Project Still Life Recap: Pilot Episode

Jul 02, 2008 21:21

Well, here it is. My raw-ish notes of the Still Life Pilot episode. If you have any questions about my notations (if I need to be clearer on things or whatever), let me know.

This episode is posted to YouTube in four parts, so I’m going to try not to get into details here like I will in future eps. (Yeah, right. I can’t help myself. You should have heard some of my book reports when I was a kid. Or seen the first draft of my high school term paper.) And I’ll probably focus on Jensen’s storyline, seein’ as how that’s why I’m here to begin with.

Preliminary impressions: This show had potential to be a pretty decent family drama. A little on the soap opera side at times, in the beginning. Occasionally a bit . . . I don’t know . . . syrupy . . . but overall, it could have been pretty good-really good-if you’re into that kind of thing (which I, for the most part, am not).



Color Bars

Episode ID:

Still Life

BetaCam SP -

Pilot - Revised

Ep #1AHJ79
Edited Master
TRT - 44:48
1.30.04 (I believe this is the date on which this edit/tape was completed)

Opening sequence: bubbles in colored water. Voiceover narration tells us: “I can see things differently now. I see with music. I see in strokes of color. I see at different speeds. I see life like it’s a work of art. But most of all. I see things I never saw. Man, do I ever.”

A taxi pulls up to a house, and a young man gets out, carrying nothing but a backpack and a skateboard. He leaves the skateboard outside the front door and enters the house as the narrator explains that “I’ve been gone a year. But in some ways, I never left. Of course, in one way, I’d never be back.” As the young man makes his way through the house, we meet the family that lives there . . .

The young man peaks into a bedroom, and we see a young woman with dark hair lying on the bed, facing away from the door, earbuds in her ears--sister Emily has had a hard, lost year. She was very close to the speaker, relied on him a lot. The young man leaves the girl undisturbed.

He knocks on another bedroom door and asks, “Daisy? You in there, bad girl?” No one is there. He goes into a third bedroom, drops his pack, and is looking a b&w photos on the walls as Daisy comes in, whispers his name in surprise-Max-throwing herself into Max’s arms. The voiceover continues: Baby sister Daisy still talks with the narrator. It started when she was 11 and he was off in college. She still believes he can hear her wherever he is.

“Do Mom and Dad know that you’re back?” she asks Max.

“No,” Max replies.

Daisy takes Max into Emily’s room. Emily is surprised and jumps off the bed, asking “Where the hell you been?”

“Hey, Mouse,” Max greets her. More warm, tight hugs.

Mom Charlotte is at the front door, telling a couple of people to go home, she hasn’t made a decision. As the couple leaves, she turns and sees the skateboard on the porch.

Mom has a great way of making things seem okay, the voiceover says, even when they’re not.

The kids come down the stairs; Mom sees Max for the first time.

[Note: There’s an edit here that does not show up in the YouTube version Mom asks, “Where is he?” To which Max replies, “Well, I’m doin’ fine, Mom, thanks for asking.” It’s said with a smile, and it reminds Mom who’s standing right in front of her.]

Hugs.

Voiceover continues: "My dad Ben Morgan is a fighter, for his family most of all. He’s been a cop all his life, and loved it, until recently."

Mom leads kids into the living room where Dad is playing the piano. She places her hand on his shoulder, and he turns around, seeing Max for the first time in a year.

Voiceover: "And that’s me. No, not the handsome, brooding guy with the backpack. That’s my brother Max. I’m in the backpack."

Max pulls an urn out of the pack.

Voiceover: "My name is Jake Morgan. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of my death."

Opening credits:

A dandelion with seeds blowing; the Golden Gate Bridge . . .

David Keith
Jensen Ackles (I think we know who he is, right?)
Audrey Marie Anderson (aka Kim Brown on The Unit)
Jeanette Brox
Morena Baccarin (aka Inara on Firefly and Adria on SG-1)
Bryce Johnson
Susanna Thompson

Created by Kip Koenig

The remainder of the credits appear during Act I of the show, including

Written by Kip Koenig

Directed by Mark Piznarski.

Act I

Flashback: Jake, in the locker room, pinning his badge and nameplate on his uniform. Voiceover Jake tells us that during college, pre-law, he decided he wanted to be a cop. Dad was the only one in the family who didn’t think he was making a mistake.

Dad and Jake in locker room, fist-bump with Dad before Dad presents him to the precinct. Applause all around. First day on the job was also his last.

Over shots of the crime scene, VoiceOver Jake tells us it happened fast. Gunshot, then that was it. Arrested the guy found a few feet from his body, just waiting.

VoiceOver Jake: After I died, the first voice I heard was my mom’s, then I realized I could see.

Interior, Morgan Home, Day:

Mom is working on molding clay, Daisy is reading. Mom answers phone, drops phone in shock.

Emily was away at college, freshman year, in NY. VOJ says, “We were best friends.”

Exterior, Lake, Day:

Emily on dock, with a group of friends swimming. They all run and jump off the dock, Emily the last one to get to the end. Hears her cell before she takes the plunge, and picks up. “Yes, Mom, I’m studying really hard.” Beat, and look of shock as she receives the news.

VOJ: She never went back to school after winter break. She quit school, quit her boyfriend, everything.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Jake chose his dad’s 19th anniversary on the force as the day to start his own career, so every year, they’d share an anniversary.

Establishing shot: Limo with funeral flag pulls up to the house.

VOJ: Max and Dad chose the day of my service to have a screaming fight.

Interior, Morgan Living Room, Day:

VOJ continues: I guess it was their way of mourning me. The only problem was this time I wasn’t around to patch things up.

Sisters come in to tell Max the limo has arrived. Max will take his own car. Daisy wants to ride with him, but Max wants to be alone. He’ll take the urn, too.

Instead, he takes a cab to the airport.

VOJ: My ashes never made it to my funeral, and neither did Max. He disappeared with the urn without saying a word. It was vintage Max. No one saw it coming.

One Year Later . . .

Max on an airplane

VOJ: And now a year has past, and Max was bringing the urn home. My family had no idea that in a few hours he was going to walk back into their lives.

Exterior, Morgan Driveway, Day:

Daisy is in a car with her boyfriend, who’s trying to make out with her. She pushes him off with a smile, scolding him that they’re right outside her house and that she wants her first time to be a little more romantic. Her dad has come home from work and is walking up the drive. Dad scopes the car and flashes the gun on his hip on his way to the house.

Daisy hops out of the car to get the mail from the postman.

VOJ tells us that the guy is “Joe Hipps. Eleventh grade. Daisy’s big crush. A nice enough guy, but I have my doubts.”

We find out that Daisy has received some letters from her brother. “Yeah, right. I thought you hadn’t heard from him in a year,” says Joe.

“Not Max. They’re from Jake.” Daisy sends herself the letters Jake wrote to her from college. Joe finds this a little odd.

VOJ: Everyone keeps something secret, even from the people we love.

Emily goes to a closet and pulls out an album. Something falls out of the album.

VOJ: That’s my journal. There are secrets in there, things that’ll change the way people feel about me. Things that I can’t let people know.

Emily takes the journal.

Interior, Art Gallery, Day:

VOJ: This is Maggie. I danced with her in the rain at a wedding, and I’ve loved her ever since. She’s the hardest person for me to see, because I miss her so much.

Interior, Morgan Home, Evening:

A news cast on TV announces that a local politician who’s running for mayor has been caught in a scandal, having sex with one of the underage girls assisting with his campaign.

Me: Hey!!! Martouf!!!! (SG-1 fans will get that.) *goes to look up IMDB* Huh. Okay, so maybe you’re not Martouf. But you sure look like him.

Martouf and a woman are there to talk to Charlotte, to convince her to step in and run for mayor. Mom is intrigued but reluctant.

Interior, Emily’s Bedroom, Day:

Emily is reading Jake’s journal in her bedroom. Daisy comes in and has a number from a boy who wants Emily to call him. Emily isn’t thrilled with the idea, but Daisy thinks it would be good for her. Or whatever. The note Daisy tosses at Emily reads “What’s his name” followed by a phone number. Emily crumples the paper.

Fast forward through a recap of Max’s return, but we find out what Daisy was up to while Max was letting himself into the house.

Interior, Daisy’s Bathroom:

VOJ thinks she’s going to her bathroom to take a secret cigarette puff out on the roof. Rather, letting Joe Hipps in the window so they could have sex. VOJ is not happy, says he wishes he’d nailed the window shut.

Morgan Front Porch, Night:

Charlotte sends her associates away and sees the skateboard on the porch. Kids come downstairs, reunion recap, etc.

In the living room (piano, pulling the urn out of the pack and placing it on the table, etc.) . . .

Dad (none too pleased): We missed you at the funeral Max. We missed Jake at the funeral.

Max (fidgeting with the straps to his pack, eyes downcast): I think I can explain.

Dad: I don’t think you can.

Exterior, Morgan Home, Night:

Max: Dad, if I could, I’d just like to talk to you. I mean, I think it would help. It’d help me. And I know you’re not exactly happy to see me.

Ben: Happy to see you? I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. I didn’t know if someday you’d turn up dead. How about a phone call, e-mail, something. Have you got any idea what you put your family through?

Max: That’s why I came back. I was hoping to find a way to make things right again.

B: When were things right with you, Max? Remind me.

M: I don’t ever remember feeling like things were right with me. I always felt like Jake was right and I was wrong, you know?

B: Yeah, well, you were wrong. We never got to bury your brother, Max. We never got that closure.

M: It should have been me. I should have died.

B (mutters): Oh, c’mon. Cut the crap.

M: Oh, Jake was perfect, wasn’t he? I mean, he was your golden child. I just came along to balance out the scales.

B: You know, this black sheep of the family thing played itself out a long time ago, and you know it. You could have been anything you wanted.

M: Dad . . .

B: Anything.

M: “So much potential,” right?

Ben nods.

M: Sorry.

Max walks away, but turns to deliver a parting blow.

M: You know, Dad? I did you a favor by leaving. So that you wouldn’t have to look at me every day and be reminded that the good son died. There are things you don’t know about Jake, things you don’t want to know. He could be a real son of a bitch. I guess we all have that in common, don’t we.

VOJ wonders why Max is back. Love? Forgiveness? Vengeance? “I really don’t know why he chose today to come home.”

Act II

Interior, Art Gallery, Night.

Max at the art gallery. Maggie is surprised and glad to see him. After she unlocks the door and lets him in, they hug . . .

“Max Morgan.”

“Maggie Jones.”

. . . then Max greets Maggie’s dog, scratches his ruff, and tosses a ball for him to chase across the floor (and out of frame). Max straightens, and he and Maggie talk. The following conversation is full of hesitant gladness, reluctant hope. There’s a history here.

Mag: I don’t know how many times I’ve looked up and thought I saw you. Hoped I saw you. Are you okay?

Max: Yeah, I’m okay. You?

Maggie nods.

Max: You smell the same.

Mag: I hope that’s a good thing.

Max: It’s you. It’s funny the things you remember about a person.

Mag: Where have you been, Max? Everyone’s been freaked out.

Max doesn’t answer the question. Maggie looks toward his pack.

Mag: Is it in there? The urn?

Max: No, it’s back at the house now.

Mag: You’ve been home then.

Max nods.

Mag: I’m guessing you need a place to stay tonight.

Max eyes her, sweetly hopeful.

(And I’ll just point out right now that Jensen is the epitome of “A picture is worth 1,000 words." ‘Cause there’s no way I’m going to be able to fully convey in my text the emotion that he conveys with a glance. And his voice . . . gah!)

Interior, Morgan Kitchen, Dinnertime:

Mom, Dad, Emily, Daisy are at the table eating Chinese. They discuss what to do with the Jakes ashes. Emily insists that they can’t keep him at the house. They should bury him and move on. Daisy says that “Jake’s still here, you guys. He’s all around. I know he’d love it if we did something cool with his ashes.”

“Such as?” asks Emily.

“I don’t know. I’ll ask him,” Daisy replies with a hint of sarcasm.

Dad puts a halt to the brewing argument.

Daisy is extremely enthusiastic that they do something to celebrate Jake’s life, because Jake loved life, and the whole family used to love to celebrate. Max is back now, and this is their chance. They should do something together as a family.

Emily excuses herself to get ready for work.

Daisy also leaves.

Mom asks Dad how things went with Max. You can tell from Dad’s expression that his response is “Not well,” or “Same as always,” or something like that.

Daisy’s Room, Immediately Following:

Daisy is making a video of herself talking to the camera as if the camera is Jake. She asks him what they should do with the ashes. How should they celebrate? They need to do something to bring the family together.

Also, she almost lost her virginity today.

Recap of Max’s return, from Daisy’s POV. She’s in the bathroom with Joe, they’re kissing and taking each other’s clothes off, and she pulls a condom out of the pack of cigarettes.

Max comes into her room, knocks on the door. “Daisy? You in there, bad girl?”

Joe makes a quick escape out the window.

Daisy chuckles and tells Jake they had “Maxus interruptus.” But Daisy is sure Joe’s the one.

Emily overhears the end of the conversation. Emily warns Daisy that she’s known a lot of “Joe Hipps” types. Daisy blows her off.

Emily wants to borrow some perfume. When Daisy points out that Emily is the one making the cash at work, Emily says she’s saving to move out. “Say ‘hey’ to Jake for me,” Emily says before she leaves.

“P.S. The bitch says, ‘hey’,” Daisy signs off on the video.

Mom & Dad’s Bedroom:

Charlotte is telling Ben about the campaign committee wanting her to run for mayor.

“Do what you want to do,” he says. He’s supportive, but not really enthusiastic, if that makes sense.

“You wouldn’t feel betrayed?”

“No,” says Ben.

“Because I know how you feel about that whole world.”

Charlotte says her father would be working on the campaign. “Well, I knew there had to be one drawback,” says Ben.

Interior, Marlo’s Night Club, Night:

Emily works as a hostess (a real hostess, not a “hostess”) at a night club/gentleman’s club.

VOJ tells us that Emily needs connection, otherwise she just drifts, sometimes into places like this.

She serves a patron a tray of oysters, and offers to lemon them. He’d prefer she join the girl who’s dancing for him in a dance.

“You know I’m not interactive, Mr. Janero,” Emily says. “I just expedite the oysters.” She flirts with him a little bit, but there’s an understanding. Where her position is concerned, talk is allowed, but nothing more.

VOJ tells us Emily ended up there because she wanted to be someplace where people didn’t know her, where people wouldn’t look at her and see a tragedy.

There’s a new good-looking guy who’s “not staring” and “not ogling.” He tells her she looks familiar and asks her name. “Let’s start with yours,” she says.

“Gideon,” he replies.

She’s not giving any information, but he insists he knows her from somewhere.

“Vassar,” Emily concedes. Turns out they were in class together. He asked her out once. Then he remembers her name and the loss of her brother.

She offers to get him another drink (per her duties as a hostess). He declines, and she walks away, returning to her work.

Balcony, Maggie’s place, Night:

Max joins Maggie on her balcony overlooking the city.

Max: Thanks for letting me stay here tonight.

Maggie says her dog (Blonde Dog? Not accurate, as it’s b&w, unless the name is supposed to be ironic. Blind Dog, maybe? Whatever.) was glad to see him. “Yeah, Blonde Dog’s the man,” says Max.

They make small talk about her dog, and the dog next door that moved to L.A. Then things get serious.

Maggie: Where do we start, Max?

Max: I’m sorry you lost someone you love.

Mag: My life’s so quiet now.

Significant glances at each other and away, almost like they don’t look at each other at the same time.

Mag: I loved you so much, Max. But you . . .

Max: I what?

Mag: Loving you scared me to death. With Jake, I was never scared. He’s so solid. I always felt so safe.

Max: I hated him for that.

Max goes in for a kiss.

VOJ: Max and Maggie. I should have said that before we were together, they were together.

Max & Maggie kiss sweetly, passionately, and long. Really, it’s rather hot.

VOJ: But she chose to be with me. Is that why you came home, Max? To steal my girl? See, that’s why being dead sucks. I can’t kiss my brother’s ass right now.

Act III

Interior, Office, Day.

Owen Foster, Jake’s grandfather (Charlotte’s father) and a political animal.

Owen tells Ben he’s going to have to wear a suit. Ben comments that he knew this was going to be a mistake.

Owen goes on about selling an image, the dream of American royalty. The spotlight is going to be on the family again, this time for something positive.

Ben is concerned about the timing of the press conference, on the one-year anniversary of Jake’s death.

The timing isn’t the best, but Owen points out that the family is standing again, and this is going to be a big day.

Interior, Maggie’s kitchen, Day:

Max gets cream out of the fridge for his coffee, and as he’s looking in a drawer for something (I’m guessing a spoon with which to stir the coffee), he finds a bunch of news clippings about his brother’s murder and the investigation and the like. Headlines read: SUSPECT TO BE RELEASED and SUSPECTS LINKED TO DRUG DEALER and SEARCH FOR MURDERER.

And might I interject here that dang that boy’s freckles are cute? Because really, they are.

Interior, Maggie’s Living Room, Day:

Max is rolling up blankets and packing his backpack.

Mag: Did you sleep?

Max: Kinda got a hard couch.

Mag: What are your plans?

Max: I don’t know.

Mag: Max, last night . . .

Max: We kissed. I hope you’re not about to say it was a mistake.

Mag: I don’t know what it was. But you need to find someplace else to sleep. You can’t stay here.

Max looks disappointed.

Mag: There’s just too much here, too much between us. The three of us.

Max stops packing and approaches her. He tries to keep his tone casual.

Max: Maggie, we’re just two people.

Mag: There’s still three, and I’m feeling scared again. Please, Max, find somewhere to stay tonight.

Max is definitely disappointed, looks rejected, but nods.

Maggie leaves him standing alone in the middle of the room.

Interior, Police Station:

Ben’s partner wants to buy him lunch. She knows he doesn’t want to celebrate, but 20 years is 20 years. As they enter the bullpen, everyone is in the bullpen waiting to congratulate him.

Exterior, Cemetery, Day:

A man in a leather jacket, unkempt hair, unkempt in general, walks between the gravestones.

VOJ: That’s Eddie Marble, the guy they found by my body. He’s under investigation for my murder. He’s visited my grave a lot this last year. We weren’t exactly friends, but I knew Eddie. That’s one of the things that nobody knows.

Interior, Morgan Kitchen, Day:

Max comes in to find Emily writing at the kitchen island.

E (teasing): What the hell, Max? What are you up to, you freak?

M: What’s up with the limo outside?

E: Transpo to the press conference. Mom’s running for mayor.

M: Really. (Small smile) I hope she wins.

E: Why? So we get to live our lives under a microscope?

M: Maybe it’s what she needs, you know? To do. Might be good for the family.

E: Like you’d know what’d be good for the family.

She says it like a joke, like she didn’t mean to be mean, but Max’s expression is hurt.

E (more seriously, firmly): You haven’t exactly been around.

M: I know. I’m sorry.

E: You’re always sorry.

M: So what’s the point, right?

E: The point is, stop saying it. Stop doing things you always have to apologize for.

Enter Joe looking for Daisy. Emily says Daisy isn’t around. Joe says he’ll hang out and wait for her and helps himself to the fridge.

E (to Max): While you were out pulling another Jack Kerouac, we were here dealing.

M: Well, I was dealing, too. I mean, it’s not like I was running away from something.

E: Whatever.

Joe (to Emily): Daisy says he (points to Max with a chicken leg) left because your dad is always on his case. (Turns to Max) You guys are, like, too much alike or something.

Max looks totally perplexed and not pleased.

Max: Who-who are-Who is this?

E: This is Joe Hipps in all his majesty. Joe Hipps is what happens to little sisters when big brothers disappear for a year.

Joe (offers his hand to Max in introduction): Joe Hipps.

Max (does not take proffered hand, looks a kinda hostile, actually): Yeah, I got that.

Enter Daisy.

D: Hey, what’s going on?

J: I was waiting for you to get home.

D: I was upstairs.

J (to E): You said she wasn’t here.

Emily just smiles.

Joe, sensing the awkwardness, makes a quick exit to let them bond.

Max asks Emily where Dad is, and she indicates upstairs.

Interior, Parent’s bedroom, Day:

Max knocks on the door, and Dad invites him in.

Max: Hey.

Dad (tying his tie): So, how’s Maggie?

Max (after a pause): I didn’t come to fight.

Ben: Really.

Max: I want to show you something.

He starts to open a large padded envelope.

They are interrupted by an aide telling Ben it’s time to go. “Just a sec,” Ben says.

Ben: Whatcha got in the envelope?

Max hesitates.

M: You’re busy.

B: No, what is it, Max?

M: Nah, that’s alright. It can wait. It’s not important. Press conference.

Exterior, Press Conference, Rainy Day:

VOJ tells us Mom always wanted to help people, and she will. And this might help her, too.

One reporter asks about her stance on gun control. Charlotte says she’d feel a lot better if you couldn’t by guns in the same stores where children buy toys.

Another reporter asks how they’ve weathered the past year. Charlotte says it’s been very hard, very trying. As a family, they’ve had to pull together.

Same reporter asks, speaking of family, how do they plan to celebrate? Charlotte laughs and says it’s a little early for celebrating; she hasn’t won anything.

The reporter clarifies that she’s talking about Detective Morgan’s 20 years on the police force. Charlotte is completely taken aback; she completely forgot.

Ben steps up to the mic and says they’re “breaking out the donuts and coffee, sparing no expense.” He smiles and keeps his composure while at the same time telegraphing to his wife that he’s a little hurt she forgot.

Interior, Bathroom, Night:

Daisy struggles with the window to let Joe in. It appears to be stuck.

Interior, Marlo’s:

Emily and Gideon talk about Jake’s death and how Emily is coping. She’s not doing very well.

She says sometimes she can hear him. Not talking or anything, but like tinkling of breaking glass, like a building being demolished inside her body, and all she could think was it was Jake. And she hears the sound every time she thinks about him. Sometimes, it’s just a pop, like the way a light bulb breaks. She knows it sounds weird and hopes she hasn’t freaked Gideon out. She’s never told that to anyone. His answer is to kiss her. He wants to know what she said when he asked her out in college. She says, “I said I’d get back to you.”

Exterior, Street, Rainy Night:

A man looks out a second story window of a house, at a figure across the street. The figure is Max, watching the man in the house.

VOJ: The way I died was complicated. That’s why the police can’t build a case against Eddie Marble. But Max doesn’t care about evidence. He’s looking for revenge.

In the blinding light of headlights, we hear a brief police siren warning as the cops come to pick up Max.

Act IV

Exterior, Morgan Home, Night:

Daisy opens the bathroom window easily, to find Emily sitting on the roof of the porch just below.

Emily asks if Daisy really thinks Jake is still here. Daisy says yes. How? “I don’t know, I just do. It’s like it’s not even a choice.”

“It’s a gift,” Emily tells her.

Interior, Parent’s Bedroom, Night:

Charlotte feels terrible for forgetting about Ben’s anniversary. Ben understands. She apologizes, and says that after the press conference, she went out to get him tickets to the game, but they were playing some horrible team, and she starts crying, and it’s not about any of this at all. Ben hugs her tightly, and she says, “I miss him. Let’s not let go, okay?”

The phone rings, and it’s the police station calling to inform Ben that they picked up Max outside Eddie Marble’s, and they’re holding him at the station.

Interior, Daisy’s Bedroom:

Joe is hiding behind the door, and they fall onto her bed. He’s all over her, and though she’s into it, she asks him to slow down. She wants to know why he’s being so aggressive, and he just says he wants to do this. She agrees, but . . .

D: I love you. I’m just feeling that this isn’t right. Maybe there’s a reason things haven’t worked.

He’s frustrated with her “cosmic crap,” and are they going to do this or not.

Yes, she says, just not now.

He tells her it’s now or never.

D: So you’re saying you’re gonna break up with me if I don’t have sex with you right now?

He doesn't say anything.

D: Then never.

And she pushes him off of her.

Joe says she’s a freak, crazy. Sending herself her brother’s letters, talking to him, seeing signs.

She asks him not to let her parents see him on his way out.

He tells her this isn’t the first bedroom he’s snuck in and out of. It isn’t even the first one this week.

Daisy falls on her bed, and as she’s crying into her pillow, she finds something hidden underneath it-Max’s envelope.

VOJ: Max couldn’t show this to Dad. Daisy’ll get it.

The envelope is full of photographs.

Interior, Police Station:

Dad picks up Max.

Exterior, Police Station, Night:

Ben: What in the hell were you thinking?

Max: I was just curious--

B: Yeah? Well here’s all you need to know: that kid is a suspect in a murder trial, and I’m not gonna let you or anybody else screw that up. You get me?

M: But I didn’t do anything-

B: I don’t care! Who knows what he mighta done! Now you stay away from that kid!

Ben walks off by himself, and Max does the same, shaking his arms to throw off the tension.

Exterior, Morgan Porch Roof, Night:

Emily is reading Jake’s journal.

VOJ: Please, Emily, put the journal down. The truth about me and Eddie Marble is in there, and you don’t want to know.

Emily looks down to see Gideon approaching the house. By the time she gets to the front door, he’s gone, but he’s left something for her: a light bulb with her name on it. This makes her very happy.

Charlotte comes to ask Emily where Daisy is. Emily doesn’t know.

Interior, Art Gallery, Night:

Maggie and Daisy happily, proudly survey an exhibit. With a grin, Daisy says, “Let’s call everybody.”

Ben, Charlotte, and Emily come to the gallery. Maggie hugs each of them as they come in.

Daisy: Hey. I know it’s after midnight, and the anniversary has past. But I don’t think Jake minds a belated ceremony. So . . .

And she flips on a light switch.

Daisy: I know we’ve all wondered where Max has been all year. I guess he didn’t know how to tell us. He needed to show us.

The wall is covered with photographs from Paris, landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in the background, with an urn, sometimes being held by a hand, in the foreground.

Ben: Paris. He and Jake were in Paris.

The family admires and enjoys the photographs as Max slips into the gallery.

Max: Jake always said he wanted to spend a year in Paris, so we did. Truth is we were both ready to come home. At least, I was. How were the coffee and donuts?

Ben: I wasn’t in the mood.

Max: Well, congratulations anyway. Twenty years. It’s pretty amazing.

Ben: Thanks.

They shake hands.

Ben: Your photographs, your work. Blows me away.

He gives Max an affectionate pat on the back of the neck.

VOJ: So maybe Max came back for revenge. Or maybe he came back for Maggie. But he also came back for this. Our family.

Warm family fuzzies ensue-linked arms, Daisy leaning her head on Max’s shoulder, Charlotte with her arms around Ben and Emily, Max with a sister on either side.

A brief note: Jensen plays this character as very uncertain with his father and uncertain of his place in the family. Lots of diverted glances, hunched shoulders, hands in pockets. So when he smiles? Like he does at the end of this ep? It’s delightful and unexpected, and truly beautiful.

VOJ: They say the mark of a true masterpiece is that you can look at it for hours, days, years, and it forever continues to reveal itself. That’s how I feel about my family. It’s a masterpiece in the making, and I can’t stop watching.

Exterior closing shot of gallery. We can see the family inside, enjoying the pictures and each other.

Fade to Black.

ep1, still life, jensen ackles, recap

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