Episode 501

**Episode 501** is the first episode of the fifth season of NBC's *Circle of Life*. It premiered on September 24, 2019 and is the seventy-third episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

In 1974, Bonnie recounts her eventful summer. In 1996, Bonnie and Dan meet for the first time, while Billy attempts to make new friends. In 2012, Bonnie and Dan get used to their "new normal", and Ann struggles with Hunter beginning middle school.

## Recap

### **1974-75**

#### **June 1975**

Bonnie sits in a therapy circle, where several people recount stories about what led them to where they are now. When it gets to Bonnie, she reveals that her life really started going upside down during the previous fall, but it all started in the summer of 1974, which she begins to retell.

#### **June 16, 1974**

The graduating class at Fort Smith High School begins to come on stage as several people, including Stella, accept their diplomas. However, as it gets to the "M" surnames, Bonnie is not announced, and it goes to Jacob accepting his diploma. Bonnie leans against a tree, watching her classmates graduate. Stella waves a hand at her. After the graduation is over, Stella and Jacob go over to Bonnie and we learn from them that she dropped out a few months ago. They inform her they are going to Orville's, and Bonnie agrees to come.

Bonnie drives home and quickly changes into a dress in her car, before entering her house, where Wilma and Larry are excited to see her, and the rest of the family is at the dinner table. Wilma is upset that the school supposedly changed the graduation to a "students-and-faculty-only event" to save money. Bonnie apologizes that they couldn't be there, but Mark nearly ruins it by saying he didn't hear the school announce the change, which Bonnie covers up by saying they only told the senior class. Wilma excitedly informs Bonnie that her parents are coming so they can have dinner together. Bonnie apologizes again to say that she and her friends were gonna go to Orville's. Wilma wants her to stay, but Bonnie says she won't. Wilma reminds Bonnie that even though she hasn't graduated, she is still seventeen, and Bonnie angrily exits to her room.

#### **July 7, 1974**

Bonnie's birthday party is being held at Stella's house and Bonnie refrains from drinking and smoking as always, which Stella criticizes her for. Jacob arrives, with a friend in tow. He introduces him to Bonnie and Stella as Ricky Sander. He and Bonnie have an interesting introduction, which Jacob notices and seems worried about.

#### **July 28, 1974**

Bonnie and Jacob are on a double date with Stella and Ricky, who have begun dating. Ricky seems to continually flirt with Bonnie, which she blows off, but Stella notices and she storms off. Jacob apologizes to Bonnie, and uses Ricky being an ex-felon as an excuse. Bonnie once again brushes it off, but when Ricky and Stella return, he seems to have too hard of a grip on her arm, which Bonnie does notice.

#### **August 1974**

Stella and Ricky have a public break-up in front of their friends, in which Stella mentions the "other girl" and then blows past Bonnie's attempts to console her. Jacob asks Ricky what happened, but he doesn't seem to answer. Jacob asks Bonnie about Ricky, and she confirms that she has no interest in him, which reassures him. However, Bonnie leaves with Ricky that night.

The next morning, Bonnie awakens at Ricky's apartment and realizes her family is awake by now. She sneaks out and manages to change back into a dress in her car, before climbing behind her house and almost through the window, before Mark finds her. Mark pleads with her to just tell their parents what's happening with her, but she refuses, saying she can make her choices now. As Mark decides to leave her alone, a cigarette package falls out of Bonnie's dress.

#### **September 1974**

Bonnie and Ricky have continued secretly hooking up, and she and Stella no longer talk, while things with Jacob are strained, as he suspects but does not want to confirm. Bonnie and Ricky discuss what would happen if she were to get pregnant, and Ricky decides he does not want to talk about it, and she leaves. Returning home late at night, she is found by Wilma, who tells her that Mark finally came to her with what he saw. Bonnie breaks down in front of her mother and begs her to keep loving her. Wilma tells her that she will always love her no matter what, and they share an embrace.

#### **June 1975**

Back at the therapy session, Bonnie reveals that there is more to the story, but it would take a while. A fellow member mentions it is obvious there is more and points down, and for the first time, we see Bonnie pregnant. The session then wraps up, and Bonnie prepares to leave.

### **1996**

#### **September**

Michael wakes up in bed with Miranda and they realize their alarm never went off. She quickly gets dressed and sneaks out the back door, while Michael meets his mother and brother in the dining room. Bonnie notices he seems off, but Michael brushes past it. Miranda knocks at the door, and Bonnie welcomes her in. However, Billy asks her why her shirt is inside out, and Bonnie puts together what happened, glaring at Michael.

Bonnie drives Billy to school, where is worried about trying to make new friends, especially now that Phillip is graduated. Bonnie cheers him up and tells him to "be yourself", which he rebuffs. As Bonnie is pulling out of the school parking lot, she almost backs into a man, before quickly stopping. Getting out of her car, she angrily warns the man of what happened, and he apologizes, saying he was just told by his teenage daughter to "leave and never come back". Bonnie apologizes for overreacting and introduces herself, and the man is revealed to be a younger Dan.

Michael meets Oliver for lunch and the latter asks his friend about when he will propose to Miranda. Michael is surprised, as he and Miranda have only been official for nine months, which Oliver says is more than enough time to know whether she's "the one". Michael laughs it off, but Oliver continues giving him a look. Oliver suddenly sees Miranda with another man in the back of the restaurant, and tells Michael they should leave.

Billy eats lunch alone, and watches as a group of girls mocks him. However, one of the girls sits down with him, prompting her friends to all sit with her, but they continue to ignore Billy. The girl introduces herself as Della, and Billy smiles as they shake hands.

Bonnie and Dan are on a date now, and they get to know each other. Bonnie confides in him about her years with Ricky, and Dan reveals his wife passed away a year ago. Bonnie asks about his daughter, and Dan reveals she is sixteen, and he also has a son that is fourteen. Bonnie mentions that Billy is fifteen, and Dan says that they should get them together. The two have a clear connection.

Oliver confronts Miranda about the guy she saw him with and she reveals that her uncle died, and that was her cousin coming to reconnect. Oliver apologizes, but Miranda tells him to stay out her relationship. After Oliver leaves, the man from earlier appears and Miranda tells him that Oliver is onto them.

Bonnie returns home and Michael and Billy are there. Bonnie asks Billy how his day was, and he says that it went better than he thought it would. Michael asks Bonnie where she was all day, and she tells him that she was just out running errands. Bonnie goes to her bedroom, where she adds Dan's number to her list of important phone numbers.

### **2012-13**

#### **September 2012**

It's been six months since Billy's wedding, and Michael and Ann have been doing better as a couple. Hunter is beginning middle school, causing Austin to feel left out. As Ann drives the kids to school, Austin leaves without saying a word to her. Michael returns to work, now a supervisor. His former co-workers congratulate him on the new title, while Billy seems to be less appreciative. At their house, Bonnie and Dan prepare for a special dinner that night.

Vanessa posts a video of Audrey singing on the way to school on Facebook, and sees Kari's post about her and Billy's "six month anniversary", causing her to turn her phone off in anger. However, she picks it up again to call her mother, where she confides about her and Billy's night together before his wedding, which Eileen is taken aback by.

Dan has lunch with Tiffany for her birthday, but he is refraining from eating, as he and Bonnie are going out that night. Tiffany remembers what Dan is doing and promises he and Bonnie will be okay. Dan says he knows, he just doesn't want to think about it. Tiffany informs him that she is pregnant, and Dan is excited, as is Tiffany.

Michael and Billy talk over lunch about their respective wives, and Billy reveals that Kari has a "taste for finer things". Michael also reveals that he and Ann have been doing good recently, which Billy is happy about, as he wouldn't want to imagine Bonnie's reaction to learning both her sons are getting divorced.

Austin continues his silent streak with Ann, while Colton raves about his new teacher. Ann returns home, and is called by Hunter's middle school, informing Ann she forgot to pick him up. Ann realizes she is not used to driving to two schools, and leaves Austin in charge of Colton.

Bonnie and Dan are finally at their big dinner and they have a great time, before Bonnie says she will miss him. It is revealed that Dan has taken a job in Seattle, but Bonnie wants to stay in Portland, so Dan will drive down on weekends. The happy couple enjoys their last night together, as Dan has already packed up everything.

Ann returns home with Hunter, but he is unaffected by being left behind. Austin finally reveals that Ann is neglecting him, and she apologizes to her son, promising to split her time equally.

#### **March 2013**

Michael is at a grave, where he apologizes for everything that happened, and leaves behind a rose.

### **2022**

In an unbeknownst time period, a young man is at a diner and flirts with the waitress, before it is revealed they are already dating. The man and his girlfriend, Hallie, spend the next few months continuing their relationship, before he gets down on one knee to propose. In the process, Hallie reveals his name as "Hunter", and a calendar behind them reveals the year as 2022.

## Cast

### **Starring**

#### **1974**

* Sabrina Carpenter as Bonnie McDaniel
* Peyton List as Deborah McDaniel
* Isabela Moner as Stella Borne
* Alex Wolff as Ricky Sander
* Rhys Matthew Bond as Jacob Murphy
* Jeté Laurence as Karen McDaniel
* Jack Dylan Grazer as Mark McDaniel
* Jacob Tremblay as Joel McDaniel
* Mia Talerico as Janelle McDaniel
* Jaxon Bartok as Steve McDaniel
* Charlie Weber as Larry McDaniel
* Judy Greer as Wilma McDaniel

#### **1996**

* Maggie Grace as Bonnie Sander
* Danny Masterson as Dan Newman
* Leo Howard as Michael McDaniel
* Nolan Gould as Oliver Dunham
* Max Charles as Billy Sander

#### **2012**

* Maggie Grace as Bonnie Newman
* Paul Reiser as Dan Newman
* Zachary Levi as Michael McDaniel
* Gal Gadot as Ann McDaniel
* Alexa PenaVega as Vanessa Sander
* Tyler Hoechlin as Billy Sander
* Elias Harger as Hunter McDaniel
* Matthew Stagg as Austin McDaniel
* Brock Brenner as Colton McDaniel
* Gia Balzano as Audrey McDaniel

### **Guest Starring**

* Abby Ross as Miranda Harper
* Malina Weissman as Della
* Alexander Ludwig as Miranda's Cousin
* Jon Cryer as Brent Fulton
* Shantel VanSanten as Kari Sander
* Devon Werkheiser as older Hunter McDaniel
* Emma Dumont as Hallie

## Trivia

* In Live+Same Day ratings, the episode averaged 9.57 million viewers and a 2.6/11 18-49 rating/share. In DVR ratings from the next seven days, the episode acquired 5.51 million viewers and a 1.1 18-49 rating, so overall the episode was viewed by 15.08 million viewers and received a 3.7 in the demo.