I feel the need to forewarn you that this episode focuses on a funeral and mental illness, so the recap is a little lighter than usual on snide asides. Some people may consider it a personality flaw, but I just don't have it in me to kick mourners when they're down or get all smart-assed about bi-polar disorder and its effects. Especially since the show has made an earnest effort to present the issues in a sensitive and intelligent manner (thankfully, the writers did not take their cues from Ally). Okay, that's the disclaimer. For those who are still with me, let's plunge into the tear-ridden, character-driven episode (that means nothing much actually happens, but there's lots and lots of talking) that is "Brothers and Strangers".
The show opens with a close-up of Lily, looking like she smells something foul. The camera pans back and we see that she's in the doorway of Phil's hospital room, confronting its emptiness. She reluctantly approaches the bed, where Phil's slippers and a plastic bag containing his belongings sit. Lily gingerly picks up the bag and pulls Phil's watch from it. She holds it to her ear, listening to it tick with a faraway look in her eyes. I think we are meant to be struck by the strangeness of it all -- how this little piece of machinery can continue working while someone as big and dynamic as her father has stopped. Hold on tight, guys, it looks like were in for another tear-jerky ride.
Meanwhile, the Manning house is a typical mourning scene -- people in dark clothes are everywhere, milling around and talking in hushed tones. We follow the camera into the kitchen, where Grace and Zoe are doing battle with a mountain of food. Food, and its distracting properties in the face of death, plays heavily in this episode. Zoe is freaked out by all the "weird people" in the house, and Grace points out that they're "not weird, they're just old." Speaking of the devils, an elderly couple strolls in at that moment, carrying a box of food. "Veal chop," the old man blurts at the girls, smiling. Wha? He proceeds to spin his short yet fascinating tale: Every Thursday, he and his wife had a veal chop at Phil's. Off the menu. "Veal chop" and his wife circle the kitchen and disappear out the door. When they're gone, Zoe asks Grace if she's cried yet. Grace admits she has, a little, but feels weird, like she doesn't know how to let it out. Lily comes in the back door, bearing Phil's belongings. The girls swoop in for a group hug as Lily exclaims over all the food that people have brought. Another person comes into the kitchen and mumbles some unintelligible thing about his relationship with Phil, says he'll miss him, and then leaves. Lily asks the girls how their grandmother is doing, and Grace's answer implies that Barbara is pretty much a zombie. The girls ask if they can escape upstairs.
Cut to Lily trying to fight her way through the crowd -- the house is like a geriatric nightclub. As she jostles her way toward the living room, several people stop to tell her something about Phil, and it's usually food-related. Lily responds as if on auto-pilot, spewing polite platitudes like a pro as her eyes scan the room for her mother. Finally she spots Barbara sitting alone in the crowd. Judy pops out of nowhere, and the sisters flank their mother on the love seat. Barbara looks decidedly uncomfortable.
We see them in the kitchen, where they've gone to talk privately about funeral arrangements. Lily tells her mother that Phil's now at the funeral home, and Barbara responds by saying that she's "one of those women now, the kind who sit with an empty chair." Somewhat taken aback, Lily and Judy mention that there are still decisions to be made and people to call. Judy says that she has to go see Aaron to prepare him for everything that's about to happen. "What's to prepare?" Barbara asks. "[Phil] was Aaron's father, too," Judy points out with just a hint of contempt. Clearly some Brooks family issues are surfacing, here. Lily jumps in and changes the subject to the funeral, suggesting they have people speak. When she mentions the Tannenbaums, her mother responds disgustedly. Lily then suggests music, an idea her mother scorns, saying that for once in her life, she wants things to be dignified. When Lily says that music is dignified, her mother gets huffy and sweeps out of the room, telling them to do whatever they want. Lily and Judy are stunned, they've never seen their mother behave like such a royal pain-in-the-ass. Judy gets up to leave, and Lily asks if she wants someone to go with her to see Aaron, giving the impression that the visit may not be an easy one. Judy declines, and talk turns to finding a rabbi for the funeral. Lily figures Judy can set it up, seeing as she dated one a while ago, but Judy points out that was just for sex. Bwahaha. I'm sure shocked laughter rings out somewhere in America. Rick steps up behind Judy, carrying two enormous trays of food, and Lily lights up when she sees him. Rick kisses Judy on the forehead and says he's sorry about Phil, and then he slides onto the bench to Lily. She rests her head on his big, strong shoulder. They mention their rabbi dilemma, and he says he knows one. Surprised, Judy asks if he's "even a little bit Jewish." Nah, he knows a guy in his building who happens to be a rabbi. Grace and Zoe come flying into the kitchen at this point, and Rick deftly slips off the bench and out of the way as they descend on Lily, complaining how the geriatrics are invading the upstairs like some kind of disease. Seems someone had the nerve to use their toilet without asking. Zoe then asks Lily if it's okay that she hasn't cried yet, and Lily assures her that there a lot of ways to be sad.
Cut to Rick winding his way through the house, balancing the two huge food trays. As he passes a line of seniors in the hallway, "veal chop" snags a slice of cheese from one of the trays and Rick pauses just long enough to fall victim to yet another rendition of the Thursday-night-veal ritual. Trying to look interested, Rick smiles and says "okay" before making a speedy getaway. As he turns around, he almost walks right into Jake, who's just come through the front door carrying what looks to be a monstrous bundt cake. Rick extends Jake his condolences just as Lily comes onto the scene. Rick gestures that he can take Jake's cake, somehow overlooking the fact that he's already juggling two heavy trays, and he walks off in search of somewhere to put everything.
As Jake and Lily talk Rick pops into the corner of the screen behind Lily, spins around and walks off in another direction. He's clearly having trouble finding room, and only the lamest among us wouldn't realize this little dilemma is meant to represent the larger situation at hand. Jake is telling Lily that he felt like Phil was his own father, and Lily says, "Yeah, well he sure loved you." Jake spots "veal chop" and, always working, points at him and assures him that nothing's going to change as far as Thursday nights are concerned. I wipe a tear from my eye, cursing Jake and his sentimentality. Jake leaves in search of the kids, and Rick circles back with his arms still piled with food. Lily spots him and leads him to an empty table nearby, which he somehow failed to notice. Once his arms are freed, he tells Lily he's going to head out, even though she begs him to stay. He realizes she's up to her eyeballs in family responsibilities, and there's really nothing for him to do but get in the way. Pouting, she tells him to go, and then asks him to call her later. As she turns back toward the living room, she sees something that stops her cold: Jake very cozily chatting up her mother.
Cut to a suitcase lying on a bed. The camera pans up to Barbara, fiddling around with its contents. From the doorway, Lily asks what she's doing. She's picking out the clothes for Phil to be buried in. Lily tells her she and Judy can take care of it, but Barbara doesn't seem to hear her. She answers that she's not taking all these clothes back with her, and mutters that Jake and Lily's "young man" are too tall for them. From the bed, Judy pipes up in a semi-accusatory tone that Aaron is Phil's size. Lily asks if they have to talk about Aaron just then, and Judy answers that they do. Barbara says, "He's very sick," as if that's the end of it, and Judy answers "He has his ups and downs." Judy speaks as if her mother is an idiot, and Barbara clearly resents it, saying "[She's] his mother, [Judy] doesn't think [she] know[s] that?" Judy apologizes and says quietly that she can't even imagine what Barbara is going through. Barbara says coldly "No, my dear, you can't." She goes on to say that she doesn't think Aaron can survive the funeral, and Judy defends him by pointing out that he's survived years in the mental health system. Barbara heads for the door, telling Judy to "do what [she] wants, [she's] always known what's best." Somehow, I don't think she means it. Judy leaves to pick up Aaron, and Lily's left alone in the room. Sighing heavily, she sinks onto the bed.
A man steps tentatively into the doorway. It's Manni, Phil's longtime friend and lawyer. He tells Lily a story about the night she was born, how Phil called him up, mock worried Lily'd grow up to look like "Aunt Esther," and saying that he'd love her anyway because "he'd never known there was love like this." Smiling but teary, Lily thanks him and then says she has to get back downstairs. Manni asks her to wait a minute, because there's something they need to discuss. He tells her he'd spoken to Phil twice a week for forty-six years, and that he knows all about her situation with Jake and the restaurant. Manni says that Phil liked Jake, but he didn't trust him. Lily snaps to attention like she's had a jolt, and Manni rehashes how the restaurant is divided between her mother's forty percent, and her and Jake's share of sixty percent. He tells Lily that if she's ever unhappy with how Jake is running things, she and her mother can team up and fire him. Lily is stunned. "Fire Jake?!" she repeats. In a surprising show of empathy, Lily wonders what Jake would do without the restaurant. Manni points out that Jake should have started worrying about that a while ago, and that it's not her concern.
After commercials, black-and-white Barbara is waiting for us with a big smile. She tells us a creepy little tale about the double-suicide fantasy she and Phil supposedly shared. They'd break into the Smithsonian and steal the Spirit of St. Louis, fly halfway to Paris and then jump. They knew it would be hard on the girls, she admits (notably overlooking Aaron), but at least they'd die together. Lovely.
The black-and-white image of a beaming Barbara slowly fades to a color shot of her staring ahead stone-faced. Jake comes into the doorway behind her, puts a hand on her shoulder, and lets her know they're all there for her. Lily and the girls come down the staircase and Barbara asks Zoe if that's the dress she's going to wear to Phil's funeral. Nice. Zoe's already got a complex over the fact that she hasn't cried; now she gets to feel like a dork, too. Lily insists that Zoe's dress is fine, but Barbara says Phil really liked the "blue velvet" and babbles on about "little bluebirds" or something. Lily won't budge on the issue, and Grace hugs the wall, watching the tension fly. Zoe asks once more if there's something wrong with her.
Through the funeral home's glass doors, we watch the family trudging up the snowy sidewalk. It may be a synagogue rather than a funeral home, I'm not sure. As they reach the doors, a young man approaches Lily and introduces himself as the rabbi Rick knows. I'm sure he told her his name, too, but I didn't catch it and frankly didn't think it that important. Lily introduces the rabbi to her mother, and he puts his arm around her, telling her he is there to help with anything she needs.
Cut to the family coming through heavy wooden doors, and stepping up the synagogue's aisle. Yes, now I've decided that it was a synagogue. Anyway, they make their way single-file toward the front, where Phil's casket awaits. The camera is behind the casket, so we get to witness everyone's reaction like a voyeur. Barbara leans over, kisses his forehead, and sniffs.
Black-and-white Lily pops up to tell us about the night Zoe was born. The baby was coming early, and Lily couldn't find Jake anywhere, so her dad went to the hospital with her instead. He stayed even after Jake showed up. I don't really find that last part all that surprising, but she's in mourning, so I'll let it go.
Back at the synagogue, Lily's in front of the casket, and she breaks down. She sobs really hard and covers her face, and I think she says something about what is she going to do now. Jake steps up and rubs her arm. It's very convincing, and I can feel myself getting misty, dammit. I can't wait for this emotional wringer to be over so the show can get back to normal and we can maybe see Grace's hot young thing again, and maybe find out whatever happened to Judy's fling, Mr. Married. Okay, sadness has passed. Back to the show at hand.
Jake is in line, so of course black-and-white Jake pops up first to give us some background on his relationship with Phil. He says Phil was the first grown-up he ever met who didn't look worried when he came into the room. "He liked me," Jake says simply, with a smile.
By contrast, at the casket Jake looks very somber. Grace approaches , and bursts into sobs at the sight of her grandfather. After Grace comes Zoe. Her nose is scrunched and she looks really uncomfortable as she says "Grandpa?" Immediately, she starts backpedaling, saying she doesn't feel so good, and she asks Jake to take her out because she's going to be sick.
Cut to Lily walking out of the synagogue. She spots Judy and Aaron standing a little way down the hallway. Aaron is slouched over with his head down. Most of the time, his arms are wrapped tightly around his chest, but he lifts his hands once in a while to cover his face or rub his head. He's obviously feeling tense and overwhelmed, and Judy appears to be giving him a pep talk. Lily approaches, and Aaron's arm flies up to shield his face. Lily just smiles softly, and Aaron relaxes a little. He's unable to make eye contact, so he stares at the floor while telling his sisters he's really lucky to have them. Judy tells him hearing that makes them feel really good. Aaron immediately launches into a story about Roger, a guy at his group home, who has six sisters, and two of them are twins. But they don't know Roger. Aaron says Lily and Judy make him really lucky because they're a team. And his case worker, Sheila, she's also the best, she's like the "Babe Ruth of case managers." Aaron then jumps back to Roger, telling them that he's a Jesus fanatic, it's all the guy wants to talk about. Aaron tried to talk to Roger about Phil and the funeral, but "forget it -- that was a subject that just wouldn't stick." Roger's consuming passion is Jesus, which "frankly, can get pretty boring." When Lily and Judy laugh at this comment, Aaron relaxes a little more and looks pretty pleased with himself. Aaron and Judy tell Lily that he's a little bit nervous, and Aaron's hands get fidgety. Lily responds by telling Aaron that she feels better for having seen him, and then she pulls him close to thank him for coming. She also tells him that she knows Phil would be really happy that he came.
Here's black-and-white Judy's take on the scene: She can't believe how beautiful the two of them are at that moment, standing there like a single unit.
Back in the hallway, Judy notices Barbara and calls out to her. She leads Aaron over to their mother, but when Barbara moves toward him, Aaron heads for the wall. He presses up against it and shields his face with his hands. The more Barbara tries to talk to him, the more he withdraws. She looks very sad. Barbara takes a step back from Aaron to ask Judy how he's doing. Aaron pipes up that "[they're] a team. Phil Brooks." Barbara starts to cry.
What follows is a series of short cuts between the family at the cemetery, and people trying to be upbeat as they give eulogies. It begins with a shot of the cemetery, where the day is very gray and bleak, and the burial is about to get underway. People are still moving around, and as the camera pans closer, we see Lily move to Rick for a hug and kiss. Jake is right behind her to shake Rick's hand.
Cut to Manni, standing to a portrait of Phil smiling and raising his glass as if in a toast. Manni says Phil would hate to see anyone looking morose, and remembers a Phil-ism: "When you're down in the dumps, don't order the fish." Everyone laughs, and the camera cuts back to the cemetery. We pan the family as the rabbi begins to sing -- he has a beautiful voice, by the way -- and the camera finally settles on Barbara, who looks stricken.
Manni's voice continues over the cemetery images, and he introduces Phil's favorite song, which was played "at his wedding to beautiful Barbara: I Can't Get Started [by] Bunny Berigan." The sounds of a melancholy trumpet begin, and the song continues to play softly as the rabbi sings and Phil's casket is lowered.
We cut to Phil's hostess from the restaurant, who's tearfully joking that "Phil's not gone, he's just late for his reservation" or something to that effect. Again, everyone laughs.
Almost immediately, we're back at the graveside, where Barbara tosses the first dirt onto Phil's casket, followed by Lily. Zoe is , and as she drops her dirt, we hear her voice-over remembering all of Phil's nicknames for her. There were many of them, and they were all food related.
Cut to Grace, in the midst of her eulogy. She's recounting some of Phil's favorite openers for jokes: A rabbi and a priest, yada yada. She remembers how funny he was, and how "when you were with him, you were funny too" just before she chokes up.
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.
The morning, Lily, Judy, the kids, and Barbara are in the kitchen getting breakfast. Judy is the only one not wearing pajamas. Zoe asks them what does shiva mean? Barbara asks Judy to explain it. "Why me?" Judy asks. "Because I'm not Jewish," Barbara responds, adding that she offered to convert, but Phil liked her as a shiksa (I apologize if I've gotten the spelling wrong, I'm not familiar with the terms). Apparently shiksa is not such a nice word, because Lily exclaims in surprise and looks at the kids. Judy explains to Zoe that a shiva happens when someone dies -- "passes away," Lily interjects -- and people come for seven days to sit with the family and talk and mark the passing of the dead person. "And eat you out of house and home," Barbara irreverently adds. Grace looks freaked: "For seven days?" she asks in horror. "Oh, don't worry, it's not going to be seven days, this is it!" Barbara the cranky widow assures her. "So that's shiva," Judy concludes lamely. Lily changes the subject by telling her mother she's been thinking over the situation, and she thinks Barbara should stay with them for a while since she has no reason to rush back to Florida. Barbara retains her icy cool and tells Lily that she "needs to make a plan" and get on with her life. Judy says Barbara shouldn't push herself, it's a major life transition she's going through, and "there'll be all kinds of feelings." Barbara's chilly calm finally snaps, and she throws down a dishtowel, telling Judy to stop talking about feelings. She says "feelings" like it's a dirty word. Lily, growing accustomed to her role as peacemaker, hops in to steer the conversation back to her mother's living arrangements. Barbara has her head down, her fingers pressed to her forehead like she's fighting a headache. "Barbara?" a voice calls from another room. "Oh, geez," Barbara says, recognizing the voice. She's not happy that these people -- the Tannenbaums -- are there. She restates that this is it for the shiva before putting on a big fake smile and heading out to greet her guests. Zoe says she's sorry she asked about shivas. The doorbell rings, and Lily shepherds everyone upstairs to get dressed. "Showtime," Grace says, sounding like she's on her way to an execution.
Cut to a sea of dark suits. The camera pans slowly through them and focuses on Judy and Grace, wedged between two old ladies with big, hard hair. The ladies are talking excitedly at each of them about the funeral and how much Phil would have liked it. Judy and Grace are both sporting glazed expressions, staring straight ahead and clearly planning their getaway. The entire time, the camera keeps moving slowly toward them as if the room is closing in, and we get to share their claustrophobic feelings. A torso standing behind Judy drops food on her head. Grace, having reached her limit, excuses herself abruptly, and Judy's right behind her. The two old ladies lean across the void left on the love seat and begin to yap at each other about what nice girls Judy and Grace are.
Cut to the driveway, where Judy is speeding toward Lily's truck like a woman possessed. She slams the door and lets out a bloodcurdling scream.
Cut to Grace wheeling into the kitchen. She covers her mouth and screams. When she stops, she is startled to find Aaron sitting at the kitchen table. Grace apologizes, saying she didn't know anyone was there. She tells Aaron she thinks all these "boring old people are just [there] for the food." Looking down at the table, Aaron smiles. Grace asks if he's had any lunch, to which he replies "lunch sounds like a plan." Grace asks what he wants, and he replies "just no stew." He goes on to tell her that they've "been on a stew run" where he lives. He can make it, but he's getting pretty sick of it. But stew would be fine. Grace looks at him for a moment before saying they "just won't have stew, then." "Okay," Aaron says, looking infinitely pleased. When Grace turns away to lift a turkey off the counter, Aaron glances over at her. He looks away immediately when she turns back again. Grace reminds him of her name and then, worried she's insulted him, explains she just wants him to know that he can call her Grace if he wants. Aaron smiles at his plate. Grace then tells him about a guy at her school named Aaron, some guy who plays the trombone. She remembers that Aaron played an instrument and asks him about it. "Trumpet," he tells her. Grace says it would be nice to hear him play, and he says that the trouble is, his "fingers aren't necessarily [his] anymore." Grace says she sometimes feels that way, too, like "in some weird way, her extremities are borrowed." Aaron looks like this comment really clicks for him, and he looks directly at her for the first time. They then turn their attention to the food, but there's a new mood in the air -- things seem open and relaxed for the first time.
Cut to Lily in the driveway, heading for the truck where Judy's still hiding out. Both admit they had to get away. Both immediately start crying. Lily asks "Can [Judy] believe what [Barbara] said about shiksas in front of the girls?" Judy responds by stating that she hates Barbara. Then she asks Lily if she really meant what she said, about Barbara staying for a while. Lily says it surprised her, too, and then she sucks it up and leaves the truck to return to the front lines.
In the kitchen, Grace and Aaron have finished lunch, and Grace asks him if he remembers anything from before he got sick. He tells her he remembers "lots -- about Lily." He lights up as he recalls how she used to worry so much about being good, and if she could be good and pretty, which "of course, just made her prettier." He says he remembers "specific beaches" too. Grace asks if he likes the beach. "Of course, who wouldn't?" he replies, and Grace realizes what a dumb question it was -- he may have a mental illness, but he's still a living breathing person who can feel things. Aaron tells her that what he'd like to remember someday is having a job. He wants to feel necessary. Like Phil "used to say, a little too often for [his] personal preference: your plan is your road. And when [Phil] was [his] dad and [he] played the trumpet, the song was I can't get started." "Like yesterday," Grace says, and she puts her hand over Aaron's. He checks his impulse to pull away, looks at her hand for a moment, and then leans over to kiss it.
Cut to Barbara, sitting alone on a sofa among the throng in the living room. Someone hands her a glass of booze, and she asks how they knew it was just what she wanted. The person is Jake, and he settles himself on the carpet to her feet. Barbara talks about Phil in Florida, how he was always bringing people home, and people just seemed to find him. She doesn't sound entirely fond of the memory. Jake says how different things will be now, like how his place is when the girls aren't there. He says he knows it doesn't compare to Barbara's situation, but Barbara says it does. She says "the thing is, you just never know what's going to happen." And yes, in case it isn't clear, Jake is cozying up to Barbara because he knows she's a much softer touch than Lily. I think he genuinely cares about her, but he's no fool -- he's also pretty concerned about himself. He says he does know what's going to happen -- at least in terms of the restaurant. Hey, smooth segue, Jake. You can actually see him shifting into high gear, leaning in toward Barbara and oozing sincerity. He tells her that they're "there" and asks if she can see it; "[they're] open, [they're] making money." "Like before?" Barbara asks. "Even better," Jake assures her. He says he wants to keep it going, to grow it for Phil, for her, for him (oh wait, he didn't actually say that last one out loud). Heck, he wants to grow the business for all of them. He asks Barbara to let him do that. "Oh, Jake," she says, smiling, and you can almost see the hook and line in the corner of her mouth. I Can't Get Started starts playing in the background and continues as we cut to Lily outside, looking very child-like as she runs full-tilt with her arms flung wide.
She runs into Rick's arms, and while I choke back the bile, they walk hand-in-hand to this perfect little playhouse. It has frilly curtains in the window and everything. Inside, she tells Rick that what she really wants is for it to be nineteen-sixty-seven, and to be sitting in her father's restaurant with Aaron wearing his cub hat, and spelling out her name in french fries. Well, what can you say to that? So Rick says, "So Jake built this?" gesturing at the playhouse, and then complimenting it.
In the kitchen, meanwhile, Zoe has joined Grace and Aaron. The sisters are flanking him, much like the old ladies were crowding Grace earlier. The girls are looking at pictures Judy brought and asking him endless questions about them. He's clearly uncomfortable, leaning back from them and wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. He's withdrawing by the second, but the girls don't notice and keep at him and at him and at him and, geez, I feel like losing it just watching them. Grace, talking excitedly, starts waving her hands and gesturing madly, which of course upsets Aaron even more and he flinches, trying to lean even farther back than he already is. His hands start moving up to his head and face, shielding himself from them. In the midst of this chaos, Lily walks in and quietly tells Aaron that she'd like him to meet someone. She pulls Rick closer, and the two men shake hands. Aaron raises himself slightly off his stool as they shake hands, but he keeps his eyes glued to the tabletop.
Zoe touches Aaron's face and tells him he "really should shave." He agrees while ducking his head. Lily gets into looking at the old pictures, and Grace and Zoe start play-fighting over one of them. They're reaching across Aaron to poke and push at one another, and you can feel him growing increasingly tense. Barbara, sensing the girls are getting to him, reaches over Aaron's shoulder to grab at their hands and tell them to stop. Her action rattles Aaron right over the edge, and he pops off his stool, wailing and covering his head. He moves to the far corner of the kitchen, cowering and screaming. Grace starts apologizing and Jake, the hero, rushes in to bring things under control. Talking loudly and moving in on Aaron (which is clearly NOT the thing to do), he suggests that they go outside. Lily moves between him and Aaron, telling Jake he doesn't know what he's doing. Judy comes in and joins Lily between the two men, asking Jake to please go away. Rebuffed, Jake retreats, and the sisters calm Aaron, who's crouching in a ball and saying he's sorry over and over again.
Outside, Jake is taking refuge on the playhouse porch and staring into space. It's obvious he's feeling out of place and pretty blue. He looks up when he hears the front door close, and sees Rick standing on the sidewalk, about to leave. The two look at each other for a moment, not sure of what to say, until Jake breaks the silence by asking Rick if he smokes. When Rick says "not for about fifteen years," Jake says bitterly that no one smokes anymore, and "these days people make you feel like a criminal just for trying to bum a smoke." Another quiet moment passes as they try to think of something to say. Jake breaks the silence again by saying, "He was a big, loud, aggressive schmuck. But I liked him." He's referring to Phil, and it's clear that he's hurt Phil didn't trust him in the end. He rubs his hand over the playhouse porch and tells Rick that he built it. Man, the guy is so obviously lost and looking for some place to claim, it's impossible not to feel for him. And since Rick is super-humanly sympathetic and understanding, he recognizes what Jake is feeling and nods sadly.
Cut to the dining room, where Lily, Judy, Aaron, and his case manager, Sheila, are sitting and talking. Sheila says that Aaron is "doing wonderfully, considering," and reminds them of all the support he has -- everyone at the home, the two of them, and their father, who never gave up on him the way some parents (ahem, Barbara) do. Sheila tells them that every Thursday, Phil would pick up Aaron and take him to the restaurant. They'd sit in a front booth, and Phil would proudly introduce everyone to his son. Lily and Judy are surprised and touched by the story. Lily says she had no idea, because Thursdays were always Jake's day off.
Later that evening, Barbara and Lily are fiddling around in the kitchen when Judy returns from dropping Aaron back at the home. "He's okay," she tells Lily. As she walks past her mother, Judy says "He's okay, not that anybody asked." Barbara follows her into the dining room, angrily asking her what she just said. "Did you just ask me why I don't treat my son right?" she demands. Judy says simply that Aaron is Barbara's son. Offended, Barbara tells Judy she knows nothing about it, about "the years of [her] life in that boy." Lily tries to intervene yet again, but her mother turns on her, too, saying that neither she nor Judy knows anything about her. She accuses them of being just like Phil and remembers the "thousands of times [she's] gone into a room" only to have the conversation and laughter stop. She tells them they shut her out. Judy tells Barbara they loved her but she was hard to get close to -- she always had a "right way" of doing everything. Barbara is hurt by this, reminding them she never punished or belittled them, they had no reason to protect themselves from her. Lamely, Lily tells her they're "here for [her] now. [They] see [her] now." The phrase "too little too late" comes to mind. Barbara tells them she's terrified, and Lily reassures her that she and Judy are behind her. Incredulous, Barbara says "I'm supposed to count on you now?" She says she needs help, and "all [she] can say is thank God for Jake!" KAPOW. Lily looks like the wind's been knocked out of her. Barbara says Jake talked to her and promised he'd take care of everything. Lily makes the rather obvious point that Jake should not have been talking to Barbara. Barbara responds that Jake wants to take care of her in a way that Phil would understand. Lily reminds her mother that she's divorcing Jake, he's no longer her husband, and he's out of her life. "Where does that leave me?" is all Barbara wants to know.
We see Lily and Judy heading for the refuge of the truck. Some of what their mother said got through, and they realize they never made a big enough effort. With an evil smile, Lily says she was thinking that Barbara could move in with Judy. Sure, Judy responds, she could use a roommate, they can double-date. They laugh. Eew, on so many levels. Thankfully, they're both struck by the comment and start crying almost immediately after they laugh. Lily's cellphone rings, and it's Rick. He tells her that he saw Jake when he left earlier, and "he's never seen anyone look so sad." He says "it's like Jake became real to [him] for the first time, what he's lost." Upon hearing this, Lily looks sad, too, and has no response.
Cut to Lily in the kitchen, pulling Phil's watch from his bag of belongings. Then we see her upstairs, in the doorway of her mother's bedroom. Barbara's packing, and she tells Lily she switched her ticket so she can leave the morning. Phil made nine thousand friends in Florida, and she has to do something for them. Lily says again that Barbara can stay as long as she wants, and the conversation eventually turns to Grace and Zoe. Lily says they get so much stronger every day, and that it was Barbara who taught her how to raise strong daughters. She talks about how much her life has changed in the past year, and how she's found strength she never knew she had, and that it was Barbara who taught her to be strong, not Phil. Lily then tells her mother she's trusting Jake just because he's a man. She knows Jake has some wonderful qualities, but he doesn't care about her -- he cares about himself. Lily says she cares about her, and asks her mother to trust her. Barbara asks Lily to help close the suitcase, and for a second it looks like Lily's words have had no effect. When they shut the case, though, they look at each other with tears in their eyes.
Cut to Lily, approaching Jake in the restaurant kitchen. After as short preamble, Jake asks if this is it -- "no more shivas, good-bye Tannenbaums?" (Who are these people, and why does everyone dislike them so much?) Lily says her mother is leaving for Florida, but she talked to her. "Of course you did," Jake replies, bitterness creeping into his voice. Lily tells him Barbara gave her her proxy, and Jake hangs his head in defeat. Lily tells him she can fire him, she can fire him anytime (oh, yeah, she's enjoying this) -- but wait! -- she's "not going to fire him, now." Jake, like the rest of us, wants to know what the hell that's supposed to mean. It means she wants him to keep his promise and make the restaurant a success, for him and all of them. She also wants Aaron to be able to come by like he did with Phil. She wants the whole family to be able to come by, because it's their place. Then she pulls Phil's watch from her pocket, and handing it to him, tells him it was her father's and that she wants him to have it. Jake is genuinely touched -- the gesture seems to indicate that he still has a place, even if he's not married to her -- and he remembers Phil's habit of setting the watch fifteen minutes slow. He asks Lily, "What else?" like he's expecting the other shoe to drop, but she tells him there's "nothing else."
Cut to Barbara on her way out of the Manning house. She says good-bye to the kids, and Judy comes in to get her. Aaron and Lily are waiting on the front stoop, and Aaron huddles up again when he sees Barbara. She tells him she's going back to Florida and that she's going to "have a memorial for [his] daddy." Aaron says he wants to go, and Barbara changes the subject. Aaron repeats that he wants to go. Barbara says "sure [he] does, for [his father], and [they'll] see" if something can be arranged, but she doesn't sound like she means it. She says she should go, she doesn't want to miss her plane. "Mommy -" Aaron says. Barbara says she knows, he wants to come to the memorial for his daddy. Looking into her eyes for the first time, Aaron says "[he] wants to come for [her]." Barbara, along with the rest of us, gets all misty and struggles for something to say. Aaron changes the subject to Roger, the guy at his home. He tells Barbara that Roger's been offered the job of vice-president, but he can't remember for which party. Instead of ignoring his rambling as she has before, Barbara acknowledges what he's said with a little joke: "It hardly matters [which party], it's a lousy job anyway." She then asks Aaron to take care of himself and tells Lily she's ready. "[He's] ready," Aaron echoes with a little laugh. He and Barbara look at one another and smile before she heads to the car. Aaron tries to follow, but Judy holds him back with a hug. "time. Okay, time" he whispers as he and Judy wave good-bye.