- Max vetoes the student council's plans to have a school dance. Julia isn't excited about Joel's plan to return to work. Mark and Sarah's plans to spend a weekend in Napa are thwarted when Hank asks Sarah to help him resolve his ex-wife/daughter issues that same weekend in L.A. A neighbor of the Luncheonette complains to Crosby about their clients taking up parking spaces and making noise. Amber becomes increasing worried about Ryan's depression.—hhotel
- SHORT VERSION
Max vetoes the student councils plans to have a school dance, but Adam and Kristina persuade him to change his mind. Julia isnt excited about Joels plan to return to work and reveals that shes not good at being a stay-at-home mother. Mark and Sarahs plans to spend a weekend in Napa are thwarted when Hank asks Sarah to help him resolve his ex-wife/daughter issues that same weekend in L.A. A neighbor of the Luncheonette complains to Crosby about their clients taking up parking spaces and making noise; but while Crosby tries to handle the situation diplomatically, the neighbor pursues recourse legally. Amber becomes increasing worried about Ryans depression.
LONG VERSION
PREVIOUSLY
Mark walks in on Drew and Amy. Hank tells Sarah he has a daughter in LA but is frustrated that his ex-wife only allows him to see her once a month. Zeek tries to help Ryan find a job. Amber is worried when she finds out Ryan's unit-mate died because of suicide. Max declares he is running for student body president at his middle school. As she is getting chemo, Adam tells Kristina that Max won his election.
CURRENT
As the rest of the student council push for their annual dance, Max declares that all funding should go toward a new vending machine. The council takes a vote and is unanimous except for Max, who, banging his gavel, invokes his power of veto.
Julia is at home making fresh pasta with a machine she dug out from their wedding stash. She is very excited and tells Joel they can start a garden in the back yard and work it with the kids. Joel reports that an old construction acquaintance, Carl, who is very busy, asked if Joel could help him out by being foreman on a huge project. Julia tells him that they are at a transitional time and that they should prioritize the family, but Joel reminds her that she had wanted to be a stay at-home mom, and now, with this opportunity, she can.
Mark and Sarah are snug in bed surfing the website of an inn in Napa where they will be staying for a friends wedding. Hank calls Sarah, drunk, and she leaves to give Hank a ride to his home. Mark is confused as to why Hank couldnt call someone, anyone, else.
Sarah takes Hank to his studio apartment. Hes on a rant about his ex-wife moving away to Minnesota with his daughter. Sarah plops him in bad as he falls asleep.
CREDITS
At the Luncheonette, Amber is helping Ryan with his resume. A woman storms in saying she is their neighbor across the back alley and demands to speak to the owner. Before Amber can stop her, the woman breaks into a session and interrupts Crosby while he is with some musicians. Marleise complains about how the clients of the studio have taken her parking spaces, made noise into the night, and blown second-hand smoke into her building. Crosby is (diplomatically) sympathetic and Amber manages to usher Marleise out.
Hank is on the phone arranging a job in LA when Sarah walks in. He says he can use that as an excuse with his ex-wife for him to go to LA to see his daughter. Hank thanks Sarah for last night and apologizes. Sarah asks why he called HER, and he just says that he was drunk.
Julia drops the kids off at school. Two chatty moms invite her to their coffee club. She begs off but they offer to gossip about all the teachers who have a crush on Joel. They drag her off.
Kristina and Adam have been speaking to the student council advisor and suggest to Max that he be more responsive to his constituency, especially regarding the dance. Eventually he says, fine, but that hes not going. Kristina, says he is going.
Sarah is making dinner when Mark comes in to show off what he is wearing at the wedding. Drew comes home, says he had dinner already at Amys, and when Sarah reminds him that he will be staying at Zeek and Camilles over the wedding-weekend, Drew says hell just stay at the apartment. Sarah does not budge. He looks to Mark for support, but Mark agrees with Sarah. Drew storms off.
Hank comes into his studio blabbing about his weekend plans and how Sarah can watch daughter Ruby while hes arguing with his ex. Sarah reminds him she has the weekend off. She offers to talk with Mark.
Zeek tries to be encouraging as he role-plays a job interview with Ryan.
Kristina shows Max two dress shirts (he doesnt wear shirts with collars). She insists he picks one for the dance. He says hes not going and they argue. Adam comes in and tells Max he doesnt have to go to the dance. Kristina storms off. Adam catches up to her and explains that they already had a little victory convincing Max to drop his opposition of the student council and that they should let this go.
At dinner, Joel announces that he got the job in Berkeley and will be starting soon. When Joel asks about her day, Julia says she made some more pasta (even though the kids like the store-bought kind), took the kids to school, and went out with the mothers coffee club. Joel smiles. Julia does not appear happy.
Crosby is recording a session when Marleise storms in again, complaining about a car parked at her building. When Amber threatens to call the police, Marleise hands Crosby a copy of a complaint she filed with the city.
Sarah is trying to hand Drew a lunchbag, but Drew only wants his energy drink and storms out, saying hell sell his lunch at school. Sarah tells Mark that Hank booked a job for them in LA this weekend, not remembering she had already made arrangements for her own weekend off. Mark reminds her that theyve planned their trip for months and that Hank should not pressure her. Sarah seems to agree.
Crosby is showing Julia the complaint to the zoning board. Julia promises to show it to a lawyer friend and asks what Adam thinks about all this. Crosby says HE is handling this situation. Julia suggests Crosby be nice to the neighbor.
Adam presses Kristina about how they should handle Max and the dance; that there will be more dances in the future. She replies that none of them know what their futures are, and she admits she doesnt want to miss out on any milestones.
At bed time, Joel is happy that his crew is coming along nicely. Julia is not as enthusiastic and is actually upset that Joel took the position despite their discussion earlier about this being a fragile time for their family. Joel asks her rhetorically if she ever felt that he ever doubted or disrespected her ability to work and be a parent at the same time, and storms off.
Crosby goes into the back alley to offer Marleise an apology-gift basket of cds recorded at the studio and wine and cheese. She takes the basket and accuses Crosby of still not doing anything to solve the problem. He reminds her that she bought a condo in the middle of the Haight, not Connecticut. She throws the cds back over their fence.
Sarah tells Hank she cannot go. He reveals that his ex has already put a down-payment on an apartment in Minnesota. Hanks lawyer also told him that the ex will probably get away with moving his daughter. Sarah seems to being having second thoughts.
Ryan is sitting, staring into space when Amber comes home. His interview did not go well (the employer was only interested in whether Ryan killed anyone in Afghanistan) and when Amber tries to console him, he shrugs her off to go for a walk, alone.
Joel is going over the project when Julia comes in and apologizes. Since she left her job, she has either been overwhelmed or bored out of her mind. She cant believe she cant handle being a stay at-home mom. Joel asks her to give it a chance and try to enjoy it.
Adam bribes Max with a book on WW2 fighter pilots, but Max still isnt going to the dance. Adam tells him that since Kristina is sick, they need to do things for her that they normally wouldnt, even things that they may not like. Max says he will go.
Julia tells Crosby that the Luncheonette was built in a residential zone and Marleise may have a legal leg to stand on. Crosby is frustrated, most of all because they cannot tell Adam since he is tied up with Kristina. Julia says Adam needs to know.
Amber goes to see Zeek. Shes worried because Ryan was rejected at the interview. She tells him about the funeral they went to and how upset Ryan was. Zeek tells her that going to war changes someone.
Sarah matter-of-factly, springs it on Mark that she can go to LA on Friday but the scheduling is more difficult coming back to Santa Rosa. He cant believe she would consider splitting their weekend and they argue. He tells her not to bother making it to the wedding.
Kristina is fixing a family photo album when Max walks in. She looks up and sees him wearing one of the collared shirts. He tells her Adam will take him to the dance for half an hour and if he doesnt like it that Adam will bring him home. Kristina gives Max some pointers on how to ask a girl to dance, then she offers to show him how. With Adam smiling from the kitchen, Kristina and Max dance.
NEXT
Mark and Sarah are still arguing about the weekend. She goes with Hank anyway. Mark goes to LA to surprise Sarah and catches her, drunk and draped over Hank, coming back to her hotel room.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content