- When teenager Iris McBride witnesses her boyfriend, Lawrence, being shot by a member of a violent Hispanic gang, she and her family must enter WITSEC to prevent retaliation for her planned ID and testimony. Iris's arrogant father, Dr. McBride, now Dr. Morris, goes ballistic, refusing to accept his forced circumstance, making life difficult for his family and the Marshal's alike. Fed up with his new lifestyle that he feels is beneath him, he tries to make his wife choose him, and their old life, over his daughter. Overhearing her Father's plan to leave the program, leaving her in it alone, but not hearing her Mother's refusal, Iris runs away. Lily, the "Morris's" youngest daughter divulges a secret she and Iris have been keeping about the shooting that changes everything. Brandi and Raph become closer.—Lynne Boris Johnston
- A young couple plays around, walking through a bad part of town. She's worried what her dad would think, but he says she's the one who dragged him down there. A car of Hispanic young men drives by and starts heckling the girl. The boy wants to defend her, but she tries to stop him. He says something smart and the man in the passenger side pulls out an automatic weapon. The boy grabs the girl and shields her, but he's hit.
Iris McBride enters the program.
Marys' voice over gripes about apologies, which she feels are almost always insincere.
Mary realizes she's forgotten Raph's physical therapy. She calls Brandi and asks her to take him. Brandi protests on the phone as she begins eagerly changing. Mary knows that Brandi doesn't want her to know she wants to take him.
Brandi seems to realize she's getting excited to see her sister's boyfriend and calls her own. A girl answers. Brandi cries.
Mary and Marshall arrive at the McBride house in Los Angeles. A man on the scene tells them they just rounded up the family, the younger sister took a while to find. The family has no idea what they're in store for.
They meet the McBrides and their daughter Lilly. Mary gives them the bad news. The young man who shot Iris' boyfriend is part of one of the most violent gangs in the country. Their lives as they knew them ended five hours ago. They have to leave L.A. permanently.
The dad objects, saying he worked too hard and sacrificed too much to give it all up. Marshall says there's no law they have to enter the program, but if Iris entered alone they would have to cut off all contact forever. The mom says that's unacceptable. Mary helps them pack.
In Lily's room, Mary notices she's particularly interested in Latins.
Mary and Marshall separately ask the parents if they have family or friends anywhere that might "help them get settled." They determine Albuquerque is safe, they know no one there.
Marshall gets wistful over their family photos and knickknacks, including a door with the daughters' heights marked off through the years.
They pack up and leave.
In Albuquerque, the three family members get to see Iris. The dad immediately wants to know what she was doing in that neighborhood. Iris asks how Lawrence is. He's still in surgery. Her dad says it's his fault. She tells her dad if it wasn't for Lawrence, she'd be dead.
At Raph's physical therapy, Brandi flirts on the sidelines.
Back at the office, the former McBrides learn they can't see any of their family ever again.
At PT, Brandi won't answer her boyfriend's calls.
Mary spells out the details, Mr. McBride can't practice medicine because as an African-American in a specialized field, he could be easily identified. As it starts to pile up for him, he gets angry and storms off.
Marshall tries talk him down, telling him the people who make it work accept their situation. Mr. McBride says he so enraged with his daughter he can't even look at her anymore.
On their way to the family's new crappy apartment, Mary and Marshall strategize. Mary's going with her "give me six months" approach. It backfires when the six month date falls on Warren's father's 75th birthday. They were planning a huge party.
The girls head off to school and Iris tries to hug her dad, but he's cold with her. Mary's taking the girls because she knows the principal and she won't ask too many questions.
Marshall takes Warren to a free clinic where he might work. He's not appreciative of the strings Marshall had to pull to get him a job there, understandably upset at having to trade in a high profile, well-paying job that he spent his whole life earning for one so pedestrian.
Before he can walk out, the clinic director welcomes him and thanks him for donating his time. Warren notices the word donating.
At school, the principal is out. The vice principal greets them. She asks what Mary's relationship is to the girls. She says she's their aunt on their fathers side. They giggle through the lie.
Warren is not thrilled and trashes Espinoza, the director, as some Caribbean hack. Marshall angrily tells Warren that Espinoza graduated top of his class from Harvard.
Mary and Lily's mom go to pick up the girls. Iris is using the pay phone. Mary finds her and reads her the riot act, which includes telling her that if the gangbangers find her they'll kill her and her entire family.
At the McBride's house, Mary joins them for dinner, telling them the story of a 12-year-old boy who witnessed a murder, didn't testify and was still killed. She tries to show them it could be worse. Warren still isn't buying it.
Mary tells them the LAPD arrested the shooter and Iris will be flying to L.A. the next day to ID him.
The next day, she looks at the line-up and nails it.
Warren goes to a different, nicer hospital on his own.
Mary asks Iris why she and Lawrence went to that neighborhood. Iris doesn't want to talk about it.
Mary has a surprise for her. She takes her to see Lawrence in the hospital. He's hurt, but OK. She apologizes, crying. She tells him her whole family was moved. Mary cautions her not to say more. Lawrence gives her a sensitive boyfriend pep talk.
Mary rolls her eyes at teenage love, but tells them once they turn 18 if they both still want to get together, the program can arrange it.
Warren waits for the bus, but doesn't get on. He crosses the street instead.
Mary brings Iris back, complimenting her on her performance that day. Mrs. McBride tells Mary and Marshall that Warren is out job hunting, visiting various clinics. She tries to tell them that Warren isn't inclined to listen to what people tell him to do, but their angry he's continuing to ignore the rules.
Marshall has had enough. He chews her out, telling her Warren needs to get with the program. The phone rings. Marshall gets it. He asks Warren where he is and goes to join him.
Warren's at a bar, watching a ballgame he's supposed to be at. Marshall tries to strong arm him but Warren resists. Marshall says Warren's one of those of those guys who demands respect, but doesn't earn it. Outside, Marshall eggs him on, telling him his daughter's got more "sack" that Warren could ever dream up. Warren talks tough like he's going to shut Marshall up.
Defeated, Warren says he won't let Marshall bait him.
Mary stops by Raphael's place. She brought food and wants some action. There's a knock at the door, it's Brandi. She brought food, too. Mary asks if she was supposed to check with Brandi before visiting her own boyfriend. Brandi's cell phone rings again. Raphael urges her to answer it. She goes outside and picks up. Her boyfriend wants to check that she hasn't lost his suitcase full of Meth. She hangs up on him.
Back at Raphael's house, Mary asks what's up with Brandi and Raphael fills her in. Mary tells Raphael this is what Brandi always does. She sucks people in and makes her problems their problems. Raphael tells Mary her sister might not be that way if she didn't always have to listen to criticism. Mary leaves in a huff.
At the McBrides, Iris gets up to get water from the fridge and hears her parents talking. Her dad wants to leave her when she turns 18. He says its what's best for the family. Iris walks away. Mrs. McBride talks sweetly to her husband, telling him gently to quit being so egocentric. As much as she loves him, she cautions him not to make the mistake of having her choose between him and her children.
The next day, Iris is gone. Mary and Marshall are there. Warren thinks this is just another of Iris' self-centered screw ups. Lily yells at her dad to stop blaming Iris, that he doesn't know what hes talking about. She runs to her room, crying.
They follow her. She says Iris made her promise she wouldn't tell. Lily says it's all her fault. She was visiting a Latino boy from her school and Iris told her not to go. She saw the whole thing, too. Warren doesn't understand why Lily didn't tell him. "Because she thought it was best if you only hated one of your daughters," she tells him.
Marshall comes in, telling them they've found Lily on a bus.
Mary goes to talk to Iris first. Iris tells Mary what she heard her dad say. She doesn't want to talk to her dad, but he insists.
He says he has no excuse. Nothing he could say would justify his behavior these past few days. He tells her that as bad as losing everything is, it's nothing compared to being petty and small and a coward in the moment people need him most. Iris says his line about family being everything was a lie. He says he meant it but he got caught up in self-pity. He starts to choke up, saying he's ashamed and embarrassed.
They hug and make up. Mary witnesses a true apology. She talks about forgiveness as she goes to make up with Raphael. Meanwhile, Brandi throws her boyfriend's suitcase full of Meth off a bridge. Because that surely won't come back to haunt her. Marshall brings the McBrides a present, the door with their heights from their old house. Happiness ensues.
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