Season 2 · Episode 21 of 24 Aired Apr 27, 1996

The Quality of Mercy

Sat, Apr 27, 1996 · 47 min

Streaming on Netflix, Paramount+

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Joel Redding is a former soap-opera star who is coming to terms with middle age and life after television. He, his wife Sally and son Marshall have moved to a small town trying to regain a semblance of normal family life. While helping with a college theatre's fund raiser, Monica, Tess and Andrew witness tension between Joel and Marshall. Matters are further complicated when the aging actor initiates an affair with one his teenage ingenues. During one of Joel's extracurricular trysts, Sally slips while hanging a picture and seriously injures herself. Marshall finds his mother, calls for help, and gets her to the hospital. After authorizing the doctor to perform a risky surgical procedure, the teen rails at his father when he finally returns from his rendezvous. Tess reveals herself to the guilt-ridden husband, admonishing him to be faithful to his wife and son and admits he didn't quit the show, but was fired because of his age. Marshall is still reluctant to forgive until Moni