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Oh, my what a beginning! I like this episode already! Brian is doing the hell out of Justin (yes, I said Justin) on a table at the loft. Justin has his legs over Brian's shoulders, holding on for dear life as Brian rides him. Both are loving it. I'm loving it . . . and then Brian cums and his fantasy ends when he opens his eyes to see that it is not Justin after all. It's some ugly ass trick who brags about how great Brian is. Brian is so not happy to be back in reality and realize it wasn't Justin he was with. He turns his back on the trick, refusing the request for a shower and kicking the guy out as fast as he can. Brian is hurting and missing his Sunshine.
Ted brings Emmett coffee in bed. Having finally consummated their relationship, they talk about how wonder it was. How wonderful it is to be in love with your best friend. Yes, everything is great in Ted and Emmett Land . . . And I don't need an anvil over the head to know that something is about to happen to end that.
Cut to the diner where a disgusted Brian is watching TEMMETT fawn all over each other, even feeding each other. Both Brian and I are about to hurl. Ted says that Brian is just jealous because he doesn't have what they do, a loving, mature relationship. And then they go back to feeding each other and making train noises. No, seriously, I'm not joking. It really is train noises.
Mikey's black eye is fading and Deb is still pissed at Brian over it. A fan of "Rage" approaches Michael to tell him how much he loves the comic and wants to know when the next issue is coming out. Brian eggs it on, asking when, as well. Michael takes the hint and goes to where Justin is writing the specials of the day onto the chalk board. He comments that Justin is "still there" and Justin replies that he tried to quit, but Debbie wouldn't let him. Besides, he needs the money. "I guess Brian came in handy for that", Bitch Novotny continues his attempt at wit from last week, having used those entire seven days to come up with something new, I see. Justin just makes the same irritated sound I do whenever Bitch is on-screen and goes about his business. Michael then has the nerve to suggest they continue with "Rage" after he's just tried to insult Justin. Justin wants nothing to do with Bitch Novotny or his comic anymore.
Lindsay is playing with Gus in the park as Mel joins them, happy because the case she was working on has been settled. An old friend of their's arrives with her two kids. Dusty talks about wanting more children and suggests the same for Lindz and Mel. Lindsay says no more kids, and Mel is bothered by that.
Ethan is playing on the street while Daphne and Justin are sitting together at a table at what appears to be an out-door cafe. Justin is trying to sketch Ethan, but his hand is bothering him. Daphne notices but Justin tries to make light of it, saying he's just tired. Justin says that Ethan makes about $40 bucks a day playing and Daphne refers to him as a beggar. (Me thinks Daph does not like Ethan!) Justin says he's not a beggar but a street performer. "How romantic," drawls Daphne and Justin agrees. Ethan is romantic. They made love on the roof the night before. (During winter, Sunshine? Is he trying to romance you or give you pneumonia?!) Justin wistfully adds that he never did anything like that with Brian. Brian is still on his mind, it would appear. Daphne starts to remind Justin of all the hot nights with Brian that Justin told her about. Ethan joins them and he and Daphne exchange not-so-friendly greetings. Justin asks what Daphne plans to take in college next semester and then drops a bombshell that he's not taking anything. He's dropping out because he doesn't have the money to cover it anymore. Ethan asks who has been paying for his tuition. No answer is needed, just a look and Ethan catches on. Brian Kinney.
At the loft, Brian is having phone sex, talking dirty to a trick that he's watching on the computer. He suddenly realizes how pathetic and meaningless it all is and hangs up on the guy.
At Lindsay and Melanie's, Mel asks if Lindz really meant what she said about them having no more kids. Lindz wants to concentrate on her career for awhile and can't do that if she has another baby right now. In the tub, Mel talks about how beautiful Lindz was pregnant and reminds Lindz of how happy she was when Gus was born and how Lindz said she wanted lots of kids. Mel wants them to have another baby.
Ben is cooking for a night at home with him and Michael. Emmett is going to meet Ted at Babylon where they play the cute little game of pretending they're strangers and picking each other up. Em leaves for his night out, Ben and Michael settle down for their night in . . . and Brian shows up. Poor guy is in serious Pain Management Mode and looking for someone to hang out with. He invites himself to dinner and wants Ben and Michael to come with him to Babylon. Ben and Michael want to stay home and be alone together . . . . Cut to Babylon.
Ben is at the bar, unhappily watching as Brian and Michael are dancing together, living it up like old times. Ted and Emmett are at the bar as well and Em excuses himself to go to the bathroom. There he encounters Dijon, like the mustard, so for the sake of my spellcheck, let's call him Mustard. Mustard is a flight attendant and before leaving town the time before, he and Emmett made plans to get together. Mustard wants them to have their date. Em tries to say he has a boyfriend now, but Mustard insists on giving Em his address and setting a night and time. He won't tell Em's boyfriend if Em won't tell his.
Back at the bar, Ben wants to go home. He has an early class tomorrow. Brian wants them to stay, but Ben and Michael leave. Brian is left alone at the bar.
Justin has lunch with Ethan and his mother. He sings the praises of Ethan, who we learn more about. He feels he inherited his talent for the violin from his grandfather who taught him to play. His parents paid for all his lessons. Ethan is a finalist in the Heifitz competition that is coming up. And that's our session on Ethan for today, kids. He must now leave so that Jennifer can say how great he is, so much better and more "appropriate" than Brian. Not that she has anything against Brian--Yeah, right, Jenn, tell it to someone who believes it. Justin is quick to cut her off, declaring that he is with Ethan now and doesn't want to talk about Brian. Denial, Thy Name Is Justin Taylor! Justin says he will cover lunch since he won't be needing his money for school anymore. Jenn offers to help, but Justin says she has to support herself and Molly. Jennifer brings up Craig then, saying that he asks about Justin all the time. Maybe he will help. Justin says he won't ask his father for anything. Jenn wants him to rethink that because Craig is his father, after all, and has been very generous with Molly. Maybe he will help Justin, too.
Brian is buying undies at the store where Emmett works and Em ends up confiding about his "friend's" dilemma. Brian knows he's talking about himself and tells him that he should do Mustard because it is covered by the Grandfather Clause. "Any agreement made before the current arrangement is legally binding." In other words, Em made the fuck date before he got with Ted so it's ok if he goes through with it now. Brian says go for it, just don't blab about it to Ted afterwards.
Lindsay and Dusty swapping coupons on the sidewalk and strolling their kids. Dusty congratulates Lindz, saying that she heard from Mel that they were going to have another baby. Lindz is surprised by that.
Brian is moping around Michael's comic book store, complaining that he was sick the night before from Ben's cooking. Michael thinks it is probably all the drugs he took at Babylon. Brian wants Michael to hang out with him again but Michael says no. He and Ben are having dinner with Debbie so Brian will just have to stay "Forever young without him".
Michael is leaving the store, locking up when Brian sneaks up behind him, pretending to be a mugger. He scares Michael at first, then Mikey is pissed at him over it. Brian offers to drive Michael to Deb's. But once in the Jeep, he tells Michael that they are going to the Underwear Party at Babylon. Michael doesn't want to, but Brian takes his cell phone when he tries to call and declares that Mikey is going with him.
Emmett goes to Mustard's place to tell Mustard that he won't fool around with him . . . but ends up doing just that.
Debbie is furious that Michael doesn't show up for dinner. She knows who he's with and what they're doing. Brian has drug him off somewhere when he should be there with Ben. Ben tries to act nice about it, saying that Brian is hurting but refuses to acknowledge it. He needs his friend. Debbie thinks Ben is so nice . . . . Fuck nice. She wants him to put his foot down about this. Ben says he can't control Michael or what Michael does and we see some frustration slipping in there. He isn't happy about it, either, but he's not going to pull a Dr. Dave and demand Michael do as he says. Deb says that Michael is just a substitute for Justin and Mikey just can't see that. Vic adds that the substitute is always the last to know. A strange look passes over Ben's face as it occurs to him that Vic maybe referring to him. Maybe he's been the substitute all this time because Michael couldn't have Brian. But now that Justin is out of the picture, Ben seems to have become a second thought instead of a first priority to Michael.
Lindz is ticked off and confronts Mel about telling people that they were going to have another baby. She said she'd think about it, not that they were. If Mel wants more kids, she should have them herself. Mel can't believe that Lindz would say that to her. Lindz knows she can't have kids. Lindsay says that there are new medical procedures now, so maybe Mel can conceive after all.
One of my new favorite scenes here. Justin at Craig's. Craig seems to have mellowed a bit. He is living with a new woman now who he has been seeing for about a year. He and Justin share a drink, talk a little, he looks at some of Justin's art work and praises it. Nice father/son interaction for a brief moment. But then Justin brings up his tuition. He can't get financial help because Craig makes too much money and he can't work full-time and go to school. He knows that Craig said he wouldn't pay for art school, but he hopes his father will reconsider. Craig asks what happened to Brian paying for it and Justin says that he and Brian are no longer an item. Craig is thrilled to hear that and wants Justin to reconsider Dartmouth. Justin tells his father that he will never be a businessman. And he'll never be straight. Craig starts to reminisce about how, more than anything, Justin had wanted to make him proud once. And he had been proud. No father had been more proud of a son than he had been of Justin. "And you're ashamed of me now?" Justin asks. Craig says no, but Justin goes on, "I'm just not the man you wanted me to be? . . . . I'm the man that I want to be. The only man I can be. If you can't be proud of me for that, then that's your problem," Justin sadly declares as he leaves his father's home for probably the first and last time. A sad Craig lets him go. No description can do this scene justice, really. It is beautifully and wonderfully written and acted by both men. It leaves me wanting more of Craig and Justin. Outstanding scene.
Brian at the Underwear Party. He wants Michael to join in on the fun, Michael doesn't want to. So Brian ends up pawing some trick on the dancefloor while Michael watches on. Some would say it's super hot, I say it's getting super boring. Brian tricks for the 44th episode with some nameless guy he'll paw for a few seconds and we'll never see again. <Yawn> Major let down from the great drama we've had so far.
Mel has breakfast at the diner, which is conveniently empty, and confides in Debbie that Lindz wants her to carry their next baby. But, the truth is, she's scared of the idea of motherhood. She thinks Lindz is a better and stronger woman than her. Deb thinks that is crap and encourages Melanie to have a baby.
A pissed off Ben is loudly making breakfast while a hung over and sleepy Michael tries to defend himself for the night before. Brian kidnapped him and drug him to Babylon . . . yeah, yeah, yeah. And you couldn't walk out the door or find a payphone either, right, Mikey? Ben's not buying it. Ben says that he was the one who encouraged Michael to hang out with Brian, but when he moved in he assumed that he would see Michael more, not less. Frustrated Ben says that he thinks they made a mistake by moving in. It was rushed, they didn't really think about it before hand and he thinks he should look for his own place. He thinks there are still things that Michael needs to work out. In other words, Michael's feelings for Brian. He needs to decide if Ben is just the substitute or not. Does he want Ben and this relationship or "the good old days" with Brian.
At the gym, Emmett sees Mustard and fakes a pulled muscle so that he can disappear into the locker room. Mustard approaches him and Ted anyhow. Em goes to great pains to introduce Ted as his boyfriend, the guy he has a relationship with. Mustard is tacky and cheap it would seem and doesn't take the hint, coming onto Emmett anyhow and saying he will call Em when he gets back in town. Emmett is so busted. The look on his face alone screams guilt. Ted knows. Emmett tries to lie his way out of it, but Ted won't let him. A hurt Ted leaves.
At the financial department, Justin and Ethan are meeting with a woman about Justin's tuition. Ethan insists that the world will be deprived of great art if Justin isn't allowed to continue at P.I.F.A. He's being a bit overly-dramatic here. Justin is calmer and more serious as he asks if there is any way to defer tuition until he can get a loan. He is told that there is not a problem. His tuition has been paid already. Justin's surprised, Ethan is thrilled and assumes that Craig came through for Justin after all. Justin knows better.
Sad, lonely Brian watching an old Brando film, "One-Eyed Jacks", as a knock sounds on his door. He's mouthing the dialogue with the characters and I don't need another anvil over the head to know that it pertains to B&J.
"Did you think that to kill him would make you a man?"
"I don't know about that, but I know that I've thought about him everyday for five years and it was the only thing that kept me going."
Enter Justin and Brian turns to look at him as the heroine declares:
"There are not many chances in life to be happy. I think we have a good one now."
Justin looks around the loft and Brian says that he doesn't need to look for someone else. Brian is there alone. For a change, Justin points out. Justin takes a moment to comment on Brian's new expensive coffeetable, part of his boyfriend replacement therapy, I assume. He then tells Brian that he can't accept the tuition. Brian asks if someone else is covering Justin and Justin says no. Brian replies that Justin can't afford not to accept it then. Justin says that they are not together anymore, but Brian reminds that they signed an agreement. He'll pay for Justin's school and Justin will pay him back later with interest. Justin says that Brian doesn't have to honor it now. "A deal's a deal," Brian insists. Justin warns that he could be poor for a long time since he doesn't have a lot of money making opportunities. Brian says that he has one, meaning "Rage". Justin starts to leave and Brian says that he is forgetting something. Justin thanks Brian and Brian scoffs that he didn't mean that. He means the computer. He's packed it for Justin to take. Justin says that it belongs to Brian and Brian disagrees, he gave it to Justin. And Justin needs it more for his art. Justin goes to get the computer and Brian turns back to the movie, and the dialogue is suddenly loud again as we hear an "I love you" from the TV. (The *Thud* you hear is the sound of the anvils being dropped on our heads again.) Randy Harrison and Gale Harold are an amazing duo. They acted the hell out of this scene and it's a beauty.
At Jerk @ Work, TEMMETT are arguing over Mustard. Ted is hurt and furious and being a hard ass and Em is completely upset. Em says that he wished he could talk to his best friend Teddy at the moment and tell Ted about how he had this wonderful chance with a man that he really loved but messed it up over someone who means nothing to him. Ted says that, as Em's best friend, he would tell Em not to be so hard on himself. As Em's lover, though, he has a completely different reaction. They continue to talk and realize they have to balance the best friends and now lovers thing. Great scene. Wonderful acting. They totally make up for the earlier train noises scene here. And, on a personal note, I'm surprised by how much I really love Ted and Em as a couple.
Justin drops by the comic book store and Michael gives him a check for $600 dollars which is Justin's profit for "Rage" so far. Justin starts to tell Michael an idea he has for the comic and Michael is getting into it, adding his thoughts on. Michael says that it is an "Ok" idea and Justin smiles that it's brilliant and Michael knows it. Michael does, but reminds that Justin said he wanted nothing to do with Rage. "A deal's a deal," Justin says as he leaves the store. "Rage" will continue. The phone rings and it's Brian. He's at Babylon and he wants Mikey to come out and play. Michael says no way. He is going home and he will be lucky if Ben is still there.
Final shot is a drugged out Brian dancing alone at Babylon.
Next week, Brian gets a new car, Ted/Em have advice for Debbie, Mel can have a kid now but she needs a sperm donor, and Justin is leaving Ethan's side to meet up with Brian.