Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Strangers And Brothers
By Niki | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 03.12.2000
Back at the cemetery, we see her toss dirt onto the coffin. As Grace turns away from the grave, Judy's waiting to give her a big hug. Behind them, mourners are starting to shuffle away.
Cut to a cloud of smoke blowing across a black background. The camera pans sideways, and we see the source is Barbara, exhaling her cigarette in the dark on Lily's front stoop. The front door opens, and startled, Barbara quickly drops and stubs out her smoke. Lily joins her on the stoop, and Barbara realizes how instinctive it was for her to ditch the cigarette. She comments that there's no longer any need to hide it -- she can "smoke all she wants and stay up all night drinking gin." Now that's my kinda grandma. Lily asks her mom not to stand outside by herself. She wants Barbara to come inside and say good-bye to Aaron because Judy's about to take him home.
In the kitchen, Judy's waiting for them, and Aaron already has on his coat and scarf. Judy tells them that Aaron wanted to say good-night, and that he'll be back again in the morning. "Dad is with us," Aaron says, to no one in particular. Barbara asks Judy if she thinks Aaron understands everything that's been happening. Judy suggests that Barbara tell Aaron how she feels, he'll understand that. Barbara hesitates, and Lily encourages her to at least try. As Barbara moves toward him, though, Aaron backs away. Rather than delving into her feelings, she tells him that she hopes he has a good night, and he should try to sleep, everybody needs to sleep. She fidgets uncomfortably as she speaks, and Aaron seems to pick up on this, as he begins moving his hands, too. Barbara stops talking and looks back at Judy and Lily for support before saying that she knows it's hard for him, it's hard for all of them with Phil gone. Aaron starts wailing and defensively covers his head. Judy calms him enough that he lowers his hands, but they remain balled into fists. He admits that he's "definitely feeling nervous today" just before Judy leads him out to drive him home.
Later that night, in the Manning living room, Lily, Jake, and Barbara are seated with Manni. Lily says they can go ahead and get started, she just heard Judy pull up. It's time to read Phil's will. Manni begins by saying there are no surprises (of course, that depends on who you are), Phil hasn't left millions to some cat. He then proceeds to go over the restaurant arrangements, in a way that Jake takes issue with, of course. Manni says Phil and Barbara have already "generously given" Lily and Jake sixty percent of the restaurant, and Jake cuts in to say "Sold." Manni corrects himself, apologizing, and adds that "the payments are spread over many years to make it easier" for Jake and Lily. Jake defensively pipes up that the arrangement also was "less of a tax burden" for Phil. It seems Jake already senses things are turning, but he's the only one who does. Manni goes on to explain that Phil wanted his heirs to retain individual control over the estate as a whole. Judy doesn't understand what this means, and as Manni is about to explain, Jake blurts angrily that "[he's] put a lot of years into that restaurant." Manni tells Jake it's not him, it was Phil. "What was Phil?" Judy wants to know. Jake lays it out for her: "[Manni's] saying [he] can be fired. [Manni's] saying even though [Jake] is a partner, the other partners can vote [him] out." He then turns to Manni and says there's no way Phil would have taken that position. Manni apologizes and says it's all in writing. Jake angrily gets ready to leave. Manni says Phil was very sad, but he realized things were never going to go back the way they were. He just wanted to protect his family. "All right, so I'm out of the family?" Jake fumes. Manni and the others try to get Jake to stay, but he's not interested in hearing more. He raises his hands to quiet them and then tells them to "just decide, [he doesn't] even care any more." Then he storms out, slamming the front door behind him.