Provenance Of The Vase
1748 - Vase created for a member of the Austrian royal family 1867 - Vase given as a gift to the Reubl family 1939 - Reubl family heirlooms confiscated when their home is raided during German occupation; Johan Ruebl, escapes to France 1942: Great-Grandma Betty joins the Women's Army Corp Post-War - Grandma Betty Returns home after the war with the vase 1999 - With the future of the farm in jeopardy, Mary Lou, Peggy and Bunny send the vase to an art dealer |
Present Day
We join the POstables a few weeks after Higher Ground. Adjusting to their new space, the POstables happen upon the "Lost Mailbag of Harry Snapp" when Shane accidentally barrels her way into a hidden annex. Therein lies the vase, which literally "falls" into their possession. Curious about the item, they begin investigating, only to discover it was sent 18 years ago by three little girls looking to save their family farm.
Determined to track down the sisters and return it, Norman and Shane visit Norman's cousin, Igor to obtain leads about who the girls might have tried to sell the vase to. Meanwhile, Rita and Oliver seek out Dale for more technical help, and get a solid lead about the phone number and area code imprinted on the lone piece of paper they were able to recover from the water-logged box. When they regroup later at Bistro Ramon, Oliver gets acquainted with Rita's parents, Bill and Sunny, who have arrived to meet their future son-in-law who barrels in with good news and simultaneously causes Sunny to lose her glasses in Ramon's blender. The evening quickly comes to an end. |
Shane and Oliver follow Igor's lead and hit the antique stores on his list to find the dealer to whom the girls intended the vase be delivered. They find the shop, and the son remembers the girls who did, in fact, try and reach out after the vase went missing. Their conversation narrows the sending location to Edgewood, CO.
On their way back to the office, Oliver reveals he has enlisted the help of his father to clean up the damaged wall and newly acquired space. At the news, Shane hatches a plan to persuade Bill of Norman's fitness to be Rita's husband, as her parents were scheduled to stop by that day. Oliver reaches out to the postmaster in Edgewood, whom the POstables go to visit, leaving Joe, Bill and Sunny to work on the annex.
In Edgewood, the Postmaster is able to identify not only the sisters as the Kellser girls, but to share that they still live on the farm, at least until the auction happening the next Saturday. The POstables visit the farm to inform the family of the discovery and obtain the signatures of Peggy, Mary Lou and Bunny, only to discover that there's more to the story. Not only has Mary Lou not been seen for two years---and she and Peggy are apparently estranged---but their mother, Kim Kellser is battling a terminal illness.
In the kitchen, Peggy tries to find any way to acquire the vase without Mary Lou's signature. Making peace with the fact it's not possible, Peggy charges Oliver with finding her sister by handing him Mary Lou's business card. Attempting to establish ownership, Kim walks Rita and Shane through the family album, locating the picture of Betty on the day of her wedding with the vase. When Shane asks where it was taken, the answer is enough for her to insist she and her colleagues be on their way. |
Wednesday
Norman and Rita attempt revisit Mr. Benshan who is not only able to provide more information about the potential provenance of the vase, but has also identified a buyer.
Oliver spends the day tracking down Mary Lou, determining she is embedded with troops somewhere in the Middle East, his only option for contacting her making his way to New York for a satellite conference call. Shane books the flight and he leaves, promising to return "as soon as [he's] able."
Shane spends the day tracing the provenance of the vase, searching stolen artifacts databases, only to discover that it is, in fact, listed as stolen. Joe and Bill finish working on the new space, to celebrate, Norman invites everyone to dinner. Joe is unable to attend, and Bill, as with everything else, seems hesitant once again. Finally ready to confront her father about his behavior, Rita lays out the contents of her heart. |
Oliver arrives in New York and connects with Mary Lou over video chat.
Thursday
Shane goes to see Dale to confirm the status of the vase, only to have her concerns confirmed.
Friday
Having returned from New York, Oliver, along with Shane, revisit the Kellser's to break the news about the provenance of the vase. Later that evening, Bill, Sunny, Norman and Rita return to Bistro Ramon for a celebratory dinner. There, Rita's mom finally gifts Rita the bag her father had been carrying around. The gift is actually her imaginary childhood owl friend, Hudson. Bill also has a gift for Norman---the keys to he and Sunny's RV, as they have decided to settle down. Shane and Oliver, also there to celebrate, gift Shane's troublesome frame to Ramon.
Saturday The estate sale occurs, which Oliver ends by purchasing it with O'Toole Foundation funds, much to the surprise---and Joy---of the Kellser women. The only caveat is the expansion to an educational setting, which Rita's newly planted parents have agreed to run. Mary Lou returns home, and all is well. Before they leave, Shane delivers an email from Johan for the Kellser family. The same day, Norman and Rita, and Shane and Oliver, survey the Foundation's newest acquisition. Shane and Oliver share a moment among the cows. |
Have an awesome weekend re-watching Home Again to your hearts' content---I will definitely be joining you!
Set Straight,
~C