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115 - (TMD)     The Mystery Dance     02/07/00
Judy laments about her perpetual singlehood until she meets Samuel (Steven Weber), a man who might fulfill her dreams. Meanwhile, Lily and Rick begin the very delicate process of mending their damaged relationship. David Clennon makes a guest appearance as his "thirtysomething" character, Miles Drentell.

WRITER: Sue Paige and Daniel Paige     DIRECTOR: Dan Lerner
 Brooks-Manning Lily    Grace    Zoe
 Sammler Rick   
 Ex's Jake    Karen
 Other Family Judy   
 Business Miles   
 Significant Regulars Sam
Others
Jean-Paul - The Internet blind date

PLACES:
Lily's house
Rick's house
Karen's house
Judy's house
Sammler Cassilli
My Sister's Bookstore
Jake's car
Judy's car
 
OTHER LOCATIONS:
Art Gallery - Lily and Judy are together at the art show when Judy spots Rick who introduces them to Sam
Sam's Workshop - Rick confronts Sam about not being truthful to Judy about his marriage
Seafood Restaurant - Rick and Lily have a very awkward dinner. She begins by saying that Sam lied to Judy and Rick implies that Judy may have mistaken Sam's motives. They then move on to discussing their relationship, during which Lily insists that they should talk about her "episode" with Jake, and Rick refuses to talk about it. Finally, he tells her that it is eating him up inside and he does not know what to do about it.

LITERARY REFERENCES:
Spoon River Anthology - George Gray, from Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters

Karl Vennberg
http://www.bartleby.com/84/64.html
Edgar Lee Masters (1868–1950). Spoon River Anthology. 1916.
64. George Gray
I HAVE studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me—
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life. 5
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail 10
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one’s life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire— 15
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.


INTERVIEWS:
Judy: I can't believe it ...
Judy: I didn't have a date for the millenium ...
Judy: I immersed myself ...
Judy: There are certain obvious signs ...
Judy: If he doesn't like hot cocoa ...
Judy: On the other hand ...
Judy: ... but you feel like you've been kissed ...
Judy: He has to resonate ...
Judy: Sometimes, things just happen.
Judy: I'm thirty five!

Sam: "It pictures not my destination, but my life."

Judy: "... for love was offered me ..."

MUSIC:
W.G. Snuffy Walden Production/incidental music

EVENTS:
Episode Timeline

First kiss
Judy and Sam first kiss in Bookstore

Discovery
Judy in her tub with a mud mask when she finds out that Sam is married

On-Line
Rick and Miles have a couple of Macintosh-based video conferences

True Love
Rick confesses to Lily for the first time that he loves her deeply and "cannot live without her."

EPISODE TIMELINE:
by westcott1212@go.com

DAY ONE: (possibly Sunday as everyone is off work, including Judy, although the bookstore is open Sundays)

Lily and Judy attend an Art Show where they run into Rick and Sam Blue. Judy has car troubles and catches a ride with Sam. Her initial attraction to Sam is further enhanced when she discovers that he loves hot cocoa.

DAY TWO: (Workday)

Morning: Miles commissions a sculpture from Sam, but Rick needs to run interference between the two of them.

Afternoon: Lily has a date with Rick and sneaks away early. Judy asks her to get the scoop on Sam from Rick. After Lily leaves, Sam drops by the bookstore with the excuse that he's 'needing to buy something.' Since the bookstore does not stock Carl Van Berg, he inquires about 'Spoon River Anthology.' Before he leaves, he confesses to Judy that he hasn't been able to get her out of his mind. They share a first kiss.

Evening: Lily is over at Rick's and while thoroughly enjoy a back massage, she mentions Jake and the divorce mediation, striking a nerve in Rick. When she kisses him, she feels him pulling away from her. She tries to get him to talk about TBM, but he says it's not the right time. Rather than press the issue, she is content to let him resume the back massage.

Judy closes up the store and Sam escorts her home, but tells her he can't stay. During a late night soak and mud mask, Lily reports in with the news that Sam is 'very married.'

DAY THREE: (Workday)

A B/W of Judy has her lamenting over the fact that she's 35, Thirty Five, THIRTY FIVE!

Morning: Sam shows up bright and early before Judy has opened the store. She immediately asks him to leave and confronts him about the fact that he is married. Lily arrives for work and Sam hightailsakes off.

Miles checks in with Rick about some new building material that he's interested in and inquires about Sam's progress with the sculpture.

Evening: Sam tries to phone Judy several times but she's screening her calls.

Rick and Lily have dinner at 'Canetti's'. They start off arguing about Sam's intentions, but the conversation quickly turns to their own problems. Rick finally lets Lily know that he's having trouble handling what happened between her and Jake and he wonders where they 'did it'

Later: Sam is still trying to phone Judy and this time she picks up and agrees to meet him.

DAY FOUR: (possibly Friday, as Jake has the kids for the weekend)

Morning: Rick drops by Sam's studio on the way to work. He asks about Sam's wife Janine and wants to know what Sam is up to with Judy. Sam basically tells Rick to mind his own business. He adds, "This is the first time in my life I felt like this and I'm not just going to let it go by"

Sam drops by the bookstore and gives Judy the big sob story about how he and his wife don't love each other anymore. He tells Judy how much she means to him and tells her that she needs to know that she was wanted. Before he leaves, he gives her the Spoon River Anthology.

Rick and Miles clash over Sam again but decide it's a 'longer conversation'

When Lily arrives at work, she realizes that Judy is very upset and offers to cover for her. Judy breaks down and cries about being scared that she'll never find the right guy to marry and have children with.

Evening: Rick unexpectedly drops by Lily's while she is working on her budget for the mediator. He tells her that "it's confusing, having something to say and not being able to say it" After a bit of prodding, Rick tells Lily, "I love you very much. And I can't live without you." Relieved, Lily pounces on Rick and they make love on the couch.

Judy curls up on her sofa and reads the poem "George Gray" from the book Sam gave her. Later, Sam comes over to her place with more than poetry on his mind.


TRIVIA:

Poetry
Sam asks Judy if she has any books by the Swedish poet "Karl Venberg"

He's a nice boy
Judy's mom finally gave her friend Helen Krummholtz, Judy's number so her son Keith the Pharmacist could call her.

The wife
Sam's wife's name is Jeanine

Age
We find out that Judy is 35

Driven
Judy once dated a guy who was into cars, so she learned a lot about cars too

... and I also ...
Judy once went to Art School but never finished

This is a "must"
Very important to Judy is a man who likes hot cocoa.

All of it
We learn Judy's full name when Lily consoles her at the bookstore - Judith Lauren Brooks

Alias
Judy uses the nickname "Simone" while on the Internet

Quotes
Sam quotes from the "Spoon River Anthology"

Elvis sighting
All the episodes written by Sue and Daniel Page are named after Elvis Costello songs: "Mystery Dance," "Sneaky Feelings," "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" and "The Other End of the Telescope."

Lyrics - Mystery Dance, by Elvis Costello
http://www.elvis-costello.com/homepage/lyrics/lyrics_song.html

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill.
He jumped out the window cause he couldn't sit still.
Juliet was waiting with a safety net.
He said "Don't bury me cause I'm not dead yet".
Why don't you tell me 'bout the mystery dance.
I wanna know about the mystery dance.
Why don't you show me,
'cause I've tried and I've tried,
and I'm still mystified.
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied.
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied.

Well I remember when the lights went out
and I was tryin' to make it look like it was never in doubt.
She thought that I knew, and I thought that she knew,
so both of us were willing, but we didn't know how to do it.

chorus

Well I was down under the covers in the middle of the night,
tryin' to discover my left foot from my right.
You can see those pictures in any magazine.
But what's the use of looking when you don't know what they mean.

chorus
NIT PICKERS:

Twice as nice When Rick/Lily are at the seafood restaurant, she takes her scarf off twice. -- Westscot1212



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