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by Pam Cole I'm too depressed to write this episode summary, but I'll try. Episode 10 opens with no random act. Instead, we see Lara in a Paris spa, getting a mud treatment. A woman who had a mastectomy walks through the spa nude, and Lara sees her. Upset, Lara leaves her mud treatment and gets her cell phone to call Dana. She tells Dana's answering machine that she can't stop thinking about her and wants to talk about coming home. Two ominous indicators appear onscreen: 1) The chart draws a line leading from Lara to nowhere; 2) a time indicator appears briefly at the bottom of the screen. It reads "11:50:51 p.m. Paris time," which is 1:50:51 p.m. LA time. This timer appears throughout the episode and acts as a device to tell us what each member of the gang is doing during the last 45 minutes of Dana's life. (Almost exactly the length of the episode.) Alice has been at Dana's hospital bedside for the five days Dana has been there. Tina drops off Alice's mail and clean clothes, and picks up her dirty clothes. The group is taking turns sitting with Alice at the hospital. Tina is leaving for a date with Henry and asks Alice if she is too dressed up for the date. After Tina leaves, Alice leans over to the barely conscious Dana and tells her that bisexuality is gross, which makes Dana smile. At the Buddhist retreat, it is snowing. Bette packs up and leaves. As she walks away, she lets out a scream, breaking her silence. She walks to the bus stop, yelling all the way. Bette strikes up a conversation with a young man waiting at the bus stop. She tells him that she is a "meditation retreat dropout." There is no cell phone signal, so she can't call anyone. As they wait for the bus, an older woman joins them and the three of them talk about life and letting things out instead of holding them in. They talk about how they handle life's problems and Bette admits that she buries herself in work to avoid them. Shane and Carmen are sharing a sweet moment where Shane says that she didn't know Carmen liked classical music. (Carmen is updating Dana's Ipod with classical music.) Carmen says that there are lots of things that Shane doesn't know about her. She then chooses this moment to blurt out that she cheated on Shane, after Shane had sex with Cherie Jaffee. Shane is shocked and goes into full withdrawal mode. Carmen has to get up and stalk her to try and get her attention to discuss it. (Weird….is this true or is this Carmen trying to get back at Shane?) Later, Carmen apologizes for the affair and Shane asks her if she "feels better now that they are even." Carmen turns to go, but Shane grabs her and kisses her, and they begin to make love. Jenny and Max have lunch with Jenny's ex-husband Tim and his new, pregnant wife. Tim is apparently in town for a swim meet. After introducing Max, Jenny blurts out that Max is in transition from female to male, which makes everyone uncomfortable (including Max). Thus, follows an uncomfortable lunch where Jenny and Tim get ugly toward each other. Predictably, the lunch ends with Tim and his wife getting up and walking out. At the hospital, the nurse comes in and urges Alice to get out of the hospital and take a walk for awhile. Dana's parents are supposed to come soon. Alice doesn't want to leave, but after a brief exchange with Dana, she decides she can leave for a few minutes. Dana whispers "I love you" to Alice--her last words. Alice tells Dana that she loves her, too. Alice goes into the hospital gift shop and buys a funny mechanical flower that sings "You are my Sunshine." It is incredibly tacky, but it makes Alice smile. On the hospital grounds she runs into Tonya, who is there for some kind of appointment to try and get pregnant. Tonya and Alice have a bittersweet conversation where Tonya tells Alice that she used to be jealous of Alice's friendship with Dana, and that she regrets leaving Dana. Alice does not tell Tonya that Dana is in the hospital. Helena goes into a legal mediation with Dylan and Danny about the sexual harassment lawsuit. Peggy Peabody shows up to save the day. All Helena's past grievances are brought up and it makes her look really bad. They watch the video that Dylan shot as evidence. Dylan seems uncomfortable but says nothing. Turns out that Dylan and Danny were rejected 5 times in a row for a Peabody grant, which is probably why they set up this sexual harassment thing. Peggy wants to go to trial rather settle the suit (which is for $3 million dollars and wide-distribution release of their documentary film). As Dylan is leaving the room, Helena says that if Dylan will tell her that she never loved her and never wants to see her again, Helena will sign the settlement and end the case. Dylan says that she never wants to see her again, and Helena signs the settlement. She is very upset. Angus doesn't call Kit when he said he would, and she gets worried sick about him. She spends several hours imagining the worst and then goes to Angus' house to look for him, but he isn't there, so she waits. When he shows up, Kit is angry, but they have a lovey-dovey talk and make up. Tina goes out with Henry and the kids to have lunch with some of Henry's friends, a straight couple. Tina and Henry are all smiles and kisses. A middle-aged couple from another table approaches Tina and Henry to congratulate them on their beautiful family, and for adopting a needy child (Angelica). No one corrects their assumption, but everyone feels awkward. Later, Henry assures a slightly upset Tina that he doesn't have a problem with Tina's "life or the way she's lived it." As Dana's life ticks to an end (at 2:35:41 pm): --Shane and Carmen are making love and reach orgasm. The doctor tells Alice that Dana's blood pressure dropped and they couldn't
save her. Alice falls to the floor crying and hysterical and alone (except
for the thousands of viewers around the world who were also crying and
hysterical). The mechanical flower hits the floor beside her and begins
singing "You are my sunshine." Credits roll to this song.
Alexandra Hedison
You Are My Sunshine Yep...our 1 song this week. And I hate it. Hate it, hate it, hate it now. If you want a great, upbeat version, I suggest the version that Heaven Davis did for a compilation called All Aboard, The Beach Boogie Train. Since there are no other songs to talk about, I'm gonna go on a rant and let ya know why this scene and the ending of the episode struck me the way it did. In August, 2001 my Grandma was in the hospital and had been there for a few months or so, pretty much on her deathbed. The night before she died, I was there with the family holding vigil and at the time I was closed to drained. During the Summer of 2001, I had 3 different jobs in 3 different towns, all in different directions from one another. The hospital was in a completely different town in a completely different direction. When I wasn't working, or forcing myself to take an hour long nap, I'd be at the hospital. At this point things are grave and I'm calling my different bosses, keeping them up to date on what's going on and not to expect me at work that day/night. At about 5 something AM, my Mom pretty much forces me to go home and sleep, because I hadn't done so for close to a week. So, I did and conked out for about 2 and a half hours. I wake up and call Mom on her cellphone to let her know I'm headed back to the hospital and she tells me that it won't be necessary. Grandma had died not long after I left. The feeling Alice has when she's told of Dana's death is about the same way I felt that morning...the key differences being that at least the rest of the family was there for Grandma even if I wasn't when she died...and the fact that I was so drained, emotionally I couldn't cry anymore. A big thanks to Erin Daniels on a job well done as Dana Fairbanks and another big thanks to Leisha Hailey for being able to convy on screen, what I couldn't (not matter how much I wanted to) back in 2001. Let's hope next week starts leading to a brighter path...except for Jenny. Jenny sucks. See ya. http://mancandy.com - Thursdays, 9 PM Eastern Nowhere To Go Radio: All Women, All Day The Broad & Cast Network
Creative Consultant ADAM RAPP
SHO.com: Alice steals some of Dana's ashes; Bette thinks about
fighting for sole custody of baby Angelica; Lara arrives home too late;
and, Max finally lands a job where Moira got turned down. TVGuide.com: Bette considers fighting for sole custody of the baby; Lara stays out far too late; Max lands a job--one for which Moira was turned down. TV.com: After Dana's family treats the girls coldly, Alice is determined to arrange a special event to commemorate their friend. While Helena wants to settle, Bette is willing to fight for Angelica's custody. Max lands a job, giving Jenny something to write about. Dealing with her grief, Shane is willing to make the ultimate commitment to Carmen. Finally, Lara arrives from Paris and is comforted by Alice.
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Season 3 / Episode 10: LOSING THE LIGHT
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