Original air date: November 4, 1992
Production number: 2392014
Written by: Robert Guza Jr.
Directed by: David Rosenbloom
Guest Stars: Rae Dawn Chong, Juli Donald, James Handy,
Judith Hoag, William R. Moses, Claudette Nevins
Co-Stars: Vanessa Roth
Rating: 5*****
Summary: Alison is with Keith on the porch of his beachhouse saying that she's down because of how complicated and messy this whole thing is. Alison comes home the next morning to tell Billy that Keith is leaving his wife. Billy is doubtful that he'd actually go through with that. When it's raining that night, Alison runs into Jane at the mailbox and she says she's heard the news from Billy, and she's upset because more people are involved. Suddenly this other woman isn't a person but an obstacle in their way. Alison is angry at Jane and Jane says she was just being honest because she thought that's what Alison wanted, and "what goes around comes around." Keith calls Alison to tell her he can't get together that night because something's come up. He asks if they can get together tomorrow. We see his wife in the background. Alison hangs up the phone saying, "Whatever." Keith later shows up at Alison and Billy's place explaining that Lily (his wife) showed up and was whining because she didn't want to end this and felt she deserved a second chance. Keith refused, so she kicked him out and is moving to San Diego. Alison tells Keith he can stay with her for the night, much to Billy's objections. While Keith's in the shower, Alison pulls a picture of Keith and Lily in Hawaii out of his wallet. She stares at the photo until Keith comes out of the shower. They start kissing. That night, Alison has a dream of Lily sitting by her bed. Lily tells her that she was over in Washington trying to bail out farmers. The aid has been done, but she lost her husband. She explains to Alison that relationships go in cycles, they have valleys and peaks; but this time Lily wasn't given a fighting chance. She blames Alison for destroying her marriage. The lightning crackles and Alison awakens. Alison emerges from the bedroom the next morning explaining the dream to Billy. Keith shows up and asks her to come camping with him at some secluded place by the lake. She accepts, and Billy wonders what for, because her idea of roughing it is burgers by the pool. Alison goes to Keith's house to see his wife in person. She is sitting in her car as Lily goes to get the morning paper. Lily sees Alison staring at her, and Alison drives off. Alison gets her sleeping bag out of the dryer and Jane tells her that she still doesn't like what Alison's doing. She explains that a long term committment outweights any fling, and it doesn't look like her or Keith is planning on that. When Alison counters this, Jane gives her her blessing, and that she's overlooked what's important -- their friendship -- and it looks like Alison knows what she's doing. Alison and Keith are camping on the beach and Keith wants Alison to move out of the apartment and into his beachhouse whenever this business with his wife is settled. Keith explains that he and his wife met in high school and since then he's felt he was living his entire life in a vacuum without room for air. He's glad to have finally found some stability. He asks about Alison's childhood, and she says there's really nothing to tell, her childhood was just "ordinary." Keith asks her to go for a midnight hike and she declines. He can sense something is wrong, but Alison insists everything's OK. The next morning (Sunday morning), Alison insists Keith to take her home because she's "sick." When Alison comes back to the apartment, she tells Billy everything that went on. She explains there was always a distance in her parents' marriage. It wasn't until she was 11 or 12 that she found out her father had girlfriends. She remembers picturing them as beautiful, but she always was envious because they got all her fathers' attention, and thus she hated them because she wanted to be one of them. Alison realizes now that she's the other woman now. Alison goes to Keith's place and says she can't see him anymore because she needs this relationship to feel right for her, and it doesn't. Keith snaps because he's leaving his wife and not returning to San Diego with her. Alison says that's his business, but at least she'll be able to live with herself. Alison goes home and tells Billy that's the hardest thing she's ever had to do. She breaks down and starts crying because it's over.
Rhonda is in her apartment when Carrie Fellows knocks at the door about her roommate ad. Carrie says she's an OP, an "organizational professional." She doesn't drink, smoke, have pets or a boyfriend. She has her own car, her parents live out of town and she believes toothpaste goes on the toothbrush. Rhonda asks her to move in because she has a good feeling about Carrie. Rhonda awakens the next morning for her vitamins to find her entire pantry sorted out. Carrie tells her she has placed the entire pantry in alphabetical order and gave her a complimentary kitchen caddy, last year's, but no one will know the difference. Rhonda wonders what she's gotten herself in to. Later, Rhonda is walking into her room on plastic that Carrie has thrown down as to not damage the carpet. Rhonda sees she has no clothes in her closet. Carrie tells her that she's sent all her clothes to the best dry cleaner in Beverly Hills, and she put forest spice in her shoes to give her the scent like she's just taken a brisk walk through the woods. Rhonda asks Carrie to cool it on the neatness for a while. Carrie says she understands when to stop. Rhonda cooks breakfast for Carrie on Sunday morning in one of her pans. Rhonda serves in to her and all Carrie can do is stare at the pan. That night, Rhonda has dozed off and Carrie awakens her shouting that she missed a spot when she was cleaning the pan, and there are burnt eggs in the rivet. Rhonda tells Carrie she's a nut, and Carrie calls her a slob. Rhonda then tells Carrie that she's afraid their situation isn't going to work out, and that Carrie should find another place to live.
Matt talks to a lawyer about his situation with the halfway house. She tells him he needs to prepare to have his personal life displayed in front of a courtroom and it's going to get ugly. Matt says he can handle it and the lawyer agrees to put her fees on hold but she'll need $5,000 up front. Matt starts work at Bikini Burger waiting on table #4, which is where Jake is sitting. Matt says, "It's a living," but at this rate it won't be until the year 2012 when he gets to pay off his lawyer fees. Jake urges him to get money from his parents, but Matt says they don't know the meaning of the phrase "no strings attached." The waitress that's training Matt appears and tells him he has a good tip on table #5. Jake smiles because Matt has an "admirer." Matt is eating dinner with his parents and his father says that maybe it was for the best that he was booted from the halfway house, because he'll never make any "real" money there. Matt asks his parents for $5K to sue the halfway house and his father abruptly refuses because of all the bad publicity it would bring him and the world will shoot him down. Matt gets up and leaves, thanking his father for his "support." Matt gives the lawyer a pink slip for his car as a collateral for the case. The lawyer advises him to keep his car because he'll need it. He explains that he doesn't care about winning a huge settlement, he just wants to make sure that the next gay person doesn't lose their job. The lawyer agrees to do the case because she knows a good cause when she sees it, and if they win, Matt gets his job back plus damages, and she makes a name for herself. The lawyer says the publicity goes with the territory.
The Stuff You May Have Missed:
My Vents:
Memorable Quotes:
ALISON: Life doesn't always come neatly packaged and neither does love.
BILLY: Alison, you should listen to yourself. You sound like a dysfunctional Hallmark
card.
"What's that old expression? If you don't have nothing nice to say, then shut your mouth!" -- Alison Parker
