Summer of 1996 ended and new things start. Will has to start college in East Coast and share room with this Tucker guy from Seattle. Initially, Will thinks Tucker is weird because he doesn't carry much stuff for the travel, and he recycles, but soon they realize they have the same ideas for a trip across the country. Anyway, Bailey doesn't like Tucker and both of them have fights, because Tucker made Will break up with Gina (even Sarah is surprised about this), and also mocks Bailey over the bad trip to Mexico and the stolen Jeep (which now was recovered, but is stripped). Will says he has no choice because Tucker will be his roommate, so Bailey finally accepts the situation, and they share a friendly felt farewell. Besides, influenced by Will's departure, Bailey wants to move into a dorm in college, but Sarah isn't convinced. She says that he should stay in the attic because is quiet and peaceful, but he wants to meet new people and start something new. At the night, when Julia learns his idea, she complains he would be spending too much money (4000$ by month), that they need for other stuff, family expenses. The fight calls Charlie's attention, who comes to Bailey's room to make them low their voice because Kirsten was sleeping. He tells Julia that Bailey gave up the money for college to save the restaurant, but she says that was his weight, not Bailey's (this tells that when Julia found out in spring that Bailey decided to stay, she was told about Jake's role by saving the restaurant). Charlie seems tired of people reminding him his mistakes, so when Bailey again asks for the chance to get a dorm, he quietly sides with Julia, agreeing that is too much money. So Bailey accepts to stay, for now. Then, Sarah tries to comfort him about living in the attic, and brings him new stuff, while he confides in her over Will's departure. This part was good enough and already starts to show a different Bailey. His need of leaving the house is still there, even though he decided to stay in SF for Sarah and his family. He wants to get a new life, and it's clear that he doesn't like the idea of going to college while living at home. Then, it's strange that Will is gone because he was a regular in seasons 1-2, he didn't appear much but had an important role in Bailey's life (Bailey will really miss him this season).
Now that Griffin chose to stay, he's sleeping at the Salinger's house, on the couch. Julia reminds him that he has to get a job and a place to live, as Charlie won't let him sleep in the couch indefinitely. While they play in the backyard, she also gives him the newspaper with different offers, and Charlie passes with the garbage, telling Griffin that by end of the week he must be out, and that he has to clean his stuff from the living room. Julia says that he's looking, so Charlie leaves. This scene tells that Charlie seriously recovered the authority in the house, given that Julia doesn't question him like in the past. Anyway, following the story, Griffin thinks about her rather than himself, and he buys a cheap car so she won't have to use muni all the time. She's not glad, but doesn't complain. Then, he visits her at the publishing company she works, hoping she could get out before 6, but she sends him to look for a place. But when she realizes that he used most of his money (800/1000$) to buy the car, she yells at him because he had to get a place, and instead he bought a junkie car. Offended, he leaves and spends the night in somewhere else. The next day, he goes to apologize, but ends up yelling at her boss in the internship job, defending her. Although Griffin had good intentions, she's fired and pleads him to look for a goal in life, besides loving her. So he decides to leave with the Marine in San Diego, promising he'll be back, and they say goodbye for a fourth time. This story was good, Griffin is a being good guy, he just don't get the things that matter to Julia because they're different. This Griffin has a much better role than in early season 2, he was even funny, when he was playing in the company, or dismissing Julia's lousy job. In the meantime, Claudia and Byron hang out in the house, and initially, all is well for them, while she wants to imitate Julia and Griffin. But then, Julia inadvertently ruins the relationship by telling Byron she'd date a soccer player, just after sending Claudia to look for some clothes. Later, at the restaurant, Claudia shows him family pictures, including one of Charlie's 18 birthday, where she says he never showed up because he was sick on tequila. Charlie reassures it was food poisoning (so I guess were both), but Claudia doesn't believe it. She also shows a picture of last Halloween (october 1995), but Byron is only interested in Julia's pictures. Then, Claudia tries to avoid it, but Julia sends her to do the chores, and gives Byron a lift home. Before leaving, he asks her for a date, so she inmediatly rejects him. Claudia guessed what happened, so she's mad at both of them, and tries to dump Byron at the restaurant, with Charlie's company, but the coward never shows up. Finally, the sisters share a good moment talking about their lost guys and how the feelings are worth it. I understand Claudia, Julia was partially guilty but what happened proves that Byron was a jerk. Anyway, their last scene was sweet and proves how close they are as sisters. A few years ago, 2017 I think, was shown a picture with Neve, Lacey and her baby. This proves how much meant for them the show and how real was their sisterhood even behind scenes. Then, was very good to see Claudia spending time in the restaurant with Charlie, she is happy and safe with her "Father" taking care of her, unlike in the second part of season 2 when she didn't respect him for being irresponsible and for losing Kirsten. Since Lost and the Golden Globes, seems that Matthew didn't reunite with Lacey and the rest of the main cast, and it's strange because the bond formed in this series is special, I see it in several episodes.
Last storyline of the day: Owen is playing hide and seek with Charlie and Kirsten (mostly off screen), but she gets a call for a great teaching job in a better school in Seaside, Monterrey. She applied before because she really wanted it but someone else was accepted. Now is available again, she happily accepts it, and tells Charlie (who arrives from the backyard looking for "his son"), how great is the school, while Owen, hiding in under the kitchen counter, expects them to find him (that was a glimpse of Owen playing with "his parents"). She implies she'd leave her old teaching job, and though Charlie knows Seaside is not so close to home, he tells her they'll go to sleep early. She's very excited, kiss him, and goes to prepare for the meeting, while he sees Owen playing. Anyway, the drive has long hours of traveling so Charlie misses her. He'd like to talk about it but she returns tired, tells what the school demands like stationary supplies and a class tutorial, and goes to sleep. She has to get up in dawn and return near midnight, without sleeping enough hours. At 4:30, he surprises her before she leaves and tries to talk about her idea for the restaurant mosaic and going to some friends wedding in Napa. He also tells that her sweater is backwards. She says she has to go and feels sorry for not being able to talk more, but tells him that she loves him twice so he doesn't doubt. At night, she returns late again because traffic, so knowing the situation isn't fair to them, she says that she won't make the drive anymore. He's happy for a second, but she tells she'll take a cheap faculty apartment in Seaside to live part-time, and schedule her classes from Tuesday-Thursday. She says that the rest of the week she'll spend it with him, and though he accepts it, he says that's part time too, and she notices he's sad. Charlie starts to feel that not being married caused this and while carrying boxes for the move (including her CDs), he talks to her about it, also saying that he misses her. They know they were happy in the way how things were, but she tells him that she now she wants the job too. She says she's ok how things are, it's not perfect, but she likes it. She also admits that if they were married, maybe she'd give up the job, but it's not their time to be married, they are who they are now (considering what happened last season). Of course that Kirsten loves deeply Charlie, Owen, Claudia and the family, but for what she says, seems that her job made easier to get over their last break up. That's why she needs it, to keep herself in balance, and she feels fine for now. This story was great, disappoints a little that they don't spend much time together, but shows that their love overcomes distance, when in their final scene they talk by the phone about Owen, mail, their current dinner, etc. Despite not being phisically together 3 days a week, their love goes beyond that. Considering their conversations, Kirsten said she wasn't sure of going to a wedding (Mark and Jennifer?) in Napa, september 28, which proves she is not in the mood for weddings. Also, he said he is taking her idea for restaurant mosaic (stucco), as there was a hole somewhere, which means she helped him with work at Salinger's (evidence of how much they trust each other, sharing their job's issues). Another detail to highlight, Charlie said that Owen freaked out when he learned Kirsten will be three days a week apart, proving how much Owen needs and loves her, as his adoptive mother. All these details prove how happy were the last five months for them, living as a family, balancing the time with their jobs and the kids. Despite the current distance, their relationship works like a marriage.
But sadly, Summer's gone and so Will, Claudia's first boyfriend, Julia's hope of a relationship with Griffin and some of the happiest months for Charlie, Kirsten and Owen.
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