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Year by Year > 1994 > Episode 2288

Mal and Danni are on the beach, Mal tries to warm her up and she does the whole "attitude" thing. They argue a bit and Danni says she needs insulin.

Karl and Susan are thinking of things to do, and agree on having sex. As they make their way over to the bedroom, there's a knock on the door. Marlene enters, they wish her happy birthday, and she goes on about Casserole escaping into her garden and eating her flower beds. Karl tells her to leave, saying it is his day off.

Lou makes Cheryl some breakfast. He gives her some birthday cards then gives her a massive present, which she assumes is what he spent thousands of dollars on. She opens it eagerly and sees a Pie Maker® staring back at her. Lou gets a hunch that she doesn't like it. Phil comes over uninvited and wishes Cheryl a happy birthday, they leave to get Suede Tess a blanket, and when Cheryl points out it's the middle of summer, they still insist on going.

Mark is trying to write a poem for the wedding. He shows Ren, and she says she likes it, except the bit about her being like a sister, saying he doesn't feel the same way about Annalise that he does her.

Cheryl got Marlene this... thing for her birthday (it's the same day, you see). Marlene got Cheryl... a Pie Maker®!. Cheryl thinks Lou is planning a surprise party for her, and then she sees that Suede Tess has chewed her favourite slippers. Marlene says she'll train her.

When the door of 28 opens again, just as Karl and Susan get ready to "do it", Karl reckons it's a conspiracy. Annalise storms in going on about this mole on her back. Karl tells her to go to the surgery and boots her and her breast implants out.

Marlene and Suede Tess enter 22 and speak to Cheryl. They chat about washing and stuff, and Cheryl says the boys are out buying stuff for the dog and not her. Marlene suggests that Lou's getting her a present so big that he needs Phil to help carry it. Marlene then says she has the dog under control, with a choke chain. She tells it to sit, but it runs away from her instead. Cheryl laughs at Marlene.

Annalise reads Mark's poem and thinks it sucks and should be more about how beautiful she looks. Mark writes down what she dictates to him.

Lou and Phil get the jacket and show it to Cheryl. She at first thinks he has got her a present, but realises it's the jacket for the dog. She isn't impressed, and walks around holding Lolly (who, incidentally, is in a clown's outfit) feeling sorry for herself. Cheryl then says Marlene's training her with a choke chain when they ask where she is, and Lou and Phil's stunt men run over to stop her.

Karl is so fed up with interuptions that he creates a "do not disturb" sign for the door. Susan says everyone will know what they're up to, and Karl says they're "allowed" because they're married. Just as Karl goes to put it up, a fat guy comes round about the air conditioning. Karl, through gritted teeth, says that the air conditioning is for the surgery, not his house.

Ren reads Mark's new poem, and says she hates it. Mark says Annalise didn't like the old one, and Ren says she'll go chat to her. Mark tells her not to, saying she has too much on her plate what with the wedding and everything.

Marlene's at 26 with Suede Tess, and Phil has a go at her saying she was wrong to choke chain her, because she needs to have a killer instinct and not ferret around looking for slippers and stuff. Marlene apologises and leaves. Oddly, she walks down the step, turns round the pillar, walks up the step and goes out the door. Talk about an exit. She could have just walked out the door from where she was first standing.

In 22, Lou says the dog's a nuissance. Cheryl pounces on Lou and starts to undress him, but he says he has to leave to work on the HR at the car yard before they engage on sexual activities.

We cut to New York, of all places, and see Debbie with her trendy brick sized mobile phone dialling Phil's number.

At 26, the phone rings. Phil comes out from that laundry place with a bath for Suede Tess, and puts it down to answer it when the dog ignores him. Debbie brags about being on 5th Avenue by the Plaza, and how she and Rosemary are now the best of friends and all that. She says she misses everyone, and Phil says everyone misses her. He asks if she's coming home for Christmas, and his little smile fades when she doubts that she can.

Susan and Karl run to the bedroom when they realise they have a moment of peace and quiet.

Annalise goes to Cheryl's to bitch about how Lou's having an affair. Cheryl says he wasn't at the yard when she went by. She says she's gonna ask him when he returns. Annalise gives her a vase for her birthday, which she loves. She apologises again for the reception business. She then says Lou's involved with another woman, and Cheryl says she's gonna follow him to put an end to the gossip once and for all.

Mal and Danni are at the beach, and moan about how long they've been walking. Danni is beginning to break down with a lack of insulin.

Marlene and Annalise chat about Lou and his affair, and Marlene says brides shouldn't be talking about that sort of thing. Ren arrives, and says Marlene's cake she's made for Cheryl smells nice. She chats to Annalise about the poem and says that they'll have a "communication breakdown" before they know it.

Cheryl follows Lou to the park in her car, and sees a woman approach him. They hug and kiss. Cheryl glares so hard at them that I swear I saw the inner reaches of hell inside her eyes. Or maybe it was the reflection of the cameraman.

Summary by Billy