Nancy has the front door lock changed becuase it was broken and Elliot
is mature enough not to blow his top when he sees that she made him another
key. Ethan has been reading lots of books about rockets and wants to build
one, so he wheedles Elliot into getting Nancy to approve.
Elliot's Dad, Charlie, has come into town from California on business
and they meet at his hotel. They're obviously good pals and Charlie expresses
his concern about the divorce, saying that Elliot should be sure to get
a good lawyer in case Nancy tries to take advantage of him. Elliot's sister
Ruth told their Dad about the business going under, so Charlie gives him
a pep talk to keep going, and wants to get out of dinner with Ruthie and
the kids, but Elliot insists since they're expected. Charlie talks business
at dinner, mentioning his deal with a private business consortium to put
up a communications satellite. Elliot and Ruthie talk in the kitchen, analyzing
what their childhood was like. She's still extremely bitter about the promises
that Charlie never fulfilled, including how he never paid for her college.
The next morning at the hotel, Elliot sees Charlie's materials and offers
to help him arrange them into a slick presentation. Charlie resists a little,
but gives in. When the two go by the house to see Nancy and the kids, they
run into Hope and Michael. Elliot and Michael talk for the first time since
the comany broke up and it helps ease through things. Charlie buys an expensive
rocket for Ethan and he flies it around the hotel room while Elliot and
Charlie talk about the presentation. Charlie also hires a babysitter to
watch the kids while he takes Elliot to dinner without asking him first.
Charlie puts a little pressure on him and he caves in, leaving the kids.
On an even more amusing note, Charlie has gotten dates for both of them
and they discuss travel over dinner and Charlie's philosophy of loving
to always be on the move. Unfortunately for everyone, Nancy comes to the
same restaurant on a date with Matt, the hardware store owner. She's furious
that Elliot has ditched the kids and bawls him out in public. They talk
about it later at the house and she actually understands, seeing some of
the irony of the situation.
Elliot talks to Ethan and promises to take him to the park next weekend
to fly the rocket. At the deserted office, Elliot works on the computer
systems they haven't sold back yet, putting his Dad's presentation together.
Michael stops by and they tentatively talk about the colors on the program
and end up collaborating just a bit. Charlie loves the presentation and
praises Elliot excessively, then lets on how confused he is by so much
technology, and sucks Elliot into running the hardware for him during the
pitch.
Nancy, Britty, and Ethan pack up to spend the day with Hope and he packs
his rocket to take along. Charlie makes the pitch in the suite and it looks
really good. At the house, Nancy shows Gary the book illustrations and
he's obviously never seen her work before and is quite blown away. Nancy
lets herself feel positive about finding a publisher and says she'd go
to Ireland if she ever made any money. Britty comes toddling in and everyone
can tell that something's happened. Ethan has shot the rocket off by himself
and it exploded, hurting his face.
Elliot gets a call at the hotel just after the presentation and he goes
straight there. Nancy is coldly furious with him. Ethan sustained a corneal
abrasion on his right eye and they can't tell just yet how much damage
will be incurred.
Back at the hotel, Charlie tries to make amends for not coming along
to the hospital, saying the group was close to signing the contract and
asking if Elliot likes the doctors. He's also got a presentation appointment
in Boston and wants Elliot to come along. They have a pretty intense conversation,
Charlie accusing him of not knowing how to act like a man, and Elliot finally
realizing what it feels like to have your father walk out on you, hence
what his kids must be feeling.
Elliot goes to the hospital, waiting for Ethan to wake up. Elliot has
a long talk with him about the broken promise not to play with the rocket
by itself. Elliot admits his mistakes and that he can't make up for it,
but that he's going to try, starting now. As the scene pulls back and fades,
we see that Nancy is standing outside the door, listening to Elliot's honest
confession.
