Episode 117--"whose forest is it?"

Teleplay Richard Kramer Story Kathleen Tolan Director Peter Horton Air Date

3/15/88, 7/5/, 3/28/89

Lisa Jane Persky as Sharon Berman; Irwin Keyes as The Beast

While Ethan isn't reacting well to the separation, he and Nancy work on a fairy tale about a prince in a forest.

Ethan is showing the stress of the separation and being a basic pain in the rear to Nancy. Ellyn sets up Elliot with Sharon, her chiropractor, and they agree to go to dinner and a movie. Ethan is insistent on hearing the bedtime story of the prince which Nancy doesn't know. Elliot, as they work through the troubles of being separated but sharing kids, tells her it's about a prince who goes into the forest to save the kingdom from monsters (furry ones, not slimy).

Nancy tries to work on the story with Ethan, who finally tells her that the monster had stolen the sun which the prince had to recover. That night Ethan calls out for Nancy, scared that there's a monster in his closet and she comforts him, telling him more of the story of the forest. The prince went into the forest accompanied by Princess Stupidhead (Britty). The prince leaves the princess with the Leaf Lady (Melissa) who gives the prince a sword and knights him. Ethan falls asleep at this point, but he and Nancy continue the story the next day, drawing and playing together. Nancy suggests making "a little book out of some of these drawings."

Sharon drops by the office before the date and begins asking all kinds of chiropractic questions. Before the date, Elliot has to drop by the house to play with Ethan (for all of two minutes). Ethan surprises his dad by hiding out behind the car and sees that Elliot is on a date with someone else, then runs back inside the house.

Later that night, Nancy and Ethan finish the story. The prince has been traveling in the forest when the beast rushes out and tries to attack him. The prince isn't afraid of him and they make friends and the prince fixes the monster's paw with a magic bandaid. Elliot comes into the house and stands in the hallway listening as Nancy tells Ethan about the day he was born and how during the pregnancy Elliot had whispered to her stomach "We love the baby" every night. He and Nancy talk and she affirms him as a good father.

Michael met Hope on a fixup

Ellyn had a slipped disk once

The Weston's number is 555-6301

The number at Michael and Elliot's is 555-5104

Nancy moves her first piece of furniture and fixes a plumbing pipe.

Elliot wears a jacket pin.

"What's wrong? You actually look happy to see me." --Elliot to Nancy

"I hope you find whoever's been stealing the sun because, frankly, I'm getting a little bit tired of all this darkness!" --Leaf Lady (Melissa)

"Tell your partner to watch his posture. There's something a little off." --Sharon Berman to Elliot

• Nancy tries to keep up her brave front as she goes through the single mom woes of dealing with a defiant kid and after seeing that reality, I'd have to say I don't envy her.
• Jay Hutchison wrote in to note that when Lifetime ran a marathon of episodes some time ago, Peter Horton introduced this one as his favorite.
• I think the beast in the forest is a metaphor for desertion and the process of Ethan trying to face his fears.

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