Venice, 4x12
Recap by Jaina
Well since my tendency to procrastinate made it impossible for me to do this sooner, let's see how this episode holds up, lo these many months later, or if I'm still annoyed by all of Gina's many speeches.
Jake smarms onto the scene and manages to get Alan alone, reassuring him that he's talked to all the key players and this wedding is going off without a hitch. ...Seriously how Rube Goldberg is this plan of theirs? Anyway, Alan is all, well if everything is fine why are you freaking out? while Jake reassures him that he's got this. Kathryn saunters up and they both try to pretend they aren't planning to rob her blind.
Lara's doing her makeup in front of the mirror and (shockingly!) drinking. The wedding planner swans in and tells her she's beautiful. Lara lights up and then throws in some Curve product placement. Lara asks for a refill and then dithers a bit before settling on...not. For the moment. They chat for a bit and then Lara asks about Ani. Who seems to be a bit missing in action. Lara is, of course, worried that Ani is not where she's supposed to be because Ani has damn good reason to bail on this day.
Alan and Logan talk about screwing people over some more and getting their money. Can Kathryn please shock them all and have just been using Alan for teh sex? 'cause that'd be awesome. Logan toasts to everyone getting what they deserve. It hope it's an ominous sign.
Guya is waving around incense and trying to commune with the spirits or the great beyond or whatever. She gives up, head in hands, just in time for Owen to show up. She's ecstatic to see him to see him and relieved as hell not to have failed at this. Does this lady ever have a crisis of faith? Anyway, Owen makes a dirty joke and gives her crap. Things are back to usual, except for the whole dead Owen thing. Owen admits he wanted Gina to stay with him in Heaven, but says Guya needed her more than he did.
Jamie worries that Lara and Ani aren't meant to be. Drew makes him promise they won't get married unless it's absolutely what Jamie wants. I'm a bit whelmed by everyone's drama but these two are sweet.
Ani, back at the staircase, has had it with Gina coming to confess her feelings yet again. She thinks Gina's just fucking with her head at this point and admittedly Ani isn't in the best place. Girlfriend needs to run away from all this and go to Tahiti for a few weeks, get some nice sun and stay away from all her exes, currents, and skeevy brothers. She asks Gina if this crap is fun for her, all the games. She accuses Gina of being here just because she hates losing.
Gina swears it's different this time. The hospital was too much, but here she is trying again. Gina alludes to the letter again and I almost sustain head trauma banging my head against the wall. Ani does not demand to know what the hell Gina means by again, which I think would be a very salient question, ANI. So anyway, since she doesn't, Ani wants to know what comes after being reached out for. She's pretty sure it's more bullshit. Gina says she wants them to leave and be together, and she knows it'll suck short term (Thanks for being real, Gina!) but Ani won't have to face it alone. She tells Ani she'll never have to be alone again and pinky swears it. Ani looks like she wants to believe it so very badly, but it hurts and she's so conflicted. Then she gets up from where she's been sitting beside Gina on the stairs. Gina begs to see her face whenever Ani tells her her decision. Gina sounds so broken. Ani womans up and kisses the shit out of her. It is also distinctly not an answer.
Everyone but the brides are here. Well, okay, and Gina. Alan says he hates weddings. Jake gets an SOS from Lara. Logan smarms. Ani and Gina are still making out on the staircase just in time for Lara to stumble over them.
Sarah, Stella and The Colonel talk about Gina going after Ani. Sarah admits she didn't try to convince Gina to do anything, just pointed out what Gina already wanted to do. The Colonel grumps that Ani isn't good enough for his baby girl. Up comes Richard and hears what's been going on. It makes him want a drink. Which is probably a good plan, since they all decide to go crash Ani's wedding to support Gina. Stella calls Guya to come crash the party too. These people and the concept of boundaries...
Ani and Gina's staircase make out session breaks up enough for Gina to apologize again and confess her love some more. Ani starts freaking out and then Lara's had enough. She's pissed Gina's trying to steal her girl again and probably pissed in the other sense too. She says it's too late for Gina and Ani. Lara begs Ani to come with her. And then the fighting over Ani like she's a bone caught between two dogs commences. I'm sorry, was that not the most favorable analogy? I just...I get it's supposed to be romantic fighting for who you love and frankly I do ship Ani/Gina hardcore, but Ani seriously needs to get the hell away from all these people and figure out what she needs to do for her. Anyway, Ani says Lara is the only person in her whole life who's made her feel safe. About the woman who shoved her face into a wall. Ani says that what she had with Gina scares her. Jake shows up to agree with Ani and call Gina a monster and horrible and blah blah blah evil Gina-cakes. Ani is devastated and pissed that Logan and Gina have been hooking up. So she goes back to Lara. Way to make that win feel good.
Jake stops on the way up the stairs to rub in Gina's losses a little more. Gina crumples.
Owen is still at Guya's house, hanging out, but tells her this comes with a time limit. Owen tells her he's filming the movie of his dreams. It's awesome. Owen makes jokes and Guya enjoys laughing with him until the sad comes back. Owen thanks her and then has to go. Guya is devastated as Owen walks away, telling her to find Gina, that she needs Guya.
Brandon pushes Van against the wall and tells him he knows Owen's death was his fault. Van crumples like a wrinkly old paperbag and blames Sami. They yell at each other and he admits everything. Van asks what Brandon's gonna do. Brandon's super pissed, caught between a rock and a Guya-place, and says he's gonna keep his eye on him and walks off. Van tears at his hair and wonders how what should have been super awesome for him (no more Owen around to mess up his life and steal Guya's attention) is now totally fucked up.
Jake is gleeful about the whole Gina situation and comes to buck Lara up. She's crying and drinking again. He finishes off her wine so she doesn't get too fucked up for this. He dances around the room with Lara and tells her to get cleaned up. He thanks her; she thanks him and promises she'll be good to Ani. Then Jake kisses her. It's clear Lara thinks it's nothing but it doesn't seem so nothing to Jake. So yeah, there's that.
Gina's on the beach, breathing. She sees Owen again. She tells him she tried to make everything right with everyone but it's too late for her and for all that. She begs to come back with Owen again. She doesn't want to deal with her life. Owen tells her to try again. He wants her to give it her best shot so that she can get it together and help. Owen refuses to answer her question when she asks what or who needs to be helped. He tells her he's gonna miss her and to take care of herself for a change. Gina cries.
She comes to or wakes up or whatever at the beach where Richard, The Colonel, Guya and Sarah are echoing Owen's message to go get her girl. Instead of rightfully admitting that she's fucked and this is over, Gina is energized and decides to give it one more try. Everyone is giddy and there's hugs all around.
Ani is getting dressed and Jake wants her to fix the flower on his suit jacket. Jake is being sweet to his sister and Ani is suspicious. She wants his approval - and approval in general - so badly. He tells her to go be happy and asks her how doing the right thing feels. Ani's not super convincing as she says everything will be fine. Jake takes a moment to be an annoying older brother and starts calling her a variety of bakery-related names. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be cute or if it's only my own issues that make it seem super destructive of him. Given what we've seen of his character (in both senses of the word) I suspect it's just supposed to be seen as super destructive. Or at least I hope that was the intention. Ani can't quite talk herself into this being awesome.
Owen is back in heaven and he's told it's time for him to get on with his journey as he watches the wedding on his tiny, crappy tv. Someone walks Lara up the aisle. Jamie winks at Ani as Jake walks her down the aisle. She looks happy but a little worry still seems to shine through. Lara looks tense. Gee, I wonder why? Not like her prospective bride was making out with someone else not a half-hour ago.
Ani says she's here. As opposed to ANYWHERE else. Lara is so happy and she promises to spend the rest of her life making sure that Ani is happy too. Ani smiles and the ceremony starts. Gina trots up the aisle to bust things up again. Her posse floods in behind her. Lara cuts her off and reminds her that she looks crazy and desperate. Ani looks terrified and so does Gina. Guya nudges her to get on with it. Jake stands up and Ani pushes him down. Ani stops Lara too and goes to ask Gina what the hell she thinks she's doing here basically.
And...speech!
Gina admits that she's bad at timing and with words. Ani looks around uncomfortably as Gina puts everything on the line for her one more time in front of all these people. Gina swears if this is what makes Ani happy then it has to be good and worthy of Ani's love because Ani's love is good and magical. I'm mostly not paraphrasing here. She tells Ani if she could do it all over again, she'd do it right and make sure that Ani always knew how Gina felt about her. She's been in love with her from the moment she met her and Ani's her missing puzzle piece. Gina wants one last chance to do things right. If Ani doesn't want it she promises to leave her alone forever and never interfere again. Lara says Ani's name and Ani turns back to her. Lara begs her to not do this. Owen watches on sadly. Ani is still torn between these two...until next season.
I'll let Ani finish, but I'm just saying Tahiti is nice this time of year.