Synopsis of Bygones
Written by merrystar
The show opens with Ally's voice saying "I'm not really sure how it all began" and then we see a whole bunch of clips from the last 5 years. The scene cuts back to Ally telling Mad die that she's a "serial dater" and she's dated all the men in Boston and something about Larry and Victor being different and then she adds "and Reg" and when Mad die questions her says "until my roommate stole him from me." When Mad die looks shocked Ally adds "well she sang a song with him." Ally takes a thermometer out of Mad die's mouth and says "You have a fever of 102. Maybe you do have strep... up to bed with you." Mad die gets one step upstairs and faints.
After the credits/commercials, we see an embarrassed Mad die lying on a couch with a medic looking her over. Ally says to be calm and Mad die says she is that it's Ally who called the fire department. The man says Mad die is fine, and she has no fever. Ally asks why she fainted and he says either she had a panic attack or she's pregnant. Ally freezes up at this idea and the medic starts to worry about her.
Next we see everybody at work around the conference table. John is there too. Richard wants to make an announcement and Nelle suggests that the new firm name is "Cage, McBeal and Bump", and he says "No, but close. Liza and I are getting married." It's happening in 3 weeks because they figure it's better to marry while they still have passion and if it doesn't work then "bygones". Liza adds "divorce-a-rooni" and they kiss.
Ally is sitting with a counselor who tells her that Maddie is under a great deal of stress, that young girls are brutal mentally and emotionally on each other, and that she had a "three-some" last night. She asks Ally if she knows what that is and when Ally finally starts to explain what it is; "three people get together and..." she finishes "talk on the phone". It turns out that one girl listens in as another calls a third girl and gets the third girl to talk about the listener. This had happened with Maddie as the listener and nasty things had been said about her. The counselor adds that Maddie is feeling lost outside school also between her dad dieing and moving to Boston. Ally asks if it's serious and the lady says that Maddie has effectively had a breakdown and she's 10.
John tries to reason with Fish about getting married, saying this is so crazy it's "worthy of Ally". Fish insists that he wants to do it. He asks John if he (Fish) has never puzzled him (John) before and John says "No. Everything was about money.". Fish says "Exactly. This isn't." and they're interrupted by Liza who has come in to tell Fish that she doesn't want to walk down the aisle (that's what they do in court every day) and instead wants to be suspended in mid-air and then lowered to the altar. Fish looks startled and she tells him he'd do it if he loved her.
A tall man comes in and Liza holds out her arms for a hug. This is Reverend Buck who will marry them. He tries to hug Fish and promptly faints. Apparently he faints briefly whenever he feels strong emotion or laughs. They are interrupted because Ally has called a meeting.
She walks into the meeting and says she has an important announcement. "You decided to change your hair color?" Nelle asks. Ally replies, "No not that important. I'm resigning. Effective immediately. I'm moving to New York with Maddie. My house in on the market if anybody is interested." She walks back out, trying not to cry. She goes to the unisex and stares into the mirror still trying not to cry. Claire Otoms comes out of a stall and asks Ally if anything is wrong and she says no and escapes when reverend Buck enters. He faints when Claire introduces herself.
As Ally walks to her office, Elaine confronts her and she says "not now Elaine". Then Fish confronts her and follows her into her office. They sit on her desk and she explains that she's doing this for Maddie, that the counselors say being in familiar surroundings with her old friends will help. And that maybe it won't be permanent. Fish tells her she wouldn't have resigned if it were temporary. He then says he wants her at his wedding which is in 3 weeks and she says she'll come back. He says "What if Maddie is sick?". She doesn't answer and he tells her that he and Liza are willing to move up the ceremony, and asks her when she leaves. She says "tomorrow night", so he says they'll have a small ceremony tomorrow and then do the big church deal later.
That night as they pack Ally tells Maddie that she'll go to the wedding and reception and then come home and they'll make their flight. Maddie asks why the rush and Ally says that the counselors think it's important for Maddie to go to school before it ends and reconnect with her old friends before summer. Ally looks up because she hears "ooga chukka" and sees little dancing figures (hilary clinton with bill on a leash, someone I couldn't recognize, and the dancing baby in NYC clothes). She gripes at Hilary that "you don't even live in the state." Maddie asks what's going on and Ally tells her that she has to deal with her imagination for a moment.
The door bell rings dispelling the dancing figures and it's Renee wanting to know if the news about Ally moving is true. She says she realizes they haven't been that close this year but still... Ally says it's really something to bring them closer together, because now they'll have to plan to meet each other. Renee smiles.
John is sitting at his desk remembering the time when Ally said she wouldn't date him because he was her boss. He looks up and realizes that Nelle is standing in front of him. She asks him if he's talked to her. "Who?" he asks. She looks exasperated and he says "People move on, it's part of life." She leaves him looking sad.
The next day Ally is sitting at the empty bar and Renee comes up to her. She says they have a lot of old memories in the bar and they remember when Ally got up and told the dirty joke. Upstairs Fish explains to John that reverend Buck is in a harness. When he faints John is to pull him back upright. John is still grouchy.
The wedding is held in the office. When the pastor asks Liza if she takes richard "for better or worse...." etc., Ally pictures herself being asked the questions, but the guy's name is Billy/Larry/Victor. She's jolted out of her fantasy when Liza says "Well duh, that's why I'm here!" instead of "I do". Fish and Liza say their own vows and Fish takes the opportunity to say that Ally inspired him to take a chance on his own feelings. Liza says that she's not just marrying Fish so she can have sex with him, but also because she loves him.
Downstairs at the bar, Vonda, the band and the Ikettes are singing. Everyone is dancing. Ally is sitting at a table when Georgia comes up behind her. They hug and Georgia asks if it's true that Ally is leaving, and says that although they haven't seen each other much this year it still made her feel sad when she heard the news. Ally accepts this and then says that it's Richard's night and they should celebrate. After they toast, Ally glances over at John who is sitting at another table. He raises his glass to her.
Ally steps off the elevator upstairs and looks around the empty office sadly. She goes to her office and remembers kissing Billy in it. Georgia comes to the door, interrupting Ally's daydream, and says that the office has lots of good memories. Ally rather nervously insists that it's just 4 walls. Georgia leaves her to enjoy the "4 walls".
At the bar, Elaine and Renee do a duet on "Lady Marmalade" and keep trying to push each other out of the way on stage just like they used to. Elaine falls into the Ikettes at one point. Everybody is laughing at them.
Upstairs, John Cage comes by. Ally says she thought he was avoiding her, and he says "No. I just figured that you know how I feel, and I understand why you're going so there's nothing left to say." He tells her that she is the soul of Fish&Cage, and she says he underestimates his own influence. He says no, he really thinks she's the soul of all of them. He has a good-bye present for her -- a necklace made by a friend with the WTC on it. She says it's beautiful and he says it'll look beautiful on her so she puts it on. He says "Well I was right" and they smile at each other. She starts to say something to him and stops. He says they should get back to the party and they walk out with his arm around her shoulders.
Downstairs Elaine starts singing "You're the First, the Last, My Everything". Renee joins in, then Vonda Shepard and the Ikettes. On the second verse Barry White appears. Everyone is amazed and Nelle says she got him for Richard and Debbi (Liza). They all dance (Georgia asks Nelle to dance) and all of the old cast end up in a chorus line. Some of the newer people like Coretta and Josh look on from the bar.
Nelle and Ally are talking and Nelle tries to tell Ally she always liked her even though they didn't get along and ends up asking if she can have her old office and if she should know anything about it. Ally says that "It's lucky" and they smile.
The next song is sad and slow (Neighborhood). Ally says she needs some air, and goes outside. She sees Billy's ghost and tells him she must be in crisis if he's there, because she only calls him up when she needs him. She says she is going to miss all those people and she needs to say goodbye to him too. He says he thought as much. She asks him if he's seeing anybody "up there" and he says that he's going to break the rules and tell her that her life is going to be very good. He kisses her and says something about my heart is yours and she finishes "always remember" before he disappears.
Fish, Elaine, Nelle, Georgia, Renee and John Cage come out of the bar. Ally says goodbye to each of them individually and tells them not to start crying (most of them do anyhow, her included). She tells Fish she can't believe he got married before her. She tells Nelle that she has a heart under the tough exterior and Renee that they will get together. She tells Elaine that "you know how I feel about you". Finally she tells John Cage that she thinks she'll miss him most of all. She steps back and says she loves them and she'll call. Then she turns and walks away. We see her walking alone down the street and then the shot pans back to everybody standing and watching her, with Billy standing right beside John Cage.
THE END.
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