Okay, a show of hands please...

[Hazel]

Who among us cried during this episode and what set you off?

I'm not a big crier, but I did get misty when Maddie reconciles with her dad in the hotel room. Cybill and Robert Webber created a powerful moment there.

[ryangie97]

I admit I did get teary eyed during that scene. Cybill did an amazing job in this episode.

[bluemooner]

This is a truly great episode. Very moving. I also love when Maddie and David are in the office and she looks teary eyed. Then she says," You couldn't let it be nice, could you?" And you're right, that scene w/ Cybill and Robert Webber is wonderful!

[queensgirl]

I cried many times. This episode is a new-box-of-tissues occasion for me.

First, when Maddie's mother is at the dinner table, she raises her glass and ends what she's saying to her husband with the word "...Dear." It took me a whole bunch of times to catch this, believe it or not, but that means she knows what's going on. I think it's somewhat early in the episode, which means she suffers through the whole time already being wise to his scheme. Also it shows that she catches on long before Maddie did. But it introduces the fact of Virginia's decision to carry on in the marriage even though the news must be breaking her heart.

Next would be when David runs around in the hotel looking for the place where the other person is staying. And he finds them. And it's no fun at all.

Then he has to go and tell Maddie. That scene in the hallway, moving in and out of the shadows...a perfect visual metaphor for the treacherous nature of her father's deeds, for the fact that people you never would suspect could do things in secret, for the unknown nature of the 'truth' and complications in adult life... it's just a heartbreaker all around.

And then, the handbag scene. She catches up to Dad, and boy does she let him have it. I don't care if you're in your 30s and have long since lived on your own. News like that hurts.

What I perhaps had the most trouble with, was the scene at the end where Maddie and her mom are together and Maddie says, through tears, "He's a good man..." I will have to say that it takes perhaps more maturity than I will ever have for Mrs. Hayes to look at the whole history of the marriage and decide to hang on to that instead of giving in to anger at the fact of the recent betrayal. Also for Maddie to back off and not interfere in the problem anymore, to accept her mother's decision and not break with her parents, although she must be massively angry and disappointed.

I'm a little surprised that everything turns out okay and the ship rights itself at the end. I couldn't do that. But it is known for being one of the most emotional episodes, and rightly so.

[willisfan]

As most of you I cried when Maddie and her father had this talk in the hotelroom. The 2nd time was the handbagsituation.

[gamera]

I came real close to shedding a few when Maddie made up with her dad at the end. I agree, Cybill did a great job in this episode

[babyhayes]

I watched this again last night and I love the emotions that run all the way through the episode.
I love the way at the beginning Maddie is "anxious" about seeing her parents again. I find this interesting because I think it says something about their relationship. Surely a close relationship would mean Maddie would look forward to their arrival, not be a bag of nerves? But anyway, it's a good start because immediately the viewer is a little tense, sensing that something is going to happen.

I love the way David is totally dedicated to doing the job for Maddie of following her father, you can see it in his face he WILL do this for her and his subsequent despair when the other woman opens the hotel door. The shot of him walking down the corridor in his raincoat with the thunder rolling speaks volumes. And the way he tells Maddie about her father - he tries to tell her in the nicest way possible to spare her the pain. Silence isn't often the way between them but the shot of them in the office doorway loking at each other, saying nothing but saying everything is a definite lump in the throat moment.

And of course the handbag scene - I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that one, all the emotions are coming out of Maddie and in one way its great to see her "explode" and release the emotion but at the same time you just feel for her so much and feel for her mother who has "known all along". That's gotta hurt.

And yep, there's tears from me when they make up at the end too. The moment her father says he didn't want to fall asleep in case he died and he didn't want to die knowing she hated him.....

Cybill did a fantastic job here of showing Maddie's emotions. The apprehension, the confusion - can she really suspect her father? Does she believe her mother? Can she confide in David? How does she deal with the family get-together in the restaurant? Fantastic episode. Which reminds me, I should go vote on this one if I haven't done already....

[Anne]

Hi everyone,

it's been a long time since I last posted a message on the board but I've had to deal with important family problems recently and believe it or not , the problem I'm getting through at the moment is the same as Maddie in this episode!! I'm not used to talking about my private life but as I was reading the comments on this episode, I wanted to react on Queensgirl's quote

queensgirl said:

I cried many times. This episode is a new-box-of-tissues occasion for me.

What I perhaps had the most trouble with, was the scene at the end where Maddie and her mom are together and Maddie says, through tears, "He's a good man..." I will have to say that it takes perhaps more maturity than I will ever have for Mrs. Hayes to look at the whole history of the marriage and decide to hang on to that instead of giving in to anger at the fact of the recent betrayal. Also for Maddie to back off and not interfere in the problem anymore, to accept her mother's decision and not break with her parents, although she must be massively angry and disappointed.

I'm a little surprised that everything turns out okay and the ship rights itself at the end. I couldn't do that. But it is known for being one of the most emotional episodes, and rightly so.

when she says that she had trouble to understand Maddie's decision to back off that is to accept her mother's decision not to give in to anger and to forgive her father.
I must say that I totally agree with Queensgirl reaction. I never understood Maddie's decision on making it up with her father so quickly. The first time I saw the episode, I was only a teenager but still I knew that a similar decision wouldn't have been made so easily in the real life!
And now that I'm going through the same situation(indeed, my father has been cheating on my mother and therefore lied to me as well)I have to say that i cannot forgive him for what he has done, I take it as a betrayal and I know that it will take me a long time to get over what he did to my mum and I. It's even more difficult that like Maddie and her father I was really close to my dad that is I could share everything with him but now I only look at him like a stranger !! It's so painful that I started a therapy to overcome the trauma.
I always wish I had things in common with Maddie (like David for instance ) but not this terrible thing
Anyway, I'd like to thank Glenn Gordon Caron for dealing with this issue because it's quite unusual on TV or even in films to see this matter through a daughter's point of view!!

Anne.

[lin212]

Sorry to hear about your personal difficulties, Anne. Thank you for sharing your story and yes, Glenn Caron had a way with bringing social issues to the forefront. Even though ML was considered a romantic comedy, there were many serious, life-altering moments for our heroes.

[joe]

Moonlighting is therapy and we all need it.

Thanks to Glenn Caron, the writers and the cast for dealing for such delicate issues with honesty. I was a teenager when ML first came out and now that I am in my mid 40s I appreciate it so much more.

But ML goes through these delicate situations and resolves them with the only therapy that works...love and forgiveness.

God bless Moonlighting.

[hayesydaze]

I totally cried during the scene of reconciliation between father and daughter, I admit it...what wonderful acting on the part of both of them. Fantastic and heartbreaking.

[sandra]

I cried too - at the reconciliation scene. I agree, great acting!