This episode is amazing in many ways, it had intense and emotional scenes, excellent acting, great score by Graziano (without songs, which is perfect for a dramatic episode like this), a well written script, etc.
Charlie tells in order of the persons that he currently cares most about his cancer: first Claudia, then Bailey and last Julia. Each one has different reactions and he is initially patient with them. But no one can make him feel better. First, he goes to pick up Claudia from school, something that he doesn't do usually, just occasionally. She's reluctant thinking she can be driven home by Reed, so he repeats "get in the car", implying he didn't come for nothing so she accepts. He finally explains to her why he has been unhealthy the last weeks, that he has a disease. She thought it was nothing but he assures her that the doctor already diagnosed him Hodgkin's. He doesn't mention it's cancer, and says it's like 100 % curable to calm her down. And to spend father-daughter time, he takes her for icecream. Then, he calls Bailey and tells him the news in the house. He's obviously worried and shocked. Claudia sees Bailey's concerns from the window so she goes to make some research. In the meantime, Julia arrives to the house, and he first chooses to listen her money problems with Griffin. When she asks him for kitchen stuff, he pleads her to return to the house but she doesn't want to, saying that she and Griffin will work it out themselves like any other a married couple, outside the house. Because of this, he decided not to tell her yet. Next morning, Charlie walks by the park with Kirsten, who seemingly blames Nina for walking away. He knows it's not her fault, was just bad timing, so he wants to focus on the treatments. She asks him how it's gonna be and he explains about the scan and detecting the tumors. She tells she will accompany him to the treatments and be there for him, considering she couldn't be present during Bailey's alcohol problems and Julia's "non wedding" (and I bet that Paula wasn't glad either of being left out those important times). Their conversation implies that he or the siblings, off screen, already updated her about Bailey's story with alcoholism. He says she doesn't have to, probably thinking would be hard for her, but she says she wants to. He says that Julia doesn't know yet, but Claudia and Bailey reacted overall well to the news, he thought they could freak out. She assures Claudia is old enough and that they won't doubt to support him. Later, Claudia gets offended because he didn't level with her and took her for icecream, without mentioning the word cancer. She confronts him over this right after he put Owen to sleep (how great Charlie is being like a father so far). Now she's worried that he might die because isn't 100% curable. He tells he won't die but she isn't sure of believing him. She's too scared and curious, so she reads all the possible facts to assure that Charlie does everything ok. In the morning before treatments, she tells about the medical exams, if he has his family history while he eats cereals as breakfast. He's patient and says he already prepared the paperwork. In the meantime, Annie gives Bailey the wrong advice about helping Charlie with the AA stuff, I know as well as Charlie, there's no similarities between the two cases. Bailey goes to the house early to wash the truck and insists to go with him. Charlie answers that Kirsten and Claudia are going, that there will be plenty of days to accompany him but Bailey tells him to take it one day at the time. Charlie obviously knows that it's nothing like that but remains quiet and accepts washing the truck to keep himself busy. Claudia reaches Julia and begs her to move back to the house, inadvertently telling her about Charlie's treatments and possible prognosis of his disease. Initially Julia was oblivious but when she heard the word chemotheraphy she realized what Charlie didn't tell her earlier. And just then Claudia realizes that her sister and Griffin lost all their furniture. In the hospital, Kirsten serves Charlie the orange liquid for the contrast that the radiologist ordered for the tests, supporting him, along Claudia and Bailey. She wasn't surprised about Julia's absence (Bailey was), which means he also confided in her about Julia's money problems and why he didn't tell his sister about the cancer. She tells Claudia "you're not helping" while seeing her sobbing. After drinking the first glass, Bailey says one at the time citing the AA stuff, so Charlie finally says to stop with that. Kirsten says he's just trying to help and makes him focus on drinking the contrast. When Claudia learns that Charlie didn't tell Julia, she tells that she went to see her without knowing it was a secret. He's mad because Julia didn't show up and drinks the 2nd glass of contrast that his "lost wife" served. Later, at home there are only three persons. Claudia needs to talk to someone so she can feel better but as Owen is just a kid, she can only talk to Charlie. He obviously prefers silence so, sick of all the medical facts and questions, unfairly mistreats her. He's sick, and I totally understand the feelings but Claudia didn't deserve his yelling. It's clear that she needs her mother around (who's in heaven), or her adoptive mother currently some blocks away, so he should know that the three are totally alone and hopeless. Claudia shares Charlie's solitude in company so he should understand. Later, he finally goes to confront Julia. The lines here were perfectly written. Was like Julia was waiting for his funeral. In the moment she heard the news from Claudia she should have rushed to the hospital. But she was selfish and had problems with his process. In this case, Julia totally deserved the yelling. At least at the end, she and Griffin decided to move back to the house. Griffin was reluctant (he deserved yelling today for that), but Julia, being realistic, made the choice. Charlie's position is easy to understand, he told her in 4x03 that she was needed in the house so if now he begged her again, she should have said yes right there. Finally, Bailey shares Charlie's feelings about Julia's selfishness, but also gives him a book about AA, telling that one chapter (surrender to God), might help him. So Charlie now yells at him for thinking he understands, he has a problem not a disease. Bailey can stop drinking, Charlie can't stop having cancer. In this case, Bailey deserved the words but not the yelling. He just tried to help, only he chose the wrong way. Then, Griffin, Julia, Bailey, and Claudia agree in never complain to Charlie, just to each other. A little detail of the episode was that Owen was absent, mainly sleeping, but he is having enough appearances so far in this season.
And well, Sarah did the right thing. It was perfect, she learned from Bailey, and, as she's not close enough so she just made a kind gesture (banana bread) and offered help if needed. The scene when she gave him the present in the porch was nice. Besides, she even took Bailey's rage about feeling helpless. As for Kirsten, she supported him perfectly in the first two scenes, in the park and the hospital. When she served him the contrast she behaved just like if they were together. But then, when he called her in the restaurant she just "quit". He took her hand, complained about his siblings and told her that she is exactly what he needs, the only one he can talk to, the perfect person to help him get through this, but she said she'd disappoint him too. She says she's next in line because she can make a wrong analogy or call him too much or not enough. It's like she said the same than Nina, talk to your siblings, let them in. So she makes him realize that he can't blow them away, and that's good, but on the other side, she retreated her hand away from him and left him alone. When she told her that otherwise he'd deal with the cancer alone the scene was cut showing his stunned face. I think he wouldn't have yelled at her if she stayed because when he took her hand, he wanted to treat her like his wife. He wanted her protection, her comfort. And it's sad because considering all what he did for her in those first episodes of season 3, he deserved some retribution here. So, feeling that she didn't want to help him, he sent her away, off screen, accepting being alone. He was already alone. When he went to get the test results with Dr Rabin in that cold rainy night, she couldn't believe that he was alone in that decisive moment of bad news. She told him that the cancer spread through his diaphragm, not as bad as they feared, not as good as they hoped. She still thinks that he should have someone with him, but he says it's ok. In this case, Charlie would need someone to take care of him, someone who accompanies him everywhere and who loves him deeply, protecting him, comforting him every step of the way. There were only three persons able to do that for him: his wife, his mother and his father. But Charlie has none of them. He lost that three persons. So he is alone, deeply alone. And despite his siblings presence in the last scene in the house, when he told them the bad news again and the test results, apologizing for the yelling, he remains alone. He'll go to sleep to his room and see the left side of the bed empty. And he can't even have his parents around. Without them, he's just a lonely cancer patient who can't be truly understood or comforted by anyone. That's the sad truth, the true loneliness.
Charlie tells in order of the persons that he currently cares most about his cancer: first Claudia, then Bailey and last Julia. Each one has different reactions and he is initially patient with them. But no one can make him feel better. First, he goes to pick up Claudia from school, something that he doesn't do usually, just occasionally. She's reluctant thinking she can be driven home by Reed, so he repeats "get in the car", implying he didn't come for nothing so she accepts. He finally explains to her why he has been unhealthy the last weeks, that he has a disease. She thought it was nothing but he assures her that the doctor already diagnosed him Hodgkin's. He doesn't mention it's cancer, and says it's like 100 % curable to calm her down. And to spend father-daughter time, he takes her for icecream. Then, he calls Bailey and tells him the news in the house. He's obviously worried and shocked. Claudia sees Bailey's concerns from the window so she goes to make some research. In the meantime, Julia arrives to the house, and he first chooses to listen her money problems with Griffin. When she asks him for kitchen stuff, he pleads her to return to the house but she doesn't want to, saying that she and Griffin will work it out themselves like any other a married couple, outside the house. Because of this, he decided not to tell her yet. Next morning, Charlie walks by the park with Kirsten, who seemingly blames Nina for walking away. He knows it's not her fault, was just bad timing, so he wants to focus on the treatments. She asks him how it's gonna be and he explains about the scan and detecting the tumors. She tells she will accompany him to the treatments and be there for him, considering she couldn't be present during Bailey's alcohol problems and Julia's "non wedding" (and I bet that Paula wasn't glad either of being left out those important times). Their conversation implies that he or the siblings, off screen, already updated her about Bailey's story with alcoholism. He says she doesn't have to, probably thinking would be hard for her, but she says she wants to. He says that Julia doesn't know yet, but Claudia and Bailey reacted overall well to the news, he thought they could freak out. She assures Claudia is old enough and that they won't doubt to support him. Later, Claudia gets offended because he didn't level with her and took her for icecream, without mentioning the word cancer. She confronts him over this right after he put Owen to sleep (how great Charlie is being like a father so far). Now she's worried that he might die because isn't 100% curable. He tells he won't die but she isn't sure of believing him. She's too scared and curious, so she reads all the possible facts to assure that Charlie does everything ok. In the morning before treatments, she tells about the medical exams, if he has his family history while he eats cereals as breakfast. He's patient and says he already prepared the paperwork. In the meantime, Annie gives Bailey the wrong advice about helping Charlie with the AA stuff, I know as well as Charlie, there's no similarities between the two cases. Bailey goes to the house early to wash the truck and insists to go with him. Charlie answers that Kirsten and Claudia are going, that there will be plenty of days to accompany him but Bailey tells him to take it one day at the time. Charlie obviously knows that it's nothing like that but remains quiet and accepts washing the truck to keep himself busy. Claudia reaches Julia and begs her to move back to the house, inadvertently telling her about Charlie's treatments and possible prognosis of his disease. Initially Julia was oblivious but when she heard the word chemotheraphy she realized what Charlie didn't tell her earlier. And just then Claudia realizes that her sister and Griffin lost all their furniture. In the hospital, Kirsten serves Charlie the orange liquid for the contrast that the radiologist ordered for the tests, supporting him, along Claudia and Bailey. She wasn't surprised about Julia's absence (Bailey was), which means he also confided in her about Julia's money problems and why he didn't tell his sister about the cancer. She tells Claudia "you're not helping" while seeing her sobbing. After drinking the first glass, Bailey says one at the time citing the AA stuff, so Charlie finally says to stop with that. Kirsten says he's just trying to help and makes him focus on drinking the contrast. When Claudia learns that Charlie didn't tell Julia, she tells that she went to see her without knowing it was a secret. He's mad because Julia didn't show up and drinks the 2nd glass of contrast that his "lost wife" served. Later, at home there are only three persons. Claudia needs to talk to someone so she can feel better but as Owen is just a kid, she can only talk to Charlie. He obviously prefers silence so, sick of all the medical facts and questions, unfairly mistreats her. He's sick, and I totally understand the feelings but Claudia didn't deserve his yelling. It's clear that she needs her mother around (who's in heaven), or her adoptive mother currently some blocks away, so he should know that the three are totally alone and hopeless. Claudia shares Charlie's solitude in company so he should understand. Later, he finally goes to confront Julia. The lines here were perfectly written. Was like Julia was waiting for his funeral. In the moment she heard the news from Claudia she should have rushed to the hospital. But she was selfish and had problems with his process. In this case, Julia totally deserved the yelling. At least at the end, she and Griffin decided to move back to the house. Griffin was reluctant (he deserved yelling today for that), but Julia, being realistic, made the choice. Charlie's position is easy to understand, he told her in 4x03 that she was needed in the house so if now he begged her again, she should have said yes right there. Finally, Bailey shares Charlie's feelings about Julia's selfishness, but also gives him a book about AA, telling that one chapter (surrender to God), might help him. So Charlie now yells at him for thinking he understands, he has a problem not a disease. Bailey can stop drinking, Charlie can't stop having cancer. In this case, Bailey deserved the words but not the yelling. He just tried to help, only he chose the wrong way. Then, Griffin, Julia, Bailey, and Claudia agree in never complain to Charlie, just to each other. A little detail of the episode was that Owen was absent, mainly sleeping, but he is having enough appearances so far in this season.
And well, Sarah did the right thing. It was perfect, she learned from Bailey, and, as she's not close enough so she just made a kind gesture (banana bread) and offered help if needed. The scene when she gave him the present in the porch was nice. Besides, she even took Bailey's rage about feeling helpless. As for Kirsten, she supported him perfectly in the first two scenes, in the park and the hospital. When she served him the contrast she behaved just like if they were together. But then, when he called her in the restaurant she just "quit". He took her hand, complained about his siblings and told her that she is exactly what he needs, the only one he can talk to, the perfect person to help him get through this, but she said she'd disappoint him too. She says she's next in line because she can make a wrong analogy or call him too much or not enough. It's like she said the same than Nina, talk to your siblings, let them in. So she makes him realize that he can't blow them away, and that's good, but on the other side, she retreated her hand away from him and left him alone. When she told her that otherwise he'd deal with the cancer alone the scene was cut showing his stunned face. I think he wouldn't have yelled at her if she stayed because when he took her hand, he wanted to treat her like his wife. He wanted her protection, her comfort. And it's sad because considering all what he did for her in those first episodes of season 3, he deserved some retribution here. So, feeling that she didn't want to help him, he sent her away, off screen, accepting being alone. He was already alone. When he went to get the test results with Dr Rabin in that cold rainy night, she couldn't believe that he was alone in that decisive moment of bad news. She told him that the cancer spread through his diaphragm, not as bad as they feared, not as good as they hoped. She still thinks that he should have someone with him, but he says it's ok. In this case, Charlie would need someone to take care of him, someone who accompanies him everywhere and who loves him deeply, protecting him, comforting him every step of the way. There were only three persons able to do that for him: his wife, his mother and his father. But Charlie has none of them. He lost that three persons. So he is alone, deeply alone. And despite his siblings presence in the last scene in the house, when he told them the bad news again and the test results, apologizing for the yelling, he remains alone. He'll go to sleep to his room and see the left side of the bed empty. And he can't even have his parents around. Without them, he's just a lonely cancer patient who can't be truly understood or comforted by anyone. That's the sad truth, the true loneliness.
