My TV Musings

Problems at the newspaper and at home for Dan. He gets fired and it looks like 25% of the newspaper staff will be joining him soon. But not Nancy, now in her 50’s who, rumor has it, bought her job several decades earlier “on her knees” as one co-worker put it, by spending time with the owner, Dennis Armbacher.

We see Livia in her present time which is 1948, but both she and Dan travel to 1979, to the night of the newspaper Christmas party where Dennis’ father, the former owner of the paper, is destined to have a fatal heart attack.

A subplot occurs when Dan meets his father, Frank, at the party and realizes that is the night his father moved out of the house and left his family forever. Dan and Livia argue about which of the issues is their mission, to save Armbacher or Dan’s family.

Meanwhile, back in present day, Katie, Dan’s wife, is trying to keep herself and her Christmas party from falling apart. What with Dan’s mother telling her that she hasn’t gotten over the fact that Katie left Jack for Dan, despite the fact this happened almost 10 years ago, and Katie’s memories of the recent shooting every time she sees her apron, and that Jack and Theresa left the party early (Theresa had just told Jack she is pregnant), Katie seems about to have a nervous breakdown, and it doesn’t help that Dan is off travelling in time. Katie retreats to her bedroom and the party goes on without her downstairs.

Back in 1979, Dan is able to tell his father that he should at least tell his kids why he’s leaving and Frank just walks away. Dan and Livia then find the elder Armbacher dead on the floor of his office, with Dennis sitting behind his desk having a drink. Dan is able to figure out that Nancy gave Dennis an alibi by allowing rumor to be spread that she was with him at the time of his father’s death. Dan puts this information to good use by having Nancy, now back in the present, confront Dennis and the newspaper owner announces to the staff that there will be no layoffs.

Barbara, Dan’s mom, finds Katie in her room and they are able to bond as Barbara tells Katie that she knows what it is like to be afraid that her husband might leave, never to return. Barbara tells Katie that she is a strong, independent woman who could actually survive without Dan in her life.

Dan returns in time to ask Jack what he remembers about the night Dad left. Jack confirms his memory that Frank woke them up that Christmas eve long ago and the fact that he explained why he had to leave made it a little easier.

Dan then finds Katie and assures her that the one thing he has learned is that he is not his father and that he belongs at home with his family.

The final scene is of Livia back in 1948 Christmas eve with her boyfriend, Henry, as he proposes and she accepts.

What a great way to end a holiday episode!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 1st, 2008 at 8:36 am and is filed under Journeyman. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.