It's Not the End of the World

On Friday, Mrs. Hedley comes to watch them. Karen asks Jeff if he will sign the anniversary cards she bought for her parents. Jeff refuses to sign and tells her not to send the cards. Amy signs the cards.

Ellie goes out to dinner with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan. She decides that Jeff is old enough to watch his younger siblings. Debbie comes over for a sleepover. They listen in on the phone line as Jeff talks to Mary Louise Rumberger.

Karen’s parents receive her card. Ellie cries and wraps Karen in her arms. Bill calls and tells Karen that they do not celebrate their anniversary anymore.

Jeff drops a weight on his toe and breaks it. He grows more sullen and stops talking to anyone in his family. Karen plans a sleepover with Val Lewis. Bill comes to pick Amy and Karen up for the weekend. Amy claims that Ellie is mean and leaves them alone. Karen corrects her and says that Jeff watches them when Ellie isn’t home.

Karen goes to Val’s apartment and meets her mother’s rich older boyfriend. Val’s mother is very beautiful, and Karen wonders if Val feels inadequate. Once Mrs. Lewis leaves, Val suggests that she and Karen wash each other’s hair. Val sets up the bathroom like a beauty parlor and washes Karen’s hair really well. Val gives Karen advice on how to do a good shampoo and cream rinse. Karen feels awkward getting undressed in front of Val to get in the bubble bath. Val says that when she grows up she will be a nudist. After the bath, Val shaves her legs. She offers to help Karen shave hers, but Karen knows that her mother would be mad.

Later, Karen asks Val why she doesn’t visit her dad. Val explains that her dad doesn’t care about her. The divorce book says that fathers who don’t write or call don’t love their children. Karen tells Val that she doesn’t plan on getting married. Val plans to get married when she is 27 and a successful scientist. When she is famous, her dad will want everyone to know that she’s his daughter. Karen tells Val about her plan to get her parents back together. Val tells her that it’ll only cause her to get hurt.

Bill tells the kids that he is leaving for Las Vegas for six weeks to get the divorce. Nevada grants divorces much faster than New Jersey. Karen wonders if Bill has another woman whom he wants to marry. Ellie tells Karen that Bill is going now because he can take time off from the store. Karen asks Val if anyone ever changes their mind last minute about a divorce. Val knows that Bill is going to Nevada and counsels Karen to give up on stopping the divorce.

Karen has a new idea to get her parents in the same room. She will bring home her Viking diorama and invite her dad in to see it. Karen asks Mrs. Singer if she can take the diorama home. Mrs. Singer pushes back, asking Karen why she wants it when it’s displayed in the showcase. Karen feels herself start to cry and runs out of the room. Debbie comes into the hall to check on her and bring her to the nurse’s office. Karen insists that she’s okay.

Later, she goes back to the showcase and discovers that her diorama is gone. She runs back to class and shouts that somebody stole it. Mrs. Singer calms down the class and pulls the diorama out of a drawer. She lets Karen take it home.

Ellie takes the kids to Howard Johnson’s by the highway, like they do every Friday night now. Jeff orders fried shrimp even though Ellie suggests that he won’t like it. Amy reminds everyone that Bill takes them out for steak. Ellie asks Jeff to wash his hands, and he begrudgingly goes. At the end of the meal, Jeff admits that he didn’t like the shrimp. Ellie reminds him that she warned him. Jeff lashes out and storms out of the restaurant. Ellie insists that they all stay put and eat dessert. When they go out to the car, Jeff isn’t there. Karen goes to check the men’s restroom. She asks a man to look for Jeff in there, but he isn’t there either.

They drive home. Ellie calls Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan. They suggest calling the police, but Ellie is hesitant. They call the hospitals, but Jeff isn’t there. They call Jeff’s friends, but they haven’t seen him. Uncle Dan wonders if Jeff hitched a ride to Bill’s apartment. Ellie can’t bring herself to call Bill, so Uncle Dan calls Bill, and Bill comes to the house.

Bill and Ellie immediately fight. Bill calls the police. Sergeant Tice arrives chewing gum and ready to write down details on a notepad. Ellie and Bill describe Jeff’s appearance. Ellie fights with Amy, insisting that she go to bed. Amy screams and cries until Bill calms her down. Ellie admits that she and Jeff had a few words over the shrimp before Jeff disappeared.

Once the police leave, Karen is sure that her parents will reconnect. She waits in the kitchen with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan to listen in on her parents’ conversation. Bill is furious and wants to know why his son ran away. Ellie is furious that Bill takes no responsibility for anything that goes on with the kids. Ellie accuses Bill of caring about the store more than his family. Bill calls her ungrateful. Karen finally hears the underlying reasons why her parents can’t get along: Ellie doesn’t feel respected as a person by Bill, and Bill feels like Ellie is a baby who never grew up. Bill threatens to have the kids taken away from her. Ellie smashes a china baby on the floor.

Karen rushes in to see what broke. Bill laughs at Ellie as she cries over the broken china. He nearly sits down on top of Mew. As Mew howls, Karen accuses him of never liking the cat. As they yell, Karen can’t stand it anymore. She puts her hands over her ears and starts screaming. Bill slaps her across the face. She cries.