The boys are still in Baltimore, working at a shipyard when they have an encounter with a new office worker, played by Nina Foch, who, unbeknownst to them, has recently been released from a mental institution after an 18 year stay. The boss and staff are supportive of her but when Buz's social security number is wrong, (and they surprisingly use a number with the right number of digits- it could have been somebody's actual number), on a form, she becomes upset and runs out of the place.
She later calls to apologize and he and Tod become interested in her situation. She decides she wants to return to the institution- she doesn't have the confidence in herself she needs to function in the outside world. They reluctantly drive her back but when she returns and interacts with the patients who are still there, she realizes she doesn't belong there any more, either and is ready to take on the outside world.
There's some attempt to mine the same vein that proved so rich for the previous episode. (She got married and had a baby as a teenager. Her husband abandoned her and she tried to kill the baby, resulting in her committal.) But this one just sort of meanders rather than coming to a dramatic crescendo. Her change of heart at the end takes a few seconds and strangely ends with her inviting Tod and Buz into the institution for some lemonade and cookies.
She later calls to apologize and he and Tod become interested in her situation. She decides she wants to return to the institution- she doesn't have the confidence in herself she needs to function in the outside world. They reluctantly drive her back but when she returns and interacts with the patients who are still there, she realizes she doesn't belong there any more, either and is ready to take on the outside world.
There's some attempt to mine the same vein that proved so rich for the previous episode. (She got married and had a baby as a teenager. Her husband abandoned her and she tried to kill the baby, resulting in her committal.) But this one just sort of meanders rather than coming to a dramatic crescendo. Her change of heart at the end takes a few seconds and strangely ends with her inviting Tod and Buz into the institution for some lemonade and cookies.