05x15 - Higher Love

[bunniefuu]

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Sha la la la ♪

Elyse, look at this.

It's a picture andy
drew and left on my desk.

What is it?

It's a picture of
andy hugging a dog.

He really wants
a dog, doesn't he?

But he knows. We
talked about this.

No dog.

What's that?

That's a picture of
me paying for the dog.

Steven, we've got to
stand tough on this.

We cannot have a
dog in the house.

Mallory's allergic to dogs.

What's that?

It's a picture of
mallory leaving home.

Arf! Arf! Arf! Arf!

Andy, andy, down,
boy! Down, boy!

Arf!

Good boy.

[Whining]

[Panting]

He's been barking all day, dad.

He says the only way he'll
stop is if you buy him a dog.

We've been through
this a million times.

No dogs, no pets, period.

Grrr!

Aah! Ow!

Um... Well, uh,
maybe, uh, one pet.

Yay!

Alex, did you get
everything I needed?

Oh, you bet, mal.
It's all in the bag.

What's going on?

My poetry reading group
is meeting here tonight,

And I forgot to buy them
something sophisticated to eat.

So alex volunteered
to buy some croissants.

Alex, these aren't croissants.

These are pop-tarts.

I know.

I don't like croissants.

I can't serve pop-tarts to
my poetry reading group.

Colin spencer will
think I'm really dumb.

Sorry. I didn't mean
to blow your cover.

Who's colin spencer?

He's a graduate student
in english literature.

He's the leader of
the poetry group.

They have graduate students in
english literature at grant college?

Well, what's he writing his
thesis on, "my trip to the dairy"?

Alex, for your information,

Colin happens to
be a sophisticated

And charming world traveler.

He's lived in paris,
rome, cincinnati.

[Knocking]

Oh, great.

Hi, mallory.

Hi. Uh, mom, dad,
this is colin spencer.

Hello. Hello. Nice to meet you.

It's a pleasure
meeting you, colin.

Mallory's told us some
wonderful things about you.

Well, I can't say enough
about your daughter.

She makes every poetry
reading such a joy.

You know, even though I've
only known her for a short while,

I can honestly say she's
the brightest student I've met

In a long time.

Don't get out
much, do you, colin?

Would you like something to
drink, colin? Some tea, perhaps?

Oh, yes. Some lapsang souchong

Would be perfect right now.

Ooh, do we dare?

"And a grin of
bitterness swept thereby

"Like an ominous bird a-wing.

"Since then, keen
lessons that love deceives

"And wrings with wrong

"Have shaped to me your face

"And the god-cursed sun

"And a tree

And a pond edged
with grayish leaves."

So, any thoughts on this poem?

Personally, I think he blew it.

It doesn't rhyme.

It's kind of down. If I got
something like that on a card,

Frankly, I'd throw it out.

Uh, colin, I'd say that hardy's

Use of images of
death and grayness

Reflect his bleak emotions

In the face of a
dead relationship.

Mm-hmm. What about you, mallory?

Um... It's really neat,

But it's really sad.

Yes. Yes, you're right.

You're absolutely
right, mallory.

You've captured the
essence of this poem.

"It's really neat,

But it's really sad."

That's a very
perceptive comment.

Wait a minute. What
is this poem for?

A birthday? Is it a
get-well card? What?

[Doorbell rings]

Excuse me.

Hey, babe.

Oh, nick, not here.

My poetry reading group is here.

Oh, hey, hey, why
don't you skip out?

You know, we'll get
a couple of tacos

And hit the dirt bike
races over at the coliseum.

Um, nick, I can't.
I'm hosting this.

All right. I'll just hang out

And wait until it's over, huh?

Um, everyone, this is nick.

Nick, this is the poetry group.

Hi, nick. Hi, nick.

Hello, group. Hey.

Hey.

All right, the next
poem I'd like to read

Is ode to a nightingale
by john keats.

"My heart aches,

[Gulping] and the..."

Want some?

Yeah?

Nick, can I have a
word with you, please?

Sure.

Hey, uh, this milk,
it's for everybody.

Listen, nick, why don't
you go ahead without me,

'Cause I'm not gonna be able to
break away from here tonight.

Come on, babe, I know how much
you love those dirt bike races,

And I hate to go without
you. Vroom, vroom!

Nick!

Anybody else want to
go to the dirt bike races?

Hey.

So where were we?

Well, listen, why don't
we just call it a night?

It's getting late. We can
discuss this poem next week.

Um, colin,

I'm really sorry nick
ruined the meeting.

It was all my fault.

Actually, I'm glad. I wanted a
chance to talk to you alone.

It's the pop-tarts, right?

That was alex's idea.

I asked him to get croissants.

No, no.

I loved the pop-tarts.

They were very... Refreshing.

No, there's just
something that i...

I'd like to share with you.

Here. Sit.

It's a poem that I brought.

I want to read it to you. I'd
like to know what you think of it.

Sure. Go ahead.

"She walks in beauty...

"Like the night of cloudless
climes and starry skies.

"And all that's best
of dark and bright

"Meet in her
aspect and her eyes,

"Thus mellowed to
that tender light

Which heaven to
gaudy day denies."

Wow.

Mallory...

Will you go out with me?

Wow.

There's so much I want
you to experience...

Wonderful thoughts,
beautiful music.

I want to show you new york,

The romance of paris.

I want to show you the world.

All in one date?

How about next friday?

Um... Colin,

I'm... I'm really flattered,

But, well, I've been going out
with nick for over a year now.

You don't have to give me
your answer right away.

Just... Think about it.

But...

But now...

Not a word.

Hey, a successful
trip to the pet store!

Since andy can't have a dog,

We got him...

Ta-daa!

A fish.

A natural substitute.

Oh, come on, mom. A fish can
be just as good a pet as a dog.

Look at him. He's cute,
he's frisky, he's colorful.

He's slimy.

Yes, but fish can also be
very trusting and very loyal.

Well, what are you
gonna name him, honey?

Mr. Fish.

No, no, we're gonna
name him kissinger.

No, we're going
to name him lassie.

Come on, sweetheart. Let's take
lassie upstairs and put him in this bowl.

Ooh, andy, he says he really
wants to see his new home.

Can we flush him
down the toilet?

Hey, mallie. How was your day?

My day was like a
thousand summers.

I walked through
dappled sunlight

As it danced across
my shoulders.

A motley-colored leaf
fell silent at my feet.

It was more lovely than
e'er you could imagine.

Did you pick up my cleaning?

Alex, can I ask you a question?

Yeah, sure. What's up?

How do you know when
you're really in love?

Uh, I don't know. I get, uh,

Uh, an inexplicable desire
to spend money on a girl.

You know, I know I'm really lost

When I don't ask
her to pay it back.

I know, but how do
normal people know

When they're in love?

Mal, why are you asking me this?

I've got a real problem.

Colin. He really likes me.

What about nick?
[imitates nick's voice]

I don't know, alex.

All of a sudden, it seems
like it might be wrong

To be tied down to one person.

Alex, colin has made me
realize that there's so much,

So many experiences
open to me now.

I don't know what to do.

[Knock on door]

Yeah?

Delivery for mallory keaton.

Yeah, that's me.

Thanks.

"Oh, my love's like
a red, red rose

"That's newly sprung in june.

"Oh, my love's like a melody

"That's sweetly played in tune.

Love, colin."

Isn't that sweet, alex?

I say you dump both of them

And start fresh in the morning.

Roll over, lassie.
Roll over. Roll over.

Whoa! Good dog.

Hey, come on!

Andy, please.

Ohh! Well, where did
you get a dog biscuit?

Skippy.

Skippy? Skippy
doesn't have a dog.

What's he doing
with dog biscuits?

His grandmother
gives them to him

When he does something right.

Where have you guys been?

Alex and I thought kissinger
looked a little lonely,

So we went out to the pond and
found a little fish friend for him.

He's in a bucket in the kitchen.

Andy, this new fish we're
going to call bubbles.

I already named the new fish...

Agnew.

Come on, andy, let's
go meet the new fish.

Do I have to?

Oh, come on.

Elyse, jen, just
go in and say hi.

Do I have to? Do I have to?

I'll just go in and tell
poor little bubbles

You're too busy to
welcome him to his new home.

Hey, mal. How's it going?

The light broke
like a burning ray

Upon my soul.

Noises filtered from beyond.

pourquoi?

pourquoi?

Let's go look at the fish.

I'm with you.

It's a new poem I've
been working on.

It's called pourquoi.

It's french, I think.

It is french.

And that makes you
illiterate in two languages.

Colin says I have an
uncommon gift for syntax.

You've been seeing a
lot of colin, haven't you?

He's just changed the way
I look at things, that's all.

I mean, no one like him ever
took me seriously before.

It's so nice to be respected

For your mind and your talent.

[Snorting laugh]

[Doorbell rings]

Oh, what ho! The door.

But pourquoi?

Hi.

Hey.

Um... Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey, uh, nice flowers.

Oh, well, we grow these
in the backyard, right, alex?

Right, right.

It's always been
a dream of mine.

Next year, I'm
planting begonias.

"Love, colin"?

That's the amazing thing.

They came up with that card.

That's incredible.

All right. We don't grow
them in the backyard.

They're from colin.

The poetry wimp?

He's not a wimp.

He's... He's sophisticated,
intelligent, and charming.

If you like him, I like him.

Nick...

Do you ever think
about life and literature

And how language alters
our perception of reality?

Are you talking to me?

Ok, nick. Look, lately,
since I've been in school...

My views are changing, and I'm
being introduced to new ideas,

And I'm meeting new people.

Like this colin guy.

For one.

That's cool. You know,

It's good to meet some wimps.

Nick, he asked me out.

And you told him no, right?

Not yet.

What do you mean "not yet"?

I mean I'm changing
and I'm growing,

And I need some room right now.

Hey, you know, that's
ok. I see what's happening.

You know, I'm an artist. You
don't have to draw a picture.

Ok, let me explain.

No, it's ok.

No, nick...

No, mal. It's all right.

You know? You want room?

I'll give you all the room
in the world, all right?

Later.

"So in my veins,

"Red life might stream again,

"And thou be conscience calmed.

"See? Here it is.

I hold it towards you."

I hate to keep harping
on this one point,

But this is another one
of those non-rhymers.

Well, I think after
mr. Handleman's brilliant display,

Any other insights
would be anticlimactic.

We'll meet next
thursday at dana's loft.

Uh, mallory, would you
mind staying for a while?

There's something I
want to talk to you about.

Sure.

Colin, there's something
I don't understand here.

Somehow that
doesn't surprise me.

So, I guess you're this
year's choice, huh, mallory?

Congratulations.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Well, you see, every year,
colin picks a new freshman girl

To sweep off her
feet. To make a star of.

And after a few months
of romance, he dumps her.

And, mallory, you're
this year's model.

Joyce, you couldn't be
more wrong about colin.

Take it from last year's model.

As soon as you're alone,

He'll dim the lights.

Then he'll take out that book
of poetry that he found in this...

Ever so charming
shop outside of london.

Then he'll get that
mandolin he found in venice

And start singing some
ridiculous love song

Like I gave my love a cherry.

He'll play a while,

Miss a note,

Laugh in that self-deprecating
little way he has...

Ha ha ha ha ha.

He'll put the mandolin down

And say, "joyce..."

Or in your case,

"Mallory...

You've touched my soul,

And I only feel complete
when I'm with you."

Better go.

Lapsang souchong?

Oh, I'd love some.

Here.

Take it home with you.

Well, thank you.

Come on, mallory, let's go.

Um, skippy, I can't.

Mallory's going to be
staying for a while, skip.

We're going to have
a, uh, tutoring session.

Well, great. I'll stay, too.

I could always
use some tutoring.

I'll just call home and
have my mom feed my turtles.

This is a private
tutoring session, skip.

Well, then how come
she gets to stay?

Good night, skippy.

Wait, wait... Mallory
drove me here!

Oh, this is a great
apartment, colin.

Ah, thanks. I got
a lot of this stuff

Traveling around the world.

And every time I look at one
of them, I remember everything

About the place
where I found it.

I know exactly what
you're talking about.

Every time I put on these shoes,

I think of the mall.

Here, I'll show you
some of my favorites.

Ohh...

It's a book of
poetry I got in this...

Ever so charming shop
just outside of london.

It's lovely.

And when I was in venice,

I found this fantastic mandolin.

♪ I gave my love a cherry ♪

♪ That had no stone ♪

[Hits sour note] ♪ I ga... ♪♪

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Mallory, in some real way, I
feel you've touched my soul,

And I only feel complete
when I'm with you.

Really. Really?

Uh, more than last year's

Touching of the
souls with joyce?

I don't understand.

I cannot believe I'm so stupid!

I actually convinced myself

You thought I was special.

Mallory... That I had
something to offer.

I was nothing but
a plaything to you!

Mallory, why don't we
sit down, have some tea,

We can talk about this.

I really hope you enjoyed
yourself, colin, I do,

'Cause I'll tell
you something...

I learned more
tonight than I ever did

In your stupid poetry class!

You could have at
least learned a new song!

Hmm? Elyse...

Bad news.

Mr. Fish is missing.

Missing?

The new fish is there,

But he's not talking.

Dad.

Hmm?

I want you to brace yourself.

Agnew ate kissinger.

It was really cool, dad.

Bubbles just
swallowed him... [Slurp]

Jennifer, take him away.

All right, dad,

I say we skip the trial.

I say we fillet bubbles now.

Bubbles!

Get him!

Hi, honey.

How did the poetry reading go?

It didn't.

What happened?

Mom, I thought
colin really liked me.

And I thought that
I really liked him.

All he wanted was
for me to become

One of the precious things
he's collected on his travels.

I'm sorry, honey.

How could I have been so stupid?

I didn't belong in
that poetry group.

Now, that's not true.

You belonged there just
as much as anybody else.

You were really
enjoying that group,

And you were doing well, too.

pourquoi was a good poem.

You know, mom, before
I started at grant,

I was really nervous
about fitting in.

All of a sudden,
I'm with this group

And I'm having
intellectual talks

With someone like colin.

And it made me feel smart.

It made me feel special.

I wanted to be that
person so badly,

I was just ready to
turn my back on who I am.

You are growing up, honey.

There are going to be
a lot of false starts,

You know? A lot
of disappointments,

A lot of pain. But...

But these... Detours,

They make up the texture
of your life, you know?

They tell you what all
your different options are,

All the different
things you can become.

I don't know if I
can handle it, mom.

Oh, honey, every woman's
got a colin spencer

In her past.

Do you?

Yeah, i...

Mine's name was
granville mitchell.

I met him in ballet class.

He was a senior,
I was a freshman.

He told me I could dance
like isadora duncan.

[Giggling]

What are you laughing at?

Sorry.

The point is that
out of that disaster

Developed a love for dance

That stayed with me
the rest of my life.

Now, you... You have a
new interest in poetry.

Don't give it up just
because of colin spencer.

You know, mom the worst
part is that I really hurt nick.

He's always loved
me for who I am

And I never have
to put on an act.

You know? I never have to
pretend I'm something I'm not.

Nick's special that way.

Come on. Let's go up.

You go ahead. I'll
be up in a minute.

Ok.

Nick?

Hi, it's me.

Do you want to
go get some tacos?

Man: sit, ubu, sit. Good dog.

[Dog barks]