Drama is Coming ("Picture Imperfect" S1 EP 21)

Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney Thorne Smith.

And Daphne's Aniga an iHeartRadio podcast. So thanks for joining us. Everyone. We're just discussing all the ins and outs and tech of doing this podcast for the actors and how Lucy, Laura's daughter, came on our press day and was like whoo boom and like reels and stories and editinging and music. It was amazing on her.

She can do all the things. And we're you know, we're just figuring out as we go.

I get my pencil.

I mean, I've been asking Jack since he was eight years old, how do I just handed my phone? Because you know, when we were growing up, if you hit the wrong button, everything went away. Yeah, right, like these kids asked you, do you want to get rid of it? Do you want to get rid of it? We didn't have that. Do you remember hitting the wrong button and everything you were writing was gone?

It was scary here. It was scary still is in certain ways. I think we just it's just.

Well, we've just figured out zoom.

Although I'm realizing I need to keep my hands in my lap because I still haven't turned off that setting that makes me give you like fireworks and greens by accident. So I'm just going to be here with the hands of my lap today for this recap. Daphane's got our recap. She's given us a rundown us. Heather Locklear's first appearance in this episode we're recapping today.

Yeah. This is episode twenty one, season one, twenty.

One where Amanda Woodward appears.

It aired on January thirteenth, nineteen ninety three, and I you know, we're having such a blast watching this. I just want to encourage our listeners watch every single episode on Paramount Plus and if you just want to watch that and then listen to these comments. It's really fun for us, isn't it.

It's a blast to watch the episode though.

It's fun, and this is a great time to join in because the episodes are starting to pick up and it's sort of becoming what Melro's Place became.

Let's good, right, can't wait?

You guys, thank you so picture imperfect. This is episodewe one I'm trying to look here, directed by Nancy Malone. So for those of you remember Nancy, she was a child actress and a great director for us that came on and did a few of.

These, and she kept everybody moving.

I know we'll get to usy go by ses, but did you notice that, like sometimes it's just two people sitting in a chair talking, there was movement in every scene.

We had props doing things we didn't normally do.

Oh so yeah, we were really encouraged to do that. A lot of shows this, you know, our dramas just kind of like really rely on the close up, the close ups and over the shoulders and so you're acting with kind of like your face. But she was very used to I think you're right. I noticed that, you know, encouraged like body movement and wider shots and things like that, which was.

Yeah, use the room, cause the set.

And on that note, we started D and D advertising and we are walking, Lucy and Allison are walking.

Did you notice I'm sorry to interject so quickly, but I like there was a voice, a male voice over it as we're coming into D and D and it says, D and D may I help you?

And I was like, NW, why Alison at the receptionist desk? And then we come into.

This scene and we figure out why she's pulled her off the desk. So Lucy walks into office and Allison says, is something wrong and Lucy says, nope, take a seat, and she says that she had to let somebody go. Toby callup. Allison's getting kind of worried, like, am I next? And she says, I recommended you for the job assistant account executive, which is a bit of a promotion. I guess, well, yes, anything is from receptionist, right definitely. Lucy says, yeah, there's

You squeel when she said Amanda Woodward, I was.

Like, huh. I wasn't shocked because this is the most casual entrance I think's.

Apparently already been at the company, right. We just haven't met her yet, but she just in back office.

We didn't notice her. So it's like the most low key entrance we've ever seen.

But Alison's like, yeah, I know who she is. All right, yeah whatever here she comes.

Whatever weird. So she goes, I'll you know, Amanda, will you come in, Amanda will fill you in on the rest of the details. And Alison looks at Lucy, telling Lucy that she's floored, and Allison says, I don't know what to say, and Lucy says, don't let me down, that's all.

But did you notice Like when when when I came into the scene, I thought, God, that's kind of a weird out. For like, I had this big white sweater belted of her white skirt and it seemed kind of frumpy and virginal. But then when Heather came in and I was like, oh, she's got on a power suit, right, I couldn't look more Midwest vulnerable And she comes in in this like lavender power suit. I was like, oh, with these big buttons, remember that, Like.

She they were setting that contrast.

They were setting that contrast because I thought Denise Wingetter crossed and we didn't do anything without thinking about it, and I was like, oh that's why.

Yeah, that was a great contrast.

So Amanda has come into the office. They've left Lucy's office, and our next scene is they're walking in to the offices where the general employees are and Alison is so excited and she says, oh, I get my own office and Amanda replies, yeah, it's more like your own veal fattening pen. And she shows here her cube and she's like, feel free to redecorate. I think she said. Alison go goes, have you met this Rex Welden, this tennis star that they're going to shoot for this campaign? And I've noticed

According to the R.

And do you remember, because I remembered that day I was watching that scene and being really nervous about Heather locked they were coming on.

She was a really big star.

And then I was looking at the first scenes and just remembering how funny and humble and warm and lovely she is.

Yes, how she immediately puts everybody at ease.

I just had that memory of, Oh, I remember her coming and looking insanely gorgeous as always, but just so down to earth and so lovely. And I had that memory of, oh, how she put everybody at ease. Yeah, her character joke, she's lovely to the crew.

I just had that memory of having her there the first day and how wonderful it was.

Yeah, her character gets like more sort of powerful and bossy as as it grows.

And as it goes on, but here her entrance, she's just she.

Is so lovely and her smile just lights up her face and she just comes off with so kind and warm and appealing.

Yeah, it was fun to remember that day.

Yeah, nice, I totally agree. So before Amanda leaves, she says she well, she's going to go look at some more portfolios, but she says, you know, we got to get on this thing. So she really introduces that there's a time crunch that that Alison has her first gig. It's like all this stuff, you're you're working now, you're working on something that's happening tomorrow. And we have a time crunch and here's Amanda and go and Alice's just like, well, I'll be right here, you know, sitting at her desk.

She loves it.

She loves it. So the next scene is that shooters and we have a really cool high shot looking down on the group. Yeah, were you thinking, I'm thinking, you know, Nancy's you know, creativity. She's like, okay, how do you get the message across At everyone's cheerings, they were all cheerings of your promotion, toasting your promotion. So Billy says, well,

It's just two hundred, right.

In any case, Billy's not going anywhere.

Yeah, Billy's not going anywhere.

So he says, well, I'm really proud of you. And then Michael comes over and pulls Billy aside and to go play pool. And then Joe comes in and takes his seat and is prepared to chat with you. But over at the pool table Michael and Billy, Michael asked, Billy, are you seeing anyone? And Michael says, I think I have someone to set you up with as he's playing pool, and Billy's like, well, who is she? Well, her name is Lydia Perkins and she's a nurse at the hospital.

Yeah? He wants to know more. Sweet maybe not be enough of a description.

I remember like blind, d you know you would always get a picture of somebody right, like then you were really blind, Like people didn't have a saywater, You couldn't say let me take a picture for your date.

You just said to believe the person you were talking to, or.

You couldn't just say what's her name again? And then look it up all ye, he's getting the name out of his mind. He so, you know, who does he look like? And he Michael says, oh, Cindy Crawford and he's like really and he's like, no, she looks like herself and she's great. And he goes, well, suspiciously, why can't you get a real date? And he sinks the ball and says, well why can't you? And he's like damn, and which is a good question. Why can't he?

Because well, because he's in love with Alison. Are you guys not watching the show?

He's trying everything to avoid the truth.

Yeah, yes, he can't yeh yes.

So we're back at the bar where Joe has come in and she's sitting there drinking her white wine and and moaning about unemployment. And Alison says, well, you know, I was hoping that the receptions job would lead to something, but you know, here it is, and you might want to show me some of your photography. I might want us because I could maybe help you. And she's like, really, that would be amazing. You know, people are afraid of trying something new. Everyone wants to do the same old thing.

I know, yeah, I think it's probably pretty hard to get to the punchline of this story, right. The punchline is that Joe's going to want to do something a little different, And how do you say that in this first part with just her photographs, Like this is how Joe is artistic and different, right, I mean I think.

That's great, Like they're emphasizing how great these are.

She's fantastic.

Well, and also they're desperate they need to hire a photographer immediately, and Alison has presented.

Them with their solution. Right, here's this woman.

She's available tomorrow and her photographs aren't true right there. It's not that they're like greater than ten other people that are options for tomorrow. It's like Joe is available tomorrow and her photography is great.

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah. And also it's an advertising D and D is for advertising so they're usually very basic, straightforward commercials that are showing a product period, good lighting, show the product, and you know, that's what they're used to, and these are kind of different, some of them more creative. So Amanda is going, wow, I love these. Who's her agent? And she's like, well, you know, she doesn't have one And Amanda's I thought that.

Was a good cover, Alison, she doesn't have one out here yet.

Ah, yeah, pretty good in the moment qualifying it, Yeah, uh huh.

He's an ally, She's very good, okay, And Amanda says, wow, this might be the lucky break that we need. So I'm going to show this stuff to Lucy. And then Amanda asked her do you want to come along? And she's like yes, And then we cut to Lucy walking down the hallway and looking at Joe's photos and she's like, wow, these are great. They're so dynamic. What do you think, Alison?

Did you see Alison is sort of like hurrying.

To keep up.

Did you notice the way you were walking?

Is like Lucy's walking very confidently striding down the hall and here comes Amanda. She's very confidently striding, but like Alison had this like little.

Scurry like she was hurrying to keep up.

It was very mud so creat So she but she's a good mentor. She's asking you, you know, what do you think? And Alison says, well, I think that we should give her a shot. And Amanda reminds Lucy that the clock is ticking, so boom, take her in my office this afternoon.

What could possibly go wrong?

This is gonna be great.

It's gonna be great. We are in the kitchen of a restaurant and Terrence and Ronda are there tasting pastries, and Ronda's like, oh, these are better than sex?

Can you think? Oh? Tell you, at least it is better than sex with you.

Well, then, Terrence, do you remember Terrence goes tastes it and goes almost like correcting her.

Yeah.

Well, but then Terrence says that Nancy is a gifted pastry chef and wants her to make the cake for the wedding. So I thought this right when I saw this. Do you remember the star celebrity chef of the nineties, Nancy. Nancy Silverton was huge. She gave us the restaurants of Campanilely and you know, most Son stuff. But she created Ray Bakery.

Which they made this character Nancy the chef carrecs Nancy, and I looked at it was an extra.

She didn't have a line or anything, but I looked and she looked like Nancy Silverton. And you know, Darren wrote this, and Darren's into all that stuff and food and stuff, so I thought that was almost a cameo. But it's a nod to yeah, yeah, yeah, to LA's like new celebrity chef, and and that Terrence can afford her and wants He's on the top of the pulse of everything, you know, making this a great wedding. So

He mocks her. He like laughs at that, like.

Guffaw, like yeah, yeah, no ways, little tremors are kind of like and here's another one. Rond is like, two hundred people, I wanted to have an intimate wedding.

Well, but last remember, I think episode before last, she's talking to Matt and saying that it was a hundred maybe we need one hundred and fifty. So then she was getting into the big wedding member.

Yeah, now it's two hundred. It's even more than last week.

And she's like, wait, we wait, and like, wait, my mom wanted to make the cake and yeah, yeah.

Even if her mom was making it for one hundred and fifty, that's also a lot of people.

So a lot.

Yeah, that's a lot of we're seeing there. There's a lot of different ideas, you know, and uh yeah, so you know, she's like, and then he comes back with, well, this is I want the wedding to be about us, ironically, not what our parents think it should be. And that's kind of like said with irony, I thought, because he's controlling anyway, She's like, okay, you're right. It gives him

Walking behind her like ducks, are you still in.

The back waddling along?

Well, Alison, keep up this new career. And he walks in and he introduces them to Rex Weldon, our hotty tennis star played by Mitchell Anderson, who did a lot of stuff and I recently saw him a year or two ago and one man played that he wrote and started.

Really he's I had this visceral reaction to him because he was such a nice man. Yeah, he came like, oh I remember him. I remember having really nice, long conversations with him. What a nice man.

Yeah, and very smart and a real artist, you know. And he was one of the people that Doug mentioned, do you remember that, Laura?

And he went on to do another show in the nineties called Party of Five, and yeah, he's done a ton of stuff.

So he's there. Lucy pulls Arnold, his boss basically aside and manager first clients. Yeah, we have a whole new we have a hot new photographer and we're you know, meeting them this afternoon and he's like, oh, what's the name Joe Reynolds, And Arnold's like, oh, I think I've heard of her.

That great line, just wanting to want to be I know everything.

I've heard of him for sure.

Totally. He's the suit basically, and Rex in the meantime is in the background if you notice, like totally hitting hard on Alison, Like no moment there, he's on it. They're talking and he's like, so you're the one scheduled to babysit to shoot tomorrow. Huh. And he says, I'm staying in this hotel in Century City and I'm just going to die of boredom if you please don't show me take me somewhere tonight. And she's like, I don't know, and he's like, come on, name the place, Alison, I'm yours.

To take him out, and so Shooters, it is this is.

Her La, her home.

When you're making someone out a cool person out to a night spot Shooters which.

Apparently the only bar in.

La Shooters, because everyone's going to be there.

You watched the only spot that Alison knows that this gang knows. It's so funny. He was thinking like clubs downtown and like this.

And that, and do you remember when the studio we got Shooters glasses love those Shooters. So recently, wow, so recently.

You gave them away.

I think my sister in law has some somebody wanted him. Yeah, they're cute, little drinking glass tumbler.

That was cute. So he's sitting there hitting on Alison and you know, ha, did someone so young and beautiful as her ended up end up as a high powered at EXAC? Oh I'm not high powered, she says. Rex tells Alison, well, you're the one who should be modeling the underwear. I mean this would not go today.

Very flirty, very flirty with Alison.

Yeah, and she's like oh. She keeps looking off and laughing at it off and he's like, well we could do it together, and very inappropriate, annoying stuff. And then she waves to the waitress and she puts the credit card down. Look how official she is.

She knows that the calling it is supposed to pay.

I'll get this. So and he's like, what are you doing. It's only seven thirty. Come on, let me take you out to dinner. The guy's relentless.

And I got to say today, at this point in my life, I'd like to be in my pajamas by seven thirty. So I'm with Alison, I'm like, why am I still dressed?

What is happening. Why am I in real pain?

Well, she was time to call it a night with this guy, like, let's call this when at seven thirty.

But Courtney's I feel you at court It's like, anybody, I'm glad I got that done when I was younger in the eighties exactly, nothing happening now. He's like, it's only seven thirty, and she's like, but you know, I want to keep this professional, which is what Amanda advised. He puts his hand on her and says, well, this doesn't look like the office. I mean, this guy is. It's so funny. It's always like the really nice actor

That's what I was talking about, like Nancy Malone, like we're not just sitting at a table, like I'm laying on the couch talking to the ceiling. He's moving around the apartment. It really is so well directed.

Yeah, interesting staging and tells the story really well.

I love kind of you sort of paralleled like you're at your therapist's office. I thought, like, you're all that's good daring off and and of course Billy is your your therapist. We've we've established the past. And you know, you're going on and on not about what a jerky was, but how you didn't go out. You're like complaining, like why did I go out with him? Any woman would go out with Rex Weldon? And he's getting ready and she doesn't notice she's going on and on, and he's like, oh,

Oh, I didn't see coquettish. You didn't I saw, audience member, I was like, shut up and kiss him. But I think that as the character.

She just she's so close.

She's like, let me straighten your tie. How fun on your date?

Plus, like he said to her in this scene that you know, she says, why am I so right?

Just le principled, and Billy says, well, some of that some of us like that about you, which is so sweet, like oh sweet actually saying I like these qualities about you. And then she's also returning it. When he's going out on a date. She's like, go have fun, and she's like they're supporting each other and they're like you know, Safey, yeah, Like he's he's choosing to go on a date and

Exactly. They're just being so.

Good to each other and the audience is going, just look at.

Each other and see the love of God right there in front of you.

But you know what I thought she heard last line. I thought was kind of minimized what he was doing because she's jealous, because she's also in love with him, but won't admit it.

She'll tell me I play, I remember this exactly thirty years ago, and I remember, No, I don't.

But I didn't.

I don't.

I had that complicated a thought at the well, the line I love that you're putting that in there. That's good, thank you.

Well the line was that you say to Billy is look at you Billy's great adventure? Do you remember that?

Yes?

And he's like And to me, it just felt like kind of Billy's great adventure, like that kind of like minimize it, does it in a way that she can handle it. I don't know. I just felt like it was a little and minimizing.

Oh that's funny. I didn't read it that way. And I thought she was saying, like, go for it, because I didn't.

Yeah, right, I didn't go for it. With Rex Wolden's great name, by the way, I didn't go.

For it, but you should go for it.

Yeah she did. And then she said that other one. But at any rate, I'm very sensitive to these things. So cut to exterior of a big high rise apartment and then we cut into the apartment hallway and he's looking for a door and then he knocks. Then Lydia opens the door and waves him into her apartment.

And we're supposed to think something, but you know, it's like this this moment they freeze on him, and I think, I don't know what the moment is.

Well, I think he was like drammatically one way or another.

I think it was like this blind the blind element right the door reveals what he's been waiting to seize. What does she look like? Does she look like.

Cindy Crawford, whatever, And it's like what is he expecting? And he sort of takes this moment to assess her. She's cute and maybe just not what he was expecting or whatever. But I think that that seemed to be

Yeah, I think that, but I think they did make a definite decision because they put her on pearls. She has short, curly hair with pearls and a lace collar. And he was promised, even jokingly Cindy Crawford. So they went totally opposite on per like you're supposed to. Yeah, like you said, she's cute, but not Melrose plays high, you know what I mean.

And it's his expectation, right, he doesn't know what it's like what We don't know what he was expecting either, because he's just entering something blind and so the door opening is the reveal.

So like they just had this moment of like, this is who you're dating tonight, you know.

Yeah, that whole blind date thing. Yeah, and the next scene is really cute. I thought it was one of those like a Nancy Malone it was. It was to me. It seemed like a real comedy, a lot of physical comedy in it. You see, we're in our Japanese restaurant.

Watching it, yeah, yes, I don't do it.

I watched it.

And you notice she had chopsticks and she was you had one any chance she was stabbing her food. It was really cute, completely cool, really funny, really cute.

Yeah. I thought it was really great, Like I could just the banter. It was just a really great scene. And they are they played it so well, do me not miserable, Like it didn't bring you down, like so uncomfortable. But it was uncomfortable but funny at the same time.

Because they're not matching and he's you know, she's quirky, and she's you know, just sort of funny, and the funny physicality of the scene of the awkwardnesses, I.

Mean, and then they try it, but they're trying, right then they're acknowledging that they're trying, like he's like, you know, well, what else do you like to do? And then suddenly and she's poking her food like you said, But then she like can't even lift the damn thing. But then two drinks come in, big fruity drinks right in front of their faces, and they're like, oh okay, and they toast that and say to blind dates, and Billy just looks off camera.

He's like, okay, is this gonna be over? Yeah?

So maybe in Malro's minute, we'll talk about if anyone had any bad blind days. Blind dates worked out.

Well for me, since that's so much to cover, But we don't have time.

If you're writing, we don't have time right now. We don't have to talk right now.

The next day, in Allison and Billy's apartment, Allison is there and then Billy walks in and she's really nervous. She's like, oh my god, I keep having these nightmares. It's about this photo shoot. It's going wrong.

Allison is completely worked up.

I was just like, this is where you had a couple of scenes like this. I go, I wish I'd knew enough to find some layers. Like just from beginning to end of this scene, it was like everything he says upsets me, like one to ten, I'm at a ninth the entire scene.

I stressed out about this new position, her promotion.

Because you thought you could be fine played the one note. I'm like, here's my note in the scene stress you.

Excity, and Billy's like hellowing you out, Like what.

Was that movie about? Everybody played a different emotion. I was just anxiety, inside out, outside, inside out, inside out. Yes, yes, I was anxiety in this scene.

Yeah, I was eleven. The entire city's common sense for you. You know, well, can I make you some No? No, I can't. I can't eat. I can't eat. Then she's like picking out his bagel and the coffee thing.

And my only thought when I'm eating the bagel is, oh, I didn't know I couldn't eat gluten then, because it gives me migraines. I was saying, I wonder if I got a migraine after that scene, because I didn't know then that that was one of the things that gave me migraines.

Billy's wise line here he goes he warns Allison that it's too early in her career to self destruct.

Yeah, that's just ready to say, calm yourself down. This is really to do this.

Then he picks up the paper and and she's like, I'm just afraid that Joe's gonna do something wrong and he stops. He's like, what, well, Joe's doing it, O Jesus, not helpful.

I wonder you're stressed out. She's a mess.

I just love how Billy is just held on to this resentment because she calls him Bill. She thinks he stinks when he goes on a date.

What's that smell?

And and she's always, you know, sending him away. And he's like, oh, she's terrible. She's gonna wreck everything, doesn't listen to the rules, she's difficult, she's going to cause all kinds of problems. He says, way to unstress her.

Yeah, he's not helping at all.

No, so is a little right, just saying maybe a little foreshadowing. Maybe he's an oracle.

Annoying, but maybe he's an oracle and anyway anyway, So then she says, you know, how is the date? And he goes, well, it was okay, that's it fine, And I told her I would call her, but I won't, like all in one sentence, and she's.

Like, what, oh, I hate that about it, because again we're at eleven. So I know, right, I'm gonna stress about you, about the jobs I am about Joe.

And now you're being Yeah, it's really funny. So he she just gets upset. She's like, I hate it when the guys don't call. You don't even like the guy, but it's just the point that he doesn't call makes you upset, which is true.

So you should call her. You should call it.

Yeah, you should call you should call you guys.

Remember like they did a thing on Mower's Place on on Saturday Night Live, and then the Billy Allison thing. Billy's saying Alison, Allison, I miss Allison, and I'm saying I can't talk.

I've got a very important job at D and D. I'm very busy at D and D. And this scene, may you remember that very important job D and D?

Like that now it's now it's even more important, superciou, It's like the most important. How about?

I thought the way this scene ended was so funny and weird too, because we hear Joe yelling through the car, come.

On, Allison, let's go. Like she's coming down the stairs shouting.

Instead of like knocking on Alison's door or whatever on the way by, she just shouts it through the courtyard, come on, Allison, let's go.

She doesn't know that Allison's nerves are afraid.

Looking at her is not going to make things better. I mean, it would have been great if they had all known all of our thoughts going into this, if you had gone like and Billy could go, told you, but no, but no. Allison goes out into the courtyard and Joe's coming down the stairs with all of her equipment, and there's Jake going, oh, what's all this? And Joe says,

There's nothing you can do, have a very important day of work.

I thought that was a strange line, is there anything I can do?

Like?

What?

Why? I thought it was a strange scene.

Why didn't like why didn't he just sayengratinations?

And then out they go, yeah, what are they setting up? Which it felt like such.

An unnecessary Is there anything I can Maybe we were short on time.

I don't know.

I don't know what it was.

I know lunch was happening whatever, but.

The Cruxes, congratulations, you got a job that Elison helped you get by I have a good day bye, and they leave.

So and then we cut right into the middle of this photo shoot and the music, some great nineties music is pounding, and there.

Lamora Mitchell.

Underwear like having to remember, like, if you're not watching the show, remember those scenes on like Charlie's Angels, but they're.

Doing photo shoots and everything. He's having to dance around in his underwear. Oh, that's just guys milking it.

Like he He's like, if I'm going to do this, I'm just gonna committed.

Yeah, all these poses he's in a tiny little like colored like red or blue or whatever, but like super tiny bikini underwear and posing like what he was like, he just like hammed it up and committed.

Like stuff is hard him, it's really hard. But he was really responding to his photographer if I might, because Joe was like on the floor, oh yes, baby, oh god, oh another one. And then she ends up by saying You've done this before and he's like, nope, virgin. I mean it was all a metaphor for sex. Obviously, She's like, Okay, I need a break. Let's powder Rex and get me a ladder. She's gonna set up some other yeah, and a fan.

Yes.

Yes, And Alison walks over and by the way, we might say that Lucy and the suits are really enjoying it. I think we've got it. This is great. They're all excited because they're all lined up in those rector chairs cast chairs.

By the way, they never say I think we've got it. It's finally the actor's rep comes in and says we're done, because they always want more and more and more.

Right.

Have you ever had them say.

Yeah, we're good, you can go Yeah, No, right, never, but they do say that it's wonderful and before they get up.

Yeah, they have to get up to leave because like maybe lunch for them or whatever. Yeah, they still getting it.

And Alison walks over to Joe and says, you know, that was really wonderful. This is great. And then Joe, who should, in my opinion, just go great, awesome, we got it. That client's happy. She should just wrap things up.

But no.

She pulls Alison aside and she says, hey, I want you to open your mind and I want to try something a little bizarre, something different, call it extra credit Allison.

And then and Alison, I think she says I trust you, which you know famous lost words.

Yeah, maybe she did say I go for it. And then she makes mistake of saying go for it, and then she leaves. And then we have Joe climbing the ladder and she says to Rex, lose the braves.

Yeah, which you know.

Me happening nowadays.

Uh huh, yeah, I know how, but this was the early nineties.

But he looked very pleased and like, oh yeah, right, he came on and he drops his drawers.

Yeah, he's like, finally a girl who wants to play.

Let's do this.

So now we are in Shooters and it's nighttime, and Billy and Jake are at the bar drinking.

Margarita's, and Billie's is a fruity strawberry margarita hysterical, which I don't know if you've noticed. All through the scene, he leaves it on the bar and if he needs to take a drink, he leans towards it and he's like looking for the straw and he's like drink like that where Grant knows enough pick up the drink and drink like a normal person.

But Andrew's like mind the strawn as red fruit is margarita.

Oh, acting is hard, like all these things. You got to know how to do things exactly right.

Because funny.

So they're sitting there at the bar and Billy is telling Jake that he called Lydia and she, you know, after the first date, and she invited him over for dinner. So now he's trapped, and Jake says to Billy, well, your first mistake was saying that you would call, and the second mistake was listening to Alison. So I guess because she's a woman, she's in that position and of course she's going to say that or something.

I don't know.

Anyway, Billy uh says, relationships are a mistake.

They're just doubling down like you know. Well, yeah, guys, all relationships are a mistake. Yeah, yeah, Billy, I would.

Road talk at the bar with the relations good. I'm never gonna a straw.

I don't use straws anywhere to self, Okay, take the straw out.

Just behind them. We see Joe walking in with Rex after that shoot.

Because everybody comes to shooters.

Because with a new guy, you want to go to your ex boyfriend's bar. You want to go to the current boyfriend's bar, because again, only bar in La.

And also the same bar you went to with a different girl last night, and you're only in down for a couple of.

Nights anyway, and what Rex is game? Man? I'm in La. I don't even live here, a floridnis camp. I've been here.

She really should have said, why am I back at this bar?

As Strawberry Margarita is a really good here.

She's all excited. She's like, I'm gonna make your butt famous and he's like it already is, and he is flirting and but she's she's kind of flirting, but she's saying, no chance, it's not gonna happen, and he's like, oh yeah, And then she says something about, you know, you can play mozart with a mountpiece mouthpiece and it's still now.

Rusty sounds like he's from the work of the But it must be a.

Woman, right, otherwise why would you to make that point?

Yeah? Oh, like this tattered up with I don't know, but I thought it was so funny. Rusty's never been mentioned before. But anyway, so we leave this whole trouble place and we come back to the courtyard and Allison is looking up Joe's door and like, huh, she's not there. Walks to Jake's apartment and says, you know, Joe disappeared after the photo shoot and is Joe in there with you? And Jake says no, that she was at Shooters with Rex, and Allison is like, oh, no, she should be developing

Rex the wonderstud as Jake refers to him as Rex the wonderstud.

Rex the Wonderstood. They walk in, laughing and this is not good for her boundaries and saying that it was just a just a work good optics here, not good optics. Rex to Alison, Wow, it's a small world. Are you following us? And she's like, no, I live here. And then she looks at Joe and she's like, you know, should be working on the proofs of the photos tonight. And then Joe's like, okay, get the message and says you got to go and gives Rex, gives her a

Yeah, she seems annoyed that Alison and Jake are like kind of irritated about the whole thing too, like what totally and but Alison and Jake are you know, disappointed and it's clearly not good optics. And and Jake even tries to tell him, hey, buddy, you know, like beat it, sort of like because Rex sort of tries to say, well, hey, maybe we can.

And before he can even finish.

The sentence, Jake cut some off and he's like yeah some other time, like yeah, Hike, get out of here. And Joe's like, I'm mad about that, you know that, Like Jake is whatever inserting himself in this situation.

And I'm imagining, because I Daphne am watching this going she is so irresponsible. She is causing trouble. She is putting her friend who gave her this first job, you know, her job in Jeopardy. And I'm thinking, well, maybe this is her New York. This is how they do it in New York. You know they all they shoot photographs and they you know, for magazines, and they go out and have drinks and party all night. Maybe that's just her a difference for her. It's not here. I don't know.

Like when we watch these show, like we watch these episodes, it's all such a different perspective to look at it as an audience member.

And like you don't remember shooting it or like okay that you know obviously.

It's in the script and so you have to play it, you know, whatever the way you choose to play it and whatever you're telling, the story that you've been has to tell and stuff. But like watching it later as an audience member, you're like, oh, what an annoying thing that that character's doing right now, And you just see it totally differently watching it back, like yes.

Yeah, because you can't when you're playing it. You can't have these judgments or third eye about it or yeah, you totally messed up from yeah, you can't mess yourself up, that's true. Alison knocks on the door, says, we're the pictures. She's like, Jesus, you're up early. And she comes in and I need coffee and then she's like, look, I was up all night doing the pictures. Allison says, look, I hope it went well the rest of the shoot, and she's like, yeah, Rex and I had a good time.

So do we think, like as if they'd never talked about it, like maybe we'll have a family with it, Like aren't these conversations you have before you marry someone, like do we want kids?

That's a big resight.

It really seemed to slam RNDA here like the reality of what a future with this skuy I is going to be and maybe look like and feel like, because like just being in that big house and hearing him talk about it, she was not liking that picture.

She was set, Yeah, totally rushed and everything was too.

Much, all that adding up to the uncomfortable for her.

Yeah.

So then we're in D and D and Amanda and Allison are eating lunch takeout at the desk and Alice's like, well, they should be here, they should be here the photos, the photos should be here, and She's like, yeah, you've

Yea, Amanda says it to him. He can't hear any like nods Its fine cool packaged by.

Anyway. She pulls open this package of these slides Joe has sent over and in every single one. Rex is naked in every single photo, and Alison freaks, oh my god, and then Amanda is looking at them and oh my god,

Why she goes, I want to say, no, really no, Why you're being so weird Ellison, so weird?

Yeah, you're gonna ring, She says, doesn't want a part of you like the unexpected, and he's she says, this is business. I'm new, Like, screw the unexpected. I want the opposite of that. Do I have to point this out to you? And she's like okay, and she goes over and she gives him the slides and she goes, all right, it's your choice.

Pretty passive aggressive for her to say, well, you admit it. These are great.

Don't you think they would have grabbed you and maybe even made you laugh if you weren't so panic about breaking a rule? For instance, She's sort of like making it about Alison being too conservative or straight or born.

It's very young, right, like what are you scared?

Yeah, like Kamara, you know these are better and and and she just keeps trying to say, but it's not what the client wanted, and Joe just keeps pushing like.

But they're better.

Is this about you being so you know, straight laced and stuff, and just really challenging Alison to go, oh, you know, yeah, my friend's gonna judge me if I, you know, choose this route or whatever. You just kind of like surprisingly like judge towards Alison and stuff, like challenging her to choose the unexpected because it's cooler.

Everybody's doing it.

Yeah, yeah, which are real things. This is real things, real topics, you know, I mean, they're just trying to really show how edgy and out there Joe is and we'll risks whatever and look at her life. It's pretty like and not what Alison vibes. All right. So we are now back in Lydia's apartment, remember her and Billy's there. They're on their second date, another ill advised date.

You know how as we calls her to say, I just it was great to meet you, but I'm not going to take it further, and then ends up at dinner talk about lack of boundaries.

They somehow both agreed to have another date. Yeah, we're not sure a dinner.

I do not.

I don't know. That was horrible, all right, Yeah, yeah.

So funny. And he's serving, she's serving dinner, and she's like, oh yeah, Gilson's is great, isn't it. So she's right up front about I don't cook. This is all prepared food.

Yeah, yeah, I do want to come over for some prepared food.

Gilson's does have great prepared and uh and but Lydia observes that Billy's been stuffing his face for the last half hour and talking about the food, so you don't have to talk to me, and he's like, no, no, restaurant right at all. And she's like, look, I know that you're not my type. I prefer someone more substantial, she says, and he says, you mean fat. She's like, no, I mean someone who's more established and you know, older, and he's like, yeah, well you're not my type either.

And Billy's like well, they both sort of agree, yeah, like well why did you ask me out? And he says, yeah, well why did you say yes? And they both sort of acknowledge they could have saved themselves all this trouble if they've just been avoiding, you know, trying to not avoid, you know, don't hurt anybody's feelings, feeling just like safe.

Yeah. Yeah.

Then she's like, well you're here. Helson makes great A Claire. So you want some dessert and he's like, oh, yeah, sure, and then she walks to get the Claes and he's like chocolate and she's like, vanilla.

Are there Vanilla Claires? I've only heard of chocolate A claires.

Me too. I don't know. I guess Lydia found them.

I mean, I don't know. Yeah, I'm surprised Billy didn't ask for strawberry all the air.

I mean they red fruit, trying to eat it without his hands.

Yeah, I didn't say I have a fruity drink for you, because I would have done them.

But we're to conclude here that there is just nothing that they They just have nothing in common, ready to say it.

Their tastes are just completely opposite. So she offers to just walk him to his car. Can I see you out? Here's your hat?

What's your hir And So now we're in the basement in the laundry room, and Matt is doing his laundry.

He is here, he has to appear on enough's my problem.

I mean I think they're paying him per week, so they got to put him in something, right, So yeah, he needs more to do that, but he's he's kind of down on Rondo. Ronda comes down and starts unloading and confiding that she's worried about you know, Terrence, and it's too much and I'm not ready and you know, she does this with Matt and and he's not into it. He's like, well, just you know, what about your other life? What about this new life? And She's like, what other life,

I got in this scene.

I got more that, Like, she wants to tell him the truth, and she starts by saying, Matt, I'm in trouble, and he's like, wait what, And she starts to tell him about the house and that it seemed too big and it just didn't seem right, and he says, well, maybe you can just tell him the house isn't right for you, and she then says, well, that's not just it. It's I think that two people about to start a life together would want the same things, and that the house was just not just a house. But it just

And she's like, well, this and that, and he goes, yeah, but do you He says it twice.

And yeah, and she realizes maybe she doesn't know, and but you know, Matt's the person she confides these feelings in.

Yeah, yeah, and yeah, that's.

That's what I got that she was just like really admitting she doesn't even know if this is the right thing to be doing and she doesn't know.

If she loves him. It's weeks, yeah, weeks.

So now we are in Alice and Billy's apartment and it's morning and Allison is looking at the photo negatives at her desk while Billy comes in drinking his orange juice, and Billy tells Allison that he and Lydia mutually agree to never see each other again. That was so bad.

Let's never play eyes on each other again.

Like they shook hands on it. It was the agreement that's so funny. And so Allison says, well, don't worry. Someone will come.

Along, might be someone right under your nose.

So Allison asked Billy his opinion about the naked photos of Rex and asked Billy if he thinks it's too risky, and then He's so helpful by saying, look, you're an executive, now you'll figure it out. And I think he walks away great, and.

He's like, well, I warned you, but anyway, you'll have to figure this one out.

Alison the Oracle figured it out. So now we're in D and D advertising and Allison is showing a Manda the options for the names, and Alison tells Amanda that the naked sharts are better, and Amanda's like yes, but Amanda says, uh, this is a campaign for sports briefs and that the client will hate these photos. And Alison asks Amanda, so I should play it safe, and she's like, play it smart, Demi and walks away. So obviously she

What They're immediately horrified.

He's fuck naked? What are you doing? And then Lucy's like, okay, turns on the light. That was just a stab of humor, and then she says Allison, please stick around afterwards. And Amanda looks at her.

And she's like, she does a finger across the throat. You're dead.

You're dead, dummy.

Yeah, that was good, dummy.

And then we are back at the Rodeo Collection on Rodeo Drive. Ronda and Terrence are looking at invitations for their invites and they're looking at fancy stuff with real lavender in there. It smells that they're imported from the south of France, and Ronda's overwhelmed again even more so it's and Terrence is like what's the matter. You don't like it, Well, we can go for another kind of more simple invite, and rondes, look, I'm not ready for this.

She goes.

Joe's like so happy, Great, what's our next job? Which is a great uh joke. Alison goes, yeah, my next assignment is okay, I'm not gonna include you. My next assignment is Oakum's Sausage Links and you're not getting near it. Good joke there, And then we're at Jake's apartment and Joe knocks on the door with a bag of Chinese food.

And Jake's Joe's on her apology tour.

Totally right, Apartment one, Dary, I almost got you fired and oh yeah, I'm sorry.

I hurt your feelings, was being a jerk.

Here's Chinese food, Here's Chinese food.

And he's like, how come you always? How come you make me mad? And we get in a fight and then you always show up with food and she's like, I don't know. And they go in and she starts setting it up and he says to her, you just can't come in and out of my life like this, and she's like, look, and then she tells her truth, which is interesting, right like Billy and Allison did, then Rohnda did, now Joe is and it's I like you

Yummy yep, and she's like, Okay, why do I run?

They seem to be back on track.

They're back on track for now. And then we're at Alison and Billy's apartment and it's still nighttime and Billy's heating up the microwave and there's a knock on the door. Billy opens the door. Who's this Amanda in a red suit with her big, beautiful smile, And he's like, I just thought it was a great setup, Like this is a great scene because like it's a blind date ish esque, Oh strange woman just go up and opens the door and he opens it and.

Maybe this is really well.

He opens the door and he likes sweaty seas and you can just see it on both of their faces.

It's like, oh, what a nice surprise.

Who were you? But did you? Like I thought, oh, they started with this. I knew that that Amanda and Billy dated at some point, I didn't remember this is where it started.

The Yeah, they established it's too soon for me, I'm not ready right, think.

In the very episode where Billy is looking for someone to date, right, and then at the end, the woman appears.

But he's like, yeah, Amanda arrived, but I thought they dated after you guys, Billy Allison for a while. Maybe he went around for sloppy seconds.

No, because afterwards, I remember remember that scene I talked about when were Lake Staic and we were water that that was the end of the first season because we were all crying.

Because we're getting picked up.

Oh that was that scene.

So yeah, because we're at episode twenty one, yeah, that was what it was, probably thirty thirty two.

But this is a super cute, like cute for them, like.

They're that's enough, Laura, that's free.

It is the is the kind of haggard I think it's by Laura means.

The obstacle in between Amanda Woodward. Here she is, she's arrived, and she's like, oh, Amna, Allison never mentioned you, and he's like, yeah, she never mentioned you either.

Well she want to come in from us.

Yeah.

In Alison's defense, she's never mentioned Amanda till anyone, no one until this episode of Friend Amanda.

She's been in D and D all the time, just in the other room. I don't need to mention her.

But this is a great ending to an episode and it's a great ending to Heather's first you know, uh, first.

Show with us, first episode.

Yeah, they really like she's sort of snuck in as like Allison's friend in this nice tour and D and D and then this happened.

This is the new Melrose though that it happens quickly. We go from one side together very quickly, like it's still fast.

Yeah, because he even like, as she's there clearly to just deliver something to Alison, he invites her, Hey, well, why don't you come in for a drink, And she looks like she's tempted, like she would love to say us, but she's like, oh, I can't.

I have so much work to do. And he's like, well how about dinner.

It's like he's really establishing right away that there's this you know, interest from both of them, and she looks tempted every time he sort of pushes and yeah, and she finally says, well, I really have to go, and as she's leaving instead, she turns back and she's like, well, how about a rain check?

You know, like there's the door is still open.

He's like, yeah, anytime, thrill.

Yeah, but did you know like when Yeah, So he's like, great, yeah, anytime on that rain check. And then as she's turning to go, she's walking towards the cameron, she says, very quietly, did you catch this?

She's walking away, smiling.

We can see him in the background watching her walk away, and she says very quietly, yeah, real soon.

No you didn't hear that?

Yeah, And I go back and hear it again, and I think that's what she says, and she says it to herself super quiet, but like the frame is both of them facing the camera and he's in the background watching her, and she's walking out going yeah really, yeah, that's so razing.

And I don't remember.

I think that she was booked for a number of episodes and then obviously the show exploded with her on it, but I don't remember if this was the arc, if like she was there to create something between Alison and Billy.

I feel like you mentioned that from the beginning they wanted that to be Amanda, to be a problem between Billy and Alison, and that even though knowing that the audience all wanted the Billy and Allison thing, like the longer you prolong it and likes.

Like you just pulling the audience in of like I want this, I want this and make it hard.

I mean, I don't remember the next episode, but I'm wonder if Alice is gonna be all over Billy, you know what I mean, and very protective. It's like the tables are turned, you know.

Yeah, well, I can't wait to see the next one. Guys, we have a you know, we'll have another recap soon. We're gonna have Heather.

On very very soon.

Excited to see her.

Everybody, Yeah, don't forget to subscribe and you'll get the Melrose minutes that we have at the end of the weeks, and you'll have every episode in your inbox, including our.

Upcoming very exciting guests.

Yeah, find out what happens.

In the next episode with all show.

Remember like sheow remember what she was signed for. I do remember that the second season when she was irregular, we all got better trailers. Like I remember she came, it got better for all of us because it was all favored nations.

We all got the same and it's like that's a real upgrade.

Thanks Heather Well, we can't wait to talk to her, and she'll be coming on very very soon, very soon.

Thanks for listening again, and as always thanks for listening to Still the Place.

Bye guys, see you guys soon.

H