thirtysomething

Hope and Michael Steadman are still adjusting to parenthood while struggling with money problems and best-friend crises.

Michael and Hope race to renovate their crumbling mansion for a huge housewarming party.

Gary and Melissa rekindle their affair; Michael and Hopes first date in months is a disaster.

Before a deadline, Michael and Elliot wrestle with a creativity block; Ellyn develops a crush on an associate.

Michael and Hope argue about whether their infants first holiday should be Christmas or Hanukkah. A famous photographer shows interest in Melissas work.

Elliot and Nancy seek professional help for their troubled marriage; Michael finds it hard to keep it a secret.

Elliot temporarily moves in with Michael and Hope after separating from Nancy.

Michaels hopes for a joyous reunion with his father are destroyed when he discovers the real reason for the visit.

Nancy and Elliots separation takes its toll on their son; Elliot prepares for a blind date with a chiropractor.

Michaels old girlfriend from college pays a visit.

Ellyn and Woodmans weekend is ruined when they are forced to babysit Janey.

Things get complicated between Elliot and Nancy as they moved toward finalizing their divorce. They both try to establish new relationships. Scenes of Elliot and Nancys courtship are intercut with the present-day divorce preparations. Elliot has to get cash advances on his salary from an unhappy Michael. Nancy, using the last name Krieger, calls editor Jack Bronstein about her book. Hes enthusiastic but says he cant recommend it yet--the storys a ""little weak."" Meanwhile Elliots lawyer Adrian tries to talk business with him at a restaurant, but hes more interested in coming on to her. She declines to go out with him. Nancy is working at an office job, and a younger employee there, Terry ONeil, seems to like her. Later when she and Jack are at her house working on the book, he kisses her. Nancy tells Melissa shes been carrying around her diaphragm! Later, Nancy has a physical encounter with Terry.

Melissa and Gary consider having a child together. Gary volunteers his time at a social services center, where he is irritated by and attracted to a brusque administrator. Gary and Melissas relationship seems to be drawing closer as they both have rejection at work in common, along with thoughts of parenthood for themselves now that Hope and Michael are expecting. Gary goes to a private social welfare agency, the Race Street Project, and meets with Susannah Hart there about a mentoring program for a local youth. Susannah is skeptical of Garys commitment. Gary meets his charge, Curtis Caldwell, a Stanford-bound student who does not want to be in the program. At a wedding, Melissa meets Russell Weller, a painter who has noticed her at the galleries. He invites her to a party. Melissa goes to the party with Russell. When his good mood turns bleak after a phone call, she realizes that hes gay and has just heard about a friend contracting AIDS.

CAPSULE: Michael takes on a client that he, his wife and his friends find repugnant. Gary and Susannahs odd relationship continues to grow. At a diner with Hope, Gary, Elliot and Melissa, Michael returns a phone call to Jerry Kravitz, an old friend of his and Garys from their college days at Penn. He wants the Michael & Elliot company to do some media work a Senate candidate he represents, Diana McKay. Mike has the first of several flashbacks seen throughout the show of himself, Gary and Jerry involved in demonstrations and campus politics. Gary goes to the Race St. Project and offers to help Susannah write up their grant application. A little attraction seems to be developing. Gary leans in as if to kiss her, but she pulls away. Michael & Elliot take on the McKay account, but Gary, Susannah and Hope let them know they think McKay is a terrible choice. Hope is not too impressed with Jerry either after a night of reminiscing with him and Michael. Susannah apologizes to Gary for the ""w

Flashback scenes of Michael and Elliot meeting, working together, and forming their own company are interspersed with the present-day dissolution of the Michael and Elliot Company. The two have serious disagreements which threaten their friendship.

CAPSULE: Elliot gets involved with his wayward father. Ethan suffers an injury. Elliot goes to see his divorced father Charlie who is in town. Charlie introduces him to a woman friend, Roberta Sessions, in a bit of an awkward meeting. When they go to Elliots sister Ruthies house for dinner, she gets irritated because her dad wont stop talking business with her husband. Ruthie takes Elliot aside and warns him to not give their dad money or get involved in his schemes. She reveals that Dad never paid for her college like he promised. Charlie tells Elliot he regrets some things in the past, but just looks to the future now. Soon Charlie has Elliot involved in doing some presentation work for a business idea he has. Elliot has Ethan with him at Charlies hotel room when Charlie shows up with a sitter and says hes taking Elliot out to dinner. Elliot goes reluctantly. While there, they run into Nancy out on a date with Matt Enwright. She and Elliot have a big fight about leaving Ethan w

CAPSULE: Ellyn, Nancy, Hope and Melissa go on a cathartic camping trip. Melissa gets some camping equipment as a payoff for a photo shoot and the gang makes plans to take a camping trip to the Poconos. But Elliot gets a lead on some work, forcing Michael to have to tell Hope, who has been looking forward to the trip for months, that he cant go. Gary opts out of the trip, and Ellyn, despite her ulcer, decides to go. The four women set off in the car for the journey. On the trail to Parker Cave, Ellyn is gung-ho and pushing the group until they get to the cave, then shes afraid to go in. Nancy and Hope remember the scary old tour guide at the cave from their youth. Ellyn says shell hike around the mountain cave--seven miles!--rather than go through. Hope decides that she and the others shouldnt leave her. They hike until nightfall, then they make a camp. Nancys ghost story makes Ellyn more nervous. In the tent that night, Hope inadvertently reveals to Nancy that Elliot had an affair

CAPSULE: Hope suffers a miscarriage just as Michael and Elliot begin work for Miles Drentell at DAA. Elliot and Michael are in Miles Drentells office interviewing for jobs at DAA. While they are there Michael gets a phone call from Hope at her obstetricians office: the doctor has done an ultrasound and it shows a case of fetal demise. Hope acts stoic about it. Later Elliot calls with good news--they got the jobs, with offices and great pay. Mike tells him about the miscarriage. Michael is reluctant to go in to DAA for his first day but Hope insists that he does. Mike and Elliot meet a fellow creative team, Angel Wasserman and Hollis Amato, who seem to be playing with the guys heads a bit. In fact, they been assigned to the same account as Michael and Elliot, the Spingeri automobile. Michael returns home to Hope, who is glad to see him. The phone rings, and its Elliot with some work, which secretly disappoints Hope. Hope talks with Val about working for Synergy. Val encourages her t

CAPSULE: Nancy pursues her relationship with Matt, but Elliot makes a concerted effort to win her back. Elliot returns the kids to Nancy and has an awkward meeting with her new boyfriend Matt Enwright. At work Elliot and Angel are working closely pitching ideas. Mike asks if there is anything between the two but Elliot says they are just friends. Nancy excitedly gives the big news to Melissa, Ellyn and Hope: her book is going to be published! When Elliot comes by later to see Nancy, she tells him also. Hes happy for her, but tells her he misses her and wishes they could get back together. Nancy doesnt know how to respond, but says she still doesnt trust him. Matt makes a date for dinner at Nancys, but she makes it clear there will be no sex in her house. At DAA, Angel asks Michael about Elliot and Nancys status. Michael discourages her from going out with him. Elliot tells Mike hes going to confess his affair with Cheryl Eastman to Nancy. Mike thinks its a bad idea. At Nancys,

CAPSULE: Nancys and Elliot move closer to a reconciliation, to the disapproval of her visiting mother Eleanor. Elliot and Nancy are spending an evening at Michael and Hopes talking about Nancys upcoming book. Nancy says her mother Eleanor, who is coming for a visit, is OK with her but still can make her crazy. When Nancy and Elliot leave, they kiss goodbye like a dating couple. When Eleanor arrives, she asks about Matt, but Nancy mentions that Elliot has been ""around."" Later Elliot has dinner with Nancy, Eleanor and the kids. Eleanor makes it clear she doesnt approve of Elliot or his marketing idea for a ""monster doll"" book tie-in. Later that night Eleanor refuses to go to bed and leave Nancy and Elliot alone, so he leaves and sneaks back in Nancys bedroom window. Still later, Elliot is downstairs raiding the refrigerator when he runs into Eleanor. Nancy admits to her mother that shes seeing Elliot again. Eleanor still isnt ready to forgive him. She surprises Nancy by telling he

CAPSULE: Ellyn and Melissa try using a video dating service. Melissa is unexpectedly attracted to a younger man she meets. Ethan must kiss a girl in the school play. Ellyn and Melissa are talking about using a video dating service, and despite the misgivings of others, they go in and give interviews at the service. They go through the books of available guys and find a cute one, William, whose profile and interview they like. Melissa is afraid to ask for his number, though; shell wait, hoping he will contact her. Later when they return to the service, Melissa is dismayed to find that the list of guys interested in Ellyn is much longer than hers, and it includes William. Meanwhile, a good-looking young man named Lee Owens has come to paint Melissas loft. Hes spending a lot of time there, and there seems to be an attraction between the two. Also, Ethan is upset about having to learn to dance for the school production of ""Cinderella"" hes starring in. Even worse, hes supposed to kiss

Elliot and Michael have a close encounter with disaster on an airplane. Hopes employer, the magazine Synergy, is being taken over and will curtain its environmental watchdog activities. At a dinner party, Hope gets irritated with Michael and Miles date. Nancy is ready to take Elliot back.

CAPSULE: Elliot reunites with his family, but Ethan is still full of anxiety which manifests itself as fear for his safety. Elliot moves back in his house with his wife and children on a busy morning as Thanksgiving is approaching. Ethan tries to get out of going to school. Hes being a bit of a discipline problem, complaining that no one listens to him. He walks to school with his friend Nicholas and they talk about a recent spate of robberies that have occurred in the area. Nancy is at her mother Eleanors new place. Shes moved to the area from Indiana, and Nancy hopes she will come by for the holiday celebration. Elliot and Nancy are happy the family is back together, but at night, Ethan listens warily to the police sirens. Ethan asks his grandmother if his grandfather ever left her. She admits that he did, but came back. Nancy tells Hope and Melissa that Ethan has been obsessed with the recent robberies. Elliot tries to help Ethan with his reading; he balks at the help and then ru

CAPSULE: Garys decision to quit teaching and stay at home with his new baby causes a conflict between him and his mother. Gary and Susannahs new baby Emma cries for twelve hours and they cant figure out why. In the morning Susannah is reluctant to go to work, but Gary insists. She finds out there that the nearby homeless shelter might be closed to make way for condos, which gets her fighting spirit up. Garys mother Eileen comes by while Hope is there and mistakenly thinks she is Susannah. After Susannah comes home late and the baby is put to bed, Gary tells his mother hes not going back to teaching; rather, hes going to be a househusband. His mothers reaction is simply, ""Oh."" During the next day or two, however, Eileen makes it clear that shes not thrilled with Garys decision to quit teaching. They argue about his deceased father, who wanted badly for him to go to law school. Eileen tells Gary that hes avoided every big decision he ever had to make and should concentrate on g

CAPSULE: Michael is given more responsibility at DAA, causing friction between him and Elliot. Hope also has to take some responsibility with the anti-incinerator campaign. Michael and Eliot are excited: Miles loved their ideas for the Snap Happy/Oh My account and DAA will make a commercial to show to a focus group. In a very public way, Miles upbraids Carl Draconis for shooting down the guys ideas. The next day, Michael and Elliot are stunned to find that Draconis has ""left"" the company ""to pursue other interests."" Miles tells Michael he will be the creative director on the account, and depending on his performance with it, he could be offered Carls job as the agencys creative director. Michael inherits Carls office and his assistant Page, who he and Elliot formerly referred to as the ""dragon lady."" Meanwhile, Hope goes with John Dunaway and Ricky Bianca to see a congressman to enlist his opposition to the incinerator, but they receive no encouragement. Elliot asks Michael if he c

CAPSULE: Nancy, family and friends deal with the aftermath of her cancer surgery. Nancy has come out of surgery and Elliot calls the Steadman house to tell Hope and Ethan the news--shes OK. Hope tells a stunned Melissa that Nancy had the operation. Nancys mom Eleanor is there at the hospital, and soon her sister Deb arrives too. Theyre both glad to see Deb, who is a nurse, but a little of the familiar mother/daughter tension surfaces immediately. Ellyn comes by to see Nancy bearing a gift of banana bread (a running joke in this episode.) She appears to be extremely uncomfortable. Nancy comes home, to the delight of her children. Eleanor and Deb take up temporary residence at the Weston house and Ethan and Brittany go to stay with the Steadmans for a while. Nancy misses her kids, though, and wants to get back to a semblance of normality. Elliot is very solicitous, though, and wants her to take things very easily. Gary, Melissa, Hope and Michael discuss Nancys condition. Nancy had a

CAPSULE: Melissa has conflicts with Lee over finding him a new job and with her father over his plans to buy her building. At a dinner with her parents, the Steadmans and Lee, Melissa mentions that shes concerned about her building turning into condominiums. Her father Murray surprises her when he invites her to his office to propose that he co-sign a loan for her which would allow her to buy the building. Melissa runs across Lees sketchbook and shes impressed with his drawings. She tells him hes overqualified to be a house painter and that she could help him. He says the drawing is just for fun. Later at DAA, Melissa is there when Courtney Dunton comes into Elliots office with some portfolios of job applicants. Melissa gets the idea to suggest Lee for the job. Melissa tells Lee about the job opening for a trainee at DAA. He doesnt seem interested, but goes there to be interviewed. His interview with Courtney is awful; he has no background at all or desire to work in advertising.

CAPSULE: Against the background of an examination of the characters sex lives, Melissa and Lee break up. Melissa and Lees sex life is going great and she tells the other women about it, to their envy and amazement. They seem to be doing it all the time, unlike Gary and Susannah who are having a hard time fitting sex into their schedule with a new baby to take care of; in fact, he gets injured when he slips on a toy while attempting an encounter while Emma sleeps. Melissa and Lee are out with a couple of Lees friends of his age, Stephanie and Robert. They end up going to a late-night rock club where a girl throws up on Melissas shoes. At DAA the next day Melissa is worn out after the late night out. She tells Michael that the nightlife with Lee is boring. She begs off going out on the town with Lee again which causes some tension for a while which is succeeded by--sex! At the Westons house, Nancy is concerned when she finds copies of Playboy under Ethans bed. Elliot makes a candle

CAPSULE: While in Washington, DC about a possible job, Hope almost cheats on Michael with John Dunaway. While Michael has gotten a big raise almost doubling his salary and lots of perks with his new job, Hope is disenheartened when the incinerator plan passes the city council after she made a presentation against it. Later she calls John Dunaway, looking for other ways to fight the incinerator and arranges a lunch meeting with him. At lunch she asks about a court challenge, but John is doubtful. At DAA Elliot tells Mike he should ask for a raise; Michael doesnt tell him hes already got it. That night in bed, Hope is kissing Michael, but momentarily imagines him as John. The next day John calls Hope with the news of a possible press relations job with an environmental organization in Washington, DC. When she senses Michaels lack of enthusiasm about the possibility they argue, she telling him that she always accommodates to his career. When Hope tells Ellyn and Nancy about going to Wa

CAPSULE: Michael and Hopes relationship is deteriorating as they gather to attend her parents anniversary celebration. Hope informs Michael they need to attend her parents 40th wedding anniversary celebration in Arizona, but Michael says he needs to stay home for a while to attend to work. John Dunaway is in town and Hope invites him to stay at their house in her absence. Michael attends a dinner party at Melissas where the guests joke about Hope having the hots for John. Michael returns home to find John looking very comfortable, seated in front of the fireplace with Grendel the dog at his feet. Michael immediately books the next flight to Phoenix. When Michael arrive earlier than expected in Arizona, it doesnt take long before festering tensions between him and Hope rise to the surface. She accuses him of working too much and ""checking out"" on his family. She tells him hes not proud of her for the things he should be, such as her work as a mother and with the ERC. Michael sneer

CAPSULE: As Elliot grows more dissatisfied with DAA, Michael finds out something that could change everything about the company. Miles plans to take Michael to New York with him to meet with Bob Spano, head of Minnesota Brands, their largest client. In a meeting, Miles informs Elliot and Michael that a spokesman for another big account has been lost to another agency and he puts the blame squarely on Eliot. Later Michael ask Miles why he was so tough on Elliot. Miles picks up the phone and calls Elliot, giving him a perfunctory apology. In New York, Miles and Michael dine with Spano and Gus Hennesey from Minnesota Brands. The down-to-earth Spano finds Miles a little weird, but seems to like Michael. Later Gus calls Michael and sets up a private meeting. He tells Mike that Minnesota Brands is looking to expand into media. Elliot tells Nancy that his job has become a burden and that hes thinking of quitting after her ""second look"" surgery. Miles tells Michael that he thinks Elliot is di

CAPSULE: The decision whether or not to circumcise the newborn Leo brings up larger questions: is he Jewish and what does that mean? Hope gives birth to her and Michaels new son Leo. After bringing the baby home, Michael tells Hope they must decide about a bris. Michaels mother Barbara arrives with her ""friend,"" Ben Titleman. Hope likes him, but Michael finds the situation of another man with his mother makes him uncomfortable. Before long both Ben and Melissa are asking about a mohel to perform the bris. Michael and Hope talk with Gary and Ellyn, respectively, about problems including the circumcision, which Michael is leaning toward and Hope against. That night when Michael brings up the subject, Hope wants him to explain it, why its necessary and why he wants it done. Melissa drops by DAA with some pictures of Leo and some old relatives of the Steadman family. Theres a surprise visitor, also: Rabbi Franklin, a mohel who assumes he is doing a job for Michael. He says Ben contacte

CAPSULE: Melissa starts a fledgling relationship with Miles. Ellyn and Jeffrey look for a new apartment. Melissa gets a job photographing five notable Philadelphians for a magazine. Shes a bit apprehensive, though, when she finds out that one of her subjects is Miles Drentell. As an interviewer from the magazine questions an expansive Miles, Melissa does her job. After the session, Miles and Melissa talk and there seems to be some surprising attraction. He asks to see her portfolio--over dinner. Elsewhere, Ellyn and Richard are rushing around, late for work. To Ellyns surprise, Jeffrey agrees to her suggestion that they find a new place to live together. Ellyn tells Michael shes not going out with Miles, but she does. At the restaurant things are awkward at first, but soon Melissa relaxes. She begins to talk about Michael and herself when they were younger, then catches herself. She tells him hes not what she expected. Later at DAA, Michael thinks that Miles let him take the rap fo

CAPSULE: Amidst a big company layoff, Michael is visited by a mystery man. Its Halloween time and Ethan is fighting with his mother. He wants to be Freddy Krueger; Nancy says no. At DAA Michael comes into Miles office and finds him lying on the floor to relieve back pain. In the office is the original 3-D nodel of DAA. Miles tells Michael hes in the office that used to belong to co-founder Duncan Arthur, who died there of a heart attack. He also tells Michael that a 10% reduction in the work force is needed and that its his job to fire the people. Michael tells Elliot, who refuses to give him any input once he hears that Hollis and Angel are on the list. Working late that evening, Michael hears a squeaking noise. Its the janitor pushing his bucket. Melissa is at DAA working with Elliot when Miles comes in the office. Shes a bit frosty to him. Michael shows Elliot the list of layoffs. Hoillis is on it, but Angel is not. The door to Michael bathroom opens eerily, by itself. Michael

CAPSULE: Melissa gets a big photo assignment at the same time that her mother breaks her leg. Melissa is ecstatic about a job shes up for, doing a photo shoot in New York for Vanity Fair magazine. After she tells Hope, she lunches with her mother Elaine, who glosses over the news rather quickly, seeming more concerned about her daughter Jill in New York and her own role in a community theatre production. Melissa travels to New York City and stays at her sister Jills apartment. When she mets photo editor Megan Alexander the next day, Melissa is told that the job is photographing writer Brendan Norris, who is so tempermental about publicity that ""everyone"" else has turned down the job. When she returns from the interview, Jill informs her that their mother has broken her leg. Melissa returns from Philadelphia and takes over care of her mother from Aunt Muriel. Elaine insists that her husband Murray, who is out of town, not be called back. Elaine doesnt pay much attention to the news o

CAPSULE: Nancys continuing treatment for her cancer places more and more of a strain on her and her family. Nancy gets a phone call one morning about exhibiting her paintings at a show. She later goes to her Victory Partners meeting where the group leader teaches ""guided imagery,"" a visualization technique. Nancy gets a disturbing image of dark, rolling clouds, however. At DAA Michael has been nominated for an Opus award. Ethan comes home to his parents with a bruise where someone hit him. At a chemotherapy treatment, Nancy tries visualizing again, but sees herself in a coffin. Feeling bad after the chemo, Nancy hasnt been able to work on painting for the exhibit. She gets nauseous in front of both kids. Ethan tries to help her out and brings a glass of water. Later Nancy tries to teach Ethan some defensive tactics against bullies, but Elliot ends up showing him how to throw some punches. Concerned about Ethan, Nancy goes to see his soccer coach Ted Brown. While talking to him about

As she prepare for a gallery exhibit devoted to her work, Melissa examines her past relationships with the men in her life and wonders why they have been such failures.

On a business trip to Baltimore, Elliot confronts issues with his mother and with his religious faith. Ethan too is wondering if religious faith can help his own mother.

Susannah returns for Garys funeral. Melissa is an emotional wreck in the aftermath. She and Susannah come to terms with each other.

Ellyn and Billy get married. Predictably, all does not go smoothly, as Ellyn gets a bad case of pre-wedding jitters.

Michaels fortunes seem to be rising at DAA, but Elliot is more dissatisfied than ever and is ready to quit the job, leading to conflict between the two.

The stress of working at DAA becomes too much for Michael.

Michael gets a job offer in California. While out there, he runs into Elliot and they talk about forming another partnership. But Hope is adamantly against the move, so much so that her and Michaels marriage is threatened.