Caught in the Act! (S1 EP 30 "Carpe Diem")

Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney Thorn Smith.

And Daphne Zuniga an iHeartRadio podcast. Hey guys, Hey everyone, hiy on ourselves together for this.

We have a very good recap episode this week.

Yeah, it's a good episode. It's funny because I'll lead us in the recap and I found some cool trivia right at the top.

Let's attributa tell us.

Well, okay, so this was directed This is episode thirty Carpe DM. It aired on April twenty eighth, nineteen ninety three, and it was directed by Richard Lang. And I knew that Richard Lang did. He did seventeen Melrose episode.

Yet he get us out by lunch very recurring.

Yes. Well, what I learned about him was that his father, Walter Lang, was very close friends with Clark Gable and Carol Lombard. And in fact they were our Richard Lang's godparents. Wow, And I mean I knew them on set. We're just like these you don't know in that era who you're working with.

Really, we couldn't we google anything?

You can't google? Yeah, and when is your time is running? In between sets? And I just said, god, here we could have sat down play a Gable you know dinners and family dinners and stuff.

But what cool old Hollywood insight.

I wish we'd had that, I know, I know, it's it's and especially that era where the people that we were working with in TV had had film careers. And then this Richard Lang's father, Walter Lang, was in the silent era. I mean, the guy was born in like eighteen ninety six, completely missed us. Yeah, they helped create this whole business, and we had them at the in the years when they were doing you know, directing and TV and stuff.

And we were in our years where we were too dumb to like we were starting. Yeah, we were just clue.

Yeah.

Yeah. So it's a really kind of cool crossover time era back then. And I mentioned that to my husband, who was like, none of your listeners are going to even know. None of your listeners are gonna who Clark Gable.

Was and will Yes they will.

What do you think we our kids won't, But our listeners do have a grown up audience. Yeah.

So anyway, kind of cool to bring us into this episode, which was a very cool episode, but it opens up with this wonderful, very melrosy uh montage of the Avenue, you know, nineteen ninety three. We start on Snakeskin cowboy boots. I'm sure you guys lit up.

I think those boots have walked the opening shots before, but.

I feel like they I think this is when we started bringing in original music. I noticed a couple of original songs, like when when artists wanted to be played on Melroe's place, I was like, that's really, that's a new song.

There's still there's still yeah, some some surprising music moments. But I also think that a lot of the the rights to the songs weren't available for this streaming version, So I have a feeling some songs had to be changed, like for the actual rights of those original now right. But they're trying to match the tone of it with interesting music that's like you know, stock and available.

Well, the music for the original Melrose was iconic, you know, especially the title music for sure, the theme song for sure, theme song for sure. But also it became a place where lots of bands and artists, what what would want their stuff, you know, like the Goo Goo Dolls or whoever they they would I think come on and be a part of the show. Not known for that, it's music so, yeah, we were cool. And it's corny shoulder pads, but those are the two things.

They were. They were like a costar. They a little separate billing it.

So as the camera comes in on Billy and Allison's apartment, and he's so excitedly cooking breakfast. I mean, he's just got the spring of this stuff. He's so excited.

Well, remind us what had happened the night before.

Well, the night before I believe she was standing in the doorway with a very oversized men's shirt with nothing underneath.

No pants. Alison's signature, look no pants.

It is Alison no pants previously maybe shoulder pads.

I'm not sure if he's seducing him at any rate. They end up kissing, and right after they kissed, Billy's like seeing stars and she's like, good night, Billy. He goes into her room.

So they kissed for the first time. But that's it. And so now this is the morning after last night.

This is the morning after, and as he's very excitedly making breakfast, Alison enters and I want to know, Courtney, if you had any comments on your beige skirt and jacket.

Said, this is a repeat. This jacket. All I'm screaming at the TV as I'm watching it. It's tailor it, tailor it. I just want things more fitted. Amanda walks around in these beautifully tailored things, and it looks like I'm borrowing things from a relative who's a completely different size.

Your's this sort of amazing. There was something about that era that that was like a style that was an acceptable style. Because I have photographs, like just personal photographs of how I was dressing around this time, and I had a huge oversized blazer for what reason. It was like this men's boxy thing, Like why did I? I'm a small person, why did I?

That's true. So I think there was a style that's the seventies. No, you're right, it was. It was the style. You shouldn't wear it on TV because everything looks bigger.

Anyway, Well, now we know, right, we learn, you know many years later in now now we know, but we probably still thought it was cool at the time when we when we saw it on TV.

But anyway I noticed about this is how sweetly shy they are. Like I really want them to just be they finally had their first kiss. I want them to be all over each other. But this entire scene, they're acting like an old married couple.

No Alison. Alison is putting the brakes on Alison like, You're like, we should talk about last night. We've talked enough. Well, we've been living together a year. That's slow. It's already, you know, ready to go. And he's like handing you breakfast and wanting to kiss you, and you're like, I.

Know she's reading is disinterested, which I'm not a fan of.

Well, it was likers. It struck me as like nervous and scared and a little bit like all of a sudden self conscious about it, Like, okay, it came. It became self conscious because before it was like she wanted to be spontaneous, and then all of a sudden, now that they've kissed and now that it's real thing, all of a sudden, she's panicking and sort of self conscious about it. And she's she's like, well, I hate you know. When she's putting on the break she's suggesting they go

Haven't even been on a So he's like, well, great, what are your plans tonight? I'm taking out to the most romantic night Basically he says. So he's like, whatever you want, let's just keep this thing going. It's so cute cut. So I feel like they're it's so interesting those two. They're always like stop and go, stop and go, you know what I mean, Like it gets going, and the breaks around they get going and the so but

Well, this is the second scene when he's shaving and rejecting her. I'm like, this is a theme. I'm not a fan of the theme.

Yes, right, oh, and I love our producer has put out that reels that said red flag. He's shaving on his day off.

Yeah, total red flag. And he's turning down his wife. And he's standing in only a towel in this scene, which I mean this is a little bit of foreshadowing. We'll get to that later. He's just wearing a towel in the well and turning down his beautiful wife.

And he's turning down this beautiful, sweet wife and they've only been married a couple of years. So he scoots her out of the bathroom now scoot, scoot, scoot, like shuts the door, and she's like, uh okay. So you start to see that she's unhappy, kind of like wheels maybe turning in her well.

Remember in the last episode he said he was at work all day and she found sand in his shoes. So she's got this playing in the back of her mind something.

Yeah, what's up with him? And is he always telling me the pieces together?

Isn't she? Yeah? I think she's a little flow. But then we are back at the rom com of the episode. Billy and Allison are each in their own closets to some of that great melose music. We were talking about throwing things out of the on the bed, like what should I wear? They're both like what should I wear? What do I wear? It's a date. It's an actual date with my roommate.

And they're literally across the hall from each other, and they're so across but both getting ready.

Alison like goes, oh, and she walks out and she knocks on his door. She goes, what are you wearing? What should I wear for tonight's date?

Like?

Is this fancy? Is this cash? And he's like, well, sexy, but demure, you know, he's very general and she's like, oh, you're a lot of help. And he says, well, I want to be surprised when I pick you up, and she goes.

It sort of spoils a mystery when you have to wait for a date to finish clipping his tonnails before you can put your makeup on, which is so true.

I think it's such as it's disgusting and funny, very roommating. The funny thing is that it goes on from there where she's saying, well, how do we get this suspense? You know, if I'm waiting for you to finish clipping your tons it is like, speaking of makeup, you might want to take it a little easy on the makeup because you know it contend to get heavy when you go out and I'm like, what what you yeah me to like have their first date.

It's a weird moment because they've turned a corner and so now they're just saying stuff, do you know to me? Like, well, now that we're gonna be together, like you know you by the way you wear too much makeup when you go out?

Yes, excuse me, there may just being a date. Yeah.

Yeah, it's not looking good. They're not handling any of this well.

So the cutest moment is when she goes, look, mister, and she walks right up to him, where are you taking me? And then he's like, to the park for jazz Fest And then she turns and she goes, oh perfect. So she goes, I'll grab some jeans out of the dryer, and as she leaves, he goes, Okay, I'm picking you up in fifteen minutes. He's gonna go outside and knock on the door of their apartment or has to knock on her bedroom door. I don't know, but it's hilarious.

Alison doesn't say anything, right, she has an opportunity and she doesn't take it.

Here she doesn't take it.

And the other thing that like, by now we've seen because Michael has gone to the hospital this day after he's finished shaving whatever, and we've already seen the audience has seen it, as is him arriving at the hospital and Kimberly greeting him in the parking lot and giving him a kiss. So by the time Jane and Alison see each other in the parking lot or I mean

Yeah.

So all of a sudden, now she's like, this is not good. I don't want to sneak around and this is not me and it's mad. So so when Jane and Alison see each other in the room after that, it's even more like, eh, that's right that Alison doesn't say something because we're you know, we're definitely seeing that this affair is on.

Yes, which leads us to this next scene where they're actually Alison and Billy are on their date, and it's really now weighing on Alison's She's so preoccupied with do I tell because I just went into Jane and you're right, I've seen them early. You know what. It's such a.

Cute scene, like they're sitting in this outside park, they've got a picnic and there's it really is sweet and romantic and I'm just screaming, shut up and kiss him like what we are Michael, woh, just stop it, Alison, And it's adorable.

Boy.

It's driving me because honestly, you guys know what it's like to be in a new relationship. All you want to do is make out. So the fact that she can't like it would be so far out of her mind. That's what's driving me crazy about this storyline. It's like they have kissed. It was great. It was a sweet kiss. We saw it. So I feel like in reality that would supersede all of this stuff. The fact that you or unless, as to Laura's point, she's picking fights because

Well it is.

She's so preoccupied with it. She just can't get it out of her mind, which seems crazy at this moment for her relationship. But she does admit to Billy that she couldn't bring herself to tell Jane in the lowndroom, like she's honest about it, like that's bugging her that she hasn't been able to, you know, come clean about it, and she feels really responsible for that.

Yeah. And then Billy says, it's almost like you don't want to move forward, and then she blames him and picks a fight and storms off.

Well, he says, it's because I don't think you want to sleep with me, meaning moving forward, and she's like, yes, thanks, you like took out the romance of this.

Whole whole life coucher out the romance, excuse me right?

Well first, and he also says, you know, hey, some some relationships can survive this kind of thing, and which sort of rubs Alison wrong too, like wait a minute, are him like is this are you defending him? And they end up in this bickering that ruins their date and they have to leave the park, like they just can't enjoy what was right in front of them.

This was a chance for them to get close and make out and feel like, you know, a date, and then it was thwarted and they go off. They end the scene fire.

Alison thwarts it, thwarts.

It, anything to prevent his tongue from entering her mouth. He's so happy, it's so cute, and you're just I know, well, so clearly not method acting there, right, and I think I have here. The next morning, Allison comes into Billy's room in her iconic blue bathrobe with the stars.

Yeah, because she wants to be sexy. So she picks a big, huge love like how many times did you walk into his room and a T shirt and underwear? And now it's like, but you don't have today. It really feels like she's trying to put distance. Maybe maybe that's it. I'm going to give myself credit and say that's what I was playing.

Well, you have to this character has I don't know how long they end up staying together, but they can grow into it. But yeah, I mean, yeah, if it were me and I turned on my remain we started something all the dolls would be gone from my shelf.

Exactly, the dolls. Remember Allison with Keith that episode, Like, clearly she has a libido. They barely talked in that episode. Every seat they were making out why is she hiding that from Billy anyway?

Sorry, well, I think also it's an example of story that you just like, Okay, that's what's in the script, and that's what I have to play it for the sake of story, right like, and.

I'm trying to.

They're trying to stretch it out, make it you need as long as possible.

Yeah, they needed to get the conflict with Jane and Michael, and this is that worked into like Alison not having told and so it had to become stories. So all of a sudden, you're playing something that's not necessarily you know, believable. Yeah, like organic or what you what you think like this other story points. So give your you know, give yourself a break.

And it does, like the audience was probably yelling at the TV. That is fun for the audience, right because you're just like they're so close to get on with it.

Yeah, like he said, not supposed to be realistic, and the writers know when they want you to you know, they know they're manipulating the writers just like us.

We're all doing already, dragging it out, and they're.

Going to tune in next week to see if they do it, and they're gonna turn the following week.

Yeah it's so true.

Okay, but the conversation the next morning after this date was thwarted at right, And then she comes out in her robe. The conversation in the kitchen is so fun.

In the bedroom in weldroom is.

It the bedroom?

Okay, we're oh yeah, yeah, yeah, And they're starting to compare what they were dreaming about.

That's so cute.

Oh my god.

Yeah, flowers opening.

And Alice those crashing waves.

I was doing that, waves crashing on the floor on the shore. And when Billy says flowers opening up, I'm like, you know, oh that must have been those things for Andrews, Like, I'm gonna say this.

But then you have Alison, who you know, has come into apologize and she's like, well, let's give it another try tonight. Let's stay in and have wine and pizza and maybe sex. Do the deed.

I can't possibly do it. Now, both of us dig my robot. That couldn't possibly happen.

Yeah, let's make a plan. Let's talk about it, and let's make a plan, and let's let's take all the sexiness out of the whole thing.

No, you know what, our sex life needs a plan.

Let's discuss it.

Well, but he's like, okay, take two.

But they agree that it will be no talk of the neighbors this time. No talking about the neighbors.

Because I won't talk about the neighborhood.

College. Okay, good plan.

We're at the beach with a big bed of lingerie models, uh, posing and lounging on the side.

Like did they have to like, did they have to fill a beach day?

A four poster bed, four.

Poster wooden bed and a and a bedside table.

By dresser and two bedside tables, an entire bedroom set, the entire front on the sand.

Yeah. I remember we did shoot this in Santa Monica, right, I think near the pier. But no one questioned it. I don't remember anyone going like is this a weird setup? It was just ninety three like, lingerie models on a four post bed on the beach.

It was just another Tuesday.

It's just a catalog shot. What's the issue? Whatever? There maybe, you know, I think it was like a Victoria's Secret type of thing or something. And we have one of the lead the lead model is Karen, who's played by Vanessa Angel, and she and Joe are doing this banter and I washed this a couple of time, and I'm like, ah, there's all of this sort of like double on tandras teasing like with between the two women. You know. But

I guess yeah, yeah.

I didn't do a ton of research. I just did what I I.

Bought a photo shoots. They want you feel good about yourself. There was crazy on music. Yeah you're saying beautiful, beautiful, great, yeah, great, arch your back. I was like, yeah, I've heard all those yeah.

Arch your back. That was yeah, archier back.

Yeah.

So that's what I'm saying, really.

Should say to Alison to get things moving.

You're beautiful, drop that robe off your shoulder, arch your back. I think, shut your mouth, arch your back.

She's like, wait, what art your back? Alison? Stop talking I'm listening to you. You're you're saying very important things just hurt you back. But Vanessa, my model, goes yes, ma'am. It works for her. So she's like, you should go out with us tonight. So we're setting up that Joe's going to hang out with these models in the whole like fashion world gang that night, and uh yeah. So the very last thing is, hey, we're not done here, get back on that bed, and Karen says yes, ma'am.

Ye, and they're still going to have this conversation. Yeah.

Does this where he has the plan to want you to beat me at my anniversary dinner?

Yeah, the pagrio it's.

Just anyway, Yeah, I had this anniversary dinner. I had this plan, you know, wait for this certain time. They plan a time and then I want you to beat me and then I'm gonna have to come into the hospital because I'm on call, and you know, and she's like, I feel so guilty though you're at your dinner and he's like, don't feel guilty. We're just being true to our feelings. Yeah.

Yeah, she totally afflicted, like she's cold at first and she feels conflicted, but then in the end she'll like in this one, she said, all I've been thinking about is you anniversary or not? Or He says that. He says, all I've been thinking about is you anniversary or not? And then that sort of opens the door for her again.

So yeah, he's he's so fine with it, like like literally interrupting its anniversary dinner to go spend the evening with her. And he says, there's nobody I'd rather spend the night with than you. And just for people who don't understand what beeping is, right, pagers, we wore these little things that like you call the number and it would it vibrates her beeps and that's your te so you have to return the call to that phone number or whatever, so you're getting beeped.

It's high tack by you had to at the time A yep, we're a pager pager. Then we cut to Alison and Amanda are arguing. Surprise, surprise, were d and d Ad. They're arguing in the open workspace, and Lucy walks up and says to Alison, I want you to come into my office, and then she tells her, look, you cannot keep arguing with Amanda in the workspace. You're coming to our work retreat and we're leaving tonight, which I.

Thought was such an Alison starts to say in grand Alice in faction, but I have a day, and then thank god, she catches herself. I was like, could you please shut.

Off your She goes so far as to almost say and then.

Wait, oh my god, but Lucy. It's only because Lucy gives her this look like are you really wanting to finish the sentence?

Dumb?

After Lucy, do you know do you remember how many times I had your back and you actually still have a job. And then she goes, oh, yeah, no, tonight's perfect. I'm fine. I can go out to Palm Springs and start this work retreat, which she didn't know about a second earlier. So so yes, So she agrees, you're going to come out to this workspace, this work retreat, and this is we're going to work on conflict in the workspace.

Wow, are they super admiring of him. Well played Joe, which is.

Very good coming from these very these beautiful models. So he's got his arm around Joe and he's like, hey, you have to come out with us tonight, and he's like, well, I can't go. And he's like, Joe, you've been smoking.

Because he has a very realistic bike repair emergency. Yeah, because there was an emergency bike repair that came in, So I can't that couldn't women beautiful women, because you know how that happens. It's the same thing as being beeped as a doctor, except that it's a motorcycle that needs an emergency repair.

Why do I know that Grant totally had this script and went up to the rise of guard. Are you an idiot? Why would I not go out with these people models? You know? How do I say this with the straight face?

Although I thought he did a good job in this scene playing the part where he's supposed to be a little bit wary of this sort of dynamic with these models, who I am around them? Yeah, like that that seems a little bit suspect about, like is this a good idea? So I thought he did a good job playing that note in this.

Scene that he did, And I think, you know, he was sort of annoyed, Like I think he was like he didn't want to hang out with Joe with those people because he didn't like who Joe was with.

Yeah, well he didn't like what he saw necessarily.

Yeah right, And She's like me, are you saying it wasn't an emergency bike repair.

Laura, I'm not going to go that far. I think still an emergency bike repair is a very realistic thing on the place.

And I and Jay was different. You can tell that she's acting differently besides the smoking. She's all, you know, she's like, we're going to this place called the black Hole with heavy metal and singles.

And made along heavy metal. That was funny.

So Jake was like, Okay, I'm not going. Doesn't sound appealing to him. But he's a supportive of her going out with the girls, but he's a little bit like

You don't need permission, And Jake and Joe don't live together. In fact, he even says, hey, you if it's not too late, swing by my place when you get home, if it's not too late, right right, Yeah, they have a very.

Healthy you know, I mean comparatively speaking to the other folks and not building they have a very healthy relationship.

I yeah, granted it's a very low bar.

Yeah, so very low bar. Yeah, so far. So we leave the shooters and we are at the anniversary dinner that we've been hearing so much about. They are there and enjoying champagne, and we hear that appropriate music and you're just wishing as you're watching this, going, oh, I just wish this would last, you know, like, can we just cut the lines that are coming and have the two of them enjoy their anniversary dinner?

But no, Well, especially because Jane is so vulnerable and she's saying, you know, she feels down because she misses him, and we're just like, oh, yeah, yeah.

And it's weird.

It's like she's trying to get him to admit something and she's not coming out and saying I feel like something might be going on. She's still just she's really just saying I feel lonely, and he doesn't take any.

Suspect at this point. To be honest, I.

Feel like she has questioned, like, why, you know, why is he not at work when he says he's going to be at work there's enough for her to feel like insecure and questioning, but he is so confident and good at lying. He just doesn't even blink about anybody. He's like, oh no, honey, I love you, and like all the stuff. He's so good at faking.

Well, she says, she said, you know, I feel like the hospital seems to be taking you away from us, and he's like, well, that's the price I pay, sweetie. So it's like, this is what you signed up for. I can't help it type of thing. Yeah, he's a Primo Master gaslight, which we will see later. This is just his go too for sure. But they're there and then the guy comes up for dessert, and you know, she's like, no, I just want coffee. He's like, for

The table to go return the call. I'm really sorry. And he gets up and walks out.

She's like check please, yeah, very sad, yeah, very divorce, divorce already. We don't even need to see anymore as far as I'm concerned. Done. So we move off of her. She's upset and sad, and then we come to Allison is leaving the apartment and Billy's being such a sport about it, you know, and she's like, I'm so sorry, We're not We're not going to have our pizza date.

And this is one of this comes out in her voluminous pleated pants, which are a favorite of mine.

We know you're not a fan of coster ball.

The luminous pants and the huge jacket, it looks like I'm trying to hide a pregnancy. What is happening?

It was the style.

Oh I don't know, you're like, I mean, if you had walked out in a tight black dress, that would have been like such a bomber for him. So hi bye, I'm leaving everyone else going to see anyway.

I just such a sport.

He's like, well, we've waited this long. We can wait a little bit longer. So he leaves to go to this retreat.

Well, but then there's this little like kiss on the forehead. I'm like, yeah, where is the kiss? That's like the promise of things to come right all of a sudden, they really seem like cousins.

It's the weirdest thing to kissing and not even kissing cousins.

Yeah, cousins like a kiss on the like.

They really don't know how to transition from Jess being I was gonna go, well, then don't kiss, then don't kiss at all.

The kiss on the forehead is so chaste.

But Alison leaves and then she bumps into Jane in the courtyard. In the courtyard who Jane's coming home from her aborted anniversary dinner very down. It's at night, it's after the dinner, and it's at night, and and you know, she's so bummed, but she's again sort of making excuses about it. Oh well, you know, it just hurts, that's all. And then Alison finally says, Jane, I have to tell you something.

And she decides she's racing off to a business dinner. It's like talking about just hit and run. She tells her. Jane has the horrible reaction we all dread, horrible immediately turns. Then Alison goes, listen, I got it. Run here's the hotel where I've say, what weird?

I don't know? It made sense to me though that She's like, I have to get I can't not, I can't hold this any longer.

I have to tell you makes sense.

This is awful, Like I need to tell you this. But Jane is so immediately doubting the truth of what Allison's saying. She's like, that can possibly be true. I'm sure you must have misunderstood. You don't know what you were seeing. She completely thinks everything that Allison is saying is total crap, and she's angry.

She says, exactly what that's crap? Basically, you are lying, not even like, are you sure?

Exactly what her own doubts.

In her head. With having the sand having come out of the sneaker last episode, she still is like, I was shocked. I was surprised at how vehemently she pushed back and attacked.

Alice absolutely didn't want to believe it or here, even though she's been like sort of kind of I think, questioning it and doubting it herself, like when she actually heard it, she immediately lashed out at Alison and I think.

That's what it is, Laura. When she actually heard it, like heard her fears voiced, it was too scary to process because I thought Josie did a great job of like that shift of just immediately getting defensive and putting it on Alison because she couldn't take it in even though she's having her own doubts, she couldn't take it in.

Yeah.

So now we are in this is a funny scene. We are in the hotel in the desert at the work retreat, and now Alison and Amanda have to be roommates, which is hilarious, and they're, you know, Amanda's like, I can't believe it. You know, I was supposed to get my own room, and they have this wonderful banter. You know, Amanda's taken out all her clothes and Alice's like, oh my god, where are you gonna wear all that? Aren't they there's you know, and she's like, Amanda has some

Do you remember those articles at the time that were in every fashion magazine, like how to make this work three different ways? That's that reminded me of I still do that, but he's been every magazine. And then and then Amanda puts her stuff away and she says to Allison, feel free to borrow anything you can squeeze into. Yeah, and feel free to borrow my voluminous pantaloons.

But that's shouldn't feel free to borrow these if you want to.

You can make two dresses out of my pants.

Do you want to try my boxy jacket?

I have some shoulder pads for you on a retreat in Palm Springs.

But it's also like just after they decided, you know what this this cat for? This like fighting, and we sound like a couple of high school girls that we just need to figure out a way to get along. Okay, can we just agree to bury the hatchet? And they agree, and then is Amanda's lying, feel free to borrow anything you can squeeze into.

So much so much. Yeah, but they agree to kind of get along for this weekend. At least they're gonna try, right anyway, She leaves as she throws out one liner at you and then is like thanks, you know like she's she knows she got one in on her and this is not going to bury any hatchet anyway. Michael comes home close to just before six am, and Jane has been awake. She's sitting in her bed with you know, tea or coffee and she's just awing herself waiting up.

And he gives her this icky kiss. I didn't kiss on her cheek? Did you notice that? Yes?

And I'm like, we know where your mouth has just been you discussed.

Yes, horrible, And he's totally fine being that guy.

He's totally fine.

Yes.

And this is a scene where he becomes a master gas lighter like the actual movie where a gaslight, that black and white movie, where he just makes her think like she's crazy.

Yeah yeah, because she says, I miss you. You seem to have been in call awful lot and I really miss you. And she comes right out and asks him, says, are you having an affair?

And then he.

Laughs and he goes, what we're coming from, of course? Not what would make you say that, yeah.

Yeah.

Immediately you turn it around and you make them feel ridiculed and like they're idiots, and that's what he's doing. He goes, what made you say this? So? I think that's where Jane says, you know, well Alison told.

Me, yeah exactly. She gives the examples that, well, I called the hospital, you were supposed to be there and you weren't, and also the sand in your shoes, and he laughs at that, like, oh that's.

Nothing, so kill me, so assume me.

So I've spent my lunch at the beach, sorry, you know. And then that's when she starts to say that Alison, you know, told her something that she saw and and he finishes her sentence like blows her off and complete the gas light, like you're saying.

And then goes to blame it on another person, which would be Allison. She's like, well, why would she lie to me? And he says, will you remember that I her thing with that married man. Well, now she wants to hurt you by breaking us up because she's telling you I'm having an affair. He just deflects and blames and she's so confused. You just watch her go, oh, who do I believe and he goes, honey, you believe me, don't you?

And he comes up and.

He'll see being so sweet, and of.

Course she wants to believe him so much. Of course she does.

So then she takes him his head. He puts his head down vulnerably right like I'm just a little boy, don't you believe me, nuzzles his head into her neck, so her arms go around his head as a tear falls down her face, and you're just like, so not only that gas lighting, then he becomes this vulnerable, wounded animal and she's supposed to now take care of him, and I just just drove me crazy. But he's the writers are very good.

And Michaels yeah, but he definitely painted a picture that Alison is just gossiping and she completely made this story up, and there's just that's it's how horrible of her to be such a bad friend. And so he just completely wrote a different story for Jane and and made Alison the bad guy.

Back of the retreat, Lucy's talking to everyone. The boss of everyone. Lucy of course says we're gonna do some role playing. So this is one of the exercises.

And so here in your heart, like of everything you've ever been to like this and said we're going to break into small groups. Didn't your heart just sink?

Well?

And role playing that moment, no playing of all things, not like trust exercises or something.

But but immediately Amanda's reaction is like I'm going out for a coffee or something. She goes to leave and Alison's like, what do you mean? I think we should play this? And Amanda's walking out to avoid the whole thing, and Alison follows her and starts role playing. She's her acting, saying things, yeah, Alison, this work is horrible. It's so slipshot. You put no work and effort into it. And then

It was just this yeah, I mean for role playing moment. She was also like I am not that bad. I'm not that hard on you, and Allison's like, oh, yes, you are and and you know whatever they're they're trying to be.

And then Amanda gets vulnerable and says, well, look what happened, Like I asked you if I could date Billy. You said yes, And just when I start to get attached to him, we start having a relationship, you come back and I, you know, i'd never Maybe it's my own point of view, I should ask you, guys, because you're a little more objective. I never really bought that it was a real relationship, but maybe it was. Did you feel like Amanda cared about Billy and was really hurt

But again, I think I think that's a fair question, and I think that this episode, to Heather's credit, like I think she really sold that part of the story that like we believe it, like oh, she really did have feeling or I believe it here, like even if it seemed like a fleeting moment at the time, like oh, it's just a blip and it's over so far. She actually is saying, listen, look at it. From my point of view, I don't trust you, and you're so competitive with me.

So excuse me, but I don't trust you at all. Yeah, and I think you're right Courtney, like this is the first time, and listen, this happens in episodes like maybe that maybe the writers didn't do that relationship justice right, like we it did seem sort of like about a chair and they just didn't get on. There was humor in it and it was short. It was just sure seeing the the heart that Amanda really felt about it, and I love this. I love that side of her.

We well, they're not really kicking the soccer ball because Jake is walking in his jeans and Andrew's knees, head, neck.

Like, yeah, he's juggling.

It's like Jake brought his son to the park to.

Play with a soccer ball.

Yeah. It's a houlnerable, right, because it's a true skill Andrew has. But I thought they wanted to like work in the soccer.

I love when they worked it in because they're taking advantage of something that Andrew can do and not not anybody else on the show.

And it's like played professional soccer.

Yeah, and it also gives us the impression that like Billy can't sit still, like he has to be like, you know, bouncing around.

Which he's very much like.

Yeah, It's very good for his character and funny because Jake is like, you haven't slept together, and it maybe remember the beginning of Jake and Joe and you guys were all over each other, which is what I want for Billy and Allison.

So Jake is like, what do.

You just kiss?

Like?

You idiot?

What are you? What are you waiting for?

Is He's saying, you're gonna miss the window, right and you guys are going to go right back into being friends. And I'm so glad somebody is saying that to one of them.

Yeah, don't don't make such plans.

We had second plans for tonight. And he's like, well, what happened while she's out of a retreat in the desert? And I think Jake is like, well, go get her. Yeah. I don't want to think about too much because then we'll both get scared. So he's like, well, can I borrow your motorcycle? Absolutely not, I'll give you a until I'll give you a used one from the shot. Yeah. And then we're into Alison apologizing to Amanda, which was

Yeah.

It was a sweet moment. It felt like there could be real progress in their friendship for a minute.

For a second.

So that friends is about to end because Billy comes into the lobby. Nobody sees him yet, but he's like, oh, you know, I need to talk to Alison.

They're in this retreat, but he's wearing his biker gear because he's taken this motorcycle to the retreat, so he's wearing biker gear when he comes up to the counter.

Yeah, and he puts his helmet down and says, well, can I get a note in there? He writes this note and he says, can you please someone please take this into there since she can't come out.

Take it into beautiful blonde?

A beautiful blonde?

Wrong?

Yep, we know exactly, but there's got to be other extras that were beautiful blonde.

I'm sure it's California. There's only two, yeah, Amanda.

And Allison, so, of course, so much for their friendship. Amanda of course intercepts the note and.

Because the valet guy picks the wrong beautiful blonde, are you Alison Parker?

No, but I can take this to her. Then reads the note and it says an excellent handwriting. I might add that Billy has Oh my god, I couldn't wait. I'm in the lobby Billy, And so she goes out to the bill. She goes out to find Billy and says that you can't see her. Lucy's not letting her go. She's on probation. She lies, That's why I'm totally lying. That's why I'm going to make you.

Think of Animal House and super Secret Probation, Super secret probation to make you think of that, that's what I thought of.

I love it, I will now, but I didn't.

And then yeah, so so that's that. She makes sure that Billie can't see Alison.

Yeah, but Lizon says that it was that. Allison says she's too busy, like it's.

All a lie. Yeah, and just literally thirty seconds before she's saying, yeah, let's be friends, like this honest moment. So these people just can't be friends no matter what. No one can keep up a let's bury the hatchet deal. And then we are at Jake's and Joe comes flying in the door. She's so excited about her night out with the model girls last night and all the fashion people, and.

She says, and at first I thought it was the night of the party because she seems sort of buzzed because she's so excited, and I realized it's the next night.

It's the next ning.

Know, did Joe go the entire day without checking in? She said come bye after the party, And I don't think Joe not only didn't come buy after the party, she didn't come buy until the next night. And excited energy.

Right like she's just now getting back from the whole.

You know, that's a lot of time to go between contact.

Yeah, well I'll tell you because I'll just tell you what happened to Joe. She got in at five am, and she just took her advil and Exceegrian PM and slept all and then wanted to get out refreshed and probably had brunch with the girls maybe, and then she finally came up to you.

She Yeah, Jaffe has a lot of confidence about how that might have gone exactly. I feel like that's a very familiar scenario.

There was some research in the eighties. I must say, I know exactly what Joe did.

I appreciate your Joe comes bounding in and goes and takes it. I think the last beer out of the fridge.

Is not oblivious that it's that thing with when you meet new people and you meet a whole vibe, and hers is going to possibly lead to a whole career in the fashion world, you know, So it's very exciting to her. It doesn't have to do with, like, you know, her boyfriend and the apartment and struggling and stuff. It's just very exciting for her, So she does she's not doesn't even notice that she takes the last beer, and she wants.

To tell Jake all about like this opportunity she has, like how she met this video editor who wants to hire her too. Now she's gonna have all these job opportunities. Is just so happy to share it with them, and and she notices that he's not very excited to be hearing about this, like whit, you don't look happy for me, and he's.

Like, oh, well, yeah no, And then he'll come he'll like better his response later because he'll realize that he could have been a little more excited for me. Yeah.

Well, Jake isn't though, because he doesn't like the people.

And this is where he tells her that, well, maybe.

They're not as sophisticated as the grease monkeys you love that.

Ye whoa, Maybe they're not as sophisticated and well rounded as the grease monkeys you were.

Yeah.

It turns into an argument that's like Joe is not very nice and her like retaliation.

Carry on in another episode because it's just sort of dropped and it does this carries on, Yeah, you.

Know again, we have this happy couple, but it's Melrose's place, so we're gonna i'd to start the scene happy and end it with the fight. That's what we do. Yeah, She's like no, and then she turns it into all of a sudden, you're just not happy for my success and you know, so screw you. I'm out. He's like whoa, whoa, whoa. No, I'm gone, and she just leaves like she does so

Well, but doesn't the scene end where she just has to tell the nurse to just leave a message for the hospital to cage Michael, and that's how they leave it.

Like, yeah, but she's got an address, Well, she hasn't gotten it.

They has not gotten the address. That's what's confusing because.

Because they say they can't give it to her.

Back at the hotel in Palm Springs and Alison and Amanda are laughing and having a good time, which is also and Hader told.

A story that I promise you she made up. She improvised, and then he threw up in the hot job.

Story. That's another improv.

That was Yeah, we have to to make nineteen ninety three.

Yeah, that was that was Yeah, that's amazing that you're right, I remember that improv.

But conveniently, Lucy comes to the table, is so happy to see them like laughing together, and she's like, I need throat lousages. Alison offers to go out to the parking lot to Lucy's car to get these throat lozenges for Lucy, which we all know where this is going to go, and sure enough, that's where she goes up to the parking lot and Billy is still in the parking lot getting ready to leave on the bike and.

Which luckily has broken down. One wonders if it's the emergency bike repair, maybe this was the bike previous need.

Well, what's interesting is that he's trying to do it with the kickstarter, but it's it's a he doesn't know that's a thing, so he's really just flooding the damn thing. But some bikes you start like that with your foot.

Yeah, Lauren and I totally caught that. Lauren and I both totally caught that. So that was.

So the valet guy Cod just comes and pushes the button. It's hilarious. It starts right away, but you're right, it's given us time to have Alison walk up and go, Billy, what are you doing here? What? She's happy? Which I was so happy that she was happy. Yeah, I'm leaving, and she's like, what do you mean what? Mess said, Well, you didn't want me here. I didn't even know you were here. Amanda. Oh that's right, Amanda. Amanda has always

And then they kiss and I put in my notes way too chastely because I'm.

Well again, they're still making a plan at this point, there's still in place. Yeah, they're at.

A hotel making a plan on a hotel. Yes, the plan is, I'm going to go get a room.

Here's a plan.

Now, when has there ever been an extra room if there's a corporate retreat going on, I don't know. But in this little apartment, in this little hotel, we got a.

Really nice room too. But first we have to find Jane walking through the hallway of Kimberly's apartment, which we have no idea how she got the address.

Well, I think the lady gave it to her, but whatever, your.

Yeah, she worked it out.

So she's walking down this hallway and she she's just got this. She's nervous, but she knows where she's going, and she knocks, and you hear from inside, Yeah, who is it? And she says Jane. And then they cut to inside and it's Kimberly making dinner or salad or something. And she doesn't have a reaction like oh shit, you.

Know, she sort of calmly answers the door, like, oh, hey, hey.

Jane, what can I do for you? She's so calm, She's like she and Michael are made from the same cloth. She's like, oh, what can I do for you? She's like, well, is my husband here? No, of course not. Well he's supposed to be on break and he's not at the hospital, and oh, maybe it's that crappy coffee shop near the hospital that we all have to go to. And right then we hear and see Michael walk in behind her.

Hey owl, only a towel, Yeah, and a towel for the second time this episode.

Yeah, and.

He just stops in his tracks and he sees Jane's face at the door, and everybody.

Just is busted and we're finally thrilled.

Finally Jane says, thank you, That's all I needed to know. But didn't you wonder like, can we talk about casual kimberlewis she could have said, Michael, it's Jane, stay hidden. I wonder the sort of Mockia Elliott. Or she could have come out of the hallway the door, because then they'd be found out. I think that maybe she meant to Kimberly meant that, No, I do, I think so. How could she not say Michael, Jane's It's not like there's an and she opens it. She knows it's Jane,

Yeah, I don't know why.

She she wants to be found out so she can have Michael because that blows up their marriage.

Well, it's definitely blowing up here, definitely blowing up. Jane leaves and he runs out after her in his towel, trying to keep it on as he's running, like we Michael or wait, Jane, Oh.

It's just so, And Kimberly looks very annoyed that he ran after her. That was not in her master plan.

But back at the hotel, where Brian Ellison's plan is finally coming to fruition.

With beautifully romantic the plan to make another plan let's discuss this further romantic pink Rose on the bed, But they.

Do discuss it a little further because Alison says, can I tell you something that's like, oh, for the love of God, can you shut?

Yeah?

Oh she did? What did she say?

She says, I'm nervous, which is very sweet. And then he says she says, he said, I'm excited. That was adorable, and.

Then he puts her purse on a chair.

He still has to like take her purse off of herst like it's okay, like enter this room and let's it's very.

Slow, very yeah.

This is where I did think, because maybe this is, you know, being against Joe and Jake. We're so hot and sexy. Maybe the point is that this is sweet because it was so sweet and slow. And did you notice the music take me to an everlasting love? And I assume loaur it was the time but maybe right there, but it was so like endless lovey.

The long well, it's maybe the longest love scene montage we will ever see in the history of long of Melrose. Because I thought it was really long. I thought it was lovely still long to me.

I thought it was perfect length.

I thought it was, guys.

It was endless.

It wasn't even you guys making out. It was like close up on the shoes, coming up, close up on this and we all know what love wanted to make it lest right, very like stop and go, and they want all these other shots and it's not as like this smooth, ongoing lovely thing that's fun to do. It's very stop and go.

Yeah, it was the pieces of the clothing coming off, and then some more kissing and then another article of clothing and we're kissing. I thought it was lovely and like they made a really and that it was.

And then at the end were lying on the bed and Andrew comes down on top of me and then I was like, oh, I stroked his back for America, like I always.

Say, that was so nice.

That was nice of you.

It really was sweet. Yeah, you're welcome, very nice.

Finally you made us like wait for it, but fine.

Really I really made you wait for it. But I thought it was really sweet, like you felt like it was a real love scene, Like, yeah, it was.

Very much a love scene. No, they put a lot of time and money into it, obviously, because the longer it is, the more of that shooting day. It took and it was important to those.

Yeah, it was sweeter that the kiss was really sweet, like I thought. I thought. I didn't say it'd been a good payoff with the audience.

Yeah for sure. I mean it would be such a drag for a short little and then pan out. Yeah, out of off for all of this that would have been the kids on the forehead and then fade to the audience waited.

Thirty episodes for this, Yeah, like thirty episodes.

Let's make a real.

You know exactly it was and I did.

I don't think I said this at the top, but this was written by Frank South and Darren Starr. Those are the guys that wrote this particular episode. So, and this was a big This is the main couple, you know what I mean that they lived together, Billy and Allison. Well they ever get together, and this is the episode where they finally do. We'll see how long it lasts, we see how we'll see how it goes. But this

Yeah, lots of juicy stuff in this one.

That's really fun, very satisfying ending to this episode yeah.

It just ends and story begins.

I love how one story is like building and beautiful and people yay, and the other one that's the demise of whatever they had, their marriage, their relationship. It's just ends so sickly, sickeningly where she just says, that's all I need to know. There was a great close up I thought there was a great close up of Michael there where you just see James. She's so open and Voldemore like, oh my god, and then you just see

And only two more episodes left in this season of season one of Melroe's Place.

Amazing, So we're gonna have a couple more episodes and also we have some cool guests coming up.

Two more we do, Yeah, we do.

All right, ladies, thank you.

We'll see you on the next one.

I know. We'll see you for Milrah's Minute and again next week.

For the weekend.

All right, Bye guy, by guys, Bye bye, super happy to peek.

Okay, hold on