Melrose Place - Season 2, Episode 25

"This is my asexual roommate, Billy."

"The Two Mrs. Mancinis"
Original airdate: 3/23/1994

Episode summary: When Jane inherits 100K from her deceased grandmother, Michael insists that he's entitled to half. Alison reluctantly allows Billy to attend her father's birthday party in Wisconsin, and is miffed when he announces their engagement. Jo goes on her first date as a pregnant woman.

---

Recap: Alison is on the phone with her mom, discussing her plans to fly home to Wisconsin to celebrate her dad's fiftieth surprise birthday party. Billy, who has eavesdropped on the last part of the conversation, asks her whassup, so she tells him that her mom has successfully guilting her into attending the birthday party...and that she'd really just prefer to go by herself. Billy asks her how she's going to explain the absence of her fiancé, so she sheepishly admits that she hasn't actually told her parents about their impending nuptials 'cause she doesn't want them meddling in any of her wedding planning. Billy makes it clear he's not pleased that his future in-laws have no clue about their marriage plans, and Alison's like, "I really don't give a shit" and heads out to run some errands. 

Jane's boss (Kay Beacon) snarls at her for talking out of turn in front of the landlord who holds the lease on her studio space, and Jane calls her out for always lying to him about her finances. Kay bitchily orders Jane to get her accessories sketches done pronto - just as she gets an incoming emergency call for Jane on her cell phone.

Jane rushes over to the beach house to break the news to Sydney that their aged grandmother has finally kicked the bucket. Sydney shrugs disinterestedly and says that while she feels a tiny bit bad, she always resented how much Grams liked her (Jane) while treating her (Sydney) like a second-class citizen.
​
Over at Shooters, Jake tells Amanda he's looking to expand the market for his boat charter business, says he knows she's in need of a last minute location for a D&D photo shoot tomorrow, and suggests she book the boat. He hands Amanda his pricing menu, and she glances at it and decides 'sure, why the hell not?'

Billy tells Alison he just bought two plane tickets for Wisconsin, and she's visibly annoyed that he insists on tagging along and says she doesn't want their engagement announcement to steal her father's birthday thunder. Billy asks her if that's really what's bothering her, and she just kind of shrugs and says she prefers to keep the various components of her life in different compartments...and feels discombobulated now that everything is getting all mixed up. She tells him she feels added pressure now that he's coming along to Wisconsin, then sighs, "It's fiiiiine", but makes it clear that she wants to be the one to tell her parents about the engagement in her own way...which Billy eventually translates to mean that he should feel free to announce it to everyone at Papa Parker's birthday bash.

"I insist on tagging along to Wisconsin to meet your parents."

" I don't think I want you in that compartment."

Jane is on the phone with her mom, commiserating about Grams' death and promising to be in Chicago tomorrow for the funeral and the reading of the will. A few seconds later, Alison drops by to offer her condolences...and Jane tells her that Grams left her 100K in her will, and that she feels guilty for being the only Andrews daughter to inherit anything 'cause she doesn't feel as though she did anything particularly special to deserve the cash. 

Michael sneaks up behind Matt in the courtyard, and snarls at him for spilling the beans to Jane about his drunkenness during the accident that "killed" Kimberly, along with his (Matt's) role in altering the blood alcohol level in the hospital's database. He orders Matt to retract his confession to Jane...and when Matt refuses, Michael punches him in the face. Matt glares at him and warns him to never touch him again, so Michael taunts, "When was the last time you said that to a guy?" and gets his own punch in the face.

The next morning, Jane runs into Amanda in the courtyard, tells her she's about to come into 100K and would like her advice about starting her own design firm. Amanda warns that running a design firm is a major undertaking, then advises her to use 80K for the startup costs and hold back 20K to stay afloat financially.

Alison and Billy arrive in Wisconsin and are greeted by her mom, who looks surprised to see that her daughter's "roommate" has tagged along. As Billy gets the bags from the cabbie, Alison enters the house, where her dreamboat (!) of a high school boyfriend, Adam Travell, is waiting to say hi and gaze at her all flirty-like. Billy looks less than pleased by the presence of her dreamy ex, and by being introduced to him as Alison's completely platonic roommate. 

"Hi Alison. Would you care to revisit our relationship?"

"Maybe. Were you this dreamy when we hooked up in high school?"

Alison shows Billy to his attic guest room and explains that she and Adam dated in high school, and that he wrote to her a few years ago, but she never wrote back. Billy tells her he's deeply annoyed that she hasn't told any of her old friends and family members that they're engaged, then lumbers up to the guest room to unpack.

The photo shoot aboard Jake's boat is underway. Jo photographs a male model, who seems to like the cut of her jib and invites her out for dinner...and she hems and haws about her policy to not date the talent, but then decides 'ah, why the hell not?'  

Kay Beacon attempts to renegotiate the lease agreement with her landlord (Jeff), but he declines her offer - just as Jane appears out of nowhere and smugly says he has a new tenant. Kay bitterly guffaws and warns Jane that she's making a stupid mistake 'cause she has neither the talent nor the cash to run her own design firm - but Jane tells her she's wrong on both counts, says she's tired of being treated like a bag of shit, and that her brand new design venture is none of her business. 

Sydney glumly tells Michael that her Grams just died, and that she mostly doesn't give a shit 'cause the old lady always treated her like the black sheep of the family, while worshipping Jane. Michael says that Grams loved him like a son when he was married to Jane, then insists they attend the will reading so he can hear for himself if Grams left him anything.

Everyone yells surprise! when Papa Parker arrives at his fiftieth birthday party. Once the dancing and mingling gets underway, Billy ushers Alison up to the stage and announces that the two of them are engaged. Adam looks bummed and dejectedly wanders off, while Alison's parents look startled and are all, "Wuh?"

The next morning, Mama Parker tells Alison she's both shocked and miffed to have learned about the engagement along with everyone who was in attendance at the party. Alison sheepishly says it's her fault for constantly making excuses to keep the news quiet, and assures her mom that despite the obvious bonehead factor, she loves Billy very much.

Billy is hanging with Papa Parker in the kitchen as he chats and cooks his favorite recipe. Papa Parker asks Billy to go down to the basement and get him a couple of cans of chicken broth...and Billy dutifully finds the cans, then looks intrigued when he sees a toy train track. He tinkers with it for a few seconds and calls for Alison to come down to the basement - but she spacily ignores him and later explains that she hates going to the basement ['cause of some very icky PTSD she's about to start suffering from].

Jo is out to dinner with the male model, whose name we learn is Gregory. She sums up her life story in one sentence, then blurts out that she's currently pregnant and that her baby daddy died last month [but leaves out the part about fatally shooting him]. She tells Gregory that if he wants to get up and leave he should feel free, but he opts to stay and schmaltzily says he'd loooooove to have dinner with a beautiful lady.

Adam stops by the Parker's to apologize for his sulkiness last night, and Alison sheepishly acknowledges that she should have been the one to tell him about her engagement to Billy. When she rushes upstairs to get her purse, Adam tells Billy he's a lucky guy...and that Mr. and Mrs. Parker are nice - but weird and overly polite, and that he always had the strong sense that Alison moved to Los Angeles to get away from the freaks.
 
The reading of the will is in progress when Michael and Sydney arrive - just as the executor announces that Grams left 100K to Jane and Michael Mancini. Jane, who's sitting beside her mom, points out that since they're divorced she's assuming the money is solely hers - but Michael argues that that's not what Grams' will specifically implies. Jane scowls at Sydney and sourly asks her if she's here to pay respect to Grams' money, and Sydney primly claims she's only here to pay respect to Grams. Michael introduces himself to the executor and declares that he deserves half of the inheritance, and a disgusted Jane tells him the money is hers alone and that he shouldn't expect to see a penny of it. After the reading, Sydney whimpers to Michael about how no one - him included - loves her, so he half-heartedly comforts her and tells her they're going to need to stick together and strategize in order to score the 50K inheritance. He wanks her about how they're now a team and squeezes out an 'I love you'...and Sydney giggles and says she's waited soooooo long to hear him say that and promises to do everything she can to help him screw Jane out of half of her inheritance.

"Are you here to say hello to Grams' money?"

"No, I'm here to say gimme with regards to Grams' money."

At D&D, Jo tells Alison she came clean to Gregory about the bun in her oven, and that she was pleasantly surprised he seemed so OK with it. A few seconds later, Gregory drops by the ad firm to tell Jo that, upon further reflection, he really doesn't want to date a pregnant woman 'cause his preference is to one day have a family of his own and not have to father some other guy's spawn. A disappointed Jo says she appreciates his honesty, then shoots him the stink-eye when he tries to lean in for a 'take care of yourself' kiss-off type kiss.

Jane is handling a large furniture delivery for her new studio, Jane Mancini Designs, while Amanda looks on and coos about what a great space it is. When the furniture deliveryman tells Jane that her order is cash on demand, she tells him to check with his boss 'cause she could have sworn he promised to send her an invoice. Once the deliveryman is out of earshot, a suspicious looking Amanda asks Jane if she's having money issues, and Jane explains that her 100K inheritance is frozen 'cause the will is being contested by Michael. Amanda chides her for her stupidity in launching a new studio before actually having the funds in her bank account - right?? - and snarkishly asks her if she's even going to be able to afford her rent. Jane assures her she can still pay her rent and that she'll figure something out with her now unfunded design venture. 

While laying in bed, Billy asks Alison why she broke up with Adam, so she tells him that her dad didn't like him very much, then remarks on how her family isn't big on hugging and showing affection. Billy spoons her and says he plans on being a big hugger when it comes to his wife and children.

Jane drops by the beach house, where Michael and Sydney are having a scrumptious looking dinner on the deck. Jane warns Michael that she'll blab to the authorities about how his drinking and driving resulted in Kimberly's death, and Michael points out that if she does that, she'll drag Matt down with him. Jane glares at him and snarls that she'd rather see him dead than give him the money, then huffily storms off. 

Alison is having a nightmare about being in her parents' basement with all the creepy toys and shit that are down there, then wakes up with a start and stares into space with a haunted expression.

Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying TVofYore's recaps, consider thanking me by buying me a "coffee"!

---