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The Gift 2

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The Gift (Part 2) is the second episode of a two-part story arc and the sixteenth episode of the fourth season on Wings, and the 66th episode overall in the series.

Synopsis[]

Picking up directly from the previous episode, Fay, Roy, Antonio, and Lowell continue rehearsing and practice the opening number from The Phantom of the Oprah in the empty terminal. Roy feels like he they stink. As Fay reminds everyone about the costume fittings tomorrow as Brian and Joe head to the kitchen to find Helen. Helen refuses to accept the cello, viewing it as charity from the Hackett brothers. After some encouragement from Joe and Brian, Helen finally accepts.

At the Wharf Playhouse, Helen auditions for the three remaining member of the Nantucket String Quartet, Karl Spengler, Lydia Detmeir, and Johnny Toshiba. As she begins to play Winston Catlow barges in and demands the auditions stop. Spengler reminds Catlow that he was voted out of the quartet because he wore tux jacket with bicycle shorts to their last performance. Before leaving, Catlow threatens that if he is not part of the quartet, there will be no quartet.

Days later at the airport, Helen angrily enters and Fay greets her with the news that Jeanine Tolliver, who was cast as Oprah Winfrey, slipped and sprained her ankle meaning that Fay would take the part of Oprah as her understudy. To counter her news, Helen tells Fay she didn't get chosen for the Nantucket String Quartet. Brian and Joe enter the terminal and after hearing the bad news, they try to comfort Helen until Mr. Spangler enters the terminal to offer Helen a position with the quartet and inform her that she was their third choice.

That afternoon at the Wharf Playhouse, rehearsal begins as Ed Snow, the director, tests various special effects. Because of a dental appointment, Lowell is asked to sub in for the Phantom. Roy give an unimpressive performance as the producer despite Snow's direction and the cast rehearses Antonio's solo.

Days later at the airport, Fay sits at the lunch counter with Roy and asks Helen how her rehearsals with the quartet are going. Helen shares that the experience has been bad and weird, but she can't quit and disappoint Joe and Brian. Mr. Spangler and Lydia enter the terminal to inform Helen the quartet is going on tour, traveling by van with 50 performance in 49 days. Helen is shocked and plans to quit, but when she enters Joe's office she finds Brian showing Joe a black dress he bought for Helen's first concert. With Joe and Brian so excited to be supporting her, Helen is unable to tell them she wants to quit.

That evening at the Wharf Playhouse, the gang settles into their chairs preparing to watch Helen's first concert with the Nantucket String Quartet. Antonio enters to share that the Phantom of the Oprah has been cancelled. Apparently, the financial backers pulled out after seeing the rehearsal. The concert starts, but part through the performance, they are interrupted by the special effects from Phantom of the Oprah and a Phantom swinging in. When Mr. Spangler unmasks the Phantom and Helen recognize him as Winston Catlow. Outraged by the interruption Mr. Spangler ends the performance and the quartet officially disbands. Later that night, Helen reconciles with Joe and Brian. Helen then insists on playing a private concert for them. In the darkened audience, Joe and Brian covertly put on their headphones as the watch Helen play.

Credits[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

Quotes[]

  • Helen Chapel - "You know what, Mr. Spangler, why don't I just play for you some other time?"
    Karl Spengler - "SIT! This is your scheduled appointment. The fact that I am so angry, my brain is about to explode out of my head and ACROSS THE ROOM should be of no concern to you! Now, play."
  • Helen Chapel - "Oh, Mr. Spangler, I'm a little confused. I thought you picked somebody else."
    Karl Spengler - "We did, but that fell threw. The important thing is you not consider yourself our second choice."
    Helen Chapel - "Oh, no I wouldn't."
    Karl Spengler - "Good. Because you were our third choice."
  • Antonio Scarpacci - "Lowell? Lowell? Lowell? I-I know you're playing the part of a stagehand, but why do you have to rehearse hammering?"
    Lowell Mather - "Antonio, Antonio... you might as well ask, why did that actor gain 60 pounds to play the role of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull?"
    Antonio Scarpacci - "De Niro?"
    Lowell Mather - "Of course it was for the money!"
  • Ed Snow - "Alright, Lowell. Our Phantom had a dental appointment this afternoon. How would you like to play the part?"
    Lowell Mather - "Would I?! I mean, yeah. The role I have now a chimp could play. What do you want me to do?"
    Ed Snow - "Swing in on a rope."
  • Antonio Scarpacci - "Friends, I have terrible news. I spoke to our director and they cave cancelled Phantom of the Oprah."
    Roy Biggins - "Thank god."
    Fay Cochran - "On, what happened?"
    Antonio Scarpacci - "He said we lost our backers."
    Fay Cochran - "How could that be? They watched our rehearsals yesterday."
    Antonio Scarpacci - "And right after they said they refuse to have the name of Leo's Sludge & Septic associate with such garbage."
  • Fay Cochran - "I'm so disappointed. I was born to play Oprah. I'll never get that chance to play a part like that again."
    Brian Hackett - "I know how you must feel Fay. There's so few good parts for Black women these days."

Trivia[]

  • The cello Joe and Brian purchase was a made-crafted Raumati cello which Helen claims sell for $12,000 dollars, but Brian paid $15,000 for it because he only went to one store.
  • Joe, Brian, and Helen mention the plane crash. This occurred in As Fate Would Have It and Lifeboat.
  • This episode is currently unavailable for streaming in the United States.

Gallery[]

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