In this episode all the family is feeling unsafe, insecure. First, Claudia and Artie, while they were buying some sweets and candy, are witness in a robbery. Where the thief threatens the cashier from his back and when he gets the money. Runs away. In the meantime, Charlie is in the restaurant working with Dudley, an old friend from college, talking about a girl who dumped Dudley, and apartments. Charlie tells that the places he saw are too expensive or too far away, so when he learns there's one free apartment in the old building he used to live while going college, he wants to see it. Kirsten calls to inform Charlie about the robbery, so seemingly she was the only one at home when Claudia returned. When the police officer interviews Claudia and Artie, Charlie and Kirsten are present (like the parents of the house). Artie is eager to be a witness and remembers everything to help in the investigation, but Claudia is scared, doubts in the questions, and is not glad to be a witness. When Charlie and Kirsten go to check an apartment in his old building, where Dudley lives, she finally express insecurity of leaving the house and the kids. This implies that right after the final scene of last episode, Kirsten didn't question his decision, she pretended to support him but hoped he'd change his mind. Now he tells that they'd be 7 minutes from the house and that could be like before he moved in (pre Pilot), but she's not convinced. She knows he wants it and why, but she also knows it's not the right move and doesn't seem to care even about hanging out with people of their age. He tries to convince her by listing the good things of having their own place: they would have privacy to walk half dressed, they could make love in the kitchen, or the shower, in the middle of the day. She seems convinced so they start taking advantage of the privacy of the place. Anyway, later, when he's in the house packing, a sad Claudia asks him if he is taking all his clothes, he kindly tells no as he may stay over sometime, so she says she wants one of his jackets. Bailey comes to tell her that the officer needs her as a witness. She prefers Artie to go, but Bailey says she's needed too, so she looks at Charlie for comfort. He wants to accompany her but Bailey acts in mean way to him (something usual this season) by sending him away and taking Claudia to the police station to identify the thief. In the station, Claudia is very doubtful and can't decide who was the robber. Later, Charlie and Kirsten go to a party in the building they would live, and Dudley lies saying it's usually a quiet place with one monthly party (for what he says to another guy, it's weekly). She doesn't get the jokes they make, as she wasn't present in Charlie's college partying life, so she feels a little bored. Then, Dudley invites them to a party boat for drifting and drinking for days, so Kirsten uses as excuse one of Claudia's recitals. Charlie is surprised by the invented excuse but plays along, and when Dudley leaves to chase a girl, she tells him that his lifestyle (or in any case, their lifestyle) has nothing to do with drifting and drinking. He thinks they could have fun, but she, tired, decides to leave the party, even though it's early. He gives her the keys, and stays until Dudley can give him a ride. In the night at home, Claudia has nightmares about the robber in the house, so she is comforted by Kirsten until she falls asleep next to her in the parental bed. Charlie returns home late and finds Kirsten reading in bed, with Claudia sleeping on her side. She tells that Claudia only fell asleep around 3:30 and he guesses she is still scared about the robbery. Talking about the party, he wanted her to stay, but she says then Claudia would have been alone. He tells that Bill is in the house until midnight, and they'd have returned before then (I'm not sure and I'm siding with Kirsten). She's still insecure of leaving the house, especially now with Claudia needing them and is not comfortable with the partying life that Dudley proposes, but he is sure that he can be on top of things in the house and "have fun". The next day, Charlie makes the house more safe, and Artie informs that the thief is caught and there's no need for Claudia to testify, but in the night she has nightmares again, this time about Charlie's absence. In the dream, she hears his voice talking about how things won't change much if he moves out, but she looks for him, and can't find him, and parts of the house fall down (and although is not showed, Kirsten again comforted her and slept by her side). Meanwhile, Charlie was drinking late with Dudley and, remembering younger times, he realizes once they blew out a great job for drinking. In the morning he wakes up with hangover and regrets drinking (he couldn't open the restaurant early as he promised Joe). Julia visits him in the apartment because Kirsten told her he'd be there (while she slept in the house, taking care of Claudia and Owen), and tells him that things were getting easier and that now she'll miss him if he moves. Later, he sees Claudia resting at home instead of being at school, and she explains her nightmares, so he finally realizes that he can't move out. This moment was perfect to show the father-daughter bond Charlie and Claudia have, and is a low hit for Bailey, Claudia doesn't feel safe with him, she needs Charlie and Kirsten around. At the end, Kirsten goes to see him at the apartment, and tells that she bought him a painting of the four dogs playing poker, as a housewarming present, proving that she wants to support him. Still, he tells her that he realized he doesn't like the party life anymore, he doesn't like himself when he's that guy. A year ago, he thought that taking care of himself made him the luckiest, but now, he doesn't think that anymore, he's glad of being needed, so he says "let's go home". Finally, the "parents" of the house happily return home holding hands together. This was an excellent emotional happy ending, and the perfect story to undo the events of last episode. Claudia and Charlie realized their mistakes, she simply needs him, despite some disobedience, and he's not a party guy anymore, he's a man, a Father in charge of a home and a family. When important things happen, like the robbery, all the fights mean less. Besides, here Kirsten was like a mother to Claudia, and Charlie's wife, supporting him but also helping him to understand that they can't leave. And that's part of the reason of why Kirsten loves him so much, she loves him for being a responsible man who takes care of his younger siblings. And she loves being the woman next to him, responsible too for Claudia and Owen. Today, Charlie was like a father with Julia and Claudia, just the way it has to be. They are totally happy with their roles in the family, just as a husband and wife, as the kind of dad and the kind of mom, leaving behind the immature young times.
In the other storyline, Jill organizes a 36 hour dance marathon. Her therapist told her that to help her to stay away from drugs, she has to be more active in school events and keep herself busy. Bailey thinks she shouldn't stress herself, so she asks his support, not his criticism. Also, her therapist told her that she can't use sex to solve her problems, so she rejects Bailey's advances. In the marathon, things go well (Julia praises Jill's work), but in one moment, the chaperon, Mr. Fountain, threatens to turn down the whole event if people spike the punch twice. Will and his couple, Kiki, are disqualified because he wasn't moving and Julia quits after feeling tired and unsafe with Justin around. Anyway, the marathon keeps going until the 23 hours moreless, when mostly all people is sleepless and tired. Bailey and Mr. Fountain agree to finish it in the 24 hour but Jill tells Bailey that she wants to keep it going and say that however finishes, she ran the event alone. I understand her, she wants to change and be able to do things by herself. All she needs is support. When the marathon ends (I guess around hour 24), Jill is allowed to skip one school day because the job she did, and spends time with Bailey, who agrees in letting her fight her own battles. She wants to be able to leave drugs by herself, without running to him. By the way, I bet the couple 60 won the marathon. In the meantime, Julia feels unsafe when she finds a condom in Justin's wallet, and then asks Jill about how many guys carry that in their wallets, and Jill answers how many are having sex. She quits the marathon when he started talking about a couple having sex during the event. That's why she went to Charlie for advice in the apartment, and he helped her. Probably Julia could have talked to Kirsten about it, but maybe she didn't because they don't share much time as "sisters in law" yet, their trust is not strong enough. Still, surely they'll talk in the future. At the end, Julia and Justin agree in waiting (the right thing), and swim in the school pool, without feeling uncomfortable anymore. It was a good story, seemed like Justin had a rush, but Julia made the right choice. And was well too that she and Charlie shared a good moment as siblings, unlike Charlie and Bailey. Anyway, in that moment, and considering what Julia will say about Charlie one day, today he was much more than a brother, was nearly a father. To finish, a little bad detail for the episode was Owen's absence, but surely was safe with Bill during the day, and Kirsten and Claudia took care of him at night.
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