Men in Trees: Sea Change (Episode 207)

Having amnesia is a convenient way to treat your fiancee like a one-night stand.
Sometimes when life really sucks, I dream about falling down and getting amnesia. It'd be just like one of those soap opera amnesia episodes where it would wreak havoc on all of my friends and family while all I would do is lie back and go, "Who are you?" "What do you mean?" "What happened?" It would really be like wiping the slate clean! And just when everyone would get totally frustrated and depressed, I would jump up and declare, "I remember!" Everyone would then laugh and hug me, so glad to have me back, forgetting everything bad I had done before, like faking amnesia. Amnesia really would be pretty nifty. Well, except for when I would need to remember my way home. Or my debit card code. Wow. That could really be bad, 'cuz banks take hella long to send those replacement cards. Then, when they ask me to verify that I am who I am, I wouldn't be able to answer. Not unlike Men in Trees' Patrick. Everyone in Elmo wants him to verify he's still the same old Patrick, but he's just not able to come up with anything except "I'm sorry." Bah!

Marin has the key to Jack's apartment. Jack asked her to water his plants and check his mail. Jerome tells her it's license to snoop. She refuses to snoop, saying something about trust. I don't know. I'm still distracted by Jerome's shaved face and the fact Jack owns plants. My husband is like the kiss of death for all things green. I went away for a few days and returned to find my orchid dead from neglect. He claimed he forgot about the orchid. Amazing. Maybe amnesia can be selective for some of us?

Jack's on the Bering Sea with a nice-looking woman named Julia. She's part of the crew and is actually married, so she's not as much of a threat as I thought she'd be. She's nice enough and inquires about Marin, who Jack describes as a woman he was going to start seeing. Bad timing, Julia says. Yeah, no kidding. Back in Elmo, Marin is smelling Jack's flannel plaid shirt when a business card with the name "Donna Harrington" falls out. The card includes a handwritten message of "Call me Sweets." Marin's at a loss. Who is this Donna?

Jerome and Mary Alice are getting ready for a date by separately getting dating advice from Mai and Buzz. It's as bad as it sounds. Mai tells Mary Alice to flirt with her eyes and serve up aphrodesiacs, such as oysters, chocolate and kiwi fruit. OK, oysters and chocolate I get, but kiwi fruit? Didn't know that one. Then again, they do look like hairy 'nads. Ahem. Buzz suggests Jerome whisper softly so that Mary Alice has to lean in close. When the date actually happens, Jerome seems as though he's hoarse with a cold and Mary Alice comes across as a "demon woman" dressed as a prostitute from the Old West. The date ends badly.

Also going badly are the attempts to jar Patrick's memory with a slide show. He stands up and announces to everyone in the room, including his mother and Annie, that his life was lame. He only runs the inn, not owns it; he has a small-time radio show; and hangs out in a bar all the time. He says he doesn't have a life worth remembering. Emo much?

Ben and Theresa have also hit another rough patch. She's frustrated with his lack of effort in their marriage. She tells him she though marriage was a priority and that they were going to work on things. She gets into her car and has a hard time starting it. When it finally starts, she drives off angry.

Since Patrick was struck by lightning, Annie has taken over his spot with the radio show. She tells Marin she's worried her six months with Patrick are a mere blip in his 26 years of life. She rejects the old adage of absence making the heart grow fonder and wonders whether absence makes the heart go away. Marin wonders on the show how long it takes to make a difference in someone's life.

Marin is walking through the woods with Jane while sharing a heart-to-heart talk. Marin opens up about the mysterious Donna. Jane opens up about marrying Sam.

Say what?!

Turns out Jane and Sam got married quietly so as not to disturb the residents of Elmo, namely Annie and Patrick. Jane may not want to disturb Patrick, but rile Patrick is exactly what Chief Celia wants Annie to do. Well, in the bedroom, anyway. Celia and Dick suggest to Annie that action in the bedroom may awaken Patrick's memories and uh, other things that may be lying dormant. At first Annie rejects the idea, but then changes her mind and sleeps with an inordinately passionate Patrick. She wakes up the next day more sated than ever, but is quickly disappointed by Patrick, who is now a love-'em-and-leave-'em type. He tells her he'll call her, but she rebuffs him by reminding him they live together, by crikey! Later, Annie tells Patrick it's not working out and moves into her own room at the inn.

In contrast, Ben makes good with Theresa by buying her a new car -yup, that'd do it for me, too - and christens his ice rink's Zamboni "Theresa." She's won over and the two make up. Also all good are Mary Alice and Jerome, whose true selves are much more attractive to one another. Mary Alice and Jerome agree to a long-distance courtship that includes writing each other letters.

Marin gives up and calls this "Donna" herself. She explains to Donna that she is a relationship coach. Donna acknowledges Marin, saying she's read her books. Marin asks Donna about the nature of her relationship with Jack. Donna chuckles and says she's his mother. Doh! And Jack's talked about Marin to his mom. Now there'll be something else to talk about...like how she's psycho stalking her son. I kid.

During her ending narration, Marin discusses connections and communications. How we hope to leave imprints on others' lives, proof that we mattered, that someone cared. We see Patrick trying again to jar his memory with a slide show. We also see Jack's ship lost in a stormy sea, ravaged by waves. Marin ponders that in the end, the past may be all we have.