Episode #215 "The Kids Are Alright"

Sean and Claudia are coming home on a chartered bus from the gambling weekend in Atlantic City. Claudia’s thrilled about winning $85 playing the slots, and Sean’s crowing about all the money he won at blackjack. They arrive home to find the house trashed and the boys locked in the basement. Since Walt was sick, Eddie volunteered to watch the kids, and Sean and Claudia were so desperate for some time away that they took him up on it. As Sean and Claudia come in, Eddie’s carrying out a large trash bag crammed with beer bottles. Lily, dragging another bag, tries to convince her parents that she’s recycling, but she knows she’s busted. She didn’t throw a party, she protests; a party was thrown at her. Anticipating a romantic evening, Lily tells Dean that her parents are away for the weekend, but Dean arrives at Lily’s with about ten other kids and is ready to party. Now all that remains is a disgusting mess. Sean demands that Eddie explain how this could have happened. Eddie has been wooing Lara, an attractive woman who works at a neighborhood bookstore. When it’s clear that she approves of his bringing his nephews into the store, he makes up a story about their alcoholic, deadbeat father and makes her believe that Uncle Eddie spends most of his time with the boys. But when she wants to be alone, Eddie thinks nothing of dropping the kids off at the house for Lily to supervise. When questioned by Sean, Lily explains that she was overwhelmed. The house was overrun by a bunch of drunken partiers, some of whom were “doing it” in the backyard, and Lily didn’t know what else to do. She was just looking out for her brothers when she locked them in the basement. Claudia finds a napkin in Sean’s pants pocket with a lip print and “Room 608” written in burgundy lipstick. She demands an explanation. Sean is forced to confess that in fact he didn’t win at blackjack at all. His famous blackjack system was a joke, and he was losing everything. But a wealthy woman came along and started betting, and every time Sean rolled the dice, she won. She then gave him a stack of hundred dollar chips and invited him up to her room to celebrate. Sean was embarrassed to admit that he was a loser when Claudia had scored on the slots. Claudia says that clearly Sean’s a ho! Or a boy-toy, says Eddie. But Sean protests that he was merely a luck-bringer and never got anywhere near Room 608.