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	EPISODES ~ Season 2
	Taking a Chance On Love #220 ~ April 28, 2000 by PapaC
	SYD Syd has an elderly patient with high blood pressure and related complications. Izzy tells her the guy actually pinched her bottom. Syd inquires about whether or not he has ever been on medications for high blood pressure. He admits that he has been in the past, but they don't make him feel well, and he has a new girlfriend. He has to keep up with her. She prescribes a hypertensive medication. On the way out, she sees his the woman accompanying him: she's very young and attractively dressed. He comes back later in the week, however, because he's having a problem with impotence. Syd explains that's a common side effect of the med, and he can try another one. He doesn't want to take the medication, because he finally has an active sex life. His wife had been dead for 20 years, and his new girlfriend, Kim, is all over him. He is afraid an attractive gal like her will move on to someone else if he can't keep her happy. Syd asks if it has occurred to him that Kim really cares about him. He admits she does care. Syd insists he take his medication, because without it, he is at greatly increased risk of stroke or heart attack. He leaves with the pretty young woman, grumbling. Later, Syd gets a call. Her patient has fainted and is in the hospital. When she visits him, she tells him he has to make a serious decision. She says keeping up with Kim doesn't seem to be so good for his health. Just then, the young woman comes into his room. Syd introduces herself, and says "You must be Kim." She laughs: no, she's his granddaughter! A lady about 50 years older comes in afterwards, and introduces herself as Kim. Syd smiles to herself. ROBBIE While working at the bar, Robbie sees a new game show on TV called "Down On Your Luck." The patrons are quite interested in it, but Robbie says he'd never let himself be humiliated like that on TV. The contestants give a big story at the beginning about why they're big losers, and then answer questions about losers throughout history. Robbie, however, seems to know all the answers. A patron encourages him to try out for the show, which is auditioning in Providence that week. He goes and meets the director, a nice female who seems to like him, but she advises him to make some changes. He then meets the game show host, Chuck. The guy is going ballistic about hating his job, takes an instant disliking to Robbie and throws his beverage glass at him, narrowly missing him. Robbie gets out of there. Back at the bar, the game show director comes by. She says he actually passed the test. Chuck drinks too much and can be that way, but he's always fine at taping. Robbie goes back for a test audition with Chuck. Chuck asks him 3 questions and he answers them all correctly, so he's accepted! But, Robbie realizes one of the questions he was asked was one he'd actually talked about with the director earlier. He mentions it to her, but she says she must have inadvertently mentioned it to Chuck and not to worry about it. He's going to be a big winner! JIM A friend of Syd's, Monica Lang (played by Mary Paige Keller), is in town and wants to interview Jim for a photojournalism project. She has been travelling all over the world, most recently in Russia. Jim really doesn't like being followed around with cameras and wants to bow out, so Syd tells him to meet Monica and herself for lunch and, if he isn't interested, she'll help him make up an excuse. Syd meets Monica in the restaurant and warns her Jim isn't eager, explaining that he isn't comfortable when he's the center of attention. When Jim arrives, Monica launches into her cause: puppy mills. She pulls out photos. Jim is a big crusader for this cause, so he is very interested in working with her. Monica begins spending her days with Jim, following him to an elementary school for Pet Day, around the office, and other such places. Soon, they find they have similar interests as well, and walk on the beach together, go out for Indian food together, and go to his old favorite jazz club - mostly things which Linda (his deceased wife) didn't enjoy. Joannie thinks something may be going on between them, but Syd shrugs it off. Then, Syd has a dream in which her mother is showing a slide show to Syd and Joannie; it's of Jim, and his new wife Monica, and their new children. It then shows a sad Jim, who has been dumped by Monica. Her mother warns her to break up this relationship before her father gets hurt. Joannie grows more concerned that her father will be smitten with this pretty young woman, and she enlists Syd's help in talking to him. Syd tells him one evening that it's easy to misinterpret Monica's attention: that happened to a friend of hers in California, where she first met Monica, and the man was heartbroken. Jim takes the hint, and walks off to bed with less spring in his step. The next day, he tells Monica he is booked up for the rest of the week, and they should just wrap it up; after all, she must have enough footage by now. She looks puzzled, but leaves. She later stops by the clinic to give Syd a particularly nice picture she had taken of Jim, and asks Syd if she's done anything to offend Jim. Syd said she's sure she hasn't - her father is just being himself. After she leaves, though, Syd feels guilty for destroying what might have been something nice for her father. She tells Joannie they must go and apologize to Monica. Jim, meanwhile, has a drink at O'Neill's and talks to Robbie. When he mentions that he cut short his work with Monica, Robbie asks if he gave her a good explanation. When he admits he didn't, Robbie prods him that he may have hurt Monica, so he goes to her place to apologize. When he gets there, he apologizes for stopping their project. She is worried she's annoyed him, but he tells her he was just concerned that he was misinterpreting her attention. She tells him he wasn't. He isn't convinced that such a young woman would be interested in him, so she demonstrates: she kisses him. Joannie and Syd, meanwhile, see this through Monica's window, as they have just arrived. They look horrified. Previews for next week show Jim continuing his relationship with Monica, but Monica is also seeing someone else, and Syd confronts her about it. It appears Joannie is caught in a fire!
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