Episode 202--"in re: the marriage of weston"

Writer Susan Shilliday Director Peter Horton Air Dates 12/13/88, 8/1/89 Guest Stars

Lyman Ward as Jack Bronstein; Millie Perkins as the divorce mediator; Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks' wife) as Adrianne; David Packer as Terry O'Neil; Courtney Gebhardt as Carla

Synopsis

Nancy makes progress in getting her book published, while Elliot dates a lawyer. Their divorce papers are finalized, but neither sign them.

Summary

Nancy has had her book in at a publisher that Emily Burch recommended for two months now and the pictures are finished color portraits now. She and Elliot are obviously under a lot of stress. Nancy breaks down and calls the publisher, actually being assertive, asking him to look at her work and he agrees.

Elliot has met Adrianne, a lawyer who smokes constantly, and has started dating her which leads to him needing to take an advance on his paycheck again. Nancy goes to meet Jack Bronstein, the publisher, and he likes the book a lot, but thinks they need to work on the story some. Jack has a daughter named Lauren, so he understands her need to work around the kids. Elliot meets with Adrianne and he's resistant to the idea of selling the house. Nancy starts making a dress for Britty out of the red velvet one she wore for the college production where she first met Elliot. Jack comes to the house and reads books to Ethan, who seems to like him.

In a meeting with the lawyers, Nancy turns down alimony and gets a job helping out at Chestnut Hill Art Center where Nancy meets Terry, an instructor who is extremely attentive. In deliberations with Jack, the magic bandaid is cut from the storyline and while talking to Jack. Just after Jack kisses her, Nancy has more flashbacks involving the wine glasses which she and Elliot bought in Spain. Melissa stops by the art center to see Nancy, and it turns out that Melissa knows Terry. For a moment it looks as if they were together, but Terry and Nancy end up sleeping together.

Elliot caves in and gets the house appraised, but Ethan finds out and Elliot asks him to keep it a secret. Elliot and the kids go fishing and Elliot finds out about Jack's presence at the house and that there's a book of some sort. Hope and Ellyn show up in the life drawing class at the center and spot Terry. Elliot makes a play for Adrianne and she puts him off again, though they do eventually sleep together. He asks hesitantly if he can stay the night, she awkwardly says yes, and he immediately retracts the request and leaves.

Nancy gets a call about the house being on the market and goes furiously charging over to the Steadman's with Jack in tow and causes a huge scene. Elliot finds out that Nancy has written a book about the story that he and Ethan made up together, which frustrates him.

In the end, the divorce papers are delivered to both of them, but neither can sign and they set them aside for the moment.

Notes

Nancy's maiden name is Krieger

Ethan Krieger Weston was born March 6, 1982

Brittany Ann Weston was born October 27, 1984

Elliot's middle name is Francis

Marital dissolution papers dated December 5, 1988

Grendel appears

Michael and Elliot company designed a logo for the Ticonderoga beer company

Nancy uses a diaphragm as her method of birth control

The Weston house has three bedrooms, 1 bathroom, no family room (which is kind of peculiar when I'm looking at shots of the house because the couch sure seems to be in a family room of some sort).

Fashion

• Elliot wears a jacket pin.
• Nancy had a poodle perm when she was pregnant with Ethan.

Music

"Deja Vu" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (written by David Crosby) from the album Deja Vu appears when Elliot cranks the song at his new apartment just as the stereo decides to die

Quotes

"I am thinking about having a lawyer." --Elliot to Adrianne

--"Your hair smells like pine trees, sunny pine trees." --Terry

--"Yeah, that's the pine tar shampoo. I use it for the dandruff." --Nancy

"I'm getting that feeling, Ellyn, that giggly, pre-teen shopping for a training bra feeling." --Hope

"You're not divorced, you're separated." --Adrianne

Analysis

• Elliot is finally beginning to realize the cost of the separation, especially as he sees Nancy getting a job and a publisher. It hits home even harder when the company begins to falter a little and he can't make enough money to support the house.

• There is no small symbolism in the matter of Britty's dress, but I've never felt that I fully understood it. References are made to that dress on at least two other occasions later in the series, including one by Nancy's mother. Perhaps it centers around the fact that when Nancy and Elliot met, they fell in love almost instantly, or at least in lust together. They slept together on the second date, he moved into her dorm room, and they were never apart after that. That dress was the symbol of the moment when they first saw each other. Nancy was willing to cut it to pieces in order to provide for her children if that was what was necessary. Elliot saw that and understood what it meant in terms of his own role as a father.

• Laura Linger has written in with some of her thoughts on her favorite episode:

First, I love the motif of the printer speedily churning out the divorce decree. I am always struck by the contrast between how long it takes to build a good marriage and a life together-twelve years, two kids-and how quickly it can all be destroyed by one little document that is printed in a matter of minutes.

My favorite part of this episode is when Nancy and Elliot have the angry exchange in divorce mediation regarding Nancy's refusal of spousal support. First, did you know that the divorce mediator (Anna Trautman is the character's name, I think?) is Millie Perkins, who portrayed Anne Frank in the 1950's movie? Back to the argument-I think it is a wonderful parallel when Nancy actually shows some spine and tells Elliot that she does not want his money for herself-just for the house and the kids. This is a direct refutation of Elliot's earlier statement to his attractive lawyer [Adrienne], when he so snidely tells her that she [Adrienne] is the direct opposite of Nancy-the lawyer is "dynamic," and assertive, and can take care of herself, whereas (Elliot believes) Nancy cannot. Then Nancy announces that she is going to get a job and support herself-pretty dynamic behavior for a former stay-home mom!! The look on Tim Busfield's face is just perfect--it looks like he has been slapped. Then, in typical Elliot fashion, he recovers enough to make the horrible comment, "what are you going to do, flip burgers?" I think that this is just another example of the excellent, true-to-human-form writing this series featured week after week. Elliot had Nancy pegged, or so he thought; when she totally surprises him by her newfound sense of independence, he is at first shocked, then chagrined and even outraged. How dare she survive-even flourish-without him?

Another irony, of course, is that Nancy exhibits the very behavior that Elliot most desired from her only after the Westons separate. In the "therapy" episode, Elliot wishes that Nancy could be a more spontaneous person, more assertive, more "sexy." Only after Elliot leaves does Nancy a) get a much-needed makeover; b) become assertive and spontaneous enough to call a publisher for her book; and c) stop being such a drag about every little thing to Elliot--most importantly, money, which was always a sore point in the Westons' marriage--she doesn't even want his spousal support.

• Ellyn suddenly has time out of her day to go to a drawing class with Hope? No precedent for this whatsoever. Now Melissa, well that would make sense. She's working in the artistic community, probably knows how to draw already, and has the flexibility of schedule.

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