How Many Episodes Of "Party of Five" Have You Seen?

Bailey has the hots for Owen's babysitter Kirsten Bennett and brilliantly (over)plays the seduction tip -establishing a common interest- Charlie gave him before either brother realized both are interested in her. Charlie is the one who gets her interest, even though a handyman client offers him another project where the sex primes over work. A school genealogy project inspires Claudia to go looking for the kids' only possibly surviving grandparent, who left their (grand-mother twenty years ago, but Bailey establishes the Jack Gordon she befriends is just a namesake. Julia risks her friendship with fellow A-nerd Libby Dwyer by giving priority to parties over a Shakespeare assignment, yet spends the night on a crucial poetry paper love-sick Bailey just can't concentrate on.

Bailey's hope to be asked back on the ailing football team are crushed when buddy Will reports his successor as quarterback made a smashing start. Bailey resolves to concentrate on his sports shop job instead, but chucks it when inflexible hours restrict his moves on a hot customer, only to find she has a boyfriend. Meanwhile, Charlie got Bailey's generous blessing to go all the way with Kirsten, but she feels an affair inappropriate while she babysits Owen. Jealous of dating classmates, Julia meanly gives admirer Justin Thompson false hope.

Bailey studies for a new job, as San Francisco tour guide. Now Kate has dumped Tom for him, they try to get her wealthy father Elliott Bishop's approval, but the conservative city official clearly disapproves of the not ruthlessly ambitious, rather free-spirited commoner orphan knave. Bailey's attempt to portray Charlie as ideal father figure backfires when the Bishops come dine in the restaurant. There part-time barman Charlie resists manager Joe's efforts to train him as assistant manager, a discussion complicated by financial problems dating back to father Salinger's supposedly exemplar management. The Salingers happily provide sanctuary to Julia's rowdyish classmate Peter 'P.K.' Strickler, whose face is bruised after more abuse from his impossible to please stepfather, but when his inexcusably 'blind' mother sends the police to retrieve the minor, the siblings have no choice then ask the victim to leave before social services break them up.

Bailey was happy to grant Kate indefinite time to get ready for sexual intimacy, but when she demands he should 'forget about it', that blatant no spoils everything for him. Bruce Curran offers Charlie a one-shot opportunity to prove himself as master-carpenter. Having committed to a giveaway price and murderous deadline, a sander-breakdown means he must mobilize his siblings for back-breaking nocturnal toil against the clock. A newspaper listing her among the Bay's most promising musicians, Claudia assumes a grotesque lazy diva attitude, at home and even with tutor Ross. Flatteringly told by Charie that she should never stop writing, even she were to not be a straight-A student any more, Julia enjoys the challenge of writing pop lyrics.

Only nine months after their parents' fatal accident, Charlie decides the siblings aren't ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. To their shock, the drunk driver Walter Alcott already makes parole for good behavior. Claudia breaks the agreement not to go see him and finds a rather charming book store owner. Bailey then consults a lawyer, goes to vent his complex frustrations at the Alcott home and seeks comfort with Kate, who tells how her divorced mother's life was poisoned until she chose to accept her father's adultery. After Walter's adult daughter Annie is turned down offering a piece pie by Julia, she visits heir home, returns in a most forgiving mood and cooks a Thanksgiving dinner. Charlie is not inclined to join in but ultimately discusses his own guilt issue with Walter.

Bailey was looking forward to a forest camping trip to be alone with Kate, until he finds out from her mother that the plan to attend a Connecticut boarding school she blames on her domineering father is her own, as she admits to have a life of her own. Bailey is persuaded to go camping the last weekend she's in San Francisco after a promise of intimacy, but when the moment arrives her confession that was only a lure spoils it for the true romantic. When Charlie angrily calls a halt to Kirsten's mixed signals, she confesses to have put them on hold because of cancer risk examinations. Charlie stands by her through the infertility diagnosis. Artie, Claudia's music friend, responds adversely to her ridiculously clumsy attempts to win him over with tricks like mystery and jealousy-making with Will, which she overhears from Julia and Nina, but honesty saves the day. Julia now dates her former club boss Morgan Lathem, never mind his drug past, suspects him of 'infidelity' without grounds, learns he has a kid daughter and is found out as a legal age liar.

The siblings are not amused when Charlie announces, without consultation, that Kirsten is moving in, so she's insecure, especially in the squeaking parental bed. Bailey is lured to repay immature lover Jill's 'favor' by shoplifting a return present for her, but gets caught and angrily dismisses Charlie's lecture. Bailey brings Jill along to the family dinner, scolding Charlie's objections absurdly sanctimonious given Kirsten's presence. She proves a welcome mother figure for Claudia, but that makes Julia jealous, leading to an absurd fight over her theoretical conversion to Judaism, inspired by Artie's devout preparations for his bar mitzvah. A diary in mother Salinger's commode inspires Julia to presume an adulterous affair and seek out the suspect, cellist Avery Baltus, her musical recording partner.

Even a sensitive earthquake can't out-stage the bickering at the Salinger home, except for Claudia, who gets frustrated to a paranoid degree after her siblings ignore her 'emergency plan'. Bailey is furious at Charlie for bursting in to stop his sex with Jill and warning she shows all the signs of drug addiction, but after finding it true and she systematically lies about it, Bailey is prepared to dump her but agrees to help her try rehab. Charlie looses his patience with Kirsten's meddling, not only in the carpentry business offer project she insisted to give him a private loan for but even to choose a new refrigerator, yet lust wins out. Justin is not amused when Julia, having seduced him to dump Libby, now sanctimoniously makes him lie to her until she accidentally finds out.

Angrily rejecting Charlie's advice, Bailey misses school to travel after Jill to retrieve her from LA. She keeps tempting him to turn the journey back along the coast into an adventurous holiday, but at the end she leaves him, claiming he turns boring and bothersome all over. Charlie is overstretched after his new carpentry partner commits them to a daring deadline. Danny presses Julia to write songs to render him immoral before AIDS kills him, but she can't handle the time pressure. Artie speculates with Claudia over her birthday presents, but nobody seems to have time even to plan a party at all.

Bailey hopes to keep his affair with Jill secret when Kate arrives unannounced, but Jill sudden reemerges too and Kate, who already has an east Coast admirer, senses their long distance relationship can't be maintained exclusively. Bailey promises model nanny Bill the three months early raise he needs, yet Charlie explicitly refused, to pay his suddenly raised rent. Julia's teacher entered a short story of hers in a magazine contest, which she wins, but that means publication and exposing her mean caricatures of every sibling, and bribery to keep it hidden at least from Charlie soon fails. Claudia's utter disrespect in attitude and disobedience is the last straw for Charlie, who feels the only breadwinner gets no appreciation or loyalty and is the only one not allowed anything to be in control of any aspect of his life despite endless sacrifices, so he announces moving out.

Bailey is god-struck when Jill's mother sends word his lover unexpectedly died of a cocaine overdose, even refuses to attend her funeral, as the pain is way beyond bearable, only Charlie can come close enough to offer some comfort after even Will wasn't allowed to stop Bailey getting drunk and driving as life seemed hopeless. Julia makes a pest of herself to Jill's poor brother Griffin, bugging him to accept the coat Jill wanted him to have as replacement for one she lost when stoned. Julian is far from pleased with her gift-masked meddling with his supposed lack of fashion taste, yet ends up grinning and baring it. Ross fears his application to adopt a baby girls is lost after a suspicious reaction on his implicit admission to be gay, but after a glowing plea from Bailey he's approved. Charlie and Kirsten resolve to get married and propose.

Will's trip to Perry, the college his father recommends, surprises Bailey, but he accepts to fly along to their orientation days in sir's place. Charmed by tour guide Keri, a med student, Bailey enjoys flirting with her, until Will accidentally betrays his life story is a fake to escape his frustrated life. Justin leads the successful mass kissing protest against the prudish principal's backward rules, but Julia deserts his cause and secretly kisses Griffin instead. Charlie spares not effort to track down Pamela Rush, only to be told Spencer isn't really his son. Kirsten questions if they should get married despite his obvious child wish and her infertility, but they agree to adopt Owen.

Bailey is finally back on his high school football team, but accidentally knocks over teammate Andy Hughes, who is hospitalized and ultimately promised a complete recovery. During practice, Bailey allows several teammates to rough him up due to his guilt torment, until he loses his nerve to play. Finding out family restaurant manager Joe Mangus made light of his congestive cardiac problems, Charlie decides to take over, but Joe can't just hand over his life's work. Julia lets Griffin stay over, is relieved when he doesn't suggest sex, but feels insecure for him not even seeming to want it. Despite verbal indignation, Sarah commits to now miserable Bailey again.

Bailey does badly on his SAT test and grudgingly accepts private home tutoring from young new teacher Maggie Beaton. Griffin finally overcomes Claudia's hostility to any rival to Justin, by playing the big brother, only to find jealous Julia upset about being neglected. Kirsten's parents arrive for a pre-wedding weekend, but while about-to-retire dreamer Gene Bennett quickly bonds with Charlie, his wife Ellie must explain to Kirsten how her practical attitude balances out their happy marriage.

Bailey takes over organizing the bachelor party after Dudley has to promise Kirsten to keep it boringly safe. A power-cut prevents the boys and stripper Honey from reaching Charlie, who met his hotel neighbor and colleague groom's partner Monica and agreed to comfort her, yet the ultimate temptation is cured by her offering herself, only that doesn't end his doubts about lifelong commitment. Bailey fears big brother relapsed into serial infidelity. Justin refuses needless contact with clingy Julia, who tricks him with concert tickets and ends up witnessing how he accidentally finds out his father cheating on his mother.

Bailey joins Sarah in her grandmother Sarah's annual posthumous anniversary celebration. There they find out, from a letter, that his lover was named after a third Sarah, a wartime affair, and adopted. Bailey tries in vain to make her realize parents are whoever lovingly raises you, but she finds it hard to accept, even from him. In need of time away, Charlie uses his honeymoon tickets to Mexico with Claudia, who alas only berates him. Both find a holiday partner, but neither relationship can last afterward and now Claudia reproaches Charlie not to mourn. Justin is happy being just sex-partners with Julia, as agreed, but she soon realises that she does not fell happy about their arrangement. His father catches them in bed, but Justin bites back that he takes no lessons in sexual ethics from an adulterer.

Bailey and Justin are almost amused to bump into each-other with their partners in the cellar. Julia complains over lack of privacy and wants to turn the attic into her room. Bailey however lays a separate claim, being older and having shared his room with Owen. Julia and Bailey fight, and Bailey tells Sarah about a band singer audition that he knew Julia hoped for which Sarah then wins. In revenge, Julie convinces soon less than amused Justin to successfully apply for the TV studio job Bailey that hoped would pay his college fees. Charlie cheerfully accepts helping out Kirsten with her babysitter income taxes and is delighted they end up in bed, but she maintains that changes nothing. Ross expected Claudia to resume violin lessons swiftly now her cast is off, but she fakes pain and ultimately confesses she chose to give up music to have a 'normal life', actually still under Jody's wayward influence. Only Bailey respects her decision, the other siblings' nagging only infuriates her. A letter from Boston accepting Bailey as student makes Julia see her priorities differently.

Bailey and Sara don't enjoy double dating with Will and his new girlfriend Gina, an opinionated, bossy type whose taste is opposite to theirs. This leads to Will dumping her after fights, but he's miserable, scolds 'wonder boy' Bailey and crawls back to her. Charlie offers Claudia a reasonable bribe after her teacher Emily Schrader, in detox herself, caught her. But she demands he doesn't date her, which goes wrong after he saves her from a Titanic-obsessed blind date at the restaurant. Justin finally confronts his father over his adultery after Julia happened to notice his ma's morning sickness, but both sides inconsistently ignore good advice and Charlie discards Helene's impertinent demand to forbid the couple having sex in the Salinger home, realizing that would drive them to unsafe surroundings.

Now Bailey's attitude has convinced grandpa Jake to present himself to the five siblings, his New Hampshire scholarship is on again and Sarah feels betrayed when she finds out. Jake becomes a regular guest, mostly to Claudia's joy, but Julia is viciously hostile, claiming he betrayed mother unforgivably. Sarah's birth mother Robin Merrin suddenly turns up to meet her and seems her only interest now, but announces after a weekend she's off on tour for months. Only after Bailey offers to turn sown the scholarship for her she realizes his love is truly noble and gives her blessing. When Emily finds out about Kathleen at the movie theatre, she dumps Charlie, who can't handle Kathleen seeing an ex, yet has no real answer how that is half as unfaithful as his own behavior.

Julia confirms she is pregnant, and Justin feels ignored while she torments herself over her options. Sarah declines giving her view, being adopted herself. Grandpa Jacob is left in the dark. Ultimately, Julia makes the decision, and nature ensuring it does not change that for her.

Bailey discovers that grandpa Jake, one of whose mysterious Arizona trips was extended for days, has another family, yet his graduating daughter Lauren is as unsure about him, so he decides such an unreliable element doesn't belong in the close Salinger family, and asks him to move out, yet not break up completely. Unable to commit to Kathleen, Charlie intends to let her off easily by pretending Kirsten wants him back, but she finds out and bitterly threatens to wreck the restaurant. A writing assignment about relationships starts Justin romanticizing, only to find Julia can't even properly dance with him anymore.

Bailey tells Sarah he doesn't feel their relationship satisfies either of them truly, yet she pleads it's true love. The siblings prepare gloomily for Salinger's farewell dinner. Against hope, Charlie asks grandfather Jake if his experienced business eye still sees a way out. He does, but only if Bailey forsakes his college fund for the cause. Justin refuses to stay with Julia after their mutual infidelity and without true love just because parting feels so hard. With Kirsten's wedding to Michael impending, Charlie not only declares his love and readiness to commit but persists right until she gives in on her second aborted wedding day.

Kirsten gets a teaching job at California State Monterey. But the commute and long hours begin to take its toll on her and Charlie's relationship. As Julia takes a stressful receptionist job in a busy law firm, Griffin, temporarily living at the house until he finds an apartment, doesn't measure up to Julia's expectation of responsibility, forcing him to leave. Meanwhile, Claudia becomes angry and jealous when Byron apparently develops a crush on Julia. Bailey fears his friendship with Will is ending as Will prepares to leave town to go to college back east with his new outgoing roommate, Tucker.

Bailey's friend, Cooper, and Julia are attracted to each other, but Bailey forbids them to date. Bailey then moves out of the Salinger household and into an apartment with a new attractive roommate named Callie Martel, an older woman whom Sarah doesn't approve of. Meanwhile, Claudia takes over the household repairs herself and must deal with leaky pipes. Also, Charlie realizes that Kirsten's depression over losing her job is much serious than he thought.

Kirsten's parents arrive in town after Claudia had told them about Kirsten's worsened mental condition and they immediately quarrel with Charlie after they decide to take her back to Chicago to have her committed to a mental hospital, with a court order if possible. Meanwhile, Bailey and Callie start to confide in each other about their past history; Callie about her relationship with her distant father who is having a 60th birthday party this weekend, and Bailey about his strained relationship with Charlie. Also, Julia and Sarah fly east to interview at Dartmouth in hopes of going to college there, but Sarah becomes worried and homesick almost immediately.

In the aftermath of having sex with Callie, Bailey feels guilty and decides to break up with Sarah. But Bailey falls ill with chicken pox in which Sarah becomes his personal servant. After approaching a resident novelist at Stanford to read her admission essay, Julia receives an unexpected scathing critique which shakes her confidence in going to college. Meanwhile, Claudia meets once again with Avery, her mother's old musician colleague, who wants to enroll her in a school for gifted children, in which Charlie objects to Claudia making a rash decision that's way over his head.

Bailey rescues Callie from an attempted date-rape and she becomes more dependent on him, in which he breaks a date with Sarah to be with her. Meanwhile, Julia's attraction for Sam grows and she tries keeping him at the house to finish fixing the roof. Claudia is asked to be a writer of the "Love Lorn" column for her school's paper to write about problems with people's love lives and begins to analyze everyone's problems around her, while she herself becomes oblivious to advances from a student named Stuart. Also, Charlie finds himself in an awkward position when Grace wants to be more than friends.

Charlie flies to Chicago to visit Kirsten and is surprised to see her doing good with her life. When Charlie asks Kirsten to come back with him to San Francesco, without telling her mother, he soon realizes that her manic depression is something not easily fixable. Back in San Francisco, Julia takes over the household responsibilities by herself and takes them so lightly in order to spend more time with Sam, and as a result, she and everyone else doesn't notice when Claudia is admitted to the hospital with appendicitis. Also, a guilty Bailey, going downward on his relationship with Sarah while trying to stay away from Callie as well as balancing time with his wrestling practice, finally confesses to Sarah that he slept with Callie who surprisingly reacts hurt, but understanding.

Julia, Justin and the rest of Grant High School is shocked when Julia's long-time friend, Libby, suddenly commits suicide and Julia tries to find out why Libby would want to end her life when it looked so promising. Meanwhile, Charlie attends his 10-year high school reunion where he becomes reacquainted with two old school basketball teammates and his old girlfriend, which leads Charlie to think that the best time of his life, which was in high school, and is behind him for good. Also, Sarah becomes increasingly cold and resentful towards Bailey who tries too hard to please her, which leads Sarah finally deciding to let Bailey go his own way.

Charlie and Grace finally go out on a date, but they agree to take things slowly. The next time they see each other to paint the interior of a house, Charlie brings over toddler Owen and Grace brings her grandmother in order to curb any temptation. Meanwhile, the family is excited when Julia announces that she has been accepted to Stanford, but she is conflicted about this turn of her life. Sarah resents Julia's reluctance to send in her letter of intent because Sarah did not get into Stanford. Bailey tries to resist alcoholic beverages after learning that his grades are low, but he is sidetracked by Callie's disruptive presence and an angry landlord trying to evict them by turning off the heating in their apartment. Also, Claudia's outing of a gay teacher at her school affects her violin teacher Ross' personal life too for he happens to be dating the man.

Grace beings to think that moving in with Charlie and his siblings wasn't a good idea after during a food shopping outing, Grace has an encounter with a woman whom makes a casual, but stereotypical, comment to Grace about her watching over Owen. Claudia, sensing tension at home between Grace and the family, offers to volunteer at Grace's office in a way for the two of them to get better acquainted, only to see Grace's true bossy attitude towards her which drives a further wedge between them. Meanwhile, Sam is looking for an extra guy for his construction crew and Julia recommends Bailey, which turns out to be a bad idea when he steals some liquor from the site. Also, Sarah confides in a skeptical Julia about Bailey's ever increasing drinking who continues his self-destructive lifestyle while denying to everyone (as well as to himself) that he has a drinking problem. Bailey becomes more and more out of control when he resorts to stealing all of Callie's rent money as well as pilfering items from his apartment and the Salinger house and pawning them to get more money for beer and hard liquor.

Grace and Sarah join Charlie, Julia and Claudia for a family intervention to Bailey about his drinking. They lure Bailey to the house about a family emergency with baby Owen to confront him about his self-destructive lifestyle. Only the self-serving Callie refuses to associate herself with the rest of the family for Bailey's intervention. But Bailey (still lying to everyone, and to himself, that he's an alcoholic) is stunned by what he sees as everyone against him and goes out on the attack, cruelly singling out serious faults of their own. As the day wears on into the evening, Joe joins the group and reveals a surprising revelation: Nick, the Salinger's late father, was also an alcoholic.

After a long night of a guilt drinking binge over injuring Sarah, Bailey appears on the doorstep of the Salinger house where he finally admits that he needs help. He attends his first AA meeting where he discovers Walter Alcott, the man who was responsible for his parents death three years ago, is a member and a big participator at the meetings which prompts Bailey to quit after revealing his still deep-rooted hatred for Alcott. Meanwhile, Griffin is trying to find a way to spend the $100,000 settlement he got for his knee injury and Julia tells him to help his long-estranged father who is having financial problems. But Julia becomes suspicious when she suspects Griffin's father only wants to bond with him over the money. Also, Grace is approached by some associates to run for a local office seat, making Charlie feel left out.

On Spring Break, Sarah goes away with her parents and Bailey volunteers himself to chaperon Claudia on a trip to Los Angeles for a violin concert in order to distract himself in her absence. Bailey then falls off the wagon, but learns a valuable lesson of his problem from Joe and his young wife, Fran, living there over Bailey's drinking being not only psychological, but physical in nature as well. Bailey finally decides to start attending AA meetings. Meanwhile, Julia and Griffin's motorcycle trip through California hits a snag when their motorcycle breaks down, where Griffin decides to buy the shop where it gets fixed with his insurance settlement money which upsets Julia's spontaneous plans. Also, Grace has a pregnancy scare, which turns out to be a false alarm, but brings up an issue on kids to Charlie.

After returning from a two-month trip to Europe with a new look and shorted hairstyle, Julia finds herself in uncharted territory with her new husband, Griffin, who in his opinion realizes that "absence definitely makes the heart grow weirder." Meanwhile, Bailey is facing the consequences of the drunk-driving accident that put Sarah in the hospital when he's arrested after Sarah's powerful, revenge-seeking parents officially charge him with drunk driving. Claudia decides to try out for a cheerleader during her first day at Grant High School, but ends up becoming the school mascot instead. Also, Charlie finds some complications when he finds Owen dressing in girls clothing fearing that Owen is developing a bond with his pre-school teacher Jenny.

Sarah finds herself on her own after walking away from her parents over what they did to Bailey who finds himself constantly haunted by his past when word of his criminal record spreads and keeps him from getting any job. Claudia also worries about being an outcast in school after a speech Bailey has to give. Meanwhile, Griffin begins having cash-flow problems at the garage, but keeps them to himself knowing of his long reputation as a loser. While Charlie tries dating again, he gets angry at Julia over her and Griffin's presence.

Julia thinks her on-the-job troubles are the result of her admittance to Daniel that she is married. But later, more troubles ensues when Griffin pays an unexpected visit to the museum and learns from Daniel about Julia's flirtation with him. Meanwhile, Bailey's attention to Annie leaves Sarah feeling alone and abandoned when he gives Annie part of their rent money. Also, Charlie can't seem to find anything good with his life, despite his blossoming relationship with Nina. When the restaurant is closed down for repairs, Charlie sulks about it.

During planning for Julia's long-put-off wedding party, Charlie, despite claiming that he's all right, collapses on a racquetball court in which he goes to the hospital where he is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Meanwhile, Kirsten's husband Paul, a medical grad student, clashes with Charlie who becomes jealous about his past with her. Griffin continues to keep his financial problems from Julia when the opening of a new repair shop on the block throws a rock into his business plans which bring threats from his silent partner/loan shark, Howie, over not paying up for a loan. Also, Sarah's dating plans with her new boyfriend, Elliott, don't set well with a lonely Bailey which makes him look to Annie once again.

Charlie finally tells, individually, the rest of his siblings about his illness. But he turns to Kirsten as he begins to feel increasingly sick, angry and frightened and unable to cope with Claudia's inquisitiveness, Bailey's awkward effort to bond, and Julia's selfishness. Meanwhile, Griffin's financial problems begin to take its toll on him and Julia in which they are evicted from their apartment over late rent payments.

At Christmas time, Sarah and Bailey host a tree-trimming party at their apartment where Bailey's friend, Will, arrives for a visit and discovers that he and Bailey now live in separate lives due to Bailey being with an older woman and his lack of party spirit. Julia's former boyfriend, Justin Thompson, also arrives for a visit where he tells her about his Ivy League college life, which prompts Julia to lie to him about her so-called successful life. Meanwhile, Charlie, at his doctor's advice to "recharge," accompanies Kirsten on a long-distance road trip.

With Kirsten's help, an ever increasing sickly Charlie meets with an herbalist and even tries out meditation which seems to help his state of mind, but not his cancer. Julia and Griffin, unable to help each other during crises, come to realize the distance between them due to Julia's busy work schedule and Griffin's continuing back luck at his bike shop over loss of business and confiscation of his property over not paying up on the rent. Meanwhile, Bailey tries to seek more time to be with Annie, while she ponders whether or not to tell her seven-year-old daughter, Natalie, about her and Bailey. Also, Claudia tries more than ever to get Reed to like her, but to no avail for he clearly states that he's not interested in her, leaving her more alone and sad than ever when no one else at home wants to listen to her problems.

Kevin's joyous reaction to his latest news about his cancer in remission does nothing to quiet Charlie's fears. Meanwhile, Griffin's pipe dreams over saving his failing bike shop leaves Julia with a lot of doubts about putting on a TV commercial with her as the spokes person. Elliot soon regrets revealing his true feelings to Bailey that he may be gay, which leaves him in a dilemma over whether or not to tell Sarah. Also, Claudia is hard-pressed to complete a school assignment on a time capsule that requires her to look to the future.

With Charlie still in the hospital, Bailey and Julia continue to remain oblivious to what's happening on the home front due to their continuing life problems and daily visits to the hospital to be with Charlie. As a result, Claudia and Owen end up what most people consider neglected. When a visiting Social Services man makes a routine visit and finds Claudia and Owen alone, and the house in a drastic state of disarray, he has them removed to the state services. Meanwhile, Charlie makes out a living will and asks Kirsten a major favor: to care for Claudia and Owen if he dies when she agrees to look after them for Social Services. But Paul tells Kirsten that he's against the idea of raising someone else's children. Griffin begins his new job at his former bike shop, now an auto repair garage, and tries to help the attractive manager, Rosalie, make a deadline to repair one motorcycle.

Bailey and Julia accompany an anxious Charlie on a trip to their parents winter cabin as he awaits important test results. Back at home, Sarah tries to reach out to Annie and Kirsten finds out Claudia has applied for a school 3000 miles away.

Ownership of the restaurant is up for grabs, dividing Charlie and the other Salinger siblings on what to do. Julia and Griffin see a marriage counsellor. A visiting prep school student shows an interest in Claudia.

Bailey and Annie are thrown for a loop when Annie's ex-husband reappears. Uneasy about Daphne's line of work, Charlie follows her to a job. Griffin wins a trip for two to Los Angeles and invites Julia.

The creators and cast of PARTY OF FIVE look back at the highlights of their first four seasons.

Sarah receives some unsettling news about her parents. Julia's secrecy about her marriage causes problems at school. Charlie searches for Daphne.

Charlie and Kirsten are nothing but supportive of Daphne when her doctor orders her to bed rest for some time. Meanwhile, Julia hopes to avoid Ned at a Halloween party, but realizes that she can't get him out of her mind, while she continues to avoid Maggie. Bailey's old friend, Will, pays an unexpected visit to him and Sarah's loft and brings a lot of excess emotional baggage with him over running away from college, and a pregnant girlfriend named Hannah following him there. In Massacusetts, Claudia's former boyfriend, Jamie Burke, arrives at her school for a visit, but she wants to leave him in the past in order to fit in more with her new friends.

While Charlie, Kirsten, Bailey, Julia and their friends take turns for a bedside vigil for Daphne who's still in the hospital, Claudia delays returning home to her boarding school to help Charlie around the house. Meanwhile, Maggie's anger overflows at both Ned and Julia after she learns from her visit to the Salinger home about their affair. Also, Sarah begins to have second thoughts about intimacy with Bailey over the pregnancies of Daphne and Hannah.

As a new father to Daphne's baby, Charlie is afforded little quality time with Owen, which brings out jealousy in the five-year-old. Meanwhile, a would-be-competitor has Bailey running scared with threats to open a trendy new eatery across the street from Salingers. So Bailey resorts to an all-out war to prevent the restaurant from opening near Salingers, much to Sarah's and the former restaurant owner, Joe's chagrin. Julia thinks that Ned is not all he says he is after catching him in a lie, and discovers that he's trying to prevent her from meeting his visiting parents and autistic older brother, Richie, all of whom make a good impression on Julia, but not to Ned. In Massacusetts, a homesick and lonely Claudia resorts to drastic measures at her school after a curfew is imposed.

The week before Christmas, Daphne's routine of quiet desperation is interrupted by an unannounced visit from her parents. Although Daphne is dubious, Charlie insists that her parents stay. But Charlie has other things on his mind when he gets angry at Claudia and Griffin after he brings her home for the holidays and she refuses to go back to her school. Meanwhile, a dejected Owen stays with Bailey and Sarah which leads to an incident when Owen is suspected of stealing a baby doll from a nativity scene over his growing resentment over Daphne's baby. Also, Julia tries helping Ned with a term paper due before the holidays. But Julia later finds out that Ned only wants her around as company since he does not want to spend Christmas with his dysfunctional family.

Charlie must cope with the fact that he's now alone and raising baby Diana on his own after Daphne leaves. Meanwhile, Sarah becomes traumatized after being attacked at knife point by a robber at the restaurant which requires her to seek therapy and Bailey feels helpless about the incident and takes out his frustration by investing in high-tech security systems. Julia moves back into the Salinger house to escape from Ned's sudden outbursts. But a sudden visit from Ned, who appears very apologetic, makes Julia wondering if she really knows him. Paul tells Kirsten about his idea of adopting a child for themselves. Also, Griffin and Claudia find a common musical connection with each other with her violin and his guitar which leads him to ask her to perform in a band his is forming with some friends.

The arrival of Julia's former boyfriend, Justin, fuels Ned's jealousy and anger during an anniversary party for Justin's parents. Despite Bailey's objections, Sarah insists on seeking a bond with her attacker, and soon regrets it when the man robs several apartments in the building. Meanwhile, Kirsten makes a major decision in her life on ending her marriage with Paul, and turning to Charlie for help. Also, jealousy prompts a creative performance from Claudia during her first gig with Griffin's band when a new lead singer, named Melanie, turns out to be an old girlfriend of Cody's.

Julia goes into therapy, with Ned in tow, after she vows to remain with him if he agrees to get help. But when the psychiatrist tries probing into the source of Ned's anger, he backs out while at the same time, he also manipulates Julia into moving with him into an apartment in order to keep his abuse a secret. Meanwhile, Owen's kindergarten teacher tells Bailey about a suspected learning disability Owen may have, which leads Bailey to consider raising Owen by himself. In Los Angeles, Charlie urges Daphne to return home with him to get psychiatric help to overcome damage done by Daphne's own neglectful mother. But Charlie discovers that he too could use some help in raising baby Diana as well as Owen and Claudia. Also, Kirsten moves out of the Salinger house after thinking that Charlie is still committed to Daphne, and Griffin prepares to do the same.

With a little of Maggie's help, Griffin whisks Julia away to try to talk some sense into her about her relationship with the abusive Ned. Julia still won't listen to Griffin or anyone. But upon returning to San Francisco, Ned's words may later ring true for her. Meanwhile, Claudia feels pressured to take sides when Bailey tells her to support him in his custody battle for the dyslexic Owen, and Kirsten feels the same after a visit from Bailey. The events lead the family gathering under trouble circumstances at the hospital when Owen is admitted with a broken arm after falling off his new bicycle which only strengthens Bailey's determination to get custody of Owen.

A city-wide power failure traps Julia and Griffin alone in an elevator where feelings for each other resurface. At the same time, Charlie goes to the hospital to help baby Diana where he has a chance meeting with Kirsten's husband Paul. The blackout increases tension between Bailey and his new restaurant manager, Lauren, over how to manage Salingers due to the blackout and Lauren's domineering management techniques. Meanwhile, Claudia frets about some of the boys at her 16th birthday party that Sarah throws for her at the loft while she also tries to calm Claudia down by explaining the pleasures and pain of life and love.

Bailey rejects Lauren's resignation as restaurant manager and asks her to stay, while continuing to avoid her. Sarah takes a nervous Claudia for her first visit to a gynecologist. Afterwards, Claudia's band mate, Melanie, tries to reunite her with Cody at a concert where the band R.E.M. is performing. Meanwhile, Perry Marks, a visiting English professor and well noted alumna of Julia's writing class, critiques her work as well as comforts and quarrels with Julia about her own writing. While Bailey and Sarah move back into the Salinger house, Charlie sees a gift for himself in Bailey's compulsion for control when he decides to move out to be with Kirsten.

Charlie's romance and possible future with Kirsten is put in a dilemma when Daphne suddenly returns to town after the death of her mother and wants to see baby Diana. Meanwhile, Claudia adopts a new look to shed her good girl image to fit more in with Cody, much to Bailey's chagrin. Bailey is left by himself when Sarah goes away to write an introspective essay, but cannot get away from the stress and worry of her daily life. Julia, seeking to reevaluate her life, goes on a date with Josh, which gets disrupted when Julia lets a comment from Perry about her status quickly ending the evening. This leads Julia to learn from Perry about the pros and cons about being independent from others in one's life.

Charlie and Kirsten hit a snag involving the site for their coming wedding which throws planner (and control-freak) Bailey into overdrive. Sarah, who turned down Bailey's own marriage proposal, can't say anything without getting a snappish response from him. A modicum of support comes from Kirsten's visiting parents, with her mother playing the peacemaker as her father does little to mask his disapproval of the event knowing of the first fiasco marriage attempt years before. Meanwhile, Julia is offered a great opportunity to write a book by her academic editor Evan. Also, Claudia's relationship with Cody takes a turn when she finds him kissing someone else.

Sarah meets a former friend of her birth mother who tells her that her natural birth father, whom was in fact briefly married to her mother, lives in New York City, which prompts the troubled Sarah to consider traveling to New York to find him, and leaving Bailey. Meanwhile, Claudia's new clique of friends is criticized on a on-line web page, and Claudia suspects the school's disgruntled star basketball player and Alexa's boyfriend, Cameron, is the culprit. At her editor Evan's advice, Julia looks for her present place now in her late parents past as part of a chapter in her work. Daphne reveals that she got fired and asks Kirsten to give her a job at the family clinic, while she also hires a babysitter, named Victor, to watch baby Diana. Charlie deals with Myra, a rebellious girl in the wood shop class he teaches.

Cameron's covert kisses confuse Claudia who thinks that getting involved with him may not be right while she deals with a clueless Alexia. Meanwhile, Evan becomes more mindful of Julia who tries to set some ground rules to their newfound romance. The fertility changes dictates life for both Charlie and Kirsten when she has to take fertility injections with her lithium, and he has to take a second job to pay for the medical costs. Griffin and Will accompany Bailey on a 3,000-mile drive to New York in an old truck to drop off some of Sarah's belongings. When the guys truck breaks down in a small town, Bailey reveals his obsession to get to New York and bring Sarah back with him. Also, Charlie pairs Myra with Claudia for a studying time despite the fact that they both can't stand each other. But when Myra discovers Claudia's secret involvement with Cameron, it gives Myra some leverage against Claudia who uses this info to intimidate Claudia to talk to Charlie to back off his discipline of her.

After Myra's mother accuses Charlie of abusing her daughter, he is given the offer to resign from the school, quietly. Charlie decides to quit, but an encouragement from Kirsten convinces him to make a stand. Meanwhile, Julia meets Evan's angry and rebellious teenage son, Brian, while at the same time, she also encourages Claudia to report Derek after she confides in her about the incident. Bailey ponders a future with the married Tracy, while Joe, Victor, and Will help plan a Thanksgiving dinner at the house. Also, Griffin and Daphne have a lot to be thankful for when they discover their own primal passions for each other.

Charlie and Kirsten cut corners in cutting back electricity, heating and other utilities while seeking more fertility drugs as they and the rest of the family pitches in to help pay for Griffin's hospital costs from the motorcycle accident. But things get only worse when a tip leads them to a shady man who claims to have cheap drugs for them to buy. Meanwhile, Bailey doesn't waste another chance to be with Holly by setting up a picnic in the 49ers stadium which leads to a heated meeting. Seeking to relive her childhood days, Claudia enters a violin competition with her former violin coach Ross tutoring her, but soon has an inner conflict about playing again after a long hiatus. When Griffin learns from Daphne that the Salingers are paying for his medical costs, he angrily leaves the hospital and states to Julia that he does not want to be a burden on the family due to his pride and self-reliance.

Julia accompanies Claudia on a trip to Yale University for a college tour and to visit Justin Thompson where they meet his new girlfriend Laura. At the same time, Claudia becomes acquainted with a fellow student, named Carl, assigned to show her around the campus. Back in San Francisco, Victor steps in when Owen comes home every day claiming to be bullied at school. Meanwhile, Bailey questions himself on how casual he wants to be with Holly when they spend almost every day together which changes when she tells that its all too much for her. Also, Charlie becomes wary about Daphne's boyfriend, Luke, in handling baby Diana, but learns that his parenting is not all perfect either since he has to make a deadline with his new furniture designs and be with Kirsten for a surgery.

Bailey has a full plate to deal when he starts drinking again and then discovers money missing from the restaurant and learns that Joe is responsible. Meanwhile, Charlie and his foreman, Gus, clash on cost cutting for the new furniture line. After some incidents with the workers, Gus decides to let Charlie run the business all by himself. Bailey's love life takes yet another turn when he meets a young woman, named Evvie, at an AA meeting who asks him to be her sponsor. Adam takes Julia out for a time on the town where she curbs his romantic ideas for her in which he suspects that she doesn't like him. Also, Daphne announces that she and her Army boyfriend, Luke, have decided to move back to Texas and she wants to take baby Diana with her in order to take her off Charlie and Kirsten's full hands.

After a drunken Bailey crashes his jeep into a stoplight post, he blacks out and has a vision of an alternate reality of what life what life would be like if his parents never died. In this world, set during a weekend of planning Nick and Diana's 31st anniversary party, all of the siblings are unsettled with their parents whom they cannot stand up to. Claudia is a somewhat uptight, mature-for-her-age, traveling violinist where she tells her mentor/manager Ross her thoughts about quitting touring. Bailey is an immature, irresponsible, bleached-blond, hard-drinking punk who works as a roadie for a heavy metal punk band and living with an equally outgoing Will who's uncertain about a path in his life after dropping out of college. Charlie is a clean-cut, shaved, outgoing womanizer who works as an architect for a large San Francisco company, and has a crisis when one of his many girlfriends, Felica, reveals that she's pregnant. When Charlie and Felica travel to the local clinic for Felica to get an abortion, the attending physician happens to be a single, sad but wise, Kirsten. Julia is a naive, long-haired young woman whom is engaged to Justin which takes a turn when she meets Griffin for the first time who works as an auto mechanic a local garage, and she learns why the wrong man is always irresistible.

Unable to find his calling, Bailey becomes reacquainted with Holly where he attempts to help her older, pie-in-the-sky sister, Fiona, find her calling as a costume designer. Meanwhile, Claudia gets the violin position Todd coveted in which leads to some hostility and competition for both of them. An order for a hotel chain may be more than Charlie can handle due to his lack of funds and manpower to build the chairs, while Kirsten deals with morning sickness during her first trimester of her pregnancy. Also, Julia seeks to cure her writers block with frequent sex with Adam as their relationship heats up, which unwittingly creates a writers block for him.

Just as Bailey begins taking business college classes, Holly's student visa is revoked which means that she must return to England. After considering every option, Bailey then tries to convince Holly to marry him, in order for her to get her green card, before Will steps in to help. Meanwhile, a discontented Daphne returns to town with baby Diana and reveals to Charlie and Kirsten about her difficulties and doubts about Luke, which Kirsten sees as parallel to her own life with Charlie over his busy hours at the furniture factory. Despite Griffin's objections, Julia confronts her former boyfriend, Ned, after spotting him in town which leads Julia to re-examine her own troubled life. Also, Victor rejects Claudia's matchmaking for him and Ross.

Claudia is tempted by an academic shortcut of plagiarizing a term paper while trying to balance her time between school and seeing Todd. Meanwhile, Will's discomfort grows after he moves in with Holly to continue his and Bailey's charade of Will's marriage to her. Justin arrives back in town after having left his wife with ironic timing for Julia who is giving an interview to Phoebe, a young writer researching Julia's life story. Also, Kirsten goes out on the town with Daphne's and her former free-spirited friends who inspire Kirsten not to be afraid to be spontaneous and take a chance in her life.

Bailey considers moving to Philadelphia to go back to college following Joe's advice, but has some complications when Owen does not want to go with him and Charlie tells Bailey about keeping their parental responsibilities. Meanwhile, Julia ponders a choice to moving to Washington D.C. for a magazine internship job and being away from Justin and the rest of the family. Claudia ponders going to Julliard Academy of Music in New York or staying near Todd in San Francisco, where Ross persuades Claudia to take the scholarship and not pass up an opportunity like this. Also, Daphne confides in Charlie about her problems with Luke who wants a job in Texas and leaves no time for her to be with little Diana.