Private Practice – Recap & Review – Second Choices

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Private Practice
Second Choices

Original Air Date: Apr 22, 2010

Farrah Kaye – Associate Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com

VIOLET IS BACK. Honestly, the other story lines this week don’t matter one bit besides this one. Violet returning will have a huge implication on so many characters. If she returns and wants to have Lucas back, Addison will lose her only (recent and most sensible) chance at having a baby.

If Violet wants both Lucas and Pete, she loses the little family she has. If Addison loses Pete, will she try to finally be with Sam? Will Violet return to her BFF Cooper? Or will she be over that friendship and leave Cooper to turn back to Charlotte? So many things can happen with this one person returning.

We begin right where we left off, with Pete answering the door and Violet standing there. Addison is in obvious shock to see Violet and Violet can’t believe how big Lucas has gotten (“look at him, he’s like, 15.”). Violet left Costa Rica (where she was with Cooper) and spent some time in New York before coming back home. She cries about leaving and being his mother and not being there. Oh there’s an apology in there too and Pete asks Violet if she wants to hold Lucas. Addison is not happy about that but Violet is his mother after all. Addy can see her world slipping away from her in front of her eyes. Violet is in the break room the next day at work and everyone welcomes her but is also hovering around her (Charlotte wants to know if she’s all “messed up and freaky”). Violet says she’s ready to be Lucas’ mom when Addison walks in and everyone gets all quiet. She quickly leaves without saying a word. Cooper meets with a couple, Kelly and Scott, who have brought in their son Oliver, who comes out with a hockey mask on. When Coop tries to take off the mask, Oliver tells him that his parents don’t let him take the mask off. Oliver eats things like pillows and couch cushions and Scott is afraid that his marrying Kelly is what started it (Scott is his step-father). Pete comes to the office to talk to Addison to make sure she is okay – she’s not. Pete asks her to be okay with letting Violet try to be a mother. Pete’s not even okay with it and he needs Addison to be by his side. She lies through her teeth and says she’s okay with it because it’s what’s good for Lucas. Amelia is still around and checking out a soldier (on a case with Addison … makes no sense but whatever …) who is on leave and has been dizzy and having headaches and his EKG is abnormal. Oliver tells Coop that he once ate part of a book in class and got in trouble. The disease is called PICA and they can prescribe some medication but asks Oliver why he does it. He says he doesn’t know. Cooper goes to Violet for help but decides not to overwhelm her on her first day back so he goes to Sheldon for possible reasons and some help. Coop goes to Violet as a friend to see how she’s doing but she asks him first about him and Charlotte. But whatever, Violet says she’s okay, despite not knowing that Pete and Addison are together. Turning the tables back around, Coop says he and Charlotte are friends and that “life is sucky and hard.” I’m so glad they are BFFs still. Addison brings in Carl’s wife (the soldier) and she says she hopes something is wrong with his heart so he doesn’t have to go back – it will be his fourth tour and she’s pregnant.

Addison visits Sam who is going over Carl’s file but Sam isn’t talking to her … because he and Vanessa broke up. Addison apologizes but they both know she doesn’t mean it. Sam says he’s her cake (chocolate with cream filling and raspberries on top) and she can’t have her cake and eat it too so he’s taking away her cake. No more cake for you! Sam finds something wrong with Carl’s heart but Sam can fix it. Addison asks Sam to do something less invasive so Carl can’t go back – he refuses. The surgery is risky but can save him while the medication can help him but will force him out of the army. His wife asks him not to have the surgery but he doesn’t listen to her. He says he wants to go back. Sheldon talks to Oliver about his step-dad and says it’s cool having a step-dad because he’s never had a dad before. He says his mom got him the mask, not Scott. While the mask is uncomfortable it helps him from eating the bad stuff. As they are talking he eats potpourri, right there in therapy! Sheldon makes him spit it out. Sam and Amelia are having dinner and Sam tells her to call Derek for a job and Amelia tells Sam to fight for Addison. Sam reminds her that Addison is with Pete and Amelia reminds him that Violet just returned so it’s perfect timing. He tells her to stop talking! HA. But she does have valid points. Coop goes to Violet’s but gets Charlotte instead. He apologizes for calling her a “sex toy” and says there was a lot more to their relationship than what he said it was (aw). They almost kiss and he leaves. Pete goes to talk to Violet and she tells him about going to New York and how she almost lived there (it’s called “a crisis point” – the beginning of her getting back to LA). It doesn’t make sense to Pete (or me). Pete tells her she “earned her crazy” and that he’s been taking care of Lucas and asks her if she is BACK. She says yes. Ugh. I still hate her.

Charlotte goes to Sheldon to tell him that something is wrong with Cooper because of their “almost kiss” and the run for the door. They decide he has a running-away pattern and that he’s bonkers. Pete and Addison bring Lucas to Violet so she can have a visit with him. Violet is obviously feeling awkward watching the new little family. Oliver’s parents are yelling at Sheldon for not doing a good job because after their session and the vitamins Oliver went home and ate dirt. Kelly goes on about how hard this is on her husband and Coop goes off on her about he should be worried about Oliver. Sheldon tells Coop he was unprofessional and that Charlotte got to him. Coop says he just wants to help Oliver. Addison checks in with Violet and Lucas and Violet is upset about not being a mother to Lucas. She thanks Addison for all she’s done but that she didn’t expect her son to be loving Addison when she came back home (well then ya shouldn’t have left crazylady!). Addison tells Violet about her infertility and how Lucas fixed her but Violet coming back is really hard for her. Violet jokingly says she wants to hate Addy (but can’t obviously) and Addy says she wants to punch her in the face (again, jokingly). Addison goes to leave and says “he’ll pick you” and Violet assumes Addison is talking about Lucas but Addison tells her “I wasn’t talking about Lucas.” Oh goodness…here we go. How long until Addison runs to Sam? I say before the next commercial break (we’re on one now…).

Coop is rushing into the hospital to see Oliver, who overheard Kelly and Scott fighting and digested something in the garage but is in too much pain to tell them what. Carl is being wheeled into the OR with Amelia and Sam and they are trying to convince him that staying here with his wife and child are important. During the surgery, Sam has two options – one would keep him here and one would send him back. He chooses the one to keep him here. Coop brings Oliver into his room and when he goes into the bathroom to get water, he finds Kelly on the floor eating toilet paper. Violet visits Pete to talk about “them.” Not them as in them but in terms of Lucas. Violet has a plan to raise Lucas and share custody and transition him slowly. Pete says no way, no how … Lucas will not be part of her therapy. Violet is in shock (not sure why, did she expect any less??). She walks out.

Coop talks to Kelly about why she didn’t talk about her dealing with the disease. She tells him she has had it since she was a kid, when she was nervous or when things got bad. She had it under control until her son was in the hospital. Coop tells Kelly by putting the mask on Oliver and lying to him it makes it so he will never trust her. Sam tells Carl about the bypass and how he won’t be able to return to active duty. He’s super upset and Sam tries to make him realize that he’s alive and has a wife and child and that is what most people fight for. Kelly comes out of Sheldon’s office and Coop is visibly angry but it’s obvious it’s not about Kelly but something in his own life. Sheldon offers to talk about whatever is bothering him but Coop says there’s nothing to talk about and leaves. Sam is pacing in front of Addison’s back door and just when he starts going back in, Addison comes out. They blab about Carl for a minute and then she tells him he was right, he is cake (good cake!) and he’s a good guy who always does the right thing. But Sam is sick of doing the right thing – so he kisses her! Addison tries to resist but she wants it (we all want it!) and as they’re kissing, Pete walks in.

Addison tries to apologize profusely to Pete and tells him she doesn’t want to be in the way of him and Violet. Pete rips in to her about her being scared and running to Sam and how he won’t deal with crazy again (ok, that was just MEAN). I’m all in favor of Addy getting an insta-family, but not with Pete. He tells her to choose him or not, but do it quickly. Oliver tells Coop he hates his mom for lying to him and not doing what’s right and he would never forgive her. Coop finally tells his big ol’ secret. When he was Oliver’s age, he found out his parents had lied to him. They had a son before him who had died and then adopted Coop but didn’t tell him about it for a long time. And when he found out he felt like a replacement and didn’t understand it and said he would never forgive them. He still loved(s) them but never forgave them (and hasn’t realized it until now). He tells Oliver to not be like him and to try to forgive his mom. Well okay, wow, that was really deep and … explains a lot! Sam is thinking about the Addison thing when Amelia joins him (and bugs him) and he tells her to straighten out her own life. They have a nice little moment about how he knows what he wants but she’s a mess, bla bla bla. Sam feels bad and sits with her, cause after all, he’s a really good guy. Coop goes to Violet and tells her his big secret and asks Violet if he got so angry with Charlotte because he felt like a replacement again. Violet thinks it could have been. Coop thinks he should try to get Charlotte back. Violet decides to sue Pete for custody of Lucas.

Next week is the custody battle! Naomi is back, too. This is gonna be BRUTAL.

Like I said, everyone would be impacted by Violet returning. I don’t even know where to begin! I loathe Violet. AmyB is an amazing actress for making me loathe her so much. How dare she waltz back in Pete’s front door demanding shared custody of a baby she has never even held! And I feel bad for Addison, who finally had this little family she wanted. She told Pete she didn’t want to get attached, he allowed her to, and then yelled at her for being hurt and afraid. I get his side of it but she TOLD him she didn’t want to get attached. Ultimately, I think Pete and Addison need to part ways because they don’t truly love each other, but they love what they do for each other. Sam and Addison can finally have a chance. I wonder if Amelia will stay around? She would make a good love interest for Dell. They’re about the same age, right? Oh and duh, Coop and Charlotte can definitely make it work if he’s honest with her about his issues. What do you think? Leave your two cents below!

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