Episode #411 "Communication Breakdown"

Jimmy’s persuaded by his friend Wayne to call a “976” number. He’s interrupted by a call on the other line. It’s his Aunt Marie. Claudia grabs the phone and settles down for a long chat. In the living room, Brad’s modeling vacation outfits for Lily. He’s headed for Florida in a couple of weeks to visit his grandfather. Jimmy’s in a panic about the mounting “976” bill as Claudia talks on. She presses the button to hang up just as a telemarketer calls. Now Sean starts to grab the phone to give the guy a piece of his mind, but Jimmy quickly hangs up. Weeks later, Lily’s talking to Brad on her cell phone. He’s in Florida, and Lily’s bored. She wishes Brad were back. Brad’s bored too. He was thinking of going to the beach, but there’s no phone reception there. Sean and Eddie are playing guitars in the living room when Claudia comes in. She’s very upset about her Economics midterm. The midterm was moved to another building, and Claudia ran all over campus before she found the right room. She arrived just as the test was ending. It seems everyone was called about the change except Claudia. She goes upstairs. Sean tells Eddie that he screwed up. Sean took that call and forgot to give Claudia themessage. And this isn’t the first time he’s done this. Tennis dates, plumbers visits, doctors’ appointments have all been screwed up because Sean failed to deliver a phone message. Eddie tells him the solution is to stop answering the phone. Lily’s talking to Brad who is in the lobby of his grandpa’s apartment building. He’s surrounded by senior citizens who are checking out his phone. He has to run upstairs, so he hangs up. Lily calls back in a few minutes, and Manny, one of the seniors, answers. Spooked, she hangs up immediately. Jimmy tells Lily about the “976” call of a few weeks before. He’s hiding the phone bill from Sean and Claudia, because the call cost one hundred and sixteen dollars. Brad calls back, and Lily waves Jimmy out the door. Sean and Eddie hear Claudia demanding her professors home phone number and protesting that she wasn’t called. Eddie tells Sean to write a message now and put it under the fridge. Then he can tell Claudia that he left her a message, but it must have fallen off. Sean tries this, and it works. Claudia’s horrified that she just spent twenty minutes chewing out the professor’s assistant. Sean assures her that it isn’t her fault. Then Claudia sees that the message is written on a receipt with that day’s date on it. Furthermore, it’s a receipt from Sam Ash Music for one hundred twenty dollars. Sean confesses that he bought a wah wah pedal for his guitar. Claudia insists that he return it. Lily’s unable to reach Brad on his cell phone, and she’s freaking out. She’s left ten messages, and now his mailbox is full. Claudia goes to the front door to get the mail. Jimmy grabs it from her, quickly pockets an envelope, hands the rest back to her and dashes upstairs. Eddie saw Jimmy palm the envelope and demands to know what’s in it. It’s a notice of termination of phone service, Jimmy confesses. He’s been hiding the bill. Eddie offers to fix the original bill so Sean and Claudia will never find out. Sean comes home from returning the wah wah pedal, but now he has a new guitar. Claudia demands an explanation. Sean felt so guilty about Claudia’s test that he confronted her professor himself. He learns that the professor’s fine with Claudia’s re-taking the test. Claudia lied to Sean when she told him she