- Tara's parents, Frank and Beverly, come for a visit ostensibly to celebrate Charmaine's 34th birthday. What they really want is for Max and Tara to let the kids live with them so they can have a "normal" life. Max is doing his best to help Tara get through the next couple of days without one of her alters emerging. As their visit goes on, all of the issues of a dysfunctional family come through: Tara's judgmental mom; Tara's father who loves his kids but will always side with his wife; and Charamine who feels neglected by her parents. Neither Max nor Tara will even contemplate letting the kids go live with their grandparents. Tara has her own unique way of sending her parents a message. Meanwhile, Kate ducks out of the family party to spend some intimate time with Gene at his apartment.—garykmcd
- Open with Buck on video talking about Vietnam while chugging a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Max shows up at a neighbor's door to collect Tara, who is passed out near the man's pool in Buck's outfit. Max tells her she went to the bathroom during a Chiefs game and never came back. When she asks if anything is going on that day . . .
We cut to Tara and Charmaine's parents Frank and Beverly getting off their new RV in front of the Tara's house. They are in town for Charmaine's birthday party which Tara is hosting. Worried about transitioning during their visit Tara reaches for a bottle of Xanax but is talked out of it by Max: "Let your freak flag fly."
At Barnaby's it appears Gene is being a little cool to Kate.
Frank and Beverly wake up and discover Frank has wet the couch bed.
Picking up booze for the party, Frank suggests to Max that it might be best for Kate and Marshall if they came to live with their grandparents.
Due to tickets Neil has accumulated Max goes to a impound lot to pick up their work truck. Max is told he can't get it without the title. Max tells Neil about Frank's offer and that he doesn't plan to tell Tara.
While discussing his inability to find Charmaine a present Marshall tells Tara he thinks Charmaine "always hates me." Max arrives home and tells Tara the Xanax might not be a bad idea. Tara said she's going to stay off the drugs but Max takes one himself.
Charmaine arrives and her parents immediately begin nitpicking a number of minor issues. Kate tells Tara she has to go to work and will miss the party.
Later on we see Charmaine telling a story from her past. Right in the middle Beverly changes the subject and starts talking to Marshall about a new book store in their home town, as Neil arrives to get the title. When Tara's parents bring up having the kids over for a visit Max makes up an excuse to get Tara out of the room. Neil gives Charmaine bubble bath for her birthday.
In the kitchen Charmaine suggests to Tara that Neil coming over was a set-up to get them together, admitting that they have hooked-up once before. Neil enters the room and Charmaine tells him "nice that you stopped by, but I don't think its going to work out." Max walks in with the title and Charmaine looks mortified.
Max asks Frank to show him the RV. In the vehicle Max tells him to stop suggesting the kids live with them. Frank says he wants to make sure the kids are safe. "My kids are safe," Max responds. "Maybe you should have spent more time looking after yours."
Kate shows up at Gene's apartment - "my parents are driving me s*#@house and I didn't know where else to go" and the two go to his bedroom.
After the topic drifts to boarding school Charmaine opens some of her presents. Marshall has framed his favorite picture of the two of them together. Charmaine dismisses the gift which clearly bothers Tara. Max brings Tara to the backyard and runs with her in a circle to prevent her transitioning. It appears to work.
Gene plays some Cheap Trick for Kate on his guitar. He shows her a strange-looking invention and they start going at it on the bed.
The family plays a trivia game that Charmaine loves. On the side Beverly reveals that they want the children to live with them. Tara is upset both at her parents and Max for not telling her in the first place. It's revealed that Kate and Marshall lived with their grandparents briefly when they were young. Charmaine admits to telling their parents about Buck's fight with Benjamin and complains that her entire life Tara has been the focus. All she wants is a boyfriend and a nice house but doesn't think that can happen because her ex-husband talked her into getting a boob job. When her mother suggests there's nothing wrong with her body Charmaine rips open her shirt to reveal that her breasts are, in fact, lopsided. "Write her a check," Beverly tells Frank.
Max finds Tara in the bedroom and two have a laugh at Charmaine's misfortune.
Marshall and Charmaine talk on the stairs. Marshall doesn't remember living with his grandparents. Charmaine tells him it was only for six months when Tara was having a tough time.
We see Charmaine show up at Neil's apartment.
Max awakes to find Tara not in bed. When he goes downstairs he sees Tara in a red rain slicker peeing on her parents' bed.
The next morning Max looks confused by what he thinks is a new alter. Just before Tara's parents pull away Max pops his head and tells them not to worry about the sheets. "It's tough getting old," he says. "How can you take care of somebody else if you can't take care of yourself?" They drive off and Tara says to Max: "Well, I made it."
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