Synopsis of Home Again
Written by Jennifer W.
Ally is on the operating table having her chest cut open by a surgeon. The doctor reaches in and finds her heart is broken-it's been destroyed. He picks it up and says he can't fix a broken heart. He tosses her heart in the trash can. Ally bolts up from bed and realizes it was all a dream. She sadly looks over at Larry, who is peacefully sleeping beside her.
Ally explains her dream to Renée. Renée tells her not to worry but of course, all Ally does is worry. Ally tells her about their date last night. She says that everything was going great and was really romantic until dessert, the one he ordered, came and every time she took a bite, Larry's face fell a little. "Either he doesn't like the way I chew or something just...happened," Ally says.
Larry explains to Corretta that he didn't propose to Ally last night because the waiter brought the dessert, which contained the ring, to the wrong table. He thinks it is an omen. Corretta tells him there is no such as an omen. She tells him to ask Ally tonight and just say "let's do this for the rest of our lives". Larry isn't quite convinced and says he still believes it is an omen. Just then, his ex-wife, Helena, walks into the office. Larry introduces the two and Corretta is taken aback that she is Larry's ex-wife. Larry and Helena leave to go to lunch. Corretta doesn't approve.
Richard arrives in LA to help his friend Jane Willkoe. She is very happy to see him. Jane tells him that when you do love scenes in movies, they have to see how well your body photographs. So she let them take pictures of her naked. She didn't think it was a big deal because her roommate, who is also an actress, had done it before. Now, the photos are going to be published in a magazine. Jane says her father would be devastated if he saw these pictures. Richard reads the contract Jane signed that says the photographer maintains the right of the pictures and is free without restriction to publish them. She says she never read the contract because they said it was a standard release form. Richard tells her he will file for an immediate injunction. Richard calls John for some help with "the law stuff". While he is talking to John, Jane's roommate Nicole walks in wearing a bikini. Richard decides to call a meeting with Maximum's attorney and wants Nicole to be there.
John is about to go to court but stops to summon Barry. He quickly runs through his song and dance while Ally, who walks in unnoticed, looks on. He finishes, turns to leave, and is startled Ally is there. John explains that he feels like he lost Barry because he didn't summon him enough because of time constraints. So now, he feels like if he does it faster, he won't lose it again. He asks Ally what is wrong. She reluctantly explains that she thinks Larry is going to dump her. She says that he has been acting strange and now he has cancelled their lunch date. John thinks she is overreacting and drags her out to lunch.
Helena tells Larry he cannot condemn the institution of marriage just because their marriage failed. He disagrees and says that even her showing up is an omen. "Not when you call me last night and beg me to come," she says. She asks him if he remembers what he would say to her when she was feeling down. "You would say, 'hey, the whipped cream is right at the end of your nose'," she reminds him, as she dabs some whipped cream on his nose. They both smile and laugh.
Ally convinces John to go the ice cream shop that Larry took her to on their first date. Of course, this is the same ice cream shop Helena and Larry are in. Ally spots them through the window, and at this point, Larry has much more whipped cream on his face, and goes in to confront him. Larry is startled to see her and he introduces Helena and Ally. Ally is not amused to find out that Helena is Larry's ex-wife. She asks them what they are talking about but Larry, who doesn't want to admit they were talking about her, says "nothing". "Nothing...over ice cream?" Ally asks. Still not amused, Ally dumps ice cream on him, then more ice cream, then hot fudge, and finally, lots and lots of whipped cream. She turns and leaves. "She seems nice," Helena says. "She's a sweetheart," Larry says.
Ally sits in her room crying. She is thinking about the time Larry told her about how he can't handle good-byes and would just leave a note. John and Renée try to get Ally to open the door but she tells them to go away.
Corretta is drying off Larry's hair with a towel and scolding him about not talking to Ally. Larry says he will talk to Ally but didn't want to do it with hot fudge in his hair. Larry says it was just another omen. Corretta disagrees. "It is a good sign when a women dumps ice cream on you. It means she loves you," she explains. She reminds him that she said not to have lunch with his ex-wife and he should be grateful that he wasn't eating soup when Ally saw them. "And what is up with the whipped cream on the nose anyway? It sounds like you deserved it fudge-head," she says. She tells him to go and talk to her.
Jane, Nicole, Richard, and Maximum's lawyer, Henson, are meeting in a conference room. Henson reiterates that a contract is a contract and she signed this contract of her own free will. Richard argues that Jane didn't know what she was signing. Henson says that when you sign a document, it is assumed that you read and understood the document you signed. Richard tells Nicole to take off her shirt, which she does. He explains that she is Jane's roommate, who posed for the same photographer and signed the same contract. Henson is a little flustered with the presence of Nicole's boobs popping out of her bra. Richard continues that if Nicole, who is obviously well endowed and beautiful, was never published in Maximum, why would Jane think she would be. Henson doesn't buy the argument. He says that she signed the contract and that is that. He leaves.
John tries to convince Ally that all of her "reasons" are unfounded about Larry and tells her Larry is not going to leave her. Ally is unconvinced and says she doesn't trust Larry. John says she needs to talk to Larry right away. She says she did twenty minutes ago...and she broke up with him. John is stunned.
Corretta is amazed that Ally dumped Larry. She tries to explain to him why Ally may not trust him. Larry says that Ally doesn't know anything about marriage. He says he has an ex-wife he still talks to and an ex-girlfriend, who is the mother of his child, whom he still talks to, and Ally will never understand that. Corretta says Larry sounds like a loser. Larry corrects her and says he is a two-time loser and he is afraid of strike three.
Ally is staring out the window recalling the day she met Larry in her old therapist's office. Renée walks in and asks her what she is doing. Ally says she is thinking about how the first time she met Larry, she knew he would be the man who would make or break her. Renée disagrees and says that no man is capable of doing that to her. Ally says she is right and decides to go to the office.
Jane, Nelle, Ling, and Mark, are gossiping over Ally and Larry's break-up. She walks off the elevator and the whole office stops to stare. Ally walks to her office. Richard calls John to tell him that he is going to wear an ear piece in the courtroom for his Maximum case so that John can transmit to him what to say. John is in shock that Richard would ask him to do this and that Richard is planning on going to court by himself. Richard says he isn't going to court alone since John will be in his ear. John begrudgingly agrees to help Richard. Jane thanks Richard for helping her. She says that her dad told her she would probably end up compromising herself if she went out to LA. She tells him she doesn't belong out in LA and she isn't that great of an actress. Richard says he is sure she is a great actress. She wonders if all the men in Boston are as sweet as he is. He says he is unique and then Jane kisses him.
Ally calls her mom to say hello. Her mom wonders what is wrong. Ally says everything is fine, fine, fine and just wanted to call and say hello. Of course, everyone in the office is eavesdropping.
Helena stops by Larry's office and Corretta informs her that Ally and Larry broke up. Helena doesn't understand how he goes from trying to propose marriage to breaking up. He says he doesn't need her two-cents and she reminds him that he called her for her two-cents. "Lesson learned," Larry says. He says that it isn't Ally, it is him. Helena agrees. She wonders how life is so far without Ally. Larry has nothing to say.
John sets up the pictures of the people who are going to be in court with Richard so he can put faces to the people he will be arguing against. Nelle and Ling wonder what he is doing. He shoos them out because he has to prepare. In LA, the court session begins. Richard/John argues that Jane had no idea what she was signing when she put her signature on that contract. Henson disagrees and argues that a signature presumes that the person understood the document they were signing. In the middle of his argument, a phone sex operator conversation interrupts John's transmission. Richard has to go it alone. He argues that although he is fond of naked women, these women should have a choice whether their pictures are printed in a national publication. He says Jane Willkoe did not consent to having her pictures in he magazine. The judge still concedes that Jane signed the contract. Richard continues that when you park your car in a garage, you get a ticket with a lot of legal language and disclaimers on it and when you go to a ballpark, the back of your ticket has all this liability language written on it. He says there is legal language contract stuff everywhere but that doesn't mean it is read or even understood. The judge asks Richard if he is a real lawyer. Richard wonders why everyone keeps asking him that and asks if it matters if he is or not. The judge says that a real lawyer should know what a contract is and a lawyer should know that when a contract is signed it creates vested rights. "But to hear you speak Mr. Fish, you would think you were a lay person that did not know better," he concludes. "Exactly," Richard says. He argues that Jane is simply a lay person who didn't know any better. He says Maximum had legal counsel but Jane didn't. "If you read this contract, you will see that a lay person couldn't have possibly understood it. The basic concept of contract law is based on fairness, simple fairness," Richard says, "Her life would be severely compromised by the publication of these photos, how fair is that?"
Larry admits to Ally that he was talking to Helena about her. He says he doesn't really trust himself. He failed as a father, he failed as a husband, and he doesn't even understand what makes him fail and cannot say if he will ever fail again. Ally watches him get up and leave.
Ally walks home alone, thinking about Larry and unable to figure out what went wrong. She tells Renée that Larry is gone. Renée tries to convince Ally otherwise, but her mind won't be changed. Ally tells Renée how Larry leaves notes because he can't deal with good-byes. "I am going to get a note," Ally says.
Ally bumps into her mom on the street. She says she was on her way to see Ally because "anytime anything is that fine, I worry." Ally breaks down and starts crying as her mom hugs her.
The judge rules in favor of Jane Willkoe because counsel did not represent her when she signed the contract. He says he read the contract and it was written in legalese-not to be understood by a lay-person. And since the potential to her life would be great if the pictures were published, he is voiding the contract. Jane thanks Richard and gives him a big hug.
Ally's mom says that Ally and Larry broke up yesterday and Ally should let some times pass before she declares it final. Ally says she just has this feeling that it is final.
Richard is packing to leave LA while Jane tries to convince him to at least stay one more night. Instead, he convinces Jane to come and work for him in LA.
Ally is in the office elevator and is seeing everything in black and white. She gets off and is greeted by Elaine. When Elaine tells her that Larry came by to see her, Ally starts seeing in color again. Elaine continues, "He came by and left a note." Ally looks devastated. On the verge of tears, she turns toward her office. "Don't you want to open it?" Elaine asks. Ally replies that she already knows what it says, as she goes to her office and closes the door. The ever-nosy Elaine opens the letter. It says, "I Love You. Goodbye."
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