It's already january 1998 and the Salingers are having busy times. Charlie finally has to leave the restaurant because the smell of food causes to him nausea and vomiting, just as Mr Pitzer, the attorney with Hodgkin's, predicted two episodes ago. So he asks Bailey to manage for him while Julia works there as a waitress (seems that she left Taylor's and started in Salinger's 3 days ago) and does the things Charlie can't do in the house. Claudia is worried for him but he says his symptoms means radiation is working, and tells her "hang in there, Claud". So then, Julia has to take care of Owen and Claudia, do the cleaning, cooking and other household responsibilities, besides of Charlie's paperwork from the hospital. Seemingly she is the only one who cleans Charlie's vomit in the bathroom and also goes to the doctor to get prescription filled for antivomit stuff pills. For the funny side, there are the parts with Owen: Julia offers him apples, cornflakes, pancakes, and other things but he says no to everything except to oatmeal. He says he wanted to eat only white food (at the beginning and in the end). Julia asks Charlie if it's a problem (an "eating disorder"), but he says that the kid ate mostly green food last season when Bailey went to college. He knows it means that Owen is scared for what's happening. Last season affected him Bailey's absence (and I bet that what happened with Kirsten too), and now Charlie's treatments is affecting him somehow. Charlie's advice to Julia: "Cook white food". He also tells her to call the insurance company because their tree broke their neighbour's window, where are the remaining prescriptions and to get a free exterminator check out for the attic so they cover the hole themselves to save money (a squearrel sneaked in?). Later, Claudia prepares popcorn and when Bailey asks, Julia says "Hey, it's white". Julia also picks up Owen from daycare and wait tables in the night. That leaves Owen in charge of a sick Charlie, and Claudia if she doesn't go to meet Reed. Bailey initially struggles but then does a great job managing the restaurant, making happy a wealthy and regular customer, Mr Bancroft. He develop a new system for the bartenders and waitress, so they can serve food faster. Charlie tells him to accept Bancroft's requests because he and his family pay a lot for the restaurant each year. Bailey solves problems with some waiter's absence, lack of fish and bananas. In the meantime, Julia is too busy with the house chores to learn the new system so she fails in the orders. She hates some jerk customer who mocks her treatment and when he gives her 5 bucks as tip, she blasts him for it, saying that for serving jerks like him she deserves a trip to Fidji or a Nobel Prize (great line there Julia). Noticing all the struggles, Bailey fires Julia because she hates the job and the customers notice that (still, he should have defended her from those bad customers). Annie tells him that Charlie can relax now that he can manage without him, but instead Bailey goes and tells his brother that the restaurant needs him. Charlie tells that Mr Bancroft called him praising Bailey's job, so he is glad about it, if Bailey likes it and wants to manage, it's great. This was an excellent scene, hinting that one day Bailey will be Charlie's succesor. I think that since Bailey is an alcoholic like his father, he may have inherited also the talent to manage the restaurant, to manage a business. And considering his criminal record, he should be the manager of Salinger's in the future. As for Julia, she is unhappy because she is not doing what she wants, what she likes, but she has to hold on, this rough times will pass. She went to sleep next to Griffin, saddened and wishing not to wake up (this implies he's not enough for her). She was mad at Bailey for firing her, but later she admitted to Griffin that she didn't like waiting tables, despite that they need the money. At the same time, Julia tried to reach Claudia, but without enough time, she couldn't. I feel bad for her, this episode needed Kirsten to help Julia with the chores, Claudia and Owen. She could have helped with Owen for example or even with the prescriptions. I know she'll do this in future episodes but she could have appeared here, she's unemployed and Paul has long hours at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Charlie delivers all the instructions to Bailey and Julia but then he just want to rest and sleep. Anyway, Sarah has a designing project as homework from college so she visits him to ask for the drafting table. He was sitting in the backyard wearing the coat he bought last episode, and is upset thinking Bailey sent her to entertain him he. Anyway, later, he sees her work in the basement and does some changes. He enjoys it, doing what he always liked most, designing structures for a theater and other buildings, like parking lots. This was a great story too, Charlie got some happiness despite suffering the radiation. Besides, it was nice that he shared some moments with Sarah, proving that he can have good times with his "sister in law", because after all, she is somehow part of the family now. A detail to mention, today Charlie was wearing the coat each time he went out for treatments or to the backyard. I think he wears it not only because it's a great coat and keeps him warm, also because it brings him the good memories of the road trip with Kirsten, that in these hard moments are like a hope wave. As for Claudia's part, she confides in Reed about all the problems in home so he comforts her. She even spends the night on the couch of his house, because he felt some compassion towards her. In the morning, while seeing her arrive with the same clothes, Charlie realizes that she spent the night at Reed's, so she expects some yelling, an attention call. Charlie is somehow upset and stunned, but he just says it was a stupid move, that she shouldn't have done that, and leaves for treatments, even though she wanted to talk more. Then, at school, Reed already noticed her deep crush on him, so he coldly walks away from her, even when she says she needs him. This leaves her depressed and she doesn't even answers Julia's questions at the end, who was worried that she wasn't hungry. This was sad, because he still could help her without being a boyfriend, but seems that the guy had enough and decided to stop being a nice guy (no consideration for an orphan with a brother with cancer).
Overall, it was a great episode, entertaining, enjoyable, showing the more responsible side of Julia and nice moments with Owen. Also, the ending sequence was perfect: Bailey enjoying his work in the restaurant, serving food for Annie and Natalie, Julia struggling with Owen's eating and trying to comfort Claudia, Charlie designing in the basement, all while sounds Tomorrow Morning. Although there is a dark air in this season, as Charlie's cancer goes on, it has a special way to show it. This episode is one of the best of season 4 and is part of a great streak in the series, is a sad story but all the parts are enjoyable, unlike second half of season 3, where the only great part was Bailey's alcoholism. Here, all the stories are great, each character's part. If Kirsten was present in every episode of this streak, helping as much as she can (I still consider her as a member of the family), it would have been even better. Sadly, I guess the writers didn't make her a regular this season because they wanted her appearance in 4x06 to be a surprise.
Meanwhile, Charlie delivers all the instructions to Bailey and Julia but then he just want to rest and sleep. Anyway, Sarah has a designing project as homework from college so she visits him to ask for the drafting table. He was sitting in the backyard wearing the coat he bought last episode, and is upset thinking Bailey sent her to entertain him he. Anyway, later, he sees her work in the basement and does some changes. He enjoys it, doing what he always liked most, designing structures for a theater and other buildings, like parking lots. This was a great story too, Charlie got some happiness despite suffering the radiation. Besides, it was nice that he shared some moments with Sarah, proving that he can have good times with his "sister in law", because after all, she is somehow part of the family now. A detail to mention, today Charlie was wearing the coat each time he went out for treatments or to the backyard. I think he wears it not only because it's a great coat and keeps him warm, also because it brings him the good memories of the road trip with Kirsten, that in these hard moments are like a hope wave. As for Claudia's part, she confides in Reed about all the problems in home so he comforts her. She even spends the night on the couch of his house, because he felt some compassion towards her. In the morning, while seeing her arrive with the same clothes, Charlie realizes that she spent the night at Reed's, so she expects some yelling, an attention call. Charlie is somehow upset and stunned, but he just says it was a stupid move, that she shouldn't have done that, and leaves for treatments, even though she wanted to talk more. Then, at school, Reed already noticed her deep crush on him, so he coldly walks away from her, even when she says she needs him. This leaves her depressed and she doesn't even answers Julia's questions at the end, who was worried that she wasn't hungry. This was sad, because he still could help her without being a boyfriend, but seems that the guy had enough and decided to stop being a nice guy (no consideration for an orphan with a brother with cancer).
Overall, it was a great episode, entertaining, enjoyable, showing the more responsible side of Julia and nice moments with Owen. Also, the ending sequence was perfect: Bailey enjoying his work in the restaurant, serving food for Annie and Natalie, Julia struggling with Owen's eating and trying to comfort Claudia, Charlie designing in the basement, all while sounds Tomorrow Morning. Although there is a dark air in this season, as Charlie's cancer goes on, it has a special way to show it. This episode is one of the best of season 4 and is part of a great streak in the series, is a sad story but all the parts are enjoyable, unlike second half of season 3, where the only great part was Bailey's alcoholism. Here, all the stories are great, each character's part. If Kirsten was present in every episode of this streak, helping as much as she can (I still consider her as a member of the family), it would have been even better. Sadly, I guess the writers didn't make her a regular this season because they wanted her appearance in 4x06 to be a surprise.
