This episode wasn't excellent as the last ones, the story of Bailey-Callie wasn't great and Sarah's absence was clearly noticed. I didn't like much Sarah in some episodes of season 2, but now I missed her. Bailey keeps falling in the Callie trap and accepts posing as her boyfriend in the Art gallery, where are showed her modeling pictures. She asked him this to avoid a pretender named TJ (Tom J. Digman), who turns out to be Bailey's Econ teacher. TJ is surprised that Callie is dating a freshman, and Bailey, clearly uncomfortable, drinks more than two glasses of wine (keeping his "hidden alcoholism"). Later, a scared Callie makes him think that TJ is a stalker, besides, he starts to give bad notes to Bailey on tests. At the end, Bailey realizes that TJ is not a stalker (he's just miffed), and that Callie has a problem for not saying no to men. This reminds him a little of Jill but that should be enough to stay away from her, not the opposite. As for Julia, maybe she made a mistake by "using this guy" but I think she did nothing wrong, she's forced to confess the miscarriage to Cooper when he schedules sex. He doesn't like the situation (she doesn't know when she'll be ready) and plans to dump her, so Julia tries one time, but regrets it in the moment. Mad, he leaves her. Bailey defends Julia from Cooper, acting like a good brother and sending him away, and he's glad to leave them both. But later, Julia tells Bailey that he did wrong because she was "using" Cooper to see if she was ready or not. She's wrong, she had a miscarriage and that's something much more bigger than satisfying the whims of a jerk. She shouldn't feel bad, she suffered and that excuses her here.
On the other hand, a complicated situation with Jody causes that Claudia has her worst mistake so far in the series. And Kirsten's illness continues, proving to be the best storyline of this episode by far, well written, still I wish the writers could have gave much more scenes of this. It was totally worth it, much more than Bailey and Julia's stories of the day. For what was said, Charlie surely kept taking care of Kirsten, helping her to get dressed, to have a shower (like in the last episode), and took her to see to Dr. Leto (off screen), who gave her a new medication that helps her to be up and active in the house. She starts cleaning and ordering the stuff in the house, like cornflakes, checkbooks, papers, clothes, etc, being overly productive. Somehow is kind of a job to replace the one she lost. In the first scene, she's ordering laundered clothes, tablecloths, while Bailey visits for laundry, and he realizes that she alphabetized the cereals. Claudia has been spending time with Jody at her home and takes some vitamines for her. Charlie seems more relieved that Kirsten is feeling better, and acting like the father, tells Claudia that she has to stop having sleepovers at Jody's, she has her own house and now that Julia took the attic, she can move to her old room. Kirsten offers to help her with the move and puts the non used vitamines back the at the kitchen cabinet, also alphabetizing the items. Considering the time medication needs to make effect and Jody's sudden appearance, I guess that 10-14 days passed since last episode, so this episode passes in late september, early october. In the last sleepover night at Jody's, Jody confess to Claudia that her stepfather, Kenny, who moved into the house 2 months ago (after 2 months of dating Jody's mother), not long ago visited her room one night and kissed her. Claudia says she should tell her mother, but Jody doesn't want to because she loves him and they'll get married. She asks her not to tell anyone. The next day, while Charlie is holding Owen and make him see Linus and Snoopy's comics, Kirsten confronts him about napkins she ordered. Owen says "white" to the two different napkins, Charlie agrees in both cases (funny part), but Kirsten says the true colors were white and off white. She tells him that it matters a lot the difference between colors because she's trying to order the linen closet by colors, and the whole mess in the house. She wants the family to appreciate her efforts. When Jody arrives to spend a night in the house, Claudia plays the violin before turning down the tent, to say goodbye. Charlie, still holding Owen, Kirsten, and Thurber see the "ceremony". Charlie is still surprised of how often Jody is having sleepovers with Claudia, and wants to know Kirsten's opinion, but she doesn't seem to mind and keeps ordering clothes, jeans, towels, etc (still, the three together, a nice picture). Probably to help his wife to organize the house, he goes to the now Claudia's room to tell her that she has to finish the moving. He sees Jody's sadness and she runs away, so Claudia tells Charlie that Jody was dumped by her boyfriend and that's why she needs her these last days (and I guess that's also why Jody appeared again after season 2 finale). The next day, Charlie drops Jody in her house, and though he tries to talk her about her mother (who wants her to be in Jody's stepdad's birthday), she's quiet and prefers not to talk much. She tricks him and he leaves her thinking she entered her home. Later, happens the best, saddest, and most emotional scene of the episode: Charlie arrives home and hears glass breaking. He finds Kirsten in the bathroom, where she accidentally broke fragile bottles while cleaning the medicine cabinet, and Mercurochrome spilled in the floor. He covers her hands, noticing tremors, and she says, crying, that she keeps trying to clean up the mess, he answers he'll clean the broken glass, but she refers to the mess in her mind, her problem of void is not solved, she thinks that if she places everything in order maybe the panic will disappear and one morning she'll wake up without a list of things to do. He tries to comfort her saying that she's better and being productive but she says she spends days making lists, and lists of lists of lists of things to do, her mind is racing and doesn't stop. She can't stop crying, and finally tells she'll go off the medication, while the phone's ringing and no one answers. Here, Paula was deeply touching like in all the last episodes, her sadness breaks me. Besides, this scene has strong implications. According to different studies, info and researches, antidepressants are effective in the treatment of major depression, anxiety disorders. But not all of them work for manic depression. Some of them do, like fluoxetine (it has the best results), and in some cases other common like sertraline. Yet, the prescription of antidepressants for Bipolar II Disorder must be cautious because in some cases can cause hypomanic episodes. The first time (in mid season 2), probably worked because were the early stages of the depression, it was just starting. But now, the antidepressants are causing a hypomanic episode in Kirsten, worsening her state like she says. She never had a hypomanic episode before, so that part of the manic depression has been dormant until now. Also, the tremors are a side effect of the medication. Then, when Kirsten begs him, Charlie answers the phone call, and learns that Jody's missing. He forces Claudia (why she didn't pick up the call?), to confess the real reasons, and despite her protests, he calls back Jody's mom and tells her what happened with the stepdad. The next day, Claudia reaches Jody, who explains that her mother kicked out Kenny, but now social services know because Jody must go to counseling, so her dad will be called. Seemingly, Jody will have to go to live with him, due to her mother's latest behavior. She cries because she didn't want this, so that implies that her father is not a good person either. In the afternoon when Kirsten is bed again, saddened, Charlie tells her that she shouldn't leave the medication entirely, so she doesn't return to her previous sad-tired state. Claudia interrupts them and yells at Charlie for calling Jody's mother, he tells her this is not the time, it's affecting Kirsten, but in tears, she keeps yelling. Charlie, overwhelmed to treat her nicely, takes her out and tells he did the right thing, he got Jody help, and sends her away the room. Back to his wife, he thinks they should go to Dr Leto again, to adjust the dosage, but she says she has to go off the medication now, it's making it worse and she doesn't feel like herself. Claudia hears this from outside, and Charlie, sitting next to Kirsten, is worried. In some ways, he was right: I read that in this cases and as Dr Leto said, the medication needs time to make effect, besides, dropping out inmediatly is not good, should be slowly. Then, Charlie tells Julia the bad news, feeling it has been a step forward and a big leap backwards. Julia offers making dinner for Kirsten, but Charlie said he got it covered and takes packed food (turkey?) to the bedroom. He's being so great that still manages to feed his wife in this hard moments. I guess he'd call to ask for another appointment with the doctor, to see how they follow treatments. Truth is, Kirsten had to hold on. The best solution is lithium. I've read that fluoxetine has very good results along lithium as a mood stabilizer. Maybe Charlie could have gone again to the doctor and ask for another antidepressant, and he could have prescripted lithium once for all, so in a some weeks all would have worked out ok. But unfortunately, now Charlie and Kirsten are without time because of Claudia's fatidic phone call. Trying to get back at Charlie for Jody's situation, she calls Gene Bennett, without realizing the consequences this will have for herself, for Charlie, Kirsten and Owen. I know what happens in the future seasons, Claudia will regret deeply for two years what she did today. She and Owen will be neglected many times from now on, Charlie and Kirsten's lives will be unhappy and sad, so what she did today is unforgettable.
On the other hand, a complicated situation with Jody causes that Claudia has her worst mistake so far in the series. And Kirsten's illness continues, proving to be the best storyline of this episode by far, well written, still I wish the writers could have gave much more scenes of this. It was totally worth it, much more than Bailey and Julia's stories of the day. For what was said, Charlie surely kept taking care of Kirsten, helping her to get dressed, to have a shower (like in the last episode), and took her to see to Dr. Leto (off screen), who gave her a new medication that helps her to be up and active in the house. She starts cleaning and ordering the stuff in the house, like cornflakes, checkbooks, papers, clothes, etc, being overly productive. Somehow is kind of a job to replace the one she lost. In the first scene, she's ordering laundered clothes, tablecloths, while Bailey visits for laundry, and he realizes that she alphabetized the cereals. Claudia has been spending time with Jody at her home and takes some vitamines for her. Charlie seems more relieved that Kirsten is feeling better, and acting like the father, tells Claudia that she has to stop having sleepovers at Jody's, she has her own house and now that Julia took the attic, she can move to her old room. Kirsten offers to help her with the move and puts the non used vitamines back the at the kitchen cabinet, also alphabetizing the items. Considering the time medication needs to make effect and Jody's sudden appearance, I guess that 10-14 days passed since last episode, so this episode passes in late september, early october. In the last sleepover night at Jody's, Jody confess to Claudia that her stepfather, Kenny, who moved into the house 2 months ago (after 2 months of dating Jody's mother), not long ago visited her room one night and kissed her. Claudia says she should tell her mother, but Jody doesn't want to because she loves him and they'll get married. She asks her not to tell anyone. The next day, while Charlie is holding Owen and make him see Linus and Snoopy's comics, Kirsten confronts him about napkins she ordered. Owen says "white" to the two different napkins, Charlie agrees in both cases (funny part), but Kirsten says the true colors were white and off white. She tells him that it matters a lot the difference between colors because she's trying to order the linen closet by colors, and the whole mess in the house. She wants the family to appreciate her efforts. When Jody arrives to spend a night in the house, Claudia plays the violin before turning down the tent, to say goodbye. Charlie, still holding Owen, Kirsten, and Thurber see the "ceremony". Charlie is still surprised of how often Jody is having sleepovers with Claudia, and wants to know Kirsten's opinion, but she doesn't seem to mind and keeps ordering clothes, jeans, towels, etc (still, the three together, a nice picture). Probably to help his wife to organize the house, he goes to the now Claudia's room to tell her that she has to finish the moving. He sees Jody's sadness and she runs away, so Claudia tells Charlie that Jody was dumped by her boyfriend and that's why she needs her these last days (and I guess that's also why Jody appeared again after season 2 finale). The next day, Charlie drops Jody in her house, and though he tries to talk her about her mother (who wants her to be in Jody's stepdad's birthday), she's quiet and prefers not to talk much. She tricks him and he leaves her thinking she entered her home. Later, happens the best, saddest, and most emotional scene of the episode: Charlie arrives home and hears glass breaking. He finds Kirsten in the bathroom, where she accidentally broke fragile bottles while cleaning the medicine cabinet, and Mercurochrome spilled in the floor. He covers her hands, noticing tremors, and she says, crying, that she keeps trying to clean up the mess, he answers he'll clean the broken glass, but she refers to the mess in her mind, her problem of void is not solved, she thinks that if she places everything in order maybe the panic will disappear and one morning she'll wake up without a list of things to do. He tries to comfort her saying that she's better and being productive but she says she spends days making lists, and lists of lists of lists of things to do, her mind is racing and doesn't stop. She can't stop crying, and finally tells she'll go off the medication, while the phone's ringing and no one answers. Here, Paula was deeply touching like in all the last episodes, her sadness breaks me. Besides, this scene has strong implications. According to different studies, info and researches, antidepressants are effective in the treatment of major depression, anxiety disorders. But not all of them work for manic depression. Some of them do, like fluoxetine (it has the best results), and in some cases other common like sertraline. Yet, the prescription of antidepressants for Bipolar II Disorder must be cautious because in some cases can cause hypomanic episodes. The first time (in mid season 2), probably worked because were the early stages of the depression, it was just starting. But now, the antidepressants are causing a hypomanic episode in Kirsten, worsening her state like she says. She never had a hypomanic episode before, so that part of the manic depression has been dormant until now. Also, the tremors are a side effect of the medication. Then, when Kirsten begs him, Charlie answers the phone call, and learns that Jody's missing. He forces Claudia (why she didn't pick up the call?), to confess the real reasons, and despite her protests, he calls back Jody's mom and tells her what happened with the stepdad. The next day, Claudia reaches Jody, who explains that her mother kicked out Kenny, but now social services know because Jody must go to counseling, so her dad will be called. Seemingly, Jody will have to go to live with him, due to her mother's latest behavior. She cries because she didn't want this, so that implies that her father is not a good person either. In the afternoon when Kirsten is bed again, saddened, Charlie tells her that she shouldn't leave the medication entirely, so she doesn't return to her previous sad-tired state. Claudia interrupts them and yells at Charlie for calling Jody's mother, he tells her this is not the time, it's affecting Kirsten, but in tears, she keeps yelling. Charlie, overwhelmed to treat her nicely, takes her out and tells he did the right thing, he got Jody help, and sends her away the room. Back to his wife, he thinks they should go to Dr Leto again, to adjust the dosage, but she says she has to go off the medication now, it's making it worse and she doesn't feel like herself. Claudia hears this from outside, and Charlie, sitting next to Kirsten, is worried. In some ways, he was right: I read that in this cases and as Dr Leto said, the medication needs time to make effect, besides, dropping out inmediatly is not good, should be slowly. Then, Charlie tells Julia the bad news, feeling it has been a step forward and a big leap backwards. Julia offers making dinner for Kirsten, but Charlie said he got it covered and takes packed food (turkey?) to the bedroom. He's being so great that still manages to feed his wife in this hard moments. I guess he'd call to ask for another appointment with the doctor, to see how they follow treatments. Truth is, Kirsten had to hold on. The best solution is lithium. I've read that fluoxetine has very good results along lithium as a mood stabilizer. Maybe Charlie could have gone again to the doctor and ask for another antidepressant, and he could have prescripted lithium once for all, so in a some weeks all would have worked out ok. But unfortunately, now Charlie and Kirsten are without time because of Claudia's fatidic phone call. Trying to get back at Charlie for Jody's situation, she calls Gene Bennett, without realizing the consequences this will have for herself, for Charlie, Kirsten and Owen. I know what happens in the future seasons, Claudia will regret deeply for two years what she did today. She and Owen will be neglected many times from now on, Charlie and Kirsten's lives will be unhappy and sad, so what she did today is unforgettable.