Tue, Sep 28, 2010
It's been three weeks since Erica broke up with Ethan, yet whatever she does, she just can't stop thinking about him. Even though she initiated the break-up, she feels a double loss in that he was both her lover and best friend. She has to figure out how to move on without him. On the sexual front, she seems to be running into more men to whom she is attracted, some who look like Ethan. With some, she even contemplates having sex. And she runs into old boyfriend Ryan, with whom she thinks she can have a platonic relationship - the male friend part - now that she and Ethan are no longer together. The therapy group have their own opinions, despite Erica initially not believing she needs their help. She comes to the realization that she does need help to figure out if leaving Ethan was the right thing to do. Dr. Tom thinks there is one person in Erica's past who knows exactly what Erica is going through and may be able to help. Meanwhile, Samantha starts a new phase in her life, while Barb is at the end of one.
Tue, Oct 5, 2010
Erica and Julianne learn that Brent is outbidding them for Seth Newman's book, not because he wants to publish it, but because he will do anything to ruin Erica and Julianne, who, to him, is purely the competition who he doesn't like. Erica wants to use diplomacy to deal with this situation. When Brent doesn't seem interested in diplomacy, the battle between 50/50 and River Rock becomes an all out war. Armed with incriminating information from Brent's past, Erica and Julianne decide to ruin Brent like he seems determined to do to them. Before Erica makes this joint decision with Julianne, Dr. Tom wants the therapy group's take on the situation. With a split decision amongst the group, Dr. Tom believes Erica can learn what her actions will lead to by visiting a time in her past when she went to visit Leo at university, specifically during rush week when he was pledging a fraternity which was two weeks before he quit school. The first time around, Erica did not spend any time with Leo as she hooked up with a man she met there, but she vows to spend all her time with Leo this second time around. She is initially unaware of how this revisit will help her, but with Adam accompanying her, she sees how Leo's situation with the fraternity makes her feel even more angry than she is with Brent. But only with a further visit to a time in Adam's past does she truly understand the nature of her revisit to Leo's rush week. Meanwhile, Sam finds some anti-anxiety pills prescribed to Barb and wants to find out the underlying issue for the prescription. And Erica receives an urgent visit from someone in her past.
Top-rated
Tue, Oct 12, 2010
Erica receives a surprise visit from someone she never expected to see again: Kai. She figures he is on a rogue mission as this visit seems against the rules of therapy. Regardless, he has much news for her, the most important being that he looks for her in the year 2019 and can't find her. Erica believes the worst for herself, meaning death for her in 2019 at age 42. As Erica progresses through the day, she can't focus on anything else besides the possibility of dying at such a young age and wanting to find out for sure what really happens to her in 2019. As such, Dr. Tom sends Erica back on a Groundhog Day (1993) scenario, reliving a certain time of her life over and over again, perhaps for eternity or at least until she figures out what lesson Dr. Tom is trying to teach her. But as he denies Erica her initial request, Dr. Tom does exactly himself what Erica requested for herself, which brings up concerns with Drs. Naadiah and Arthur. And Barb's actions may be a role for Erica to follow as Barb tells her of her breast cancer.
Wed, Oct 20, 2010
Adam learns that Hastings, his old boss for who he did his enforcing, has just died. At the wake which Adam reluctantly attends, many of his old enforcer colleagues, including his own younger brother Johnny who Adam got into the business, try to get him to return to this old lifestyle, which he declines but in such a way that those enforcer tendencies are still evident within him. Dr. Tom feels that Adam is now ready to confront that aspect of his life, and sends him back to his early twenties when he had a job with the "boss from hell", Sean, who Adam beat up after not being able to hold his temper any longer after the constant verbal abuse from Sean. That beating left Adam with a prison sentence, a criminal record and a reputation, all which led to his job with Hastings. He vows not to beat Sean this second time around but to walk away. However, in being able to walk away, Adam's life since that time fundamentally changes to an alternate reality he neither recognizes or embraces as he feels it is not within the scope of therapy. But Dr. Tom and the therapy group try to convince Adam that he is using those issues as an excuse not to pursue what he really wants in his current life. Meanwhile, Erica and Sam, wanting to support their mother, are feeling uncomfortable with her new "live life to its fullest" mentality.
Wed, Oct 27, 2010
Erica realizes that she has feelings for Adam, but won't do anything about it since she believes they are like oil and water. As such, Dr. Tom tells her to spend her day doing what her impulses or "id" tell her to do, without her conscious or "superego" censoring those decisions. This day happens to be the day of the Pride Parade when her old friend Cassidy is coming back to town. Spending the day with homosexuals, Cassidy in particular, may help Erica in this task as she has seen how Cassidy, as a homosexual woman, has taken those risks and acted on her impulses. But what will Erica do when confronted with the issue of Adam. Meanwhile, three other couples take their friendships/relationships to a new plateau, namely Julianne and Ivan, Barb and Gary, and Sam and Lenin. With the latter, Sam, on her first date with Lenin, is uncomfortable with their professional disparities, and has to figure out what to do about it.
Wed, Nov 3, 2010
Having not seen or heard from her since she left to follow a guy to Los Angeles six months ago, Erica receives a surprise visit from Jenny, who admits she made a mistake, yet again, in making that move and didn't want to face Erica in disgrace. Rather than be angry, Erica vows to help Jenny get through this rough period in her life. As 50/50 Publishing is going through growing pains, Erica convinces Julianne to hire Jenny as their assistant. Although Jenny tries in her own way, Erica ends up doing most of Jenny's job while neglecting her own. And while the work at 50/50 piles up in general, Jenny is quick to abandon the office if she feels none of that work is her responsibility. Dr. Tom and the therapy group make Erica examine her friendship with Jenny, both in discovering what is the underlying reason for them actually being friends and how she can help Jenny amend her ways so that Erica doesn't end up hurt. And if being hurt is part of the "joy" that Erica receives from this friendship, is there only so much Erica is willing to take to stay friends with Jenny. Meanwhile, Judith, who admits that she and Anthony are going through preemptive marriage counseling, runs into an old boyfriend.
Top-rated
Wed, Nov 10, 2010
Kai returns. Based on what he told her last time he saw her, Erica is certain that this trip is the one where the two of them will have sex. Because the encounter already happened in Kai's past, Erica is unsure if she has the ability to change that if indeed she does not want to have sex with Kai, which based on circumstance could not blossom into a full fledged relationship. Erica brings this conundrum up at group therapy. Beyond what Erica sees as a slight glimpse of jealousy on Adam's part to this news, Dr. Tom reacts in such a way that angers Erica and that could threaten her therapy with him altogether. What Erica is unaware of is that Dr. Tom is dealing with something in his own life out of need. Dr. Arthur has been concerned that Tom has been hiding behind work rather than take time to reflect and enjoy his own therapied life. The situation which he and his wife Marjorie are facing is the return of their daughter, Sarah, who is very much in need of help but whose actions show that she is unable or really unwilling to clean up her life. This situation makes Tom feel helpless, unlike how he feels when he is dealing with his patients. Meanwhile, Sam has gone from one extreme to another in her public dealings with Lenin, this time overcompensating for their professional disparities.
Wed, Nov 17, 2010
When Erica goes back with Camilla on one of her regrets, Erica inadvertently runs into Seth Newman, who is really an Orthodox Jew named Shimon Nyberg and not an-ex cult member as he writes about in The Purple Door. Erica feels helpless in this situation as Dr. Tom will not allow her to add signing Seth Newman as a regret since she gleaned his fraud through a method through which she shouldn't. And Dr. Tom feels helpless since he feels responsible for Erica finding out and can't do anything within the rules of therapy to help her. As Erica and Julianne try to figure out how to get out of a bad situation where both obvious options would cause them further problems, Dr. Tom decides that he has to do something to right what he feels is his wrong. Meanwhile, Ivan and Dave hit a bumpy path in their relationship based on secrets. Sam and Lenin face further disparities in their professional lives. And Judith and Will, both feeling somewhat dissatisfied with their respective married lives, have to figure out what to do about their mutual attraction to each other.
Wed, Nov 24, 2010
Adam runs into Beatrice, the woman who was shown to him as his loving wife in a seemingly happy alternate life. Despite being attracted to her and feeling a connection to her, he almost feels as if Beatrice is his destiny without any consideration on his part. Meanwhile, Erica and Julianne receive nothing but bad news about 50/50 Publishing's future in the wake of their moral decision not to publish The Purple Door. Declaring bankruptcy seems the most obvious choice. The one possibility to keep 50/50 afloat is to accept the offer to publish anything that will at least break even, even if it is something that Erica and Julianne feel is beneath their standards. But Erica receives an intriguing offer from her old college nemesis Antigone Morris née Kim to be considered for a Vice-Presidential position in her publishing firm, which if Erica proceeds would leave Julianne out in the cold. As Adam, among those in group therapy, has the strongest opinion about what Erica should do, Dr. Tom sends Adam along with Erica on a test: he places them on a deserted island, their only task to make it to the other side of the island. Erica and Adam are initially uncertain the lesson of the test, but as they struggle to find their geographic way, their life paths become clearer as they understand the lesson. Elsewhere, Sam and Lenin discuss their future in light of Lenin's standard six month move to another life, this time to Brazil. And Brent has something he wants and needs to talk to Julianne about, if only she will listen.
Wed, Dec 1, 2010
50/50 Publishing's future seems a little brighter now that Brent has provided them with Jay Manuel's exposé on the fashion world as their next big book, and as Julianne ghost top edits Thomas Friedkin's latest book for Brent. Meanwhile, Erica is feeling excited by Adam's implication, partly through his kiss on the deserted island, that he is indeed interested in her romantically. They even have a date scheduled to talk about what the kiss means. After a group therapy session, Erica decides to follow Adam through his exit door to talk to him, but she finds him at the end of a romantic tryst with Beatrice. Erica has no idea who Beatrice is, but only knows that she feels betrayed that he is having sex with another woman while expressing interest in her. Erica's cold shoulder treatment to Adam changes when he explains who Beatrice is. As Adam proceeds with what he believes is his destiny with Beatrice now with Erica's understanding, Adam runs away from Beatrice after a lovemaking session, but is uncertain why. As such, Dr. Tom sends Adam back to a time with his family, which had the pattern of physical abuse by his father on his mother, who in turn emotionally abused Adam in her dependence on him. As Adam learns how to break the pattern, he understands what he needs to do in his current life with Beatrice and Erica. Elsewhere, Barb has some good news regarding her health, and makes some decisions about her future, specifically with regard to Gary.
Top-rated
Wed, Dec 8, 2010
Erica's life seems to be back on track. 50/50 Publishing's future seems bright. Brent wants to extend a permanent olive branch to Julianne - and by association Erica - due in part to their now closer working relationship. Julianne is still somewhat suspicious as Brent will not tell her why he originally stabbed her in the back. Back with Erica, she is in a budding relationship with Adam. And all of her family - Barb, Gary and Sam - are also in happy places in their lives. But Erica's life takes an unexpected turn when, after waking up after her first ever lovemaking session with Adam, she finds that she is back in the hospital during the time when she first met Dr. Tom. Populated by familiar faces in different positions, such as Julianne as a nurse, Dave as an orderly and Dr. Tom as Dr. Wexler who is her physician and not her therapist, Erica's new reality is that she has just awaken from a two week coma from her nut-allergy induced anaphylactic shock. The implication is that her therapy with Dr. Tom has been a dream. As Erica tries to cope with what she sees as this setback, she receives a visitor from her past who tries to make her understand what's going on. Regardless of if what she is experiencing is indeed her reality, Erica has to come to the understanding that she still has the lessons learned from therapy - imagined or real - to start the process of bettering her life all over again.
Wed, Dec 15, 2010
50/50 Publishing is hosting an all-inclusive Christmas party. The self-professed queen of Christmas, Julianne, is taking charge to ensure that everything for the party matches the exacting standard of a Giacomelli Christmas. On the flip side, Adam, who attends the party nonetheless, has never had a merry Christmas, and he seems determined not to partake in the traditional Christmas festivities just to please others. In the middle is Erica, who, coming from Jewish background, has never officially celebrated Christmas with her family, but has observed its secular traditions as an adult as they surround western society. Erica will even miss the traditional first night of Hanukkah with her family because of the party. Regardless of Adam's feelings, Erica is determined to show Adam that Christmas, with its associated traditions, can be a happy time. As such, Dr. Tom sends Erica to three holidays past: first to a Giacomelli Christmas as a teen-aged Julianne, that experience which is a much tenser version of what Julianne had described; second to a Strange holiday past when Erica was twelve and who, along with her siblings, wanted so much to partake in the Christmas rather than Hanukkah traditions; and third to Adam's last Christmas day, which was spent with what he considered his best friend at the time. These experiences show Erica what is important to show not only Adam, but everyone, in making this indeed a happy holiday season.