Episode Guide

Season 5

Episode 62- When Girls Collide


The Case

Bert brings a case to Blue Moon! His accountant, Seymour Sapperman, thinks his wife is having an affair. David lets Bert handle this case (as he is preoccupied.) Bert follows Adele Sapperman and makes a very funny surveillance film on her. While David "stakes out" Mrs Sapperman, Mr Sapperman shows up and reconciles with his wife.

What's Really Going on Chris?

The episode opens with Maddie telling her therapist that she doesn't feel that she needs therapy anymore (yeah, right!). She's happy with her life and age and she feels that she and David have reached a point where they have a manageable relationship. She tells her therapist that she is still attracted to David, but she vows she's not getting on that roller coaster again. Maddie then throws herself a going away party with her therapist, complete with party hats.
Later, David comes in to work and ogles Demi Moore (who was at the time Bruce Willis' wife) in the elevator. At Blue Moon he hears laughing from Maddie's office and finds that Maddie with a woman, Annie. He paid no attention to Annie in the elevator, but now is very intrigued to find out who this woman is. He interrogates Agnes who tells him that she is Maddie's cousin and that they were roommates when Maddie lived in New York. David makes sure to introduce himself to Annie.
That night, David takes Maddie and Annie dancing. While Annie and Maddie are getting ready, Maddie tries to warn Annie about David. Annie suggests that Maddie sounds afraid of him, but Maddie denies it saying she they just have a history. Annie agrees to cancel the whole idea if Maddie is uncomfortable, but Maddie refuses. Maddie is surprised that David shows up early to pick them up. While dancing with Maddie, David suggests that they should do this more often, but Maddie replies, "I don't think so" and David agrees. Maddie tells David that they should be proud of themselves because other couples, with all they've been through, would've killed each other by now. David jokes that he never thought of killing Maddie, but then dismisses the idea because he fears he would be very popular in prison. He tells Maddie that he is very happy to be right there dancing with her. He asks Maddie if she is happy, and she replies that at least she's not sad. Maddie then sees a couple kissing and tells David that she's envious of that, being in love and civilized. David responds that he knows. They're interrupted by Bert who has some preliminary surveillance footage of the Sapperman case. While Bert tries to rewind the tape, Annie asks David to dance. It's obvious that there is a mutual attraction while they are dancing, and they continue to dance even after the music stops. David brings Maddie and Annie home (Annie is staying with Maddie) and Maddie goes to bed. David hesitatingly starts to leave but Annie engages him in a conversation, and he stays. They talk for a few hours, then leave to see the sights of LA. They end up in the beemer talking at "the point." David tells Annie that he came to LA to remake himslf into a guy who doesn't take himself too seriously. They end up making out. Maddie wakes up the next morning to find Annie's bed never slept in.
At the office, David comes in late, dressed in the same clothes he wore the night before. He walks into his office without saying a word to Maddie or the rest of the staff who assembled to watch Bert's surveillance tape of the Sapperman case. Maddie immediately follows him into his office to "talk". David tells her that it is none of her business, but as a friend, assures her that nothing happened. He then tells her that she intellectually knows it is over between them, but it must be hard for her to imagine him in the arms of another woman and accuses her of being jealous. She denies this and tells him that she is just concerned about her cousin. He says that he knows Maddie came in here to tell him all the reasons he shouldn't get involved with Annie and refuses to listen to her by sticking his fingers in his ears and saying loudly, "I'm not listening." It's too bad he wasn't listening, because Maddie tells him that Annie is married but David doesn't hear it. Maddie then finds out that David intends to see Annie again that night, but Maddie insists that he do surveillance on the Sapperman case with Bert. They argue and Bert settles it with a game of rock-paper-scissors. David loses and has to break his date with Annie.
Agnes stops into Maddie's office before she leaves. She's concerned about Maddie because everyone heard that David hit on Annie last night. Maddie claims she doesn't care, she's only concerned about her cousin. Agnes tells Maddie that she has been watching Maddie and David "interact" for most of her adult life. Agnes doesn't think that David is really interested in Annie, but this is just his way of staying involved with Maddie. Maddie responds, "I don't want him involved with me" but Agnes replies, "do you really believe that?" Agnes tells her that she can shake a stern finger at David like someone he would love not to listen to, or they could bring chinese food to Bert and Dave while they're on stakeout and tell them what a good job they're doing. Maddie picks up the phone to order the food and asks Agnes, "how did you become such a student of human nature?"
Agnes and Maddie go to the stakeout at Hot Tub Heaven only to find Annie in bed with David. Maddie and Agnes leave with Annie chasing behind trying to explain and David chasing Annie saying they don't have to explain. All 4 of them argue in front of the elevator until they hear shots from the Sapperman's room. David finds out that Annie is married.
After leaving the stakeout, David and Annie are in the car. Annie decides to go to a hotel for the night, rather than back to Maddie or David's. She says it's been a confusing couple of days and wants to be alone. She apologizes to David for not telling him she is married. He tells her that it doesn't matter, and he's willing to listen if she wants to talk about it. She declines and worries that things will get complicated. David assures her that it will not get complicated, as they both like chili dogs and their bodies fit together very nicely. He complains about Maddie several times during the conversation and Annie tells him he should lighten up on her.
When David gets home he finds Maddie asleep in his bed. She let herself in and wants to talk, but tells David she doesn't know why she's there. David tells her that he is tired and doesn't want to fight. Maddie agrees to say her piece and leave, David agrees. Maddie starts to talk as David listens and undresses (to his boxers), but then stops and says that it sounds stupid despite her rehearsing it on the way over. David wonders how someone who doesn't know why they are there could rehearse what they were going to say? She then tells David that she's worried aout Annie. Upon hearing this, David jumps up and tries to get Maddie to leave. Maddie stops him and yells, "you know the game we're both playing." She claims she doesn't want Annie to get hurt without knowing what hit her. David yells back that this (him and Annie) has nothing to do with Maddie and it is driving Maddie crazy, and that is why she is at David's in the middle of the night. Maddie accuses David of getting involved with Annie because he is mad at Maddie and wants to get back at her. He denies this and orders her to leave. Annie walks in, sees Maddie and turns around to leave. David chases after her and asks Maddie to turn out the lights on her way out. Maddie just sits there on David's bed looking like a train just hit her.

Chris's Obsessive Analysis

What, did the writers get lazy and xerox the Sam scripts? Even my husband (who is not afflicted with Moonlighting Madness) noticed the similarities in the stories....
Of course the first time around I believe the ending was much better than it was in this episode ;) I always defend the writers, so I really hope this was not done out of lack of creative ideas, laziness or haste. I sincerely hope that the writers used this very familiar story for a good reason; to show development in the relationship or the characters.
I find it hypocritical that Maddie is disturbed that David would see a married woman when Annie reveals that she had an affair with a married man in New York (another confirmation that David was right about Maddie's "6" from "Color of Maddie".)
I'll admit I had to watch this episode several times (despite the pain it induces!) to try to figure out what is going on with Maddie and Dave. Maddie is not acting like Maddie, and David is not acting like David in terms of the character development that has occurred to this point. It's like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Since when does Maddie have a sense of humor (like with the psychiatrist) and since when does she have "liquid" lunches and then go back to the office drunk? She has almost nothing nice to say to David or about David. She seems to constantly berate him and doesn't even seem to like him. Where does this come from? Prior to this, Maddie doesn't seem angry with David.
I think David uses his dance with Maddie as a kind of test to see where they stand before he pursues Annie. I think he did like Annie, but his real purpose in seeing her (in this episode, anyway) was to test Maddie's reaction and drive her crazy in a you-told-me-you-wanted-me-to-see-other-women-so-I-am-so-deal-with-it way. He seemed like he was willing to listen to what Maddie had to say when he found her in his bed until she said she was worried about Annie. He knew she was going to say something about their relationship, and the Annie business. I think he was willing to listen to her if she was going to say something he wanted to hear, like I'm jealous or don't see her, etc. I don't think it would've made a difference to him in what he did with Annie, I just think he wanted to hear Maddie say it because she spent the whole episode denying it. When she said she was worried about Annie- he was like well, if you're not going to be honest, forget it, get out. David is certainly not acting like David. I think it is totally not like him to not care that Annie is married (especially after what happened with him and Tess.) I think it also indicates that he really doesn't think this Annie thing is anything more than a fling. He even tells Annie that it won't get complicated because they both like chili dogs and their bodies fit together nicely. David also has nothing nice to say about Maddie. Annie and Maddie both make references to his anger. Prior to this episode, there doesn't seem to be any evidence of anger coming from David (although he has had a right to be VERY angry for a long time, we never see any sign of it until now). Why the delayed reaction if he truly doesn't care? I just don't get any of it. It's like the writers decided to "end it" and really didn't bother to show us how it ended in terms of the plot or characters to this point. I was shocked to hear David say to Maddie that she must know intellectually it was over between them. It seemed like news to me.

Memorable Moments

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