UK Air Date: 26th November 2007
Cat No: HAW5-628
As time passes, everyone tries to calm Brad’s nerves by telling him how traditional it is for the bride to be late. Meanwhile, Martha makes a startling admission to Jack and Lucas has an unexpected piece of good news.
Extended Summary
While Brad waits at the “altar” for Sally she’s confessing to Pippa that she just can’t go through with the ceremony.
Down at the beach everyone tries to calm Brad’s nerves by telling him how traditional it is for the bride to be late. How there’s always last minute hitches – but Brad can’t help but feel nervous. All looks well when the bridesmaids arrive – surely the bride will follow soon. But back at the house Sally finally confides to Pippa why she can’t go through with the wedding – she’s already married once and was sure then that it was for life.
Pippa’s the one with the thankless task of arriving at the ceremony to tell Brad that his bride isn’t coming. Brad, for his part, refuses to believe that the situation isn’t salvageable and Fisher is roped in to make a final attempt at convincing Sally to get married today. Fisher tries hard, but Sally’s explanation about her thoughts for Flynn rings true to Fisher, and he knows then that the wedding isn’t going to happen. Brad is devastated when he’s told and no one can console him.
Sally finally goes down to the beach to talk to Brad. But he remains inconsolable. He can’t believe that Sally couldn’t have told him earlier rather than humiliating him in front of all his friends and family. Sally hopes that Brad will still come home… he does… but only to collect his belongings. Brad is moving out, and all hope for his and sally’s relationship seems gone.
Throughout the day Martha drinks champagne and, with her guard down, all her sadness about her own marriage to Jack filters through into a cynicism towards marriage in general. Jack doesn’t help things by picking this occasion to pester Martha about getting their divorce finalized. Jack says he’ll arrange for them to see a solicitor the next day and Martha reluctantly agrees. Late in the day, after she’s consumed way more than her fair share of champagne, Jack is left to carry Martha up to her apartment. Martha leaves Jack in little doubt that she still has feelings for him. Jack however is focused on finalising his divorce the next day.
While heartbreak and despair abounds, one person, Lucas, has a piece of good news. He’s just received word from a publisher that they’re interested in publishing his book. They cement there interest by offering him an advance. The celebrations are kept low key in deference to the tragedies of the day. No one however is prouder of Lucas than Fisher, who sees in the boy’s success, something that makes his brief return to teaching worthwhile.