This episode is really underrated for me (should be near 9/10), has great performances, family moments, fights, reconciliation, love and support, great soundtrack and emotional scenes. Even Owen has scenes (not a minor theme), with Julia, Kirsten, and sleeping in Bailey's room. Begins with Bailey drawing in math class, and his teacher tells him that to make up a trig test after his week of absence in LA, he has to take a tenth grade class. In the cafeteria, he finally reconciles with Will, who learned about Jill's disappearance and, recognizing that his friend already suffered enough, there was no need of keep fighting. Will tries to comfort him about failing trig, as he might meet some girl in tenth grade. But there, the teacher orders Julia to help him, as she is doing very well and they both live in the same house (pretty reasonable). Julia agrees in helping Bailey in exchange of using his Jeep, as Justin recently got his license and his mother leaves for the weekend. Anyway, although Julia helps him, he starts to feel jaded and mad because she spends a lot of time with Justin (and with calls), and also she belittles him for not understanding well a trig problem. They fight a lot, and in one moment he insults her. At the same time, Claudia is playing the violin so well that Ross admits that he can't teach her anymore. He sets a class for her with a new teacher, Gloria. Claudia is not comfortable with changing teacher, so she plays flat and bad on purpose to stay with Ross. He sees what she does and tells her that to be a great violonist, she has to give him up, but she says she won't. This two stories serve to cause headache to Bailey, Julia and Claudia, who also have to deal with the main storyline of the episode.
Charlie is working in the restaurant, and gets a call: The Cromwell company offers them a job, designing and producing a prestige line, in a larger scale than before. In dinner with the managers, they accept the offer, which includes a very well paid salary. Charlie and his family celebrate the news in the house, as the salary is 65000 dollars a year, plus profits. They sing and dance, with Julia and Kirsten holding Owen. The problem is that Charlie doesn't know that the big factory is in Seattle, so Gwen arrives and tells him that they would have to move. Kirsten comes with Owen, and takes Gwen to celebrate too. He is stunned and watches the rest of them happy, unaware of the latest news. After the celebration, in the backyard, Charlie first tells Kirsten, who is not deeply glad either, but she says that she could finish her dissertation anywhere, so she'll follow him wherever he goes. Still, she knows his siblings are the issue. He tells that Bailey has only one year left before college, Claudia is young enough to change friends, but then he realizes Julia won't give up and neither the rest. Kirsten suggests that he could set a condition for the company to have his designs, of keeping a facility in SF. He agrees and plans a proposal. But the next day, the Cromwell manager and Gwen, tell him that the deal only works in Seattle, as the headquarters are there and shipping costs of materials would be too expensive. He desists and hides the issue that worries him. When he explains the news to the three, Claudia doesn't want to move because it would require sell the house and meet a new school, new people; Bailey thinks he should wait until another offer comes, closer to SF; Julia says no because of Justin. Charlie knows this is a chance in a lifetime, that money would be enough and if he stays he'd miss the whole deal, but his siblings don't accept to move. The next day, Kirsten tells Julia that Charlie shaved his beard (for the first time in the series), and he traveled to Seattle with Gwen to see the factory. The siblings think he is going to take the job and complain. During the day, Ross reaches Claudia in school and admits that he pushed fast to changing teachers, but she doesn't care anymore as the family may move to Seattle. Ross is surprised and tells that she still could play there, but she says that if they move, she won't play the violin anymore. In school (nice melody in the scene), Justin tells Julia they can ask his parents if she can live with them, as his older sister's room is empty (she went to college). In the evening, Kirsten meets Charlie in the airport, and he tells her about how nice is the factory, that he saw houses they could buy (like fixer-upper) and how he would build a canopy bed for Julia, etc. He is stunned that he'd have a secretary, and she says he'd adapt. She tells him that the siblings have been quiet, and he thinks he still can convince them. She doesn't say he can, implying a "maybe yes, maybe not". Before getting in the car, he shows her a little space needle he bought for Claudia and says that in Seattle they called him Mr Salinger, so he felt like looking over his shoulder for his dad, proud. Later, Bailey blasts Julia for refusing to keep helping him with trig and she defends herself because the insult and because the situation is unfair (he took off to LA, not her). When Charlie and Kirsten arrive home and see them fighting, she takes his bag upstairs so he can try to convince them. A sleepless Claudia comes, and he says that he has seen schools with music programs for her. He tells Julia that airlines has coupons to travel back and visit every month, still any of them accepts. So, without choice, he tells they are moving anyway, he's the adult and he's in charge. Julia tells that Justin's parents are thinking in letting her live with them, Bailey says he won't go, so Claudia, saddened, thinks they'll split up. I guess that after that argument, Charlie went to his room and Kirsten somehow comforted him, as she is on his side. The next day, rainy, Bailey has his test and refuses to copy Julia's. Gwen visits and Charlie tells her that his siblings won't go, so he is doubting. She feels bad, as it's a huge chance, and he says he is undecided yet. Later, Bailey tells Claudia that if Charlie goes, they have to follow him, no matter what they said. In the empty cafeteria, Justin tells Julia that his parents said no, because should be better for her to be with her family. He says his mother was really sad about it. They agree to spend all the possible time together before the move. Then, Julia reconciles with Bailey, telling him he approved the test and he apologizes saying he felt bad and jealous considering Jill's situation. They agree to remain good to each other, no matter what. Claudia tells Ross that she plays the violin because it makes her happy, not because she wants to be the best of all, she may be the best one day or maybe not. He agrees to keep her lessons until she moves in 2 months when the house'd be sold. When the rain stops, Charlie and Kirsten walk by the street, and he says that if he was actually the dad, they'd be leaving without doubt because "families follow the dad". Then he sees a piece of furniture he made, in a store's sight window, and takes it as a sign, while she leans on his shoulder.
What an excellent storyline. Charlie said, if he were their father, they'd go without doubt, and he is kind of a dad, but kind of not. Also, Kirsten is kind of a mom (at least to Owen and somehow to Claudia), but kind of not. So, in some ways, they are like the parents of the house, especially Charlie. Still, the case is a little different (comparing to a family moving by a job offer for the father), because the siblings have the restaurant (a theme ignored today). If Charlie was unemployed, without a source of income, and the job in Seattle was the only and best chance, I'm sure they'd move without doubt. But they have Joe and Salinger's, so that's part of the reason of why Bailey, Julia and Claudia say no, they think a furniture job-career is Charlie's dream, and as he is not the real dad, they don't care, because the restaurant finances them.
Julia and Bailey's part was also perfect, showed a still affected Bailey over Jill's issues and Julia's joy with Justin. As for Claudia, I understand and agree with her, in the age of 12, the child is really tied to the family house and is really hard to leave it. About her, another excellent point of the episode was the soundtrack: Lacey's performance with the violin was great, just what the scenes asked. Then, Charlie changed his mind because he knows his siblings will be upset, sad or angry in Seattle, and they'll blame him if anything bad happens. And after seeing a furniture he made on a window sight, he is hopeful that some other dream job can appear soon. Still, he acted like a good man, an adult, a father, he put his family first and that's the way it has to be. If the family was him, Kirsten and Owen, they'd move without doubt. On the other hand, Kirsten acted great, comforted Charlie, but she also knew that the siblings wouldn't want to move, and without them on board, there's no case. And today they shared some scenes just like if they were husband and wife, she waiting for him in the airport, accompanying him home, and then walking together, she giving him the support he needs (memorable scenes of them). Moments like those, prove why they belong together, beyond everything. After losing his dream job, he knows that he still has her, and that gives him a deep comforting peace. Anyway, at the end, Claudia is the only sibling who feels sorry for Charlie: at the shed in the rainy night (a perfectly brilliant scene, with Time of Tom Waits playing), he tells her that they won't move, Gwen bought him out for 15000, so they'll stay. So Claudia tells him she's really sorry, that she loves him and gives him a strong hug, while he also holds her, with tears on his face and looking at the sky. She knows what he's giving up and through everything, she really loves him, because he's her older brother and the closest thing to a father she will ever have.
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