his children", his family. But there was always a second wish, a child of her own, and seemingly she doesn't mean adoption. By the way, Kirsten finally got a job. This is not a minor theme because she had the relapse and suffered the manic depression in second half of 1996 after losing her Phd and the job at Seaside. She spent 2 years and a half unemployed, living a quiet life, resting and trying to prevent stressful situations. But now that Daphne is there for Diana, Kirsten felt the need to get a job. And curiously, what she said in the car to Charlie in Desperate Measures was fulfilled in these times. Only now, married with him, she could feel strong, secure enough to get a job again, like she could put her life, "everything back on track". Yet, considering she wants to have children, she must find a way to balance the time for all, in a way that doesn't affect her health state.
On the other hand, Julia has to write about her parents in the book, and Evan pushes her to give a hard look in the realtionship they had. Her digging in the past, remembering only the bad parts, treating Nick as a violent alcoholic father and Diana as a sumise trapped mother, makes Bailey mad, because he, Owen and Claudia doesn't want to hear it. Bailey knows that their parents were good and left the bad alcohol times behind. I bet Charlie would say the same if he was in the house (and I'm with them). Turns out that Evan, the editor, had a wife who commited suicide, so he feels somehow connected to Julia's tragic story. Julia learns this from a girl of the new college, and she discuss it later with Evan. He tells that they can see their beloved ones who passed away, and try to understand them. This part of the story wasn't bad (in comparison to the future parts), but probably should have been more informative of Nick and Diana's marriage. Anyway, because the fights with Bailey, Julia considers moving out of the house, but Sarah, probably knowing she'll be gone for a long time, convinces her to stay. Finally, Julia tells Bailey that is not easy for her to remember and study their parents life for the book, but that helps her to know them better, to feel closer to them. This was the most interesting part of the story. As for Claudia, she connects with Cameron, while spending time with Alexa, Derek, and other popular people. Seems that Cameron criticizes Alexa and their friends through an anonymous blog and Claudia is the only one who figures out the scheme. This wasn't as good as other Claudia's stories but shows that she remains as good and smart as she always was.
Their happiest summer since the one in 1996 (since they both were free of work), the wedding and the honeymoon passed for Charlie and Kirsten, and now they have to return to work. Seems that Kirsten, thanks to her reapproved dissertation and regained Phd, got a job (surely in august) in a clinic where she works with children, testing drugs for neurology-psychiatry researches, while Charlie is still a shop teacher, working not only at Wilson high school, also at Grant. First, they arrive home together and find an unemployed Daphne and a nanny for Diana, hired by her, Victor (a Daphne's friend). Victor tells that Daphne has informed him about them, but they had no idea that she hired him. Daphne confess she was fired, that she's broke and asked Victor to watch Diana while she looks for a job. Charlie gives them a check, saying that she should have told them before. In the morning, while having breakfast together and with Diana, Kirsten tells her husband that Daphne should get a job, instead of giving her money, but he tells he doesn't know available jobs for Daphne (not at school or at Salinger's). He tells her to offer a job as the assistant for her superior, Dr Franklin, in the clinic. She is reluctant, thinking it might not work, but accepts. In the school, Charlie struggles and helps in class a rebel student, Myra, with shop stuff (he allows her build a guilotine as a project!), trig and French. About this, I know Charlie has good intentions because Myra has a deceased father and a hard working mother, but I think he exceeded with the help, was better if he just helped her about shop stuff. Anyway, his wife deals with Daphne's struggles in the job (who lied to get it, to Kirsten's dismay) and Victor's watching of Diana. She helps Daphne to type well the patient's data, and tells her not to solve Diana's puzzles, just let her see if the child can learn herself. The next day, while Kirsten is working and assisting the children, Daphne arrives and tells her that she quit, saying she can't do the same thing everyday as Kirsten does. In the hallway, Kirsten lectures her, saying that life is not always pleasant and sometimes you have to get a job, even if it's not the perfect one for you. She admits this is not the job she always dreamed and tells Daphne that next time she has to be careful because they may not hire her. In their third and last scene together today, after dealing with "children and teenagers (including Daphne)", Kirsten tells Charlie that now she is convinced that they can have a child of their own. He sees his wife is touched by the idea, and holds her, agreeing with it. This was the best scene of them here, after so many years together (despite the two years "separated"), the next step in their marriage is their first child. Still, considering her illness, it won't be easy for them, in the conversation she recognized that she accepted she couldn't have kids in the last 5 years, for medical problems (and that doesn't mean only the endometriosis) and for having a brief marriage with someone who didn't want kids. Now she already fulfilled her first deep wish, of marrying Charlie, being a part of the life of "his children", his family. But there was always a second wish, a child of her own, and seemingly she doesn't mean adoption. By the way, Kirsten finally got a job. This is not a minor theme because she had the relapse and suffered the manic depression in second half of 1996 after losing her Phd and the job at Seaside. She spent 2 years and a half unemployed, living a quiet life, resting and trying to prevent stressful situations. But now that Daphne is there for Diana, Kirsten felt the need to get a job. And curiously, what she said in the car to Charlie in Desperate Measures was fulfilled in these times. Only now, married with him, she could feel strong, secure enough to get a job again, like she could put her life, "everything back on track". Yet, considering she wants to have children, she must find a way to balance the time for all, in a way that doesn't affect her health state.
