#20: Peanut Butter and Jealousy

A hand for Charles Pratt Jr.!! One of the best pre-Amanda episodes of the first season. The dialogue between the characters was very well-written, it showed a lot of feeling and emotion, and I believe a lot of viewers could identify with what the characters were feeling. On top of that, the Jo being beaten by her ex plot started to feel more like the Melrose we know and love; therefore, the 7 rating. As I said before, I'm a little more flexible with the first season episodes because Melrose hadn't yet established its identity until really the second season. I wouldn't have given this episode such a high score if it wasn't so well-written. The show very much lived up to its odd title.

Speaking of seven, this is edition #7 of Melrose Between the Lines, and I think I'm gonna have to cut these a summaries little bit. I reread my purpose with these things, and I'm trying to focus a little less on the actual summary and more on those hidden meanings, objects, etc. that I can find within the show. And I've had a request to separate the audio from the pictures, so that's taken care of. OK, edition #7, here we go:

Original air date: January 13, 1993
Production number: 2392020
Written by: Charles Pratt Jr.
Directed by: Nancy Malone
Guest Stars: Deborah Adair, Linden Ashby, John Marshall Jones, Laura Leighton, Larry Poindexter, Sydney Walsh
Rating: 7*******

Summary: Billy and Alison don fancy clothes for the Advertising Associates Ball. Jake tells Alison that he's seen Charles Reynolds in town and he hasn't told Jo yet. At the ball, Billy starts charming Lucy and tells her that he's Alison's roommate. Alison is angered because he was revealing her personal life. Billy says he's just here to have fun. Danny Baker shows up on the scene and asks "Eleanor" to dance because his date stood him up. After a round of dancing, Alison asks Billy if she can attend a post-party with Danny. He reluctantly agrees. The next morning, Alison comes into Billy's room to apologize for ditching him the previous night. He angrily shouts at her how used he felt because he rented a tux and the whole nine yards. Billy and Alison agree to bring the cake to Jane's party, but Billy says he's going separately, giving Alison a guilty feeling. At Jane's party, Billy ditches Alison immediately. At the apartment, Alison comes down to apologize to Billy for the ball. Billy starts giving her double fudge cookies, Keith and Alison's U2 CD with their song, and monkeying around with her.

Jane is measuring Rhonda for a wedding dress and Syd comments that Jane's train was so long you could put passengers on it. Jane gives her a dirty look and she leaves. Rhonda explains that maybe it would be best for them only to talk at family functions, like she and her brother. Jane comes home on a rainy night to find Michael in the sack with Sydney. She awakens to find it was a nightmare and she's overslept. She's late for work but Syd has already called Kay for her. Michael is planning a surprise party and Syd convinces him to ask Kay to hold it at the shop. Later, at the studio, Jane asks Syd to fetch her some lunch and she refuses because Kay might need her. Jane tells her to get lost and kiss butt, or whatever she's here to do. Jane is coming home from a jog in the morning, explaining to Michael that she feels she needs to kick Sydney out. She recalls when the family learned Syd had a heart murmur and everyone was on edge to help her, and how Syd milked it for all it was worth. Michael encourages her to give it one more night, a night on the town, just the two of them to talk things out. Jane and Syd go out to Shooters and start fighting:
SYDNEY: This is what we should've done right away, right from the start. Girls' night out, just the two of us, just to talk.
JANE: Mm-hm.
SYDNEY: Mm-hm?? You always said that when you didn't agree, but you had to. You never change, Jane.
JANE: Neither do you, Syd.
SYDNEY: Sure I have. Maybe that's been our whole problem. You still think of me as this little kid.
JANE: Sydney, your whole life, you've been able to do whatever you want. I was always left with the wreckage, mom, dad and I.
SYDNEY: Three against one.
JANE: No one was ever against anyone, you just had this way, and you still have this way, and if you really want to know, it's starting to get in the way.
SYDNEY: My fault again.
JANE: I'm not saying that.
SYDNEY: Jane, you're blaming me for everything that's not working in your life.
JANE: I am NOT blaming you.
SYDNEY: C'mon, you don't think I hear you talking to Michael? You smile to my face, and then you dump all your real feelings behind my back. The reality is, you can't accept how well I'm doing, or even that I'm doing well at all.
JANE: That is not true!!
SYDNEY: Then why can't you just be happy for me? Why does there always have to be this tension?
JANE: Because I think you're trying to steal my life. Yeah, that's what I think. I think you've always been jealous, and now you see some kind of opening.
SYDNEY: I'm that terrible?
JANE: You picked this fight. You deliberately provoked me.
SYDNEY: You provoked yourself.
JANE: This was obviously a mistake. I'm going home.
When it's time for Jane's party, Syd shows up without Jane because of the fight. A guy grabs Sydney to buy her a beer. Michael brings Jane to the party later and she goes to Sydney and tells her to get out of the apartment by the next night. They just don't get along, it's nobody's fault, that's just the way it is and she's tired of fighting it. As Sydney is leaving, she gives Jane a note so she can leave without any fanfare. Syd confesses she wanted to ruin Jane's party, she didn't mean to but she couldn't control herself. She wanted to hurt Jane. She wants to be like Jane and all she got was lowered expectations. All she ever heard was "Why can't she be more like Jane?" Jane heard, "What are we going to do with Sydney?" Jane said that we are who we are. Syd is proud of herself because she has some direction now, and Jane welcomes the competition. Syd says she's leaving in Billy's cab. They both say their I love you's and then hug each other bye.
Listen to Jane and Sydney fight.
Listen to Jane and Sydney fight again.
Listen to Jane and Sydney sort of make up.
Watch Jane and Sydney hug.

Jake tells Jo at Shooters that Charles Reynolds was in the complex looking for her. He told Charles he had never heard of her. Jo runs away saying, "I've got to get out of here." At the apartment, Jo confesses to Jake that she's still married but she thought time would settle in and she could divorce Charles. Jo begs Jake to leave, explaining that its her problem and she'll deal with it. She calls (Charles' parents, I think) and asks where he's staying. Jo goes to the Bel-Age, where Charles is staying and he explains that he's been in rehab and part of the treatment is to find the people he's hurt and apologize. He begs to take her to lunch. Jo comes down the apartment stairs to tell Jake that she understands he's confused, but she is as well. She says she just can't spend four years with someone and not give a damn later. She says she cares about him, but she also cares about the past. It's her problem and Jo says she will handle it. At lunch, Charles apologizes to Jo for not encouraging her to pursue photography to begin with. Jo says she forgives him, but wants to get on with her life. Charles says he's leaving town on Sunday and begs Jo for a tour of the city. Jake is watching TV with Billy, frustrated because he really cares for Jo and she's slipping away and he's doing nothing. He ponders whether or not he deserves all this for the hearts he's broken. He tells Billy to turn off the TV when he hears Jo and Charles talking outside. He looks through the blinds just in time to see them kiss. Jo explains to Alison, who can't believe what she's hearing, that she's starting to see the man she fell in love with again. Jake shows up and asks Jo to Jane's surprise party. She declines because she has other plans. Jake leaves Jane's party early to go home and tell Jo how he feels. Charles and Jo are having drinks and he asks if there's someone new in her life, because he needs to know to deal with it. Jo confesses she's been seeing Jake, but nothing serious. Charles shows Jo his hand, indicating he's not jealous at all. Jo later finds Jake swimming in the pool late and night. He is angry because he's just letting this mess with Charles happen and how he's worried about Jo and he's fallen in love with someone that he's losing. Jo shouts what a mistake it was for her to come down there. Jake comes back with the fact that Jo came out here to escape and now she's running back to the same thing she ran away from. Jo tells Jake to go to hell, running back into her apartment to start crying. Charles shows up at Jo's door later that night, drunk as the day is long. He barges in looking for Jake, saying she had no business fooling around with Jake while they're still married. Charles is angry because Jo has been "leading him on" and starts attacking her. He says she "owes" him for what she's put him through, how humiliated he was when she left. Jo starts crying. Charles says that she's not worth it, because she was nothing before she met him, and now she's still nothing. Charles leaves to find Jake at the bottom of the stairs, who has heard stuff. Jo orders both of them to leave her alone. Charles heads to a cab. Jo comes to the Bel-Age just as Charles is leaving to tell him she's filing for divorce. Jo declares she's getting on with her life no matter how hard it is and she deserves this chance. Charles gives her several dollar bills, saying "This is what I owe you. This is what I give all my whores." Jo gives this money to the bellboy, saying Charles is a good tipper, and not much of anything else. Jo goes home to Jake to find him working on his Harley. She explains that it will be a long time before she can commit to anyone and asks him if he wants to take a ride up the coast later. He accepts, and they kiss and make up.
Listen to Jake and Jo's fight.
Watch Charles' attack on Jo.

Matt expresses some concern to Rhonda that she is trying too hard to change herself for Terrence. She's given up several things that she holds dearly to plan the wedding of the century. Rhonda is in Matt's apartment, questioning why he's been avoiding her. He explains that he's scared of finding someone right, he's been preparing himself for something he's afraid to go after. Matt then says how scared he is to lose Rhonda. Rhonda tells him she's scared to take this step that fast, but they won't lose what they have. Matt asks if she's happy. Rhonda says, "Only if you're happy for me." Matt asks if she has a best man and she says, "I've never heard of a bride having a best man." Matt: "You have now." Rhonda: "Cool!! To hell with tradition." Matt: "That's what I say."

The Stuff You May Have Missed:

  • At the ball, the first song we hear by the band is a rendition of Gloria Estefan's "Conga."
  • As Jo is calling Charles on the phone, we can see a framed pencil sketch of a terrified woman on the wall. This is obviously used to symbolize Jo's pain.
  • The place where Charles underwent rehab is the Mosby Clinic.
  • When Alison enters Billy's room to apologize, we can see a horse statue on his shelf.
  • Alison has a poster that says "One bad ad can ruin your whole day" on the main room wall.
  • Billy orders moo shu (something) and sizzling rice soup from a Chinese restaurant. He also references The Simpsons and Magnum P.I. to describe how women are always the ones in control.
  • When Jane returns from her jog, we can see a box of Life cereal on top the refrigerator.
  • The time for Jane's party is 7:00 PM. Obviously, this had to have been in the winter. It's pitch dark at the party.
  • Billy makes a reference to Alison and Keith's song being "One" by U2. Very true. It played at the start of episode #14: "Drawing the Line." I think this is the first time the opening song from an episode has been mentioned in another episode.
  • As many of you probably know, Laura Leighton is actually two years younger than Josie Bissett. She obviously talked in a high pitch during these episodes to make herself sound younger. And her height also helps with that.
  • I'm wondering if they didn't get Sydney's name from Sydney Walsh, the actress who played Kay Beacon. Remember, Kay came before Sydney. Something to think about.
  • Larry Poindexter (Danny Baker) played the recurring part of Cooper Hayden on the 1987-1989 sitcom Duet. It was one of Fox's earliest series and co-starred Matthew Laurance, whom most here know as Mel Silver on 90210.
  • I, in agreement with Melroseman, would bet money that Lucy's date is actually her real-life husband, MP producer Chip Hayes. Who else would have taken upon this role?

    My Vents:

  • Rhonda mentioned having a brother. That's up in the air. Her character just wasn't in the show enough to develop family storylines.
  • Charles says he wants to have "just lunch" with Jo. Pretty soon "just lunch" is not going to mean "just lunch."
  • If only Jane knew that her worst nightmare was about to come true. Poor Janey!!
  • Little does Jake know how soon the blinds are going to become very useful for spying on your neighbors.
  • Jane said that Sydney has had a heart murmur. Funny how they never mentioned that again.
  • Jo tells Alison never to go out with anyone in the building. If only everyone had listened to that advice later on. But then again, where would Melrose be?
  • What if Jane had kept Sydney away from L.A. for good? Perish the thought!!
  • Linden Ashby did a pretty good job in his role. Who would've thought that 4 1/2 years later, he'd be back to haunt us?
  • Again, it's obvious that this is where Sydney's initial problem started. Always feeling like second best against Jane. Hmmm, maybe if Jane had tried to understand Syd this time around instead of pushing her away, then maybe.... nah, it wouldn't be Melrose if that were true.
  • WHY is Jo dumb enough to go out to drinks with Charles? That's what caused the problems to begin with.
  • That scene with Billy acting like a monkey to make up with Alison is enough to make me want to lower this show's score. What in the world was that all about?? How lame!!
  • How odd that Jake is the only one who heard Jo screaming when Charles was attacking her.
  • Brilliant performance by Daphne Zuniga in this episode!! The hurt she was feeling was very convincing.

    Memorable Quotes:
    "We're platonic. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. We're not brother and sister. We're not gay and we're not weird. We're just roommates." -- Billy Campbell

    "Women are always the ones in control. Check out The Simpsons. Have you ever seen Homer say anything bright? What happened to shows like Magnum P.I.?" -- Billy Campbell

    "Alison, good advice: Never go out with anyone in the building." -- Jo Beth Reynolds