Apologies in advance if I don't do the episode justice. I've been wrangling with a nasty headache for the past couple of days, and I'm writing through an Excedrin fog. Mad props to Excedrin, by the way.
Anyway, remember where we left off last week? Rick's apartment was being torn apart by the Chicago Gestapo as he, Lily, and his kids cowered.
This week, we open in the kitchen of Manning Manor, where Zoe is dazzling Lily with the story of a classmate's mom who got arrested once for shoplifting. "But she didn't go to jail," Zoe thoughtfully adds. Lily is chagrined at the mention of the Big House, wondering who said Rick is going to jail. Zoe fingers Grace, and Lily insists that no one, "not even Grace," knows what's going to happen. She points out that Rick hasn't even been indicted. Zoe asks what "indicted" means. Before Lily can explain it, the almost-but-not-quite accused interrupts with a cheery "good morning" as he breezes into the kitchen. Rick mentions that he called the wedding caterer, and that they're faxing menus to his office. Lily says he doesn't have to do that, and he fires back that she's already handling a pile of other wedding details. She suggests that it's not too late to elope, and he jokes, a little bitterly, "Yeah -- you, me, and the District Attorney's office." He dashes around the kitchen for a few seconds, and then heads for the back door, over Lily's protests that he needs to eat something. He promises that he will, later, and she follows him into the laundry room, whispering, "Are you okay?" He insists that he is. She adjusts the collar of his coat and reminds him that she loves him. He kisses her quickly and says he's counting on it.
Soliloquy Rick gives us a quick rundown of his fiscal situation: "I drive a fourteen-year-old car ["I thought that thing was way older than that." -- Niki]; I rent my apartment; I have $23,000 in the bank, out of which I'm supposed to send two kids to college ["More like one kid, if we're really being honest." -- Niki]; I pay alimony and child support and half the mortgage on the house my ex-wife lives in." Your ex-wife and your kids, you mean. But why is he paying alimony? I'm surprised Karen wants it from him, actually. She's a tough cookie and a professional. It just doesn't seem fair, somehow, that one professional has to help support another. Then again, I've never been divorced, so what the hell do I know?
Cut to Karen in her office enjoying a tall, take-out cappuccino. She can afford to be frivolous because she's getting half of Rick's paycheck. She takes a big gulp and oohs, "Oh, god, how can this be legal?" Her assistant flips through a big agenda book and reminds Karen of appointments. Her assistant is now a chick. Where's Sange? The chick tells Karen that Dumanjiak wants to see her today. Karen hangs up her coat, saying, "I gave him all my case files. What else could he want?" "I wonder," her assistant says with a suggestive smile. She teases that she told him Karen would be free for dinner. Karen's ass-pole leaps to attention. "You did not!" she cries in horror. The chick laughs and says she told him two o'clock. Karen sighs that that's fine. The chick prods, "He's cute." Karen retorts, "He's unscrupulous. He used me to try to incriminate Rick." The chick points out that that's his job. "Caroline Dorazzio," Karen snipes, leveling the buttinski with a stink-eye. "I'm going!" Caroline playfully says, knowing she got to Karen. Where the hell is Sange? I like him way better than this Girlfriend Friday.
Cut to Rick and his associates huddled around the Atlantor model, musing about moving walkways and once again proving that "architectural humor" is an oxymoron. Rick gets a call and excuses himself. The associates lean in conspiratorially, flicking their whiskers and doing their best impressions of rats on a sinking ship. Most of them are planning their getaway, but Cho chides them by reminding them how great Rick's been to them over the years. Yeah, well, "great" doesn't pay the mortgage, does it Cho?
Cut to Rick on the phone, saying that "it's not something [he'd] be interested in." Cho wanders over and asks, "Your adoring public?" Rick wearily sighs, "A reporter." Cho leans on the desk and mutters, "The natives are getting restless." And so are Cho's pants, if I'm not mistaken. And I rarely am about such things. Something in the way she looks at Rick says that she sees him with more than employee loyalty. Rick glances over at the huddled masses and assures her that they'll get through it. He insists that Atlantor has too much invested in the project to turn back now. Rick apparently has never heard of "cutting your losses." He says everyone will "just have to hang in there. And so will you." She smiles, "Do I look like I'm going anywhere?" I knew it!
Karen, meanwhile, is entering Dumanjiak's lair, and looking extremely nervous doing so. He thanks her profusely for coming and offers her a cup of coffee, giggling, "The cup is clean. I think." He really does giggle. Like a little girl. She asks how he's doing, and he mistakes the perfunctory question for actual interest, launching into a description of his basketball team's latest performances. Dumanjiak can read by her eyes that she's not really interested, and asks, "I thought you knew basketball. Doesn't your son play?" She says he does, and Dumanjiak asks where. Reluctant to give up even this tidbit of information, Karen warily sips her coffee and says, "He quit." She steers the conversation to the point of the visit. He starts to answer, and then says, with an embarrassed chuckle, "I'm just really happy to see you." She doesn't return the smile. Looking into her cup, she stonily asks, "So you can trick me into revealing more about my ex-husband?" Dumanjiak looks wounded, and stands up, moving around to the other side of his desk. He says he was just trying to do his job. She informs him that the police searched Rick's apartment while her children were there. Dumanjiak leans on the desk and says, "The indictments are coming down today." Karen's breath catches. "And?" she asks after a second. Her eyes are full of fear. Dumanjiak: "Rick's gonna walk." Karen's eyes widen with relief, and she exhales, letting her shoulders slump. She takes another breath, not trusting herself to speak yet. Then she sighs, "Oh, thank god," and looks like she's about to sob. She's puzzled, though, as to why he's telling her. He says he knew it was weighing on her. Her ass-pole gives her a wiggle, and she starts to protest that he's "not supposed to --" He blows it off, "Everyone else leaks around here. Why shouldn't I?" She says she doesn't know "what to do with this information." "Be happy?" Dumanjiak suggests. Karen softens, and thanks him emphatically. He tries the "aw shucks" routine as Karen stammers that she has to tell Rick; she asks if she's allowed to. He says no, but who's going to know? Her ass-pole relaxes into something like a limp noodle. For once, she actually returns his smile. She stands and thanks him again, full of sincerity. He stops her. He studies her face, wanting to say something, but all he can come up with is, "It's nice to see you." Her smile is restrained as she looks at him, shuffles uncomfortably, and then leaves his office. She doesn't hear him berating himself: "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
Over at Rick's office, the associates are heading for lunch. Cho asks Rick whether he wants "the same tuna sandwich he's had all year." Which is a really unfortunate way of phrasing the question. "No, just get me a tuna sandwich," he mutters. Because he's distracted, see? The associates leave and Rick settles at his desk. He sighs. And sighs again. And rubs his mouth, still sighing.
Soliloquy Rick offers us a window on his thoughts: "After my dad died, we had to sell the house, move into an apartment. I worked all through college and spent years afterwards paying off student loans. I can't think of a time when money hasn't been this constant...dread." He sighs. Again.
Karen walks into his office, where Rick's arranged himself in The Thinker's pose. He spots her and coldly says, "Karen. Come in, come in. Sit down." He offers to get her something -- something she "can use against [him]." He snarks out phony offers of computers, just so he can remind her that "they" already took all of them. Karen looks more and more wounded. She steps forward, beseeching, and says she just came from the D.A.'s office. Rick grumbles something. Karen blurts, "You're not going to be indicted." He gives her an appraising stare for a second before saying, a little uncertainly, "I'm not." She assures him it's true. He sighs as he absorbs the news, feeling a thousand pounds of pressure floating off his shoulders. She watches him with something like tenderness. He sighs and absorbs and revels in the relief for several moments, and actually seems to forget she's there. When he remembers, he stares at her and announces, his voice devoid of emotion, "I still hate you for what you did to me." What, her job? Karen's eyes grow sad, and her voice is teary as she says, "Well, I'm, uh, sorry you feel that way." She lowers her eyes, turns, and walks out. Good for her. My ex used to pull crap like Rick just did, and I'll tell you, I could kick Rick in his self-righteous, self-pitying teeth right now. Issues? Who, me?
Cut to Manning Manor, where Grace is watching the evening news. The announcer reads off the story about Atlantor indictments, and Grace calls Lily into the living room to hear it. How does Lily not know by now that Rick didn't get named? Like she wouldn't be the first person he called after Karen left. ["Unless this is more proof that he's shutting her out." -- Wing Chun] Lily pauses outside the living room, not wanting to get any closer to the TV than she has to. She hears keys in the front door and runs to meet Rick, trying to pull him toward the news. He tells her he's not on the list. Her face melts with relief. And again I ask, why the hell didn't he tell her sooner? ["Well, see above." -- Wing Chun] She throws her arms around him, murmuring that she knew everything was going to be okay. Pulling back, she asks, "That's it? It's over?" He nods. She says they have to celebrate. "Why don't we ever have champagne in this house?" she asks. Rick says they'll have to wait until the wedding. His drinking problem gives him a poke in the ribs, but he doesn't notice. "We're getting married!" Lily exclaims and adds, "What a great idea that is!" They hug again.
Grace calls out that "they're talking about Miles Drentell" on TV. The anchor reminds everyone that Miles was head of DAA, an ad agency that "shaped media culture" for years. He now faces up to fifteen years and thousands of dollars in fines for conspiracy and other charges. The news clip shows Miles hobbling down courthouse steps on a cane, assisted by another man. The anchor says that he is terminally ill and may not be well enough to stand trial. The news then cuts to an Atlantor spokesperson, who says that the project is being put on hold until they sort out exactly what happened. "They're gonna bail," Rick mutters, jolted by his flash of insight. He mutters that "they didn't make their last payments. I heard the rumors, but I thought..." Lily pats his shoulder and helpfully says, "Rick, who cares? It's over! Aren't you relieved?" Rick looks anything but. Stunned, he shakes his head a little and murmurs, "I've been working on this project for a year and a half. Everything I have is invested in it. I ruined my partnership. I let David take every other client we had." He adds that he's been so worried about going to jail that he never considered other possibilities. He seems to have forgotten that Grace is in the room. She listens, troubled and looking a little guilty, as if she now fully understands just what it meant when she was fighting him on the project. Lily insists they'll "make it through it." Rick's reaction to her statement of solidarity is to bail. He leaves to go upstairs and lie down. He takes the stairs two at a time, like he can't get out of there fast enough. Don't think Lily doesn't notice. Her troubled expression stays with us as we fade out to commercials.
After commercials, we find Rick and a subdued group of associates gathered around the Atlantor model. He says he just got off the phone wit the CEO, and he suspects everyone knows what he's going to say: the project's suspended, "at least for the time being." No one looks surprised, but a few looks are exchanged. He goes on to say that he appreciates "not just how hard [they] worked, but just how fine that work was." He tries to assure them that the work was not a waste of time, even though it may never be built, but he can't lift his eyes off the table in front of him. He thanks them again when he finishes his speech, and they all hang their heads, perhaps looking under the table for a couple of shovels. They may appreciate his words, but they don't believe them. A receptionist interrupts the solemn hand-shaking to tell Rick he's got a call from Mason Gould. Cho exposits, "The conscience of Chicago," and warns Rick to be careful.
We see the "Conscience of Chicago" sprawled in his desk chair, as he smarms that he might be able to help Rick. He allows that there were a lot of people against the project, but he suspects "there were compelling arguments to be made on the other side." It's the biggest line I've ever heard. He says he's giving Rick "the opportunity to clear [his] name." Rick ponders this for a second before saying, "On television?" The Conscience reminds him what time they air, and Rick hesitates, saying he'll call back.
Cut to Karen in line at a café. Dumanjiak says her name with pleasant surprise, and she spins around, startled. He asks to join her in line, and Karen checks with the guy behind her before agreeing. Dumanjiak rambles that he was on the third floor of her building, and he told himself that if he went to the coffee shop, he'd see her and she'd think he was stalking her. Karen's a little confuddled by the third-floor information, going over in her mind which offices are located there. He smartly changes the subject to congratulate her on halting the Atlantor project. They reach the counter, where Karen orders a "grande non-fat cap with an extra shot." Dumanjiak asks whether they serve "coffee," and acts overwhelmed by the whole newfangled caféthing just so we can appreciate, yet again, what a dork he is. The chick behind the counter certainly seems to think so, anyway. She tells them the total is $5.63, and Dumanjiak almost pops his eyes right out of their sockets. But he insists on paying. Karen thanks him, her demeanor expressing that she's not sure what he's after, and he trails her to the opposite end of the counter, still gushing about her victory. He declares that she'll "win the Sinclair Award year." She modestly tells him to stop. He asks whether she's going to the awards ceremony the following night. She hedges that she "might have to be with [her] kids." He says that he's introducing the keynote speaker and jokes that it means he has to keep the keynote speaker from drinking too much. Karen sympathizes, smiling and saying that her firm usually doesn't allow her to miss the awards. "Mark my words," he says, "you're going to win it year." Their coffees are up, and Dumanjiak takes another opportunity to display his doltdom, asking, "You didn't put anything weird in this, did you?" The girl looks like she regrets the fact that she didn't.
Cut to a TV studio, where people are racing around just before going on the air. Lily is standing on the sidelines, watching as Rick meets Mason Gould on the set of The Conscience of Chicago. Gould clips on his mic, distractedly saying, "What a kick in the pants, huh? How many thousands of jobs went out with this bathwater?" Rick takes his seat, muttering, "Yeah, tell me about it." Lily grins and waves like a simpleton. The show starts, and Lily gives Rick a thumbs-up as Gould blathers an introduction to the subject matter of the Atlantor project. He introduces Rick as the architect and one of the project's "chief apologists"; Rick's warning bells go off. Gould starts off easy, asking about the grand jury, and what it was like testifying in front of it. Rick sidesteps Gould's land mines, agreeing that it was scary, but only in the sense that it's always scary having to come before authority. Gould says, "And you didn't have anything to hide," with a big smile, trying to disarm Rick. It works. Rick smiles and says it's like getting stopped by a cop -- you're nervous even though you didn't actually do anything. Gould smiles into the camera and snidely carries Rick's metaphor a little farther, saying it must be even scarier when "you have been doing eighty-five in a forty-mile-an-hour zone." Rick starts to protest, but Gould cuts him off with a "come on." He launches his attack, expressing his doubt that Rick didn't know about the bribes and kickbacks. Rick starts to defend himself, but Gould just steamrolls over him with more implications and dubious tones. Lily realizes Rick's being sabotaged, and turns to ask an assistant what Gould is doing. The assistant smiles at the blood in the water and assures Lily that it's going great. Gould turns up the heat again, and Rick's really getting fired up now. Gould smugly smiles into the camera and says he doesn't know "how you guys can sleep at night, with the whole city practically begging you not to tear apart its historical neighborhoods, and you couldn't have cared less." Rick glances at Lily, and she gives him a helpless "I have no idea" gesture. Gould keeps on with his diatribe, and Rick purses his lips, gritting, "All right," as he wrestles off his microphone and throws it on the table. Lily covers her face. Rick snaps, "Why don't you tell your audience the pretenses you used to get me down here," before storming off-camera. Gould, unfazed, assures him, "That's all right, my friend. That's all right. You can run, but you can't hide." And you can't have much of a career, spouting predictable clichés like that, my friend. What a sleaze.
Rick collects Lily, and they bluster out of the studio. The assistant trails them, saying how well it went. She says the audience loves it when the guests "give as good as they get." She promises them that the numbers are going to be great for the show. Inside their bubble, Lily and Rick gape at one another, shocked to think that people may actually enjoy such a spectacle. Rick says, "Nobody watches this show, do they?" "Nobody I know," Lily insists as they stride down the hall.
Cut to Judy at Booklovers, taking down a display of "Great American Women." As the camera pans back, we see that Karen is with her, looking for some feedback on the case of the D.A. with hot pants. Karen says there are no offices on the third floor that he could have been visiting on business. Judy laughs that it's pretty obvious Dumanjiak went to her building just to run into her. Karen wonders about the awards dinner, and what it will look like if she sees him there. She admits that she told him she had her kids that night because she was worried that he'd ask her to go with him. Judy points out the ridiculousness of the situation. "I know, it's pathetic," Karen says, clamping her teeth around the straw of her Jamba Juice. ["Wah! I'm so jealous." -- Wing Chun] Judy says she thinks it's sexy. Karen absorbs this for a second, then fights off her impulse to get swept up in it, saying that even if she likes him, they can't see each other because it would be "inappropriate." That really is her favorite word, isn't it? Karen says that the bar association has rules against that sort of thing. "Against dating?" Judy teases, adding, "I knew there was some reason I didn't go to law school." "About conflict of interest," Karen says, giving Judy a playful shove. She sips her juice and surveys the store serenely, saying, "It's so peaceful here." Judy kids, "Yeah, kind of a monastic feel." She scrambles to stand up when the doorbells tinkle. Her face falls as she sees who it is. Three guesses.
Lily strolls in, and Judy says, "Lily! Hi!" Karen looks a little guilty and scrunches down as if to hide. Lily fumes about how angry she is at the media and corporations and lawyers. She rambles on about how Rick went to do "this show and this man -- this...this horrible man -- starts attacking him like he's some sort of criminal!" Maybe he didn't know how many remarkable qualities Rick has, either. Judy, clenched, tries to herd Lily out the door, asking whether she feels like taking a walk. Lily spits that she feels like taking a big rock and hitting someone with it. She whines that "now Rick's kids have to hear about all this, and [her] kids, and who knows what his ex-wife is saying to them about all this." Karen sucks her tongue and cocks her head, standing up indignantly. She strides over to where Lily is standing, announcing her presence with a tight "Lily. Hi." Ha! Lily tries to sort out why Karen's there, and there's an awkward silence. Karen lamely says, "So, Rick's on television." Lily tells her which show, and Karen assures her not to worry, that no one watches "those shows." Arms folded, Lily says she hopes not, and pulls her mouth into a tight, chilly smile. Karen falters and says she should get going, and as she leaves, she makes like she was just there to order a book. Lily rolls her eyes into her skull as Judy shows Karen out, and then spins confrontationally once the door is closed. "We never talk about you, I swear to god," Judy says immediately. Uh huh. Lily slowly takes a seat, looking as if she's been wronged.
Cut to Karen's place, where The Conscience of Chicago is airing. Karen listens to it from the dining room, while Eli sits fuming in front of the TV. Jessie joins him and swears, "I'm going to kill that guy." Eli wonders how a guy "could get up in the morning with a nose like that." Rick's on-screen, and Jessie asks if Eli thinks he's upset. Eli reminds her that Rick got off, "he didn't do anything." Karen appears to be eavesdropping.
Rick's watching the show at his office, with a little help from Johhny Walker. The phone rings. Lily asks him whether he's watching. He lies that he's not. She says she can hear it in the background. He claims that someone else must have it on. Lily asks why he's working so late. He mutters, "That's a good question," then sees the bottle on his desk and remembers the answer. Lily whines, "Come hooooome." Mmm, that's enticing. He says, "I can't. I have to finish," but neglects to add, "my bottle of scotch." Lily catches herself nagging and says, "We're not even married, and I'm already hounding you to come home." Because that's what married women do, as a rule. Rick says that she shouldn't wait up, and that he'll probably go home, referring to his place. He says it's because he doesn't want to wake her, but we all know it's because he's withdrawn to an emotional Siberia. She reluctantly agrees, sensing that there's more to it than he's admitting, and they end the call with a couple of flat goodbyes.
Soliloquy Rick shares that his father died of a heart attack when Rick was fourteen. His father died so suddenly that "his affairs were a mess" and "he left [them] with nothing." Rick looks a little dazed as he remembers that his dad was forty-four when he died. Rick looks straight into the camera and says, "I'm forty-three."
At his desk, Rick takes another slug of scotch and pulls out the brass turtle Miles gave him around Valentine's Day. He holds it up in the foreground, studying it, and probably remembering that Miles promised it would bring good luck and longevity. Great -- more time for Rick to lie in the bed he's made. Although I'm sure he sees Miles as his chambermaid, because lord knows none of this is Rick's fault. We fade to commercials.
After the break, we find Rick and Lily strolling through a cavernous flower shop. Lily's a half step ahead of him, admiring the blooms while Rick trails after with his hands jammed in his pockets. She asks what he thinks of daffodils for the tables, and Rick, distracted by a couple of women staring at him and snickering, absently answers that they'd be great. Lily points to some gerbera daisies and asks what he thinks. He glances back at his peanut gallery and asks, "About what?" Lily figures out he's not exactly into smelling the flowers today and gives him a playfully sarcastic answer. She says that her father used to tune out her mother just like that, and we all wonder who could blame him. Rick says that there are women staring at him, and points out a couple of ladies standing by the case of cut flowers. One glances over with a wilting glare. Lily's unfazed and asks if he wants to get some lunch. He glances at his watch, then back at his fan club, and says he has to get back. "To do what?" Lily asks. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demands. That you're a loser, obviously. Lily realizes she flubbed and quickly says, "I just thought things had slowed down, now that the project is ..." 'Kay, not helping, Lily. Rick gets defensive and asks whether she has any idea how many loose ends he has to deal with: "paperwork, contractors wanting to get paid, vendors threatening to sue [him]." Lily spins around and quickly apologizes. He apologizes too, and Lily asks if she'll see him tonight. He half rolls his eyes and says, "I'm having dinner with Arnold." Huh. I don't know "Arnold." Jack, Johnny, José -- sure. Arnold? Oh, Arnold is actually a person. I guess he's Rick's accountant, from the way Rick glumly adds, "So he can tell me I have no money." Lily smiles wryly and says she guesses she won't see Rick, then. He says he'll call her later and gives her a quick kiss before dragging his half-eaten carcass off to feed the rest of the wolves. Lily looks sad and a little wizened as she watches him go.
Cut to a schmancy ballroom, where Karen and her annoying Girlfriend Friday are just arriving. Karen's wearing this slinky, sequined dove-gray tank with a cowl neckline, and she looks fantastic. She anxiously says they can leave anytime. G.F. scans the room and says, "I don't see him." She volunteers to sign them in, and points Karen toward the bar, which is where Dumanjiak intercepts her. She smiles, a little embarrassed, and says that her firm insisted that she come. She grabs two martinis off the bar and starts walking away. He teases that she's "starting off a little strong," and she says she's there with someone. "Oh -- oh," he says, his face falling. Karen quickly adds that her "date" is her assistant. She mutters, "She's here somewhere," and surveys the crowded room. Dumanjiak makes a joke about how terrifying it is to be in a room full of lawyers, and Karen returns the banter with a smile. Dumanjiak starts to say, "Karen, I know this isn't the time --" just s Karen spots G.F. and calls her over. Turning back to Dumanjiak, she says, "I'm sorry, you were saying?" Dumanjiak's a deer in headlights for a second, until some guy calls G.F. away. Dumanjiak laughs and says he should go and practice his speech; Karen smiles at him again. Maybe the martini's gone to her head. He says, "Well, maybe we could talk later," and Karen solemnly starts to protest. Guess she's not tipsy after all. He promises to find her later and strides off while Karen's ass-pole does a fine imitation of a stir stick.
Cut to Rick and his accountant in a dim restaurant, seated in a banquette near the bar. Rick's asking why they can't separate personal expenses from business, and assures the accountant that he can cut back some more on personal expenses. Well, he could start with the caterers and flowers. Arnold points out that Rick "already live[s] like a pauper," and cites Rick's jacket as evidence, saying, "That jacket is from the seventies." And just what is wrong with that? I happen to have five or six of those. Then again, I'm a pauper. I'm a pauper, he's a pauper -- would you like to be a pauper too? Sorry. Cho just happens to be at the same restaurant and stops by the table to tell Rick that she and a few other associates are drowning their sorrows at the bar, if he'd like to join them later. Don't they know that drinking doesn't solve anything?
Meanwhile, Dumanjiak's speech is getting underway. He makes the requisite roast-type jokes, and the crowd chuckles obligingly. Dumanjiak says that the "more you get to know [the honoree], the more you want to hate him," because he's got so much going for him. He starts rhyming off a shopping list of admirable traits, leading to "he does the right thing." Karen stops laughing and smiling, and just stares, transfixed. Dumanjiak stares back, as he directs the rest of his speech to her. It's all about how the guy stays true to his ethics, even in the face of temptation, and always ends up making the right decision, and how Dumanjiak is hot for Karen and wants to "do the right thing" with her, if you know what I'm saying, and I think Karen does. Karen stares at Dumanjiak, looking positively luminous.
As we fade into the honoree's speech, Dumanjiak is slipping out of the ballroom. He freezes when he sees Karen emerge from a hallway, adjusting her hair, on her way back to the dinner. She stops short.
Cut to Dumanjiak pulling Karen behind some gilded metalwork, joking that this secretive behavior is a throwback to his smoking days. Then he asks if she wants to see his car, the one he spent the summer fixing up with his dad, and maybe they could take a drive out to the Point or something. He tells Karen that she's "evolved," but I think he really means "perfect." He stares at her like she's dreamy, and Karen grows self-conscious. She says she should get back, or "they'll be wondering." And everyone will think she's easy. It could ruin a girl's reputation. He begs her for one minute, but she says, "It's not a good idea. We're not children." Their faces are just inches apart, and as they both agree that it's not a good idea, they lean toward each other and kiss. And I know I shouldn't, but all I can think about is the fact that she just drank coffee, like, ten minutes ago. Eww. Dumanjiak doesn't seem to mind, though. She pulls away after several passionate seconds, and breathlessly tries to voice her protest. Finally she gets out, "I have to go back," and you know it's taking every ounce of restraint, and a few mighty jabs from the ass-pole, to get her moving. Dumanjiak looks crushed.
Rick, meanwhile, is knocking back a few with his newly unemployed -- or soon-to-be anyway -- associates. Everyone but he and Cho say they'd better get going, and Rick gives each of them a parting kiss on the cheek. A saxophone slinks its way onto the soundtrack as Cho says she saw Rick on TV. She says he "looked cute." After a few seconds, she musters the nerve to tell him that she got an offer from another firm. Rick looks genuinely pleased for her. She rolls her eyes and blows it off. Then she folds her arms on the bar and leans in a little, saying, "So, Rick." He doesn't get her cue, and lightly says, "So, Amanda." She asks if he's still getting married, and he says he is. She pulls back a little, rolling her eyes, and adds, "Soon." He agrees. She rolls her eyes again and makes her voice husky as she asks, "So...what are you still doing here?" After a beat, she adds, "With me?" The sax toots suggestively. Rick looks into her eyes, thinking it over. The bartender tells them it's last call, and Cho shakes her head. Rick takes his eyes off her long enough to tell the bartender that he'll have another. She pours the shot, saying, "As long as you're not driving." Rick says, "No, my kid has the car. I'll take a taxi." Cho licks her lips and glances at him. Rick's staring at his glass. He sighs. She asks, "Which way you headed?" hoping he'll say, "Your place." As if. Rick stares at Cho for a long moment and then shakes his head, smiling a little. Cho thinks it's because he's having naughty thoughts, and smiles back. Rick softly says, "Home." Attaboy.
Cut to said home, where Lily's passed out in the living room. Rick stumbles in -- past the moving boxes, which are a nice touch -- and Lily wakes and checks her watch. She rolls her eyes and hauls herself upright in the chair. Rick spots her, surprised. She says, "I've been calling you since ten." Her voice has an accusatory edge. He fibs some excuse about car trouble and leans in to kiss her forehead. She waves at the air to clear away the stank of his bar breath. He admits that he "bumped into some folks from the office for a couple drinks." "Or six," Lily says. "Or ten," Rick adds lightly, heading for the kitchen. Lily pulls a stool up to the counter, saying, "That's one way to deal with things." Her tone makes it clear that she doesn't think it's dealing with things at all. Rick says he thinks he has "a right to choose how [he] want[s] to deal with things." "Like avoiding me?" Lily asks. Rick acts like he doesn't know what she's talking about, and Lily says they "haven't really talked about this in days." She says she wants to help, and that she thinks they should talk about it. Rick gets a glass of water, takes a sip, and crossly says, "Well, Lil, you can't help. So I just wish you would stop...trying to help, because --" Lily recoils from the sting of his words, purses her lips, and pushes herself up off the stool. He says he knows she means well. "Oh please," she spits, turning toward the door. "It's really late. I don't even know what I'm doing here." Rick sets his mug on the counter and asks, "Did it ever occur to you that I might need to be alone right now?" Lily yanks her jacket on and shouts, "Well that's what I'm doing! I'm leaving!" She grits her teeth and says, "You want me to run out." He leans wearily on the counter, dropping his forehead into his hand, and tells her to do whatever she wants. She strides to the counter and says this isn't what she wants; she wants to "face this together like people who supposedly love each other do." He lifts his eyes, but his gaze is unfocused as he snaps, "I can't do that right now." "Well that's painfully obvious," she snarls. Rick slams his hands on the counter and yells, "Oh, don't start that crap!" Lily looks like she's never seen him before. Rick keeps on yelling, "This is what you always do! Why does everything have to be...just talked and talked to death?" Lily's outraged. She shrills, "What do you mean? We're not even talking!" "What do you want from me?" Rick shouts. Lily stares at him. The anger slowly drops from her eyes. She sighs and softly says, "Rick. I want to love you. That's all I want. And I'm sorry that's so particularly painful." Rick glances over her shoulder, and Lily turns to find Jessie on the stairs in her jammies. Rick says he'll be up in a minute. Without looking at her, Lily says, "Hi, Jess. I was just leaving." Jessie wordlessly turns and heads upstairs. Lily wordlessly turns and blows out the door. Rick just looks ashamed of himself. Or maybe he's just dreading tomorrow's hangover.
It's the morning when we return after the commercial break. Rick staggers downstairs, bleary-eyed and clutching a bottle of water. "Hey there," he says. Jessie immediately says that Eli's going to drive her. Rick says he can drive, since he has to "go to court anyway." Eli asks why. Rick says, "They want to interview me as a possible witness against Miles." He scratches his belly under his t-shirt. Really. He'll make a fine witness, reeking of stale booze and squinting out of those red-rimmed eye-holes. Jessie just throws her knapsack over her shoulder and breezes out the door, wafting disapproval in her wake. Eli smirks an understanding "rough night, huh?" before following her. Rick sinks onto a stool and guzzles his water.
Judy's arriving at Manning Manor, calling out a cheerful hello as she enters the kitchen. She finds Lily at the table with a newspaper. Judy pulls off her jacket, saying, "I called the office and they said you were sick. Need anything?" How sweet is that? In a shaky voice, Lily says she's okay. Judy says, "You don't look so okay." Lily sarcastically thanks her. Judy makes herself a cup of tea, and asks what's going on. Lily literally turns up her nose and says, "I can't talk to you about it, Judy." Judy says that Lily talks to her about everything. "Rick," Lily says brusquely, snapping the paper. "Which is why you can't talk to me about it," Judy says, taking a seat at the table. Lily stares into her mug and says, "Oh, just say 'I told you so,'" and then buries her head in her hands. "Rick talks," Judy says, coaxing. Lily says, "Not really. Not enough." Judy smiles, "I told you so." Lily rolls her eyes and smiles grudgingly. Judy says that some guys just don't like to talk about their feelings. Lily insists that Rick does talk about his feelings; "he just doesn't let anyone inside his feelings." Judy asks, "Meaning you?" Lily turns her face away and looks at the table. Judy says, "Think about all that's happened to him." She tries to put it into perspective for Lily, how fast Rick's life came apart. Lily says she knows. Judy asks, "Is it possible this is also a good thing?" Lily asks how she can say that, and I'm expecting Judy to say that at least Lily figured these things out before she and Rick got married. She doesn't, though. Judy tells her that if they "can survive this, [they] might even be able to survive marriage." Lily fiddles with her cup, smiling a little, and says, "You sound like you're saying I should just hang in there with him." Just like that Tammy Wynette song. "Hmm," Judy says, feigning surprise, "I guess I am." Lily smiles, happy to oblige.
Cut to Karen hugging herself and pacing around outside some courthouse. "Low fat, extra shot...extra shot half caf bladda bloo..." Dumanjiak bellows, sidling up behind her with a coffee. She accepts it, thanking him, and they stroll over to a bench. He teases that if she really wanted to meet with him, they could have just met at a parking garage. Karen's not in the mood for jokes, though, as she reminds him that he takes his job just as seriously as she does hers. Her voice is pleading, as she tries to convince him that it's in their best interests not to see each other. It's screamingly obvious how badly she wants to tear open his trench coat, though. It's like she's trying to convince herself that they should just stop. When she finishes, she asks, "I'm right, aren't I?" There's no trace of a joke or smile as he agrees. She gives him a bumbling "another time, another place" spiel, and he interrupts to ask if he may say something. "Yes," she sighs, relieved. He settles onto the bench, and touches her arm to join him. He says, "You are the most beautiful, smartest, most intense, sexiest women I have ever encountered in my life." Karen's having trouble catching her breath. And speaking, for that matter. Dumanjiak kisses her. He pops off the bench and takes a few steps away, then spins on his heel and swoops down for a faceplant. He grabs her by the shoulders, pulling her to her feet, and they grope and slurp and heat up their legal briefs. Karen is positively weak when he finally pulls away and strides off...
...just as Rick emerges from the courthouse to get an eyeful of her getting it on with his nemesis. He makes his patented guppy face.
Cut to Rick striding down an ornate hotel hallway toward the Presidential Suite. He pauses at the door, then knocks decisively. He glances over his shoulder down the hallway.
Soliloquy Rick drops by to recount the day his dad died. Rick was at his friend Bert's house, playing in the backyard, when Bert's mom came out with a "weird look on her face, and said that she was going to drive [him] home."
A male nurse leads Rick into the suite and through the living room.
Soliloquy Rick continues: "And the whole way home, I kept thinking, 'He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay.'"
Rick strides into the bedroom, where a nurse is adjusting an IV to Miles's bed, while one of his flunkies fiddles with paperwork.
Soliloquy Rick: "And by the time I got home, the paramedics had come and gone, and he was just lying there. It didn't even look like him anymore."
Miles, mouth open in ragged breathing, eyes Rick and says, "I wondered if you'd come."
Soliloquy Rick: "I wanted to touch him. But I guess I was too scared." He stares off for a second and then looks at the camera, adding, "I was never much for hugging anyway."
Rick glances at the other people in the room and says, hushed, that he needs to speak with Miles alone. Miles still has some of his spark, retorting, "How quaint that you think privacy can preserve one's dignity." Rick's not amused. Miles dismisses his nurses and flunky and slowly turns his head in Rick's direction, grinding out, "Rick Sammler. How I've enjoyed our association." Rick cuts to it: "You lied to me." Miles doesn't flinch. Rick goes on, gaining momentum, blaming Miles for ruining his reputation, his business. Miles interrupts, "I urged greatness upon you." Rick doesn't even pause, accusing Miles of "sabotaging the project right under [his] nose" and saying that Miles "destroyed" him. Miles opens his eyes and says slowly, "And you wish for restitution?" He blinks. Rick's eyes are shooting death rays as he grates, "I want you to go to jail." Miles finds this amusing, puffing out air and saying, "Not likely now, I'm afraid." Okay, then. Rick says he wants "to smash [his] face in." Miles says, "I doubt it would hasten my demise by much," and grimaces for effect. Part of me wonders whether he's staging this whole thing just to avoid prosecution. "I could do it," Rick insists. Miles sounds like an indulgent father when he says he knows. They look at one another for a moment. Rick says that Miles doesn't care. He sounds like he can't believe it. Miles answers, "That would give you some satisfaction, wouldn't it? For a moment. But then you'd still be left with yourself, wouldn't you?" Miles pauses for a breath before continuing, "Were you blind? Were you greedy? Was your ambition greater than your good sense?" Rick looks hangdog as Miles's words sink in. Miles is relentless: "Were you still a boy, sent to do a man's work? You, of course, will have years to answer those questions. As for me, I am tired now, and choose not to spend another moment in contemplation of the past." Dismissed, Rick swallows and fights off the urge to cry. He hangs his head and thrusts his hand in his coat pocket, pulling out the brass turtle. He places it on one of the bed rails and silently leaves. Miles turns to see what Rick left, and smiles hollowly at the trinket. His face is like a death's head.
We fade to Rick at the office alone, walking past the model on his way out. Predictably, he pauses, turns to look at it, and then topples building after building. Blah de blah, just like his dreams.
We fade to Rick outside Lily's front door, fiddling with his keys. He pushes open the door just a she's coming down the stairs. She pauses, surprised to see him.
Now they're in the living room, and we join Rick's pity party already in progress. He says, "I have no business now, to speak of. I have no reputation. I'm not respected by your children. And I'm not respected by mine, I have a feeling. I have been shown to be -- publicly -- to be either a fool or a criminal, whatever comes first. I think fool comes first. And I don't know...I don't know if I can marry you. I don't know what I have that would be of any value...any value to you." Well, she's not looking for a dowry, for Christ's sake. ["Plus I think he meant he has nothing inside that would be of any value to Lily." -- Wing Chun] It's funny, because it sounds really melodramatic as I'm typing out the words, but it really doesn't play as soap opera-ish when Campbell's saying the lines. The tears Lily's been fighting to keep under control finally get the better of her at this point, and she openly weeps. Rick goes on and on with his self-pity disguised as self-loathing until Lily finally tells him to stop it. He's muttering like Rain Man that she should just go away, and she drops to her knees in front of him, grabbing his arm and saying that she's not going to go away. She makes him look at her and says, "I don't care about your business, I don't care about your reputation. I don't care about any of that. It doesn't matter to me, you understand that? It doesn't matter." Rick makes a really lame attempt to pull away, saying he's going to go, but she pulls him back down, saying that she's not finished. Tearfully, she says, "Rick, I love you. Can you see that? I love you. I love what's weak about you, and what's strong. It's all the same to me, because it's all you. Can you understand that nothing you ever do will change that?" Rick chokes down a sob as he looks at her, and then he launches himself off the chair and into her arms, nearly knocking her over in the process. She sits on the floor, holding him like a baby and asking softly, "Can you believe that? Can you let me love you like that?" He sobs into her armpit as his body shakes with the force of his tears.
Okay, that was a little melodramatic. Thank god Wannabe's back week, if for no other reason than to lighten things up. Huh. I never thought I'd say that. And I'm sure I'll regret it soon enough.