Noah:

Noah is meeting with some dude who loved his book. He's a freak who happens to think that Noah speaks on his behalf. He's an actor, but he uses 70s language.

The guy wants to know everything. How did the book come about and why. Teaching in Brooklyn is a great detail. So human.

Ellen is a great character. Funny, down to earth, self-depricating.

The guy struggles with understanding why Daniel left his wife.

That's kind of what the whole book is about, Noah says. There's not an easy answer to that. Helen and him were college sweethearts. He loved her, but he thought their love was holding him back.

Helen was a cool girl. She grew up in NYC, was up on all the trends, knew the bands.

The first night they did the dirty, what song was playing? Springsteen. Tunnel of Love had just come out.

Some girl across the cafe is making eyes with Noah.

The dude comes from a family of alcoholics. He totally gets it. All of it, apparently.

Noah watches Sasha mimicing him and doesn't get it.

The girl from across the cafe comes over and apologizes to Noah. She never does this. But she wants to give Sasha his number.

They haven't discussed the ending, Sasha says. He wonders if Noah loves the ending of Descent because he must not.

Noah leaves Sasha stymied. Noah needs to meet his girlfriend outside. Noah is on his way to a funeral. Vic's funeral.

Helen is holding a baby when they get there.

Vic looks like hell in the casket. No makeup. Covered in flower petals.

Noah's kids still don't connect with him very well. They won't even drive to the cemetery with him.

When Margaret starts going back into the funeral parlor or church. Helen is fighting with Vic's mother who doesn't want to bury Vic despite his wishes.

She bullied him his entire life, and Helen doesn't want Vic's mother to bully him in death, too. Noah sides with his mother, so Helen tells him to fuck off.

Back at the house, Janelle talks in Noah's ear while he gazes longingly at Helen.

Janelle is getting treated poorly. She decides it's because he's racist.

Bruce claps his hand on Noah's shoulder. He's man enough to admit Noah did well for himself. Noah has to tell him it's not his house. It's Helen's. Bruce then asks Janelle for another brandy, and Noah doesn't say anything.

Just before Janelle storms out, Helen walks up and thanks her for being here with a hug.

Janelle steps up for Helen to talk to the valet about where to park the car.

Helen thinks Janelle is a keeper but also guesses that Noah will fuck it up.

Noah hugs Helen, and she cries into his chest.

Whitney is dating a painter who does portraiture. Noah wonders if that makes money nowadays.

Colin is an Irishman who doesn't drink since his whole family is drunks.

They play a video from Vic. He recorded a message to play at his funeral.

He speaks directly to his parents about his wonderful life that was all because of him. He wants them to stay close to Helen and the kids.

Vic loves all of the kids after being with them for eight years, but they accepted him and gave him the family he never thought he'd have. It's been such a privilege to watch them grow up.

Noah learns Whitney is marrying Colin when Vic mentions it in his death video. He even gives the toast he would have given at her wedding wishing her the happiness she deserves.

Noah checks on Helen who is naked in bed. He sees her breasts.

Noah tells Helen he cleaned the house, and it shocks her.

He's caring for her.

Noah goes out to check for the valet after Helen freaks out a bit. The sign is there, but there is no sign of the valet.

Noah takes out Helen's trash. Helen gets angry because it's Vic's job. She doesn't want him to do it; she wants Vic to do it.

Helen says do you ever wonder why I'm so resilient? It's because you left me ten years ago to raise the kids when you left to fuck a waitress you just met. Vic didn't have a choice, but Noah had a choice.

Why did Vic die? Why not Noah?

Joanie:

Joanie is married with two kids. It's one of their birthdays.

They blow a horn into the sky and it creates a happy birthday sign with a running unicorn. Hey, this is the future!

Joanie has a greenhouse that is cared for by drones.

From the bathtub, she watches her husband put the kids to sleep.

Their mirror is an Alexa type things.

Their daughter, Madeline, is adopted, and Joanie thinks she knows since she' fantasizes that her real mother is a queen and she is a princess.

Joanie doesn't want to celebrate her birthday and threatens to leave her husband if he so much as gets her a card.

This is the age her mother died, so she's feeling maudlin.

Her husband screws her from behind while she barely acknowledges his presence.

She says "it's fine, just finish," which must be quite the turn on.

I guess this is supposed to show us how much like her mother she is since, you know, sex.

The scene is incredibly long to the point of being almost unbearable.

Joanie misses her dad.

Joanie heads to the bathroom to take anxiety medication. Cool prescription bottles.

She had about ten in the bottle and downs them all.

Helen:

There is a baby shower or a birthing party. Sierra is upstairs groaning in childbirth while everyone downstairs. Her birth coach is a joke, worrying that Sierra is doing something dumb as a result of gender guilt.

Helen curls up on the couch at home. Vic is still alive, but there is no change according to his mother.

helen goes to the bedroom where Vic lies on a hospital bed.

She goes to the bedside table to look at the prescription bottles and takes some over to Vic. She has to open his mouth and force him to swallow them.

She wants him to hang in there just a little bit longer.

Being with Vic is wearing out Helen.

Helen gives to Priya the order of events for Vic's funeral so his parents can look it over and not get offended. She looks immediately offended.

Priya says it's fine, but she won't take it home to Abdul.

Priya still seems uninterested in Helen's relationship with Vic.

Helen looks up how to naturally force a labor. Sierra has been in labor over 24 hours. So she grabs a wheelchair and goes back to Sierra's house. The women are manifesting Sierra's daughter from the something to a corporeal being.

Helen goes upstairs with Clary Sage. Sierra is a friggin' mess. She wants to go to the hospital. Her woman wants to keep Sierra here and in the regular process.

Helen thinks the baby could be breach, and since she's so tired and hasn't slept she's too weak to push.

Some other woman arrives and they carry her to the bed.

Sierra's friend tells Helen to go home. Nothing is going to happen to Sierra, she promises.

They all understand how important it is for Vic to meet his child.

Noah is at her house when she gets home soaking wet from the shower.

She wonders why Noah is there. He wants to talk about the kids. he's caring for her again, worrying about when she ate. The kids want to say goodbye to Vic, but she doesn't want them to get upset. He assures her not being there is upsetting them more. But she can't handle it.

He offers to stay for a few days to give her support as Vic passes.

Vic is in the final stages. His body is shutting down, and he can't clear the secretions in his throat. She wonders if that's a death rattle. Yes, and if there is anyone they should call, now is the time.

Helen promises Vic that his baby will be taken care of and will know all about him. Helen knocks at the door. Sierra is there with the baby.

Sierra goes to Vic and puts their son, Eddie, on his chest. The baby is incredibly tiny. They all stand there and wait for Vic to die.

Helen, though, thought it might help. And it did. He finally lets go.

He knew the baby was alright.

His body is prepared according to his wishes.

Helen can barely stand to look at Vic's photo.

Vic ultimately gets cremated.

She was braless when Noah found her, but not naked.