This episode proved to be one of the best of the season and one of the happiest of all the series. For one side, Claudia has a dream of love with Todd, where he says he loves her, he lets her drive his car and they fly. She tells this to Julia, who says it's just a dream and that means she would like Todd to proclame his love. So, with Julia's advice, while studying in a coffee shop, Claudia first asks him to drive his car and he refuses for some insurance papers (he said the same in 6x14). Then she tells him that she trusts him, that she loves him and would let him drive her car if she had one, he is initially surprised and without words. She thinks that he doesn't feel the same and leaves. Later, Julia comforts her and says she has to be proud of herself for saying how she feels. She advices to trust her feelings and do what she wants, so Claudia decides not to break up with Todd. He finally tells her that he feels love, he just didn't say it because his parents divorced (how many failed marriages in this series), and allows her to drive his car. Although Claudia's story today wasn't so great, it's the first time she reaches the point of feeling love for a guy. And considering what she suffered, she needs a boyfriend who can love her like she does, besides her family. On the other hand, Will "marries" Holly, but surely because the minister suspected, an agent from INS quickly checks the case. The agent questions Bailey's presence in Holly's place and soon schedules an interview for the next day. Will freaks out because the man is like a detective but Bailey and Holly convince him that they can get past it if he acts like if he was Bailey. Following a cut in his hand with a shaving machine (while he was learning about Holly's toothbresh and other stuff in the bathroom), Holly heals his finger and comforts Will, who starts falling in love. She says that he is being totally brave and selfless for risking himself for her green card and for Bailey, and he feels touched. Later, in the interview, thanks to this, Will convinces the agent that he is in love with Holly, as the first question is how they fell in love. In the meantime, Bailey is mad because she won't hide private stuff of their relationship from Will, and tells that for her, the green card is more important than him. She admits that's truth, but only because she knows that her future career is being a doctor, and though she loves him, she doesn't know how their future will be. So after the interview, he accepts her confession and is grateful to her for being honest. Will sees them hugging and starts to feel bad. This story was good enough, entertaining, and Will's speech was well written. I know it's not a great storyline but the series at this point didn't have good ratings so I guess the writers relaxed, and they simply made comedy situations to relieve the Salingers of so much drama. To distract a little of the love, Charlie is having issues with his foreman, Mitch. He wants to try produce faster by coupling up the workers to run the line but Mitch says it won't work and disobeys. Charlie wants to fire him, but Bailey says that he needs Mitch and him, so he changes his mind. Still, Charlie tries his idea, so Mitch decides to quit as he doesn't let him do the job as foreman. But after realizing the coupling was a bad idea, Charlie apologizes for pushing him, agrees trusting Mitch, asking him the same, so everything turns out well. Of this part, was good that Bailey made Charlie realize that he can't do everything, he finally made him realize that he needs help. Also, about this, there were some important facts: Charlie hired Mitch as foreman, convincing him of leaving other job, and he bought a piece of the company. And Charlie can't lose many orders because he needs to pay back the money loaned from the bank, if not, the place goes under, and they'll lose the restaurant. All this proves how complicated is the situation and why it might not have been a good idea to buy the factory. Everyone is under pressure, including the workers.
As for Julia, Adam visits her in the house and tells that he will move to San Miguel, Mexico. Later, he says that he wants her to join him, as she would love the city, the culture, streets, cathedrals, also they can enroll in some Art Institute. She initially refuses, for college and her family, but after a class, she thinks it could inspire her to write, she decides to go. At the same time, the first scene after the main credits shows Kirsten and Charlie kissing across a crib he built for the baby in the apartment. She says it's beautiful but also feels insecure about the crib being there so early, fearing a miscarriage. He's not pessimistic so she tells that things can go wrong (the first trimester is always the most dangerous and now she is on month 2). Also, it's revealed that this is the reason of why their families, the Bennetts and the Salingers, don't know yet about her pregnancy. Then, she cancels a weekend trip to Carmel to stay near her doctor, although Charlie planned that trip to spend a happy time together, away from the factory. She says she wanted to tell him last night but he arrived late, she wants to stay home and go to the movies or to a restaurant, but he says that they've talked about this, the workers might drag him into work if he stays. He tells her not to shut herself in and she says the truth, she worked so hard for getting pregnant, she waited so long, that she doesn't want to take any risk. This conversation implies that after their dance, they talked about spending more time together. Seems like he wants to escape from work to be with her in a trip, but she knows what would mean a miscarriage for her. If she takes some risk, and she loses the baby, will be hard to recover, she could relapse seriously on depression. Later, when she was in the Salinger house looking for pregnancy books, she starts bleeding, cries and Julia finds her (learns that Kirsten is pregnant), comforts her and takes her to the doctor. Julia calls Charlie, who rushes to the hospital, and she tells him what happened, that Kirsten wasn't in pain but still is with the doctor. Then, she comes out: a sonogram and blood tests revealed that Kirsten and the baby are ok, it was just the endometrium, lack of progesterone. The three hug each other and she says that the doctor told her not to panic, to have some faith. She hugs Charlie (that strong hug still proves why they are the best couple, the one that lasts forever), both being deeply glad that things are fine. All this and Claudia's issues with Todd make Julia realize that she can't leave her family and finally decides to stay. She tells Adam that she needs her family, that they are amazing, so brave and she still learns a lot of things from them. He's disappointed and seems to accept it, saying that if she really wants to stay, it's ok. And to finish, the final scene was perfect, emotional, joyful: Charlie and Kirsten finally reveal the good news to the rest of the family in the backyard. First, they tell Claudia (and remembering Falsies, it's easy to know how much this means to her), who screams in joy, calling Bailey's attention. They hug and Claudia tells Bailey, while Holly arrives too. They share more hugs and the happiness brings Owen, who seemingly was sleeping. Bailey holds him, and Kirsten and Charlie hug him too. Finally, Julia joins them, ignoring Adam's last call, because "seize the moment" is nothing compared to what the family gives her, that beautiful moment, where the six Salingers, plus Holly are celebrating the news of the new Salinger, the baby that Charlie and Kirsten always wanted to have. All the story was perfect, finally there was a scene with Kirsten and her sisters in law that is not a family dinner, this was necessary, a moment between she and Julia, or she and Claudia. Even Owen was happy, with everyone showing affection to him too, like in the good old times. The ending scene reminds all the family moments of season 1-early 2, and that's when the true Party of Five is showed. One detail, was good that Will wasn't in the final celebration, would have been weird for him considering what he did in early season 5. On the other hand, would have been good to see the moment when Kirsten tells her parents and her sister that she is pregnant, not in this chapter, but maybe if this season had 25 instead of 24, in the next one. Would have been good to have an episode where her parents, sister travel to SF, and show a big family dinner with the grandparents, and with Meg Bennett who deserved a moment to meet all the Salingers. Anyway, leaving that simple idea that will never be showed as this series ended 21 years ago, this episode is underrated, after so much drama and sadness, the Salingers needed and deserved true happiness. And that's why I felt touched by the final scene, is one of the happiest moments of the whole series.
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