The Dinner
Abigail thinks the progressive dinner Cassie is planning for Joy is a great idea, especially as she is off the hook for making anything. Joy appreciates the hard work going into her dinner to meet everyone and has an idea, from Elizabeth Merriwick. Cassie finishes her thought saying she loves making dream candles. Joy, shocked but not surprised, says they should do it. Abigail asks what dream candles are exactly and Joy explains it is a Merriwick tradition in which you etch your dream into the wick tab and let the wax set around it. Once the candle burns down the dream is supposed to come true.
At the bistro café Martha doles out advice to an advice columnist, Dear Debbie, who is having trouble getting her husband to stop coming up with excuses for putting up twinkle lights in their garden. Martha suggests she outsource the job to a handyman. Debbie wonders if that would prove her husband right. Martha asks if she wants to be right or “twinkle like a star.”
Cassie wonders if she should be nervous as Nick is home from college to interview three Merriwicks all together for a sociology project. Sam finds it interesting Nick is flying home instead of calling. Cassie agrees and admits she has something to tells Sam, but it does not have to do with Nick. She is taking a drawing class at Middleton Art Studio. She has time now that Nick and Grace are away at college.
Cassie, Abigail and Joy are interviewed by Nick and one similarity stands out to him: they all hold their tea the same way. He wonders how else they are alike. They all agree they are very intuitive. The session is interrupted when Nick receives a notice on his phone that midterm results have posted. His face shows concern but he quickly drops it and focuses back on the interview.
Debbie arrives at Martha’s office with a thank you cup of mint mocha tea. Her advice worked and she is now going on a cruise with her husband. Martha is thrilled her advice helped Dear Debbie. Martha says just because Debbie is on vacation doesn’t mean the column has to be too. Debbie wonders who else would write it. Martha clears her throat pointing to herself as the perfect fill-in.
Joy is about to make her first dream candle. Abigail tells her to go big and pick something fun. Abigail also wonders what Cassie’s dream candle will say. Just as she pries for clues, Joy discovers Elizabeth Merriwick’s dream candle. It was never lit! She wonders what it says. Cassie quickly says, “Let’s find out.”
Martha admires a clock face and another face at her new historic residence. Joy enters and is surprised to find Martha is speaking with Carter! Martha senses a connection and Joy says she and Carter haggled for that clock. Martha stares longingly at Carter and says haggle no more as she just “paid handsome for it.” Joy corrects her saying, “You mean handsomely.” Martha confirms Carter and Joy will be working together as he is her head carpenter.
At the Bistro Café Stephanie is surprised to see Wes. He is back to close the deal on selling their cabin. He suggests they celebrate together after the cabin sells.
Sam rushes out to work but expresses concern he has not seen Nick. It’s almost like he is avoiding him. Nick enters just as Sam leaves. As he grabs a bagel while he and Joy talk about his video game design aspirations. She admits when she decided to learn how to renovate houses, she needed to learn a lot, including physics.
Meanwhile, Abigail lights her dream candle. Donovan wonders what her dream is and guesses she wants to reverse the curse. She admits one day she wants to move to Tuscany. Donovan is taken aback, and Abigail assures him she is not moving tomorrow.
Stephanie admits to Abigail that Wes wants to celebrate with her after the cabin sells. Stephanie has no intention of actually doing it, so Abigail advises she tell Wes the truth.
Abigail and Donovan talk about her dream of Italy. Donovan admits he wishes Abigail had told him about this dream sooner. Abigail asks if it would have changed things. Donovan says, “Probably.”
Back at Martha’s historic home Carter and Joy already have a problem working together. Carter wants to replace the plaster walls with dry wall. Joy argues the plaster needs to be preserved as she is in charge. Carter is not sure he wants to play by Joy’s rules.
Cassie asks Donovan about dreams and wonders why he hid his true dream, to play professional baseball. Talking about it helps Cassie realize Donovan is not upset about Abigail’s dreams, but rather scared he may lose her. Cassie asks Donovan to grab some powdered sugar for the baklava she is making. As he reaches for it a bag of Italian espresso falls out, a sign to perhaps express to Abigail how he feels about her?
Tom finds Martha working on answering a Dear Debbie letter instead of preparing their meal for the progressive dinner. Tom is able to coax her from the computer as Tom, aka “Lonely in the Kitchen,” needs help with making spicy tomatoes.
Cassie visits Sam at the hospital and wistfully suggests they take off on a trip to Paris. Sam has a hospital to run and Cassie has two businesses to run. Despite that, Sam is in!
While playing video games, Nick admits to Cassie he failed his physics class and that is why he came home. He is afraid to tell Sam about his fail as it could mean getting kicked out of his video game design program.
Martha smells a spicy scandal as a Dear Debbie reader, “Torn Over Mischief,” is worried their secret is going to be discovered while at a dinner party. Martha thinks this advice seeker will be at the progressive dinner.
The progressive dinner is in full swing at Martha and Tom’s house. Martha keeps special tabs on each guest as she is on the hunt for “Torn Over Mischief.” She is underwhelmed with Abigail and Joy asking the difference between hors d'oeuvres and appetizers. But her spirits rise upon learning from Stephanie and Adam that the “Tinsdale on Toast,” is Middleton Village Magazine’s sandwich of the week. Later Martha does discover one new fact: Carter has quit.
Sam is still concerned Nick is hiding something. Cassie feels it’s a good time for Sam to remind Nick that as long as he is doing his best, he could never let him down.
The progressive dinner party moves on to entrees at Stephanie’s. Still on the lookout for “Torn Over Mischief,” Martha tells Tom they may be getting warmer as Adam answers a knock at the door and finds Wes with a bottle of wine.
Adam talks to Sam about Wes’ appearance and wonders why Stephanie failed to mention he was back in town. Cassie meanwhile encourages Stephanie to talk to Adam and be honest about what is going on with Wes.
Martha remains on the hunt to find “Torn Over Mischief,” while Stephanie tells Adam about what happened between her and Wes at the cabin. She admits during a trip down memory lane they hugged. Adam does not take the news well and needs some space for a while.
Cassie revisits her idea of Paris. While she loved that Sam was willing to drop everything and go, she decided to put a pause on it. However, she realizes Sam knew all along the trip would not happen, but he humored her anyway. Abigail overhears this and it makes her think about her Tuscany dream and Donovan.
While preparing dessert at Grey House with Joy, Cassie asks how the renovation is going. Before Joy can answer, Carter enters saying, “Not so good without a carpenter.” Joy refuses to accept him quitting and asks him to accept her apology. Cassie imparts some advice: “Sometimes when you give a little, you get a lot.” Carter agrees she could be right. He confirms he’ll report for work tomorrow and cannot stay for dessert as he is taking his girlfriend to a movie.
Donovan brings tiramisu for dessert as he wanted to bring a piece of Italy to Middleton for Abigail. She appreciates the gesture and asks Donovan if she were to leave for Italy tomorrow, would he come with her? Meanwhile, Stephanie, in an attempt to repair her relationship with Adam, apologizes. Adam is not interested in competing with Wes. Stephanie admits her withholding was because she was scared of how much she loves Adam. He admits, “I love you too.”
Sam brings Nick some pie and explains that he failed his first organic chemistry class. Nick finds it hard to believe but Sam assures him he’ll get through physics. He reminds him when you get knocked down you need to pick yourself back up and believe in yourself. Sam says as long as Nick is doing his best, he will never disappoint him.
Cassie brings Martha two pie options. Martha cannot decide and Cassie asks if she is torn. Martha is curious about Cassie’s word choice. Cassie responds with another interesting word: mischief. Clearly, she knows who wrote the letter. Martha wants her to spill the tea, but Cassie reminds her it is anonymous. She provides one hint: it is not who she thinks it is.
Abigail and Joy help clear dishes, putting all three Merriwicks in the kitchen just as Elizabeth’s candle burns out. They read the dream which states, “Never stop learning.”
Abigail finds Donovan looking at the moon. She asks if they can forget all about Tuscany. Donovan never imagined living anywhere else or meeting someone like her. He wants Abigail’s dream to come true, and while he cannot say he would move to Italy, he does not say he would not.
Tom hopes Martha is not too torn over not solving the mystery of “Torn Over Mischief.” However, Martha shows Tom she did indeed figure it out. It was Tom! His initials were even in his fake handle, “Torn Over Mischief.”
At the end of the night, Adam and Stephanie return just in time to enjoy a toast to friendship by Sam. Everyone raises their glasses. Suddenly, one glass falls and breaks. It is Adam’s. His hand is contorted and frozen in the air. He does not know what is wrong. Sam swoops in and helps to calm him down as everyone including Adam wonders what is happening.