Til Death

Season 1, Episode 6: Til Death

Episode Guide

Erica is sitting in-front of the mirror as she gets ready for a dinner on the eve of Sam and Josh's wedding. Ryan is lying on the bed, in just his boxers, she asks him how she looks and he replies "hot." She tells him to get ready himself, as the maid of honour and best man can't be late.

She asks him for help in doing up the zip on her dress, he proceeds to try and pull it down. Erica pushes him back onto the bed and throws his shirt at him. He jokes that she is bossing him around and acting like his girlfriend after just three weeks.

She insists she's not, but he says he likes it and he drags her back down onto the bed with him. They begin making out.

At the dinner at Erica's mom house, she and Ryan and there along with Sam and Josh and both sets of parents. Erica narrates:

"The night before a wedding is like the calm before the storm. Everyone knows what's coming and the part they will have to play."

Sam is busy checking things about the wedding with Erica, who tries to calm her down and let her know everything is under control. Erica's dad tells Sam that the point has arrived for her just to relinquish control and whatever will be will be.

Josh's mom compliments Barbara, Erica's mom, on the food and also says how beautiful Sam and Erica are looking. Josh's dad chips in, telling Erica that, going from what Sam has said about her, she'd be a great catch and he is sure she will soon be snapped up.

Josh quips that somebody already has, and brings to everyone's attention that Erica and "Ry Ry" both arrived looking dishevelled. Erica tries to laugh this suggestion off, and Barbara bemoans that she is the last to find out about the pair.

Erica insists there's nothing to know about, and her dad, Gary, tries to stop Barbara from questioning her anymore. Josh continues though, and jokes that the first set of grandkids may well come from Erica and Ryan rather than him and Sam.

Erica takes offence and suggests the conversation should be about the bride and groom. Ryan jumps in and takes the opportunity to make a toast. He says that he's always wondered how Josh managed to score someone like Sam and compliments her for her beauty, grace, and intelligence.

He toasts that she is one in a million and congratulates the couple. Everyone raises a glass and Gary asks Erica if she, as the maid of honour, would like to make a similar speech. Erica says she's doesn't "do improv" but Barbara encourages her to say a few words about "her brother-in-law."

She reluctantly gets to her feet, but struggles to think of many positives. She describes Josh as a real character with a unique sense of humour and a habit of telling things like they are. There is a muted response to this half-hearted effort, with Josh clapping sarcastically.

After the meal, Erica catches up with Sam and apologises for her toast, explaining she was nervous and hadn't been ready. Sam understands, but asks for Erica's assurance that she will have a speech prepared for tomorrow. Erica promises she will.

She tells Sam she'll be in control of everything, from the cake to the DJ to the seating and she won't have to worry about anything. Josh interrupts them and insists that Sam and him go now so they can get to bed before the big day.

Sam goes to get her purse and Josh expresses his desire to "get this whole thing over with" before telling Erica he was only joking. Erica looks concerned.

"It's an unspoken rule that on the day of the wedding we must put away any worry, any secret lingering doubts. But what do you do if you can't shake the feeling that someone you love is about to make a terrible mistake?"

The next morning, Erica is trying to write her speech for the wedding but getting nowhere. She sighs loudly in frustration and Ryan, emerging from the shower with just a towel around his waist, asks her what's wrong.

She tells him that writing the speech is killing her, and isn't happy to hear him boast that he had his finished two weeks ago, it having only taken him an hour to compose. He tells her not to over think it - to say a few nice things about the couple and wish them well.

His words don't seem to put her mind at rest and he wonders whether it's because she hates Josh. She rejects his idea, and insists her toast last night was supposed to be funny. He doesn't accept her explanation though and suggests she doesn't think Josh is good enough for Sam.

Erica relents and admits that, despite them being together for years, she doesn't think their relationship makes any sense - they are always fighting and seem uncomfortable around one another.

Ryan wonders whether she has expressed her fears to Sam, but Erica says it's not something you tell people. He suggests that watching two people doesn't give you an idea how things are behind closed doors and just because it doesn't make sense to her, doesn't mean it doesn't work for Sam and Josh.

She considers this as he leaves - throwing off his towel and causing Erica to smile as she watches him walk away, naked.

Outside Erica's apartment door, Ryan is kissing Erica's neck until they are interrupted by the appearance of Ethan and Claire. Erica is surprised to see both of them there, and Claire explains she has come in from Montreal for the wedding.

She introduces Claire to Ryan, who confirms that the motorbike her and Ethan saw outside belongs to him. Ethan explains how Erica once talked him out of buying one because she finds them noisy and dangerous.

Confused to hear this, Ryan tells of how Erica and him were riding on it yesterday. Ethan finds this hard to believe but Claire, sensing Erica's embarrassment, suggests that sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind.

They part ways, as Erica and Ryan need to get to the wedding early where, on arrival, Erica is busy directing various people where to go and where to take things. Josh is milling around the house, and Barbara tells him to stay outside in case he sees Sam.

He leaves, as does Erica who, with the help of Judith, makes sure that the seating is arranged properly. Judith jokes that, if Erica doesn't make it in publishing, she could always go into party planning.

Meanwhile, Josh is playing around with the photographer's camera, taking her picture as she tries to get her camera back. Erica, stealing a few moments to try and add to her speech, is distracted by their noise and Josh then knocks over a small tree plant.

She rushes over to stand it back up and then finds herself being roped into appearing in some photos Josh has requested to be taken around the motorbike. Erica takes the opportunity to ask Josh a couple of questions, for her speech, about Sam.

However, he's unable to remember the first time he met Sam, nor the moment or day when he first realised he loved her. Instead, he suggests that Erica sits on the bike with him for a photo - which she agrees to when he insists that Sam would like it.

Erica sits on the bike seat and Josh goes to put his leg over the bike. However, he ends up spilling his wine on her dress. Erica is distraught and her mom and Aunt Roberta furiously attempt to clean the dress.

Sam calls for Erica, who instructs another bridesmaid, Lisa, to take care of Sam while Aunt Roberta takes a pair of scissors to the dress to cut the ruined bottom off it. Josh wanders back in at the same time as Sam who, concerned over Erica's whereabouts, also comes to find out what's going on.

She gasps when she sees Erica's dress and then is shocked to see Josh. She says he's not supposed to see her and he turns away and pretends not to have seen anything before admitting that he saw her hair. He jokes he now knows what she will look like at her mother's age.

Sam and Barbara turn to face one another and realise the stylist has done their hair exactly the same. Sam rushes off back to her bedroom with Erica in tow. Gary comments that it wouldn't be a wedding without some drama.

Sam is sitting in-front of the mirror and is teary. Erica goes to change her hair and try and relax her. When Sam continues to be upset, she asks what's wrong and Sam tells her she is beginning to have doubts and has a horrible feeling in her stomach.

She asks Erica to convince her that she's doing the right thing in marrying Josh and that she's crazy for panicking. Erica hesitates, wondering whether she should convey her fears to Sam, but instead assures her that everyone has doubts and get cold feet.

Sam nods furiously and suggests that it's down to nerves. She jokes that they will look back some time and laugh at this moment of insanity. Erica finishes off adjusting Sam's hair and goes to head downstairs and begin greeting the guests.

However, when she goes to open the door from Sam's room she finds herself entering Dr. Tom's office. She sighs in relief and thanks him for bringing her in. Dr. Tom is standing by his shelves, reading a heavy book.

"The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere," he tells her. Erica shuts the door and tells him that, rather than being insincere, she's just doing her job as a sister to ensure Sam has the wedding she's always wanted.

Dr. Tom explains to her that the custom of bridesmaids originated in Roman times, where they all dressed the same to ward off evil spirits. He tells her that her job is to protect the bride. Erica says she is not interested in him giving her a history lesson right now.

Sitting down, he asks her whether she knows where she is going back to today. She correctly guesses August 2003 - when she helped get Josh and Sam back together. She tells him she had invited them both over for dinner to celebrate Sam's first day of residency.

However, Josh turned up an hour late with Sam wanting to kill him. She explains things went downhill and he broke up with her there and then. Despite Erica thinking it was for the best though, being unable to bear seeing Sam upset, she had gone to see Josh the next day and convinced him he was making a mistake.

Erica says she wishes she had stayed out of it and they had broken up, and laments that now it's too late because they're getting married and there's nothing she can do about it. Dr. Tom tells her it's never too late and that Erica had just had the chance to do something about it but not taken it.

She says that you don't tell someone they're making a mistake on their wedding day. He challenges her, asking whether that's because it's not convenient or not true? Erica insists he doesn't know Sam, and that she was asking for reassurance, not the truth.

Dr. Tom says that he is confused, because now Erica is saying she wants to go back in time and break them up. She protests that, had she not interfered, they wouldn't have got back together. If she went back, she would stay out of it and let it end the way it should have.

He looks at her and drops the book he was reading onto his desk. Suddenly, Erica is sent back and finds herself in her kitchen holding a tray of roasted vegetables - which, in her shock, she ends up dropping.

Josh and Sam, who are sitting at the table, are shocked, and Sam goes over to help Erica pick the food off the floor. She is upset with Josh for being late, but he explains that there was an major accident on Bloor Street which held him up.

Sam tells him that he shouldn't have gone that way - and suggests that he only did so because he had been visiting a girl called Laura. Josh is angry and insists that nothing is going on - but she doesn't believe him.

Erica tries to break the tension, but Josh rages that her sister is "acting like a total bitch" and throws down his napkin in his anger. Sam apologises for Josh's outburst, but he tells her that he can't do this and that he doesn't want to be in their relationship anymore.

Sam is stunned, but Josh tells her they're done and leaves Erica's apartment despite Sam trying to get him to stay. Struggling to believe what's happened, she asks Erica for confirmation over what just happened and states that the way Josh acted is not how you end things. Erica reassures an upset Sam that everything will be OK.

The next morning, Erica returns home to find Sam doing chores around the house - she says she feels full of energy and alive, which must mean breaking up with Josh was the right thing. Erica agrees.

Sam tells her that she believes Josh had been cheating on her for months and that they rarely spoke or had sex. Erica then offers to accompany Sam when she says she is going around to Josh's apartment to pick up a box of her stuff.

After breakfast they leave Erica's apartment and she spots a man painting the radiator in the hallway - she realises it is Dr. Tom. She tells Sam she has forgotten her cell phone and tells her to go outside and grab a cab - giving her the opportunity to speak to him.

He asks her what she thinks of his painting and explains that he is a perfectionist - always having to attend to the smallest of nicks. However, he can sometimes end up picking away at it so much that it creates a bigger mess.

Erica realises what he is getting at and insists she is staying out of Sam and Josh's relationship and is only going along to Josh's apartment to help her. She tells him she has to do what's best for Sam, at which point Dr. Tom spots another crack and goes to paint over it. "There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in," he tells her.

Sam and Erica exit the elevator in Josh's apartment building and knock on his door, he is surprised to see Erica there, who tells him she has come for moral support. Sam notices the mess the apartment is in, he tells her it's none of her business now.

He hands her a box of her stuff, including a bottle of wine they had been saving for their anniversary. Sensing Sam is wavering after being reminded of this, Erica seizes the box and marches Sam out of the apartment.

Waiting for the elevator in the hallway outside, Sam tells Erica she thinks she is going to be sick and that she is now not sure she is doing the right thing. Erica is adamant they just need to get away, but when they get into the elevator the power and lights suddenly go out.

Erica asks Sam the date - August 14 - and she remembers it was the day of the great blackout across Ontario and parts of the US. As they wander through the dark hallway, a guy comes out of his apartment and offers them the use of a flashlight so they can navigate their way down the stairs.

They accept and go into his apartment where they find a party is taking place on the balcony outside. The guy introduces himself as Jeff and invites them to stay. Jeff and Sam begin talking and they end up dancing with one another as Erica watches her sister enjoying herself.

However, Josh also turns up to join in the party with a box of beer. Sam seems intent on not letting his presence spoil her fun though.

The party continues into the evening, with Sam and Jeff still flirting with one another. Erica watches Josh wander lonely to the edge of the balcony and she goes over to talk to him. She says that he thinks he did the right thing yesterday and that both him and Sam will be happier in the long run.

He doesn't want to hear her opinion though and Erica asks why he hates her so much. He warns her that he's very drunk and she may not want to know, but then begins to tell her the story of how him and Sam met.

He had changed lockers in Grade 9 just so he could meet Sam because he liked another girl she always hung around with. Erica is shocked that he used Sam, but he tells her his plan didn't work. Erica then has to pull him back from leaning too far over the edge.

Josh continues with his story, saying everyone liked Sam, him included, but he didn't love her so he faked it hoping his feelings, although they never did, would change. He says that Sam knows his heart isn't in it and turns to Erica telling her that the heart wants what the heart wants.

Erica suddenly realises that she was the girl Josh used Sam to try and get close to and tells him she doesn't want to hear anymore. She demands that he never tells Sam the truth and quickly leaves.

She finds Sam and says they have to go now - telling her it's not healthy being in Josh's building. Sam is surprised at Erica's hastiness but, seeing as she has got Jeff's number, she agrees.

Erica insists that Sam breaks of all contact with Josh and then, using the flashlight, they begin to make their way down the dark stairway.

On their way home, Sam wonders why Erica and her don't hang out as much as they used to, nor tell one another everything. She says today is the first day in a long time that she feels Erica has been open with her and makes her promise that she keeps being so, which Erica agrees to.

Suddenly, Erica is transported back to the present day, where she finds herself still in her maid of honour's dress surrounded by guests in her mom's house. Erica struggles to understand what's going on and calls out for Sam before heading up to her room.

There, she finds Sam putting the finishing touches to her veil and, after being asked what she thinks, Erica replies that Sam looks like someone about to get married. She asks Erica if Josh is ready, but Erica is lost for words.

Erica then goes back downstairs and finds Dr. Tom posing as a guest, she asks him what's going on and why the wedding is still going ahead. He explains that the day after the blackout Josh had gone round to Sam with some flowers and she had taken him back. He tells her that the heart wants what the heart wants.

She says it has nothing to do with the heart, but Dr. Tom suggests maybe Josh woke up the next day and realised he was madly in love with her before telling Erica there's only one way to find out.

Erica rushes outside to find Josh sitting alone. She gets a muted response when she asks him if he's excited about the wedding. She asks him if he is happy and he tells her, once more, that he is very drunk and she may not want to hear his answer. Erica is shocked to hear this.

Ethan then calls her name and him and Claire come up to Erica. They explain they had an awkward conversation with Erica's mom about their divorce and Claire tells how they are patching things up. Erica is struggling to pay attention though, distracted by Josh's actions.

Sensing something is wrong with Erica, Ethan suggests Claire get them some drinks and he will join her in a moment. He asks her what's up and wonders if it has to do with him and Claire.

She admits that it's Josh and that she feels the wedding is a terrible mistake. She has wanted to try and protect Sam but now can't find a way out of it happening. Ethan says she needs to make a decision about what's best for Sam and they hug tightly.

Erica returns to Sam's bedroom where she asks the bridesmaids for a couple of minutes alone with her sister. Erica tells Sam to sit down and begins to well-up. She explains that she has to tell Sam one of those things you just don't say.

Sam says she is scaring her, but Erica reminds her of the promise they made to one another on the day of the blackout about being honest. Sam says she vaguely remembers it and Erica admits she has broken it through trying to protect her.

She says she has watched Sam and Josh struggle to make their relationship work and that Sam's earlier doubts had made her feel sick. Erica says she has always known Josh isn't right for her and that he can't make Sam happy. Struggling to hold back the tears, she pleads with Sam not to marry him.

They are interrupted by Barbara, who tells them it's time to go. Sam takes a moment to collect her thoughts and calmly tells a crying Erica that she will go downstairs and that her sister will watch her marry Josh.

Outside, Erica stands at the front under the chuppah as Gary and Barbara walk Sam down the aisle and the wedding service begins. Erica looks around at everybody, including Ethan in the congregation, as Sam and Josh exchange rings and finally as he smashes the glass and him and Sam kiss.

Everyone celebrates, bar Erica, and people hug one another. Erica tries to talk to Sam when they hug, but Sam tells her that she isn't interested in hearing her speech and doesn't want to talk to ever again after this evening. Erica is devastated as she walks back down the aisle.

She watches upstairs from her bedroom window as the photos are being taken outside, and narrates.

"The heart wants what the heart wants. It forces us to act when reason dictates otherwise. It tears down walls, breaches boundaries, and, for better or worse, it leads us places the head would never go."

She moves from the window and sits on the edge of her bed, crying, as she looks at a collage of family photos on the wall. Ryan then knocks on her door and enters, telling her that everyone is downstairs waiting for her speech.

Erica explains that she's not feeling well so won't be doing the speech, and that Sam already knows. Ryan leaves and she turns around to see Dr. Tom sitting on the bed. She walks back over to the window and tells him to go as she doesn't need him pointing out how he was right about her not getting involved.

Dr. Tom sits silently and listens as she bemoans not being able to stop Sam from marrying a guy she doesn't love. She says she hurt her for nothing, but he tells her that it wasn't for nothing. He goes to stand beside her and says she didn't choose the easy road but instead did her job.

He reminds her of the maid of honour's duty to protect the bride and says that's exactly what Erica tried to do. She had put everything on the line for her sister's happiness, but that doing the right thing didn't always guarantee a happy ending.

Erica says that the ending is all that matters though - she didn't stop Sam marrying Josh and what difference did it make trying to do the right thing. "All the difference in the world," Dr. Tom tells her, and Erica stares out of the window deep in thought.