Synopsis of the Pilot
Written by TK
Sydney, in Los Angeles, explains her dream of becoming a pediatrician, but how when she helped fix a baby's harelip, she ended up in plastic surgery. She's been living in a beautiful beach house with her boyfriend for the last six months. Her boyfriend is a good-looking agent, who talks a good game but doesn't seem to put her very high on his priority list. She has missed the dress rehearsal of her sister's wedding back in Providence, Rhode Island, and her mother is bugging her about it.
She's back in Providence, trying on a hideous green bridesmaid's dress. Her mother, Linda, is very controlling and very insulting, and tells Sydney that her sister Joanie may be the bride, it's really Linda's wedding. Linda gets a call that Joanie is at the ER. It turns out that it's just Braxton-Hicks contractions (false contractions). Sydney didn't even know that Joanie was pregnant, even though Joanie and Linda both swear they told her. Joanie's doctor is an old classmate from Brown, and Sydney is not exactly proud when Joanie tells her doctor that Sydney is now a plastic surgeon in Hollywood.
Sydney is having a dream about her old high school crush, Kyle. She wakes up to a puppy licking her face. Her mother comes in like a whirlwind, complaining about everybody, saying that it's like a kennel in here (Sydney reminds her mother that her father is a veterinarian, so it is a kennel). Sydney talks to her dad, and her dad tells her how Linda said that Joanie would get married over her dead body. Sydney talkes to Joanie, and is worried that she's getting married not because she's in love, but because she's supposed to. Joanie doesn't do a very god job of defending herself, in fact, she's not even aware that she should be defending herself. Robbie, Syd's brother, rides up on a motorcycle in a tux without a helmet. Finally the whole family is together for a photo.
In the church, Sydney is worried what everyone is thinking about her, a doctor and still single. As Joanie is walking down the aisle, Linda collapses.
Linda died at the church. They have a funeral, and use the wedding reception food for the wake. The wedding was cancelled. Jim is not dealing well, choosing to stay in the basement with a sick puppy rather than deal with the wake. Joanie starts bleeding, and Sydney takes her back to St. Claire's Family Clinic where they learn from Syd's old Brown classmate that everything is okay, and Sydney also learns a little bit about the history of St. Claire's. They come home to find Robbie rummaging through the house safe looking for the mother's engagement ring which he says was promised to him. Joanie yells at him and stomps out. Joanie laments about the state of the family. Sydney says she has to get back to her life and job in California. Joanie accuses her of always running away.
Sydney decides to leave and goes to say goodbye to her father. Her father says "Goodbye" seems to be all her ever gets to say to her.
She's back in L.A., and convinces a 16-year old girl that she doesn't need a nose job. She busts her boyfriend in the shower with another man.
Sydney returns to Providence. She runs into Kyle at the airport. He hides from her the fact that he is now a limo driver. She gets home and Robbie asks her for some money. She says she'll give it to him. He gives her their mother's engagement ring to hold onto for him, and drives off on his motorcycle without a helmet. Sydney walks into the house just in time to help Joanie deliver her baby. There's a small emergency, but everything turns out okay.
Sydney's old Brown classmate invites her to work at the clinic, and Sydney thinks that's a great idea.
Sydney and Joanie talk about mom, and what she might be thinking about them now. Sydney talks to her dad, and her dad says she should go back to Los Angeles. He tells her how her brother and sister need her, she asks him if he needs her. She finally convinces him that it's okay to ask her stay. He asks. She's going to stay.
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