starring Steve Kanaly and Michele Scarabelli
“Ray, hi..! It’s Connie Hall…”
“Who?”
Having been working out his sorrow, Ray (Steve Kanaly) returns to his house. Walking inside he realises how empty it is without his wife an daughter. He moves around with a distinct lack of enthusiasm as he makes his way across to the many photos of his family. He’s very distraught.
With his thoughts occupied, Ray’s telephone rings. He picks it up and hears the voice of Connie Hall. At first he doesn’t recognise her until Connie describes herself as “the lady with the flat tyre”. Connie tells him that she’s been trying to call him for some time but Ray says that he’s been out working.
The conversation continues a little awkwardly until Connie explains that she’s calling in order to thank Ray for helping her. Ray insists that she has already thanked him but Connie wants to thank him in a more “substantial way” such as taking Ray out to dinner. With gratiousness, Ray declines the offer and so Connie finishes the conversation by suggesting that maybe they’ll bump into each other again sometime.
Later…
While he’s having an important telephone conversation, Ray’s doorbell rings. He finishes his call and goes to answer it only to find Connie Hall standing in the doorway with a food parcel. She says that she understands why Ray, as a married man, wouldn’t want to be seen out with someone else so she took it upon herself to bring dinner to Ray. Ray is a little taken aback but eventually lets Connie into the house.
Later, that evening…
Dinner is just about over as Ray and Connie are discussing the fine choice of wine. Ray learns that Connie has spent a year in France, which is where she picked up her knowledge. Ray goes on to thank Connie for being there tonight, for the house feels very lonely to him right now.
“You miss your family, don’t you?”
Ray tells of how he can’t wait until his wife, Jenna, and daughter return home. As they begin to clear away the dinner things, the telephone rings. Ray goes to answer it and discovers it’s his wife. As the call continues, Connie comes back into the room. When the call is over, Ray tells Connie that his wife and daughter have decided that the school isn’t the right place for Charlie to be. However, rather than return home, Jenna has taken it upon herself to show Charlie more of Europe and they plan to visit Charlie’s father and his family.
Connie wishes there was something she could do. Ray takes a moment to think and then comes to a decision. He invites Connie to join him for a drink someplace – because he doesn’t want to stay around the house tonight.
Connie agrees…
“You’ve got a date…”
THE MICHELE SCARABELLI FACTOR
An excellent and beautiful performance once again by both Michele and Steve Kanaly. Kanaly maintains his previous sympathetic and compassionate style which is joined with equal perfection by Michele as Connie.
There is little more that can be said of this episode. With the minor exception of Ray‘s interesting telephone style, this is a wonderful episode. Even if you haven’t followed the trials and tribulations of Ray‘s family troubles before these episodes, it is difficult not to be drawn into the current proceedings. Indeed, Kanaly’s own compassionate portrayal of Ray is matched beat-for-beat by Michele’s portrayal of Connie’s compassion for the hurt that Ray is going through.
What’s more, the episode promises more for the future…
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