Picking up where episode 7 left off, Sophie (Hilary Duff) has an opportunity to share her work at an art gallery, the problem is, she doesn’t know which photo to submit for consideration. At Pemberton’s while trying to gain help from Valentina, Charlie, Sid, and Ellen, (Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Suraj Sharma, and Tien Tran) she just can’t decide what is her best photo from her portfolio, Sophie is in a panic because despite the assurances of her friends, she has nothing worthy in her mind.
Jesse (Christopher Lowell) joins them at the bar in a good mood. Since his breakup with Meredith (Leighton Meester), Jesse has been on a slow crawl back to his music ambitions. Filled with hope, Jesse is positive about his future and has even started writing some music of his own.
The group is all invited to an auction being held at Drew’s (Josh Peck) school. While Sophie is eager to be there for her boyfriend, the rest of the friends are not as excited to go. Ellen and Sid plan to skip the function, while Valentina and Charlie agree to attend.
Sophie is trying to capture that perfect shot before the auction but has an accident which chips her front tooth. Not wanting to look ridiculous for Drew, she calls Jesse to take her to a cheap dentist, which has a packed waiting room. Thinking he is free and clear from responsibilities for the night, Sid is shocked to see Meredith shows up at their apartment. Rather than having his best friend hurt again, Sid enlists the help of Ellen to keep Meredith away from Jesse.
Valentina is busy at work, where her boss treats her like garbage. Constantly yelled at and insulted, Valentina decides to get some revenge on the boss by stealing a valuable purse to donate to the school auction. Charlie is aghast at such criminality, (Tom Ainsley can make the smallest moments hilarious) but Valentina assures him it will be okay.
Having spent some time at the dentist Jesse and Sophie bond over their shared artistic hopes. Jesse tells Sophie what a wonderful person she is, and how much she means to him. After a long wait at the dentist, Sophie and Jesse are on their way to the auction when Jesse’s car quits causing Sophie to break her tooth again. Sophie is inspired by Jesse working on the car and feels like she has the perfect shot for the gallery. Arriving late, Drew is happy to see Sophie, but the joy doesn’t last long. The two get into an argument about whether Sophie’s photography dreams are something she should continue or abandon to get a real job.
Valentina is panicked that her boss has messaged her about the purse and tries to win the item back in the auction. Being outbid, Valentina is crushed, thinking she will be fired. Charlie, the dutiful boyfriend swipes the purse from the auction winner, and the two flee from the school gym.
As the episode closes, Sid and Ellen learn the real reason why Meredith has come back into Jesse’s life. She has signed a recording contract, with her first single to be released the next day. The song, which is expected to be a big hit, is all about her relationship with Jesse, and she wanted to give him a heads up. Sid and Ellen have no idea how to tell Jesse the news. Fortunately, they get interrupted when Jesse walks out of the bar to take a call on his phone.
Outside, Jesse runs into Sophie where she tells him about the fight she had with Drew. Thinking about the kind sentiment that Jesse expressed when they were at the dentist, the two kiss and the episode ends.
Bill’s Perspective:
I knew the Sophie/Jesse arc was coming from the first episode. It’s not surprising, but I didn’t expect it this soon.
My biggest issue with the kiss is that we have seen little of Drew and Sophie’s relationship. I was hoping for more. Then again, just because Jesse and Sophie kiss doesn’t mean a relationship is guaranteed. Their indecisiveness could be dragged out for years.
I am intrigued by the addition of Leighton Meester. Introducing her now makes me think she is going to play an important role in Jesse’s life and could complicate his possible romance with Sophie.