From: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>

LOVING Update for Friday, February 24:

Today's show didn't break down into storylines neatly, so here's the
chronological viewpoint.

[At Jeremy's house.]
Casey is wandering around, waiting for Jeremy.  He looks at the art
 and plunks a few notes of "Chopsticks" on the piano.  Jeremy enters,
 glad that Casey found the key.  It was under the mat; Jeremy figured
 that was so obvious that a burglar would never look there.
Jeremy asks how the meeting went.  Casey says, "you tell me."  He says
 he appreciates Jeremy's offer to stay there, but he can't if Jeremy
 continues "messing around with my life."
[At the Bowmans' house.]
Ally is telling Stephanie that she hopes Casey will come back.  Stephy
 says "of course" he will come back.  Ally says she doesn't believe in
 "of course" any more.  Stephanie tells her to think positively.  Ally
 says no, she has to think "practically."  Such as, how will she get
 money now?  Stephanie offers to lend her money; Ally declines, saying
 she is perfectly capable of getting a job.  "Actually --"  Stephanie
 stops.  Ally asks, "Actually *what*?"  Stephy doesn't want to tell her;
 she makes Ally promise that she'll still be her friend.  Stephy says
 that her mother is looking for help at Le Bistro.  She says Deborah is
 desperate and, even though this isn't her first choice for Ally, it is
 available.  Cooper, having heard that, enters and says, "Stephanie,
 some jokes aren't funny."
[At Le Bistro.]
[There is a "GRAND RE-OPENING / UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT" sign hanging in
 the window, facing *in* (ah, the magic of TV).]
Deborah is talking on the phone to the newspaper, complaining that she
 hasn't gotten any response to the ad.  A customer complains that he
 wanted coffee ten minutes ago.  "_Tout suite_!"  She asks the newspaper
 person to run the ad again, this time where someone might actually see
 it.  She slams down the phone, disgusted with how rude the person was.
Ava breezes in and meets Alex.  She apologizes for being late.  She is
 complaining that she ordered the wrong shirts, wrong colors and wrong
 sizes and wishes that just once she would order the right shirts, the
 right colors and the right sizes.  Alex interrupts, saying there are
 some subjects they agreed not to talk about: "your job at Burnell's and
 my -- lack of a job."  "Oh.  Right."  The terms were that the violator
 has to pay the other person $1.  Alex asks for payment.  Ava says that
 he shouldn't throw money around like that; he's unemployed.  Alex says
 she owes him $2 now.  Ava says it isn't fair but pays up.  Alex says
 that he is unemployed now, so he has to get his money where he can.
 [Uh, shouldn't that have cost him $1?]  Ava says that even though he
 isn't a cop now, that doesn't mean he has to be a *crook*.  Alex says
 he doesn't intend to stay unemployed, and that on his next job, she
 won't have to worry about him being in danger.
Jacob enters, holding the newspaper.  He looks around with a "this isn't
 my kind of place" look.

Ava asks if Alex knows him.  "No."  Ava starts to ask Alex another
 question, but stops when she realizes it would cost her another dollar.
 Alex gives her a "ten-second time out."  Ava says that even though he
 isn't a cop any more, he still gives strangers the once-over.  Alex
 denies he gave him the once-over.  Suddenly, Ava turns around and says,
 "Look!  He's up to something!"  "What?"  "He's casing the croissants."
 She laughs.  She says that if he was on the force, he would have real
 criminals to worry about.  Alex looks at his watch and says that her
 ten seconds were up about five seconds ago and she owes him another
 dollar.  "Good thing *I* am working, or I wouldn't be able to afford
 this conversation."  Alex says dessert's on him.
Deborah, working hard, sees Jacob at the counter.  She asks if she can
 help him.  He says he might actually be able to help her, and flashes
 the newspaper.  She asks if he has any experience.  "Peeps.  Some of
 which I can even tell you about."  Deborah says that she will call him
 when she decides to open a comedy club.  He becomes serious and says
 that he has waited tables before.  She says she had something else in
 mind.  "Ah.  A little too *brown* for you?"  "I didn't mean anything
 like that, and I resent the fact that you think I am some sort of --"
 He interrupts, "racist."  He says the thought hadn't occured to him.
 She says she was really looking for something a little more "French."
 Jacob dashes off a long sentence in French with ease, then says he
 might have an old beret laying around somewhere.  She says that is
 very good and she will definitely keep him in mind.  The customer
 complains about the coffee again.  Jacob grabs the coffee pot from
 Deborah, goes over to the customer, and pours him a cup.  The customer
 is happy; Deborah's jaw drops to the floor.
[At the Bowmans' house.]
Stephanie says she was serious about the job.  Cooper says he hears that
 the Marquis de Sade is looking for an assistant and suggests that she
 look into that.  Ally says she will make more money waitressing than
 babysitting, and she needs to work around school.  Cooper says that the
 added money would be offset by the therapy bills she would have from
 being around Deborah so much.  Ally says she can handle herself.  He
 offers money.  Stephanie says she already tried that; Ally says she is
 not going to accept money from them or anyone else.  "Consider it a
 loan, then."  "No, I want to do this on my own."  They decide to go
 before the job is filled.  Ally leaves to call Kate to have her watch
 Tyler.
Cooper says, "She isn't going to need therapy, she's going to need an
 elephant gun."  Stephanie says that her mother isn't *that* bad, and
 Ally needs friends who support her.  Besides, Stephanie feels guilty
 that they are so happy and Ally is so miserable.  They hug.
[At Jeremy's house.]
Casey says it wasn't Jeremy's place to bring Ally to the meeting.  He
 says Casey should have seen her state before she saw that.  He promises
 not to interfere again, but that it helped Ally to see him getting some
 help, on his own.  "You should understand that, after all your father
 went through."  Casey says he thought Jeremy said he wasn't like his
 father.  Jeremy says that in many ways, he isn't like his father, but
 in many ways, he is.

[At the Bowmans' house.]
Cooper says she shouldn't feel guilty about being happy.  She knows, but
 she can't help it.  He says it doesn't help Ally.  He asks if he should
 make her miserable instead.  She says there is no way he could do that.
 He says he might surprise her.  Stephanie says that whenever she is
 around Ally, she feels like she has to hide her happiness.  He says she
 isn't fooling her.  She says she is tired of hiding it; she wants to
 tell everyone how happy they are, and that they are getting married.
 Stephanie asks why he wants it kept secret.  Cooper says maybe he is
 superstitious; that it will go better the longer it is kept secret.
 She says it is already out in the open: she thinks Deborah told Clay
 because he sent her a bouquet of flowers at the agency.  Cooper is
 angry.  She says it is "only" a bouquet of flowers.  He says there is
 no such thing as "only" with Clay.  She says that Gwyn said Clay is
 beginning to turn over a new leaf.  "Yeah, right."  She says that she
 doesn't believe it either, but who cares, Clay can't hurt them now.
 Cooper says, "Not that he hasn't tried."  Stephanie says that Deborah
 can't hurt them now, *noone* can.  Cooper says, "OK."  She wants him
 to say it.  Cooper says, slowly, "Noone can hurt us ever again."  She
 wants him to "go public" with their engagement.  He agrees.  They kiss.
 Ally enters and sees them.  She smiles.
[At Le Bistro.]
Ava is complaining about the service; they ordered twenty minutes ago.
 Alex, counting a handful of $1 bills, asks what her rush is.  She says
 she has a --.  He asks, a *what*?  She says she has a -- wonderful
 and kind husband -- and very little cash left.
Jacob approaches and tells the _monsieur_ and _dame_ something in French
 about their meal.  Ava asks, "What?"  "The service sucks today."
 Jacob grabs a loaf of bread from a nearby vacant table and brings it
 to them, hoping it will tide them over.  Then, he realizes that this
 won't help as he hits it on their table and it sounds a "thud."  He
 says there ought to be a law -- no, there *is* a law.  He leaves the
 bread on the table, wishing them _bon appetit_, then saying that he is
 not responsible.  He leaves.
Alex wonders who he is.  Ava says she doesn't know, but she could use
 him at Burnell's.  *Oops*.  Another dollar changes hands.  Ava grabs
 another dollar anticipating what she wants to say -- that Deborah needs
 a little Burnell's at Le Bistro -- new linens and china.  Alex suggests
 that she sell her some.  Ava says she plans to, right after lunch.  She
 realizes that was another mistake as Alex (more or less) accuses her
 of inviting him to lunch for the purpose of conducting business with
 Deborah.  Ava hands him her few remaining $1 bills.  Alex continues,
 "Normally, you wouldn't come within 50 miles of this place unless it
 was to smack Deborah or sell her something."  Ava dumps out her change
 onto the table.  "Take all that I have!"  Alex says she is making a
 scene.  "So throw me in jail."  "I can't.  I don't belong on the force
 any more."  Alex hands Ava a dollar.  She tells him to go back to the
 force.  "Why?  My wife is rich."  Alex grabs the dollar back.
A tall man dressed in a suit and tie with a topcoat enters.  Deborah
 rushes to him, saying, "Bonjour, bonjour," and asks how she can help
 him.  The man pulls a gun from his pocket and demands all of her money.

[At Jeremy's house.]
Jeremy says they didn't finish their conversation yesterday.  He says
 he doesn't believe he inherited Giff's illness.  There are, however, a
 lot of good things he *did* inherit.  "Like what, his home in Malibu?"
 "No, his strength, which you're trying to convince me you don't have."
 Casey says he didn't think his father was very strong.  Jeremy says he
 didn't see Giff when he had a career and a young son.  He says it took
 strength for Giff to simply go on every day, and compares that to Casey
 not using drugs the other night.  Casey admits, "I guess so."  Jeremy
 says he knew his work before he knew him.  He remembers a painting he
 once saw in a gallery: mountains and pine trees and snow.  Casey says
 the Rockies were one of his favorites, and that he painted it when he
 lived in a commune with Casey's mother, and that painting reminded Giff
 of her.  Casey wonders why he ever sold it.  Jeremy says that Giff was
 having a tough time, financially.  He knew that Casey wanted a 35 mm
 camera for his birthday, so he decided to sell the painting.  Casey
 looks saddended by that news, saying he never told him that.  Jeremy
 says that was part of Giff's strength.  Casey says that camera got him
 interested in photography, but look at him now: no career, no camera.
 Jeremy asks what happened to his camera.  Casey says he traded it for
 that pipe he never smoked.  He asks, "I'm a great businessman, aren't
 I?"  Jeremy says artists aren't supposed to be great businessmen.  He
 asks if Casey wants that camera back.  "I'd like my life back."  OK,
 says Jeremy, one thing at a time, but how about that camera?  Casey
 laughs.  Sure, but there's no point talking about it.  Jeremy says he
 has a confession to make: he messed around in Casey's life again.  He
 figured the dealer would trade the camera for cash, Ally remembered
 the make, and there only two pawn shops in Corinth.  Jeremy pulls the
 camera out of his bag.  "From me to you, and from now on, I promise I
 will butt out."  Casey just stands there, stunned.  [Oddly, he doesn't
 take the camera.]
[At Le Bistro.]
Deborah laughs.  The man says this is no joke.  Deborah asks if he hears
 her laughing.  [Huh?]  She says this is the perfect finale to a perfect
 week -- does he realize what she has been through this week?  He says
 he couldn't care less.  "I am dead broke, I have been threatened with
 a prison sentence, and I cannot find a waiter or a waitress."  He says
 they all have problems.  She proclaims that Clay must have sent him.
 He asks, "Clay who?"  Deborah says that only Clay's diseased mind would
 think of this.  "This is the master stroke, the grand finale, the _coup
 de grace_."  He says he wants money and he wants it fast, and if she
 doesn't give him some, she'll be very sorry.
Cooper, Stephanie and Ally enter.  The man says to be calm and cool or
 be dead.  Stephy asks if she is still looking for a waitress.  Deborah
 says she can't talk right now.  Stephy says Ally needs a job.  Deborah,
 nervously, says she is busy.  Stephy says she thought she was desperate
 for help.  "Stephanie, *please*."  Stephy pushes for a "yes" or "no"
 and they will leave.  The man turns around, exposes the gun to all,
 and tells them, "She said she was busy."
Jacob emerges from the kitchen and sees what is going on.  The man
 doesn't see him.
Ava says she won't even talk to Deborah, if that's what Alex wants.  He
 says he doesn't care.  Ava turns around and sees Ally.  She calls out
 to her.  Ally doesn't turn around.  Ava asks Alex what is wrong with
 Ally -- she acts like she doesn't even see her.  Alex softly tells Ava
 to *turn around*.  When she does, he says that there is a man with a
 gun over there.  Ava doesn't believe him.  Alex says the man has a gun
 and it is pointed straight at Ally.

-----
|      "I'm proud of *every* cheap joke I write!"      |  Bob Willers  |
| -- Mel Brooks, from the Director's Commentary audio  |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|   track of the ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS LaserDisc.  | MY opinions!! |
+-------------------- willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ----+---------------+

