#15: House Of God

Presenting Jo Reynolds' debut episode and edition #8 of Melrose Between the Lines. Unfortunately, the episode wasn't all that interesting. The only purpose it really served was to introduce Jo to the show. Even for a debut appearance, the plot still really over-dominated the episode. I wouldn't have given it such a high score if the subplot, the abusive relationship, wasn't portrayed so well. I gave it a 5. Not all that bad, but not all that good either. The extra half a point was for the good writing. Doug Savant does not appear in this episode.

Original air date: November 11, 1992
Production number: 2392015
Written by: Charles Pratt Jr.
Directed by: Nancy Malone
Guest Stars: John Scott Clough, Lisa Waltz
Co-Stars: Michael Wiseman, Mark St. James
Rating: 5� *****

Summary: Billy and Alison are jogging in the morning as part of the step-by-step magazine therapy that Billy is using to help Alison get over her breakup with Keith. As they leave the scene, Jo Reynolds appears and heads over to Melrose Place. She encounters Michael and inquires about the apartment for rent. Michael tells her it's a one bedroom and Rhonda appears on the scene, telling Jo she's looking for a roommate. Jo declines because she'd prefer to live alone and is looking for a two bedroom. Rhonda suggests they swap apartments. She takes the studio and Jo gets the 2BR. Michael leaves and Jane and Rhonda shows Jo apartment #6. Jo goes on about how it's strange that folks in "New Yolk" live vertically and out here it's horizontally. No elevators. Jo asks Rhonda to be out today. Jake sees Jo's box outside his apartment and gives her a hand lifting the box upstairs. He introduces himself and asks Jo to be careful of the water, because when she gets hot, he gets cold. Jake offers to show her around. Jo says if she needs that, she'll call a cab. When Jake leaves, Jo calls her dad to tell him that she's in L.A. and she'll explain later. Alison goes to bed that night at 8:30, with Billy worried that she's not going to be herself again and that she'll call Keith. Alison explains that she may never be her "old self" again. Billy helps Jo move in a potted plant and the phone rings. Jo doesn't answer it and Billy finds that strange. In the laundry room, Alison is washing her clothes and notices one of Keith's shirts in her load, sniffing it to remind her of Keith. Jo moves her stuff from the washer to the dryer and it eats her quarters. Alison tries to help her kick the dryer so it will work again, and they start laughing, because they were finally able to release the anger that was stored within them. They introduce themselves to each other. Alison and Jo go back to her apartment and Jo makes them some margaritas. Alison notices a black and white photo of Jo in a frame. Jo explains that that's the "married her." Jo says she mistaked security for love, married when she was 20 and moved into a penthouse on the East Side, until one day she woke up and said, "I've just GOT to be irresponsible." They go to Shooters where they start playing pool against a couple of biker guys. Jo manages to win $70 off the two of them, making Dwayne (one of the guys) angry. Jo and Alison head to the highway overlooking a full view of L.A. Jo is excited because she feels a strong sense of freedom, liking the fear instead of fearing it. She pulls the pills of out her pocket that she was using as her "safety net" and throws them down on the city. Alison comes home to find Billy still reading her magazines. Alison tells Billy what a wonderful woman Jo is, and Billy still thinks she's weird, because when the phone rings you answer it. Alison thinks it's hilarious that Billy is reading her magazines and waited up for her. They go to bed. As Jake is in the shower, the water turns cold. He heads up to Jo's apt. in just a towel to ask her to fix the mess. He returns downstairs to find Billy and he asks if he thinks Jake has a chance with Jo. Jake says yes. Jo watches the entire incident.
Listen to Jo's New York attitude.

Michael is at the marina assisting a pediatrician, Scott McBain, with a boat. Meanwhile, Jane is over at the hospital assisting his wife, Liz, set up for a party welcoming the interns at the hospital. Jane and Liz click immediately and tell Michael and Scott that they want to have dinner that night. During dinner, Liz is sharing a story of how she hurt herself trying to fix the plumbing at their place. All Michael and Jane are able to talk about is the weather. Jane and Liz go to the bathroom to gossip and Liz says she and Scott opted to not have kids just yet because they're not ready to raise them. Jane tries to help Liz fix a stain on her jacket, then notices a bruise on her arm. Liz dismisses this. The next morning as Michael and Jane are spring cleaning, Jane brings up to Michael, thinking Scott is abusing Liz. Michael thinks Jane is full of hot air, and she's reacting to a "movie of the week." Jane and Liz finish setting up for the party and Liz shows her talent playing the piano. Liz explains that Scott gets upset when she plays just after he comes home. He gets really angry when he loses patients. Liz desires the happiness that Jane and Michael have in their marriage. She takes Jane out to lunch. While driving to the party that night, Jane explains that Liz has formed a friendship with the two of them as a cry for help. Michael says there's nothing they can do until Liz asks for their help. At the party, Michael is networking with some top doctors and Jane finds Liz. She asks her straight out if Scott beat her and she admits that he did "one time." Liz is offended by Jane's prying and walks off. Scott finds Jane and asks where Liz is, observing how easy it is for women to talk to each other. Jane notices that Scott is grabbing her a lot. At the hospital, Scott confronts Michael about the things Jane has been saying to Liz about him beating her. Michael says it's none of their business and Scott is angry because this could be damaging and he would "never do it." Michael and Jane are on their way to a movie when Michael gets a call from a sobbing Liz, asking to speak to Jane. They drive over to her house where they find Liz waiting for them in the driveway. She is battered and bleeding. Back home, Michael is doctoring Liz's wounds, who declares she's never ever going back to Scott. She feels foolish because she always believed Scott when he apologized and bought in to all his lies about pipes, doors, stairs, marble, linolium, etc. Jane assures her that Scott is the one with the problem, and she can go back to her family. Scott shows up at the break room at the hospital the next morning and Michael announces he's going to Dr. Levin with everything he knows. Scott grabs him to beat him up and Michael says, "Better me than Liz." Scott is scared of losing everything, including Liz. Michael says that Liz has gone somewhere that she made him and Jane promise not to disclose. Michael says he needs to make things better by telling Levin himself. Scott agrees and asks Michael to come with him. Michael accepts.

The Stuff You May Have Missed:

  • The footage in the very beginning of the episode is the exact same footage that was used as an exterior shot for Alycia Barnett's house in season 4. If you watch the opening of episode #4-24 "Run, Billy, Run" and look carefully, you can see Billy and Alison's feet.
  • Rhonda's hair was cut from the previous episode to this one.
  • The restaurant that Michael, Jane, Scott and Liz go to is Montezinos.
  • If you look at Michael's drink box during the cleaning house scene, you can see the Ocean Spray label. He's drinking Ocean Spray Crangrape.
  • Jane and Liz are hanging a sign that says "Welcome New Interns."
  • In the laundry room, there is a box of Dash detergent sitting on the shelf.
  • Scott tells Michael he's going to introduce him to an Italian doctor with the last name "Maronelo."
  • Looks like Band-Aid adhesive bandages is also getting free sponsorship. You can see a box of them in Michael's first-aid kit when he's patching up Liz.
  • When Alison comes home, Billy is reading another one of her magazines called Today's... -something. I couldn't see the rest of it.
  • In the hospital, the room across from the breakroom is A307, and you can also see the door to the stairway.
  • Lisa Waltz (Liz McBain) was in the 1998 Fox sitcom Ask Harriet, along with two other Melrose guest stars, Anthony Tyler Quinn (Lt. Truman and Rory Blake) and Willie Garson (Dr. Dexter Mosely).

    My Vents:

  • Rhonda makes a reference to apartment #4 being a studio, but when Amanda moved in, it was a 1BR. What gives?
  • If Jo really doesn't want to answer the phone, I've got a solution: it's called caller ID.
  • Michael's glasses were obviously removed after season 1 to not portray that hard working doctor look.
  • Alison references the movie Thelma and Louise when she and Jo go out. The ladies on this show sure do reference it quite often. Her and Jo, then later Alison and Jane.
  • Those fireplaces must be fake. The Melrosians never used them that I can recall, and why do Billy and Alison have their TV cart right in front of theirs?
  • Obviously, standards in the earlier days were low to get on Melrose. Scott McBain had one heck of an afro.
  • Did Michael work at Wilshire when the show started? He had to because Dr. Levin was mentioned. They used a different exterior shot.
  • Looks like Alison took Jo to the same high point where she and Jake made out earlier that season.
  • Did anyone here besides me get sick of listening to Jake bitch and complain about his shower water in the early episodes? I sure did. I just never could identify with Jake.

    Memorable Quotes:
    "In New York, we all live vertically; here it's horizontally. Can't find elevators anywhere." --Jo Beth Reynolds.

    "If all you people from New York hate L.A. so much, why do you all move out here?" --Billy Campbell

    JAKE: So, you're a photographer then.
    JO: And so you're a SIA, or KGB, or just plain nosey.

    JO: I just broke up with my husband, what's your excuse?
    ALISON: I just broke up with somebody else's husband.

    DWAYNE (the pool hustler): Bitches!
    JO: That may be, but this "bitch" just beat your pants off.