Overview of 'Providence' Season 4

Episode 1 - Dad

Release Date: 28 Sep. 2001

Jim is rushed to hospital by ambulance with the mob-inflicted head wound meant for Fearless. Joe Connelly's divorce is announced in the press. A month later, Robbie is too furious the police makes no progress for Tina's divorce decree to stir rampant joy, but realizes a cat left the shooting day without valid contact address is probably the killer's alibi; alas his set-up with a waiter's roommate's tip only attracts cops, who arrest him and Heather. Joanie proves an ingrate again when Elliot can return to Chicago now his ma bankrolls another catering business for him....

Episode 2 - Home Sweet Home

Release Date: 5 Oct. 2001

Robbie impresses fiancée, Tina, and Pete with his handy-man skills, also it's his way to hide from his moody dad, who falls and seems to have great trouble remembering anything not related to animals. Jim's professional psychiatric therapy is hard enough to cope with without whining Joanie butting in. She refuses to take notice of Syd's medical expert advice that the father may need institutional care. Heather is rushed off her feet and alone in the surgery, and looses cocker-spaniel Arthur. Syd's hunky adolescent pneumonia-patient Jason Zeller has nobody to take care...

Episode 3 - Impulse Control

Release Date: 12 Oct. 2001

Heating Pete still hasn't picked a school project. Helpful Robbie sweetly volunteers to help make his coolest ever, a rocket, but is told that pa Peter is much cooler with cars. Jim is cranky and a bit loony, ordering gardening gnomes from TV, and grumpy. Syd tries to juggle her agenda with Joe's and a plastic surgery patient.

Episode 4 - You Can Count on Me

Release Date: 19 Oct. 2001

Joanie plays the domestic martyr of the world, even Robbie's marriage announcement is scolded as 'selfish rubbish'. Bride Tina is determined to be understanding, so Robbie pushes them to bond by shopping for the wedding, while he minds winers dad and Hannah. This works, and they're incredibly lucky. Jim fails to return to his beloved surgery and chase his temp Sam; Heather welcomes him back 'assisting', but he gets so frustrated he smacks Fearless' snout. Joe Connelly's senatorial campaign nears its end, so he invites Syd along to Washington D.C. Syd worries about ...

Episode 5 - Civil Unrest

Release Date: 26 Oct. 2001

Young Pete is hostile towards the wedding, Tina grounds the boy 'till he apologies' for preferring an ice-hockey match with his dad Peter. This is answered with a lock-out barricade; poor groom Robbie is caught in the middle and squirms heroically both ways till he can come to the kid's rescue. Jim is miserable now that Fearless is afraid of him, and his surgery role may be reduced to fur-grooming, although his relevant memory starts returning. Syd is finally frolicking with Joe, but days before the senatorial election his veteran adversary Susan Bradshaw starts ...

Episode 6 - Best Man

Release Date: 2 Nov. 2001

Robbie's wedding preparations prove pure torture, especially if Tina's dad and twin mates the cops have their wicked prankster way, which only appeals to dad's reduced mental abilities, making him a worthless best man, her ma is pathologically vain. Syd ignores a hint to buy Robbie a microwave and gets nearly scolded when she pretends to know 'obviously' what her 'kid brother' -the offensive phrase- wants, her alternative crystal punch bowl breaks in the commotion. After the idiotic in-laws' coarseness chases him from his own bachelor party, getting blamed for dad ...

Episode 7 - The Honeymoon's Over

Release Date: 9 Nov. 2001

Even Robbie's "accelerated" three days Miami honeymoon looks miserable as his nose hurts when he tries to kiss. Even if they got there despite trouble with the cheap airline, Thrifty; when they do, so did a hurricane. Jim goes on external coached rehab therapy for a day but walks off even more irritable, especially attacking busy-body Syd, who is told by the therapist she may need help with her own trauma of 'loosing' the father she knew.

Episode 8 - Rocky Road

Release Date: 16 Nov. 2001

Tina tells Robbie to write wedding gift thank you cards and help Pete with his school project on Jupiter in the morning, so they can train for his skateboard tournament in the afternoon. However, the boys get bored and sneak off. Robbie shows his most daring trick but Petie copies and breaks a wrist. Neither dares telling Tina, who blames the brand new step-dad. Dad's insurance finally pays for his rehab therapy. He holds back to spare fellow patients, even making troublemaker George his buddy. Joanie is presented to the occupational therapist and basketball coach ...

Episode 9 - Gobble, Gobble

Release Date: 23 Nov. 2001

While young Pete is off to his dad Peter for Thanksgiving, Robbie tells Tina he's on pub duty till 11PM on their first married holiday, but secretly plans a turkey barbecue dinner with Heather and vegetarian Hindu Raji's hopeless help, with a ridiculous result. Jim finally gets to take a bus to go shopping alone again, and promises the driver Diego Sandoval to pick up his mother from the airport. However, he loses his wallet and accepts a wild ride from punks he was too kind too. Joanie and Hannah enjoy a wheelchair visit from Phil Sutton, whose family never ...

Episode 10 - The Mating Dance

Release Date: 14 Dec. 2001

At Christmas time, Robbie and Tina look forward to a day alone when Petie stays with a friend. Syd's patient Charlie Alway, a Brown student in Ancient languages, mainly Latin, complains of excessive fatigue. Her own therapist insists she must learn to take time for herself. Phil Sutton invites Joanie and Hanah to spend a non-traditional Christmas on 'mono-ski' with him.

Episode 11 - The Start of Something Big

Release Date: 4 Jan. 2002

Robbie is promised a percentage in O'Neils if he and waiter Artie can save the authentic Irish pub from a threatening chain. It starts badly, when an accident's aftermath attracts only pregnant women. Jim is finally allowed to test living independently; he passes but worries about fellow patient Meredith who has nobody at home and needs a sponsor to resume his veterinary practice. His temp refuses, after he 'borrowed' a kitten for Meredith. Syd's therapist agrees she has come to terms with dad's condition, but may still need help with her personal life, or the ...

Episode 12 - Shadow Play

Release Date: 11 Jan. 2002

Robbie worried he will be fired when pub owner Terra O'Neil's visits, despite his great business-boosting innovations like a baby salad and Friday live band. Instead he gets a proposition to take over as managing partner for 25% of the profit. Tina sees Syd behind his back about her 'pregnancy' symptoms, and tells him they're not ready for a baby; they both reconsider. Jim is finally back in the veterinary surgery, albeit it shadowed by his temp, and finds a way round a dog's minor owner's father's religious objections against medical 'meddling'. Syd's clinic is under...

Episode 13 - The Good Fight

Release Date: 25 Jan. 2002

Pete has fought with Nicole at school, so the principal insists 'parents' Robbie and Tina chaperon them at the winter dance that neither kid even wants to attend, each embarrassing the kid their gender with outdated 'tips'. Pete ends up the only boy in a suit, but they sneak out to skateboard and bond anyway. Jim is finally back in the surgery's driver seat. His canine patient belongs to a couple in marital crisis and swallowed a crucial prop. Syd accepts a med school class, with insecure eager beaver Alexander Conrad. She dislikes unconventional, erudite top lawyer ...

Episode 14 - All the King's Men

Release Date: 1 Feb. 2002

Robbie took Pete along to meet his now destitute 1980 idol band, Wings of Lead. Since their manager just took off with their van, he buys one 'as a family car' and becomes their manager/roadie. This is cool in Petie's eyes as reporting on it counts as a school report and he digs the lead singer's teen daughter (however dodgy in Tina's eyes). Seeing fan-mechanic Violet likes her Robbie too much Tina takes Petie home, leaving him alone, until she decides whether to tell him her big secret. Jim is finally back in charge, but decides to promote his temp to permanent ...

Episode 15 - Act Naturally

Release Date: 22 Mar. 2002

Robbie has a hard time defending his van with Tina, who compares it to the canoe Peter bought was she was expecting Petie, so his promises to sell it. Dad expects his drivers license back, and buys a rare vintage motorcycle to ever-broke Robbie's envy. When Syd is invited by residency friend Richard as guest speaker on a UCLA alumni luxury reunion, she takes flirtatious Joanie along to LA. Robbie, meanwhile, minds Hannah and accepts to counsel a medical series -rather like her life- that Richard is producing. After fun trips and tours, Joanie is the one who loves ...

Episode 16 - Limbo

Release Date: 29 Mar. 2002

Robbie's sudden urge to paint the apartment, general paternal attitude and weirdly coming and going health complaints are diagnosed by Syd as nesting and sympathetic pregnancy syndrome. As her lawyer Owen Frank believed her case would only be tried in weeks, Syd decided to forget about her indefinite suspension by helping Joanie at the Barkery, but is miserable without medicine, her all-consuming vocation, and her rigid efficiency just won't square with either customer service or the kitchen, where she's out-staged by a former summer temp which she suggests should be ...

Episode 17 - The Whole Truth

Release Date: 5 Apr. 2002

Robbie decides to earn extra money to set up a trust fund for the baby. However, Tina wants him to pull the plug on surprisingly lucrative parties at O'Neils when she discovers it's how prostitutes recruit customers. Syd won't have the family attend her jury trial but can't wait, so she decides to track the victim's grandfather herself. However, Owen discovers the overbearing mother Lenore Decker gave a fake name. Syd meets the real dad, a charming 17-year old Jack Finch, after visit hours and messes up her testimony, but Owen gets inspired. Immature Joanie decides to...

Episode 18 - Gotcha

Release Date: 12 Apr. 2002

Robbie asks dad to 'babysit Petie' so he and Tina can retreat to sort out their tax claims urgently, but Jim can't move his earlier date. That means poor Pete has to play with Hannah and her doll-house, which he proves great at but can't admit to it when a pair of hockey-mates drop by. In fact the young couple are firstly to frisky to get much paperwork done, then rather obsessed with picking baby names, which they can't agree on. Owen encourages Syd, whose patient accountant John Smith is tax season-stressed, to play ruthlessly in a city-wide Gocha (paint gun mystery...

Episode 19 - Great Expectations

Release Date: 19 Apr. 2002

After Tina objects to Robbie joining Pete's eager preparations to welcome the (baby) brother he wants, they decide not to learn the sex yet, but a temp nurse hands Pete ultrasound pictures. Owen's attempt to give Syd a nice night out keep going pear-shaped, leading to bets and a row about cheating at games. Joanie's professor fails her besides the point Madonna rapport (not a word on the music!) but invites her along to a live band concert, yet she's pissed-off to find that's no private date, so she drops his class- actually what he waited for. Jim dates Georgia, by ...

Episode 20 - Things Have Changed

Release Date: 26 Apr. 2002

Robbie considered Pete's school PTA a waste of time, but his fund raising idea is carried: he's put in charge of the talent auction (and freak show), assisted by the junior rascal, with a painful and an honorable twist. Owen is flat out but his assistant is absent, so Syd barely gets his attention during dinner. Documentarian Kevin Norris however, whom her Heimlich saved while choking at O'Neils, eagerly invites her to lunch and proves a fascinating, erudite and good listener. Owen strikes back at a tuxedo event. Jim accepting to join Georgia up-coast to a motorcycle ...

Episode 21 - Smoke and Mirrors

Release Date: 3 May 2002

Robbie gets a 30 days renovation eviction notice, and decides it's better to take a mortgage for a house, so he goes looking for one with Pete. However who would take his bid seriously without pre-approval, which his bank denies? While Owen starts to get a bit possessive, Syd discovers Kevin's friend Tim is an imaginary patient, and tells her therapist she suspects he has schizophrenia. Syd learns Kevin still lives with his ma, who confirms he is in long-term medication and discovers he stopped taking it some days ago, which 'they' overhear. Heather instantly ...

Episode 22 - Out of Control

Release Date: 10 May 2002

Robbie's family is getting desperate to find new lodgings, within 16 days, while the renovation has already started, so he takes the first place he can get. While Jim successfully delivers Patty's puppies, Tina has a crash C-section, but she and Robbie's premature son pull trough. Owen and the police have difficulty protecting Syd now schizophrenic Kevin had sent photographs suggesting that he's a danger to her loved ones too. Joanie is still spoiled with attentions from both Phil and Jackson, but tells them to stop rivaling, yet refuses to choose.