07x04 - Beyond Therapy

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

(no voice)

♪ I bet we've been together
for a million years ♪

♪ And I bet we'll be together
for a million more ♪

♪ Oh, it's like
I started breathing ♪

♪ On the night we kissed ♪

♪ And I can't remember
what I ever did before ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪

♪ And there ain't no nothing we
can't love each other through ♪

♪ What would we do, baby,
without us? ♪



What are you guys doing here?

Mallory's reading
Dad's tarot cards.

Just watch. She's gonna predict
a bright, rosy future.

Oh, no.

It can't be.
This is horrible.

What? What is it?

Somebody got jam on this card.

I've had enough.

No, Dad, please, sit, please.
There's nothing to worry about.

I will show you that the cards
know all.

Okay. Oh! Okay, okay.

Says here that, in the recent
past, you had a minor accident.

Is that true?

Ma-Mallory, two days ago,
while trimming my beard,

I cut myself.

- Oh.
- You knew that.

(whispers):
Yes, but the cards didn't.

Am I mentioned here at all?

Oh, yes, Mom,
you're in the home area.

You're represented by
the high priestess.

See, you're holding
the three babies.

That would be, uh,
Jen, Andy and me.

Well, where's Alex?

He's probably represented
by the newt in the corner.

Alex, I will never let you
drag me

to one of these things again.

I don't understand;
how can a human being not enjoy

the Leland Economics
Jamboree and Clambake?

I mean, that's absurd.

You know, that was the best one
we've ever had.

We've never had
a kissing booth before.

Kissing money
is disgusting, Alex.

What is your problem?

I mean, it just seems like
everything I do today

is wrong, wrong, wrong.

It's so typical of you.

Hi. How you doing?

Steven, can I see you
in the other room for a minute?

What for?

The thing.

Excuse me?

Oh. Oh, right, right, right.

Uh, the-the thing, yeah.

Mallory, Jen, can we see you
in the living room?

About the thing?

Alex, I think we have
a serious problem here.

I feel like I'm having
a hard time relating to you.

We don't even talk anymore.

What are you talking about?

See? We're talking.

Alex, let's face it,
whenever the conversation

veers away from politics
or the economy or current events

and heads towards
something personal,

you run like a little kid.

Lauren, what do you want
from me?

I want you to open up.

I want you to tell me
what you're thinking,

what you're feeling.

About what?!

About us!

I love you, you love me.

We're in a great place here.

Alex, emotionally,
our relationship is right here.

I think it should be here.

I love you, you love me.

We're in a great place here.

Only higher up.

Alex, you may not
want to deal with this,

but from my perspective,
we got a lot of talking to do.

Oh, Lauren, Lauren...

And you're obviously
not ready for it.

- Lauren... Whoa!
- See you later!

Can I help you?

(chuckles)

I doubt it.

Really?

I happen to know you're having
some romantic difficulties.

Oh, yeah?
How do you know that?

What, do the cards tell you?

No, I was listening at the door.

But the cards might help you
find a solution,

if only you'll believe in them.

(chuckles)

All right, I believe. Hit me.

No, no, no. First you have
to follow the ancient tradition

passed down from
generation to generation.

And now available in this book
from Hasbro.

What do I do?

First we separate the cards
into decks of three.

Put one on your forehead
and one on your knee.

And this is a personal low
for me.

Okay.

I see you purchasing
six sweaters.

No, that's mine.

I'm just kidding.

Okay, I'm just kidding.

Okay.

I see a dark-haired woman.

She's upset about something.

She's hurt.
Her man has let her down.

Yeah?

Yeah, then what?

Okay, she's distraught.

He's devastated.

He has no future.

Oh, God.

What? Go on.

Starting to see her
more clearly now.

What, is it Lauren?

No, it's Kitty Dukakis.

Oh, hey, Mom, Dad, great timing.

Let me ask you something, okay?

I been having this little
problem with Lauren recently.

And, uh, I don't know,
she seems to think

that I can't relate
on an honest, intimate level.

What do you, what do you
guys do about that?

Well, your mother and I
make an effort every evening

to, uh, have at least one,

uh, deep, meaningful,
uh, personal exchange.

What do you talk about?

Well, it's personal.

(doorbell rings)

I'll get it.

- Hey.
- Hi.

Hi.

(sniffs)

Uh, I-I smell something burning.

I-I think it's, uh, the thing.

Well, we better get in there.

There's nothing worse
than burnt thing. No.

So, uh, how you doing?

Okay.

I've been thinking a lot about

what we talked about
this afternoon.

Yeah? Me, too.

I, uh...

Jen, do you mind?
This is kind of personal.

Boy, the amount of times
that I'm asked to leave places.

I should just board the
"Get out of the room" express.

It's leaving now.

Whoo-whoo!

Listen, Alex,
I didn't mean to imply

that you don't have feelings
or that you're immature.

I'm sorry.

Oh, babe...

I'm, uh, I'm-I'm sorry

that I didn't take you
seriously.

All that arguing,
it's not gonna get us anywhere.

Ah, you're so right.

I love you, Alex.

I love you, too.

I think we should go
to group therapy.

WOMAN: Let's try some
interpersonal communication.

Bobby, tell me some more.

You obviously have some complex
thoughts on relationships.

I do.

If Janie here so much as, like,
looks at another guy,

she gets it or he gets it.

But definitely,
somebody gets it.

Why do you think
you do that, Bobby?

Hey, what can I tell you?

You know, I'm funny that way.

Uh, Janie, how does that
make you feel?

I don't know.

Do you feel that it takes away
from your identity at all?

It depends.

What does that mean?

It's great to be here
discussing relationships

with the bottom
of the food chain.

Yes, Alex, is there something

you'd like to share
with the rest of us?

No, I don't share.

Alex, what is that beard
you wear?

Excuse me?

A beard, a mask.

You hide your true self.

Hey, I used to do that.

I used to have a beard.

She did.

And I really miss it.

Alex, um, I want you to face
Lauren and look her in the eyes.

Can you feel her energy?

No, I feel Bobby's energy.

Why does he express hostility
in that repugnant manner?

Yes, Alex, why do you?

I don't know.

Why don't we move on?

We'll come back to you.

I'll be here.

Tom, why don't you tell us
some of the things that you do

to keep your relationship
with Vera fresh

after all these years.

Well, for a long time,

Vera and I didn't really talk
much to each other at all.

But recently, since I taught
her how to use the TV remote,

it's opened up
a whole new area for us.

Before, Vera wouldn't say much.

Now she talks all the time.
(chuckles)

For example, I'll say,

"Do you think Geraldo looks
a little too orange today?"

And Vera says...

"No."

Let's try some free-form
interpersonal communication.

Lauren, why don't you begin
by questioning your partner.

Okay.

Alex, did you have
difficulty coming here today?

(scoffs)
You know that I did.

I mean, why do you
have to ask me that?

I think it's important for you
to express it.

Are you angry at Lauren
for revealing personal problems

between the two of you?

No.

Do you have trouble
showing affection to Lauren?

No.

If you were a tree,
what kind of tree would you be?

Look, uh, I-I got to go.

I just remembered something
I have to do.

What do you have to do?

Uh, run away screaming.

Alex, what's going on?

Honey, l-let's just go, okay?

No, I'm not leaving.

This is important to me.
It's important to us.

Honey, I can't stand it here!

I mean, I don't, I don't,
I don't fit in here!

You didn't even try!

I never played poker
with tarot cards before,

but I think I got a full house.

Let's see. What do you got?

Uh, I got three ladies
in a watermelon patch...

(clears throat)

...and two skeletons
with floppy hats.

Beats me. I got dragon high.

Two dwarves.

Read 'em and weep.

Four fools.

Hey.

Hey, Alex. What's all this?

This, this, Dad,
is what's gonna save

my relationship with Lauren.

Now, what happened between
you and Lauren?

Well, I'll tell you
the truth, Dad.

We had a little fight about,
uh, the way I didn't fit in

at that group therapy session.

Well, there's a shocker.

But I'm going back,
and it's not gonna happen again,

because I'm gonna be armed
to my psychological teeth.

Freud: Interpretation
of Dreams.

Ah, the May issue
of, uh, Popular Neurosis.

Yeah, this isn't exactly
thriller-diller reading for me,

but, uh, I don't know,
I feel like I let Lauren down.

And, uh, if it's important
to her

for me to be in touch
with my feelings,

then I'm gonna read these books,

gonna find out
what my feelings are,

and memorize them.

Alex, they're gonna be able
to see right through you.

Mom, Mom,
you're missing the point.

The important thing is not
what those people think of me,

but-but that Lauren believes

that I really tried
to open up to her.

I mean, I'm doing this for her.

- Hi.
- Jen, do you mind?

This is kind of personal.

I don't know why
I bother leaving my room.

Alex, the best thing
you can do for Lauren

is to tell her honestly
how you feel about her...

that you love her,
that you care for her.

Nah, Dad, that's no good.

In this day and age,
relationships have become

a-a complicated, sophisticated,
intellectual phenomenon.

MALLORY and NICK:
♪ Old MacDonald ♪

♪ Had a farm, E-I-E-I-O ♪

♪ And on that farm,
he had some... ♪

- Piggies. (giggles)
- Yeah.

Sorry, we're late; the traffic
was terrible on Court Street.

Yeah, and I would like
to share my feelings

about that with all of you.

You know, sitting there
in the midst

of all that
bumper-to-bumper traffic,

I realized that my anxiety
was a manifestation

of my subconscious desire
to return to the womb.

That traffic... was it jammed up
going both ways?

Alex, you amaze me.

You seem to have
really blossomed

since our last meeting.

Well, thank you, Dr. Davidson.

Well, you're welcome.
(chuckles)

Well, has anybody

had any further thoughts
about their relationship

since we last met?

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh.

Alex, I'm surprised.

Well, honey, I'm here,
and darn it,

I'd like to participate.

All right, Alex.

All right, um...
(clears throat)

Let me share this
with all of you.

I've been doing a lot
of serious soul searching

since our last meeting,

because I felt that I didn't
come across to the group

in a positive light.

All of you felt
that I was holding back

on my true emotions.

Oh.

Afraid to confront
my real feelings.

Well, you were right.

I was afraid.

(snaps fingers)

And so today, I'm here to stand
before all of you and say...

...I'm Alex P. Keaton,

and I'm repressed.

Oh, bravo!

Thank you.

(sniffles)

I'm s... I'm okay.

Alex, this is wonderful.

You're repressed;
I am so happy for you.

Thank you, honey,
and I-I'd be happy, too,

if, you know,
I wasn't so darn repressed.

This is great.

Now that you know what
the problem is, you can really

dig down and address
the real emotional issues.

DAVIDSON:
Oh, now, hold on, Lauren.

I mean, Alex has made
a major breakthrough.

I think that is quite
an accomplishment for one night.

(quietly):
Yes.

All right, let's move on
to somebody else.

Vera, how about you?

We'll come back to you, Vera.

Lauren, how about you?

How do you feel
your relationship is working?

Fine. No complaints.

Do you feel that you hold back
in the relationship at all?

Um... no.

You hesitated.

Did I?

Yes, you did.

Come on, honey.

Do what I did.

Tell them you're repressed,
they'll get off your back,

they'll start torturing Vera.

But I'm not repressed.

Well, then why don't you just
tell them some of the things

that bother you
about our relationship.

I mean, the way...
the way I avoid intimacy,

meaningful conversation,

make you go to-to clambakes
and kiss money.

Well, Alex does, uh,

tend to emotionally shut me out
at important moments.

To kind of build
a wall around himself.

We want to know
about you, Lauren.

How does that wall affect you?

No, I recognize it
for what it is:

A projection
of his latent insecurity.

Lauren, not in
psychological terms.

How do you really feel?

Well, I, um...

(chuckles): I know
what you're all doing here.

I'm quite familiar
with this dynamic.

It's not a dynamic, Lauren.

It's your feelings we're after.

Come on, Lauren,
how do you feel?

DAVIDSON: Lauren, you're not
going to accomplish anything

until you let go.

Come on, Lauren, you can do it.

We're all here for you.

All right, look, everybody
hold it for a minute, all right?

If Lauren doesn't want to talk,
that's okay.

I mean, I know how she feels.

How do you really know
if she doesn't express it?

- I'm sorry, I have to go.
- Wait...

Lauren. Lauren!

Okay, it says here
in the relationship area

that you're very happy
and secure in your relationship.

Uh-huh, that's true.
(chuckles)

Oh.

There's somebody else
in the picture.

Another woman.

Nick, how could you?

What? What? W-What'd I do?

The cards say
you're seeing another woman!

Hey, they're lying...
I'm gonna knock their heads off!

Should we put a stop to this?

Oh, it's harmless enough, Elyse.

Mal, you know you are
the only one for me.

I'll prove it to you;
I'll marry you.

All right, that's enough!

Hello, uh, Lauren.

- Hi, hi.
- Hi.

Is Alex here?

Yeah, he's in the living room.

That's him.

What's say we all go in
the living room, watch some TV?

There's a good movie on.

The Thing.

Elyse, I've seen that a thous...

Oh, The Thing/

Yeah, why didn't you...
you say so?

Oh, I love The Thing.

Okay, everybody out.

They do that very smoothly,
don't they?

So, how you doing? Are you okay?

Not really.

I don't know
what happened to me today.

Someone asked me
a few questions,

and I ran out of the room
like some kind of wild woman.

What kind of psychologist
am I gonna be?

Not a real busy one.

I've never admitted this before,

but I have a real problem
confronting my own emotions.

I don't know,
I love listening to other people

and helping them.

But I don't really like
talking about myself.

Hey, I love talking
about myself.

Just not in front of
Bobby and Janie.

Well, you didn't seem
to have a problem

opening up to them today.

Oh, you didn't believe that,
did you?

I mean, I was just...

uh, telling them
what they wanted to hear.

I mean, I'm not repressed.

Yes, you are.

All right, I just don't like to
stand around talking about it.

I only did that for you.

Oh, great.

Where does that leave us?

You said what you didn't
really feel and I panicked.

We're in the same place we were
when we started this.

(sighs)

Jen, do you mind?

That's it, I'm moving out.

You know, we got to get
this thing worked out,

so she can feel free
to roam the house.

Look, Alex, I'm sorry
that I dragged you into this.

I just want to be closer to you.

I don't want to feel like you're
holding things back from me.

I'm a very private person.

I mean, there are things
about me

that nobody knows.

There are things about me
I don't even know.

But I've opened up more to you
than I ever have to anyone else.

I mean, when I look
in your eyes,

I feel like
I can tell you anything.

Really?

All right, well,
tell me something

that you've never told anyone.

All right, all right.

All right, you got to promise
you're not gonna

tell anybody this,
I mean, not a living soul.

I promise.

All right.

I'm worried about Quayle.

And, um...

And there's-there's
one, uh, one other thing

that I got to tell you.

And I'm not really sure how
this is gonna go over with you.

You're right.

There is a wall around me.

I built it.

And it's real high.

And it's that, um...

that controlled Alex
that I want the world to see.

And I'm just afraid
that if I let that wall down,

that you're gonna see
who I really am

and you're not gonna love me.

There, I said it.

Is the wall down now?

Yeah.

I still love you, Alex.

I love you, too.



MAN:
Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog.

(Ubu barks)