Christopher Keyser Movies

At long, long last, 30-year-old Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox), legal guardian of his four younger siblings, has tied the matrimonial knot with his erstwhile sweetheart Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq), who had come into the lives of the Salingers when she was hired as nanny for the younger children during Season One of Party of Five. By the time that the series' sixth and final season has run its course, Charlie and Kirsten will have become parents. Alas, the relationship between Charlie's 21-year-old brother Bailey (Scott Wolf) and his live-in girlfriend Sarah Reeves is a thing of the past--principally because actress Jennifer Love Hewitt) has transferred her characterization of Sarah to the spinoff series Time of Your Life. Nor is this the end of Bailey's woes; having hired his late dad's former partner Joe Magnus (Tom Mason) to manage the family's San Francisco restaurant, Bailey has his trust betrayed when Joe embezzles the profits and plunges the establishment into financial ruin. With all these setbacks, Bailey returns to his drinking habit--big time! In another development, 20-year-old Julia Salinger (Neve Campbell) is studying for a literary career at CalArts, while her marriage to Griffin (Jeremy London) further disintegrates. Suddenly, Julia's high school sweetheart Justin Thompson (Michael Goorjian), who hasn't been seen since Season Three, returns to San Francisco, reeling from an unhappy marriage of his own. Inevitably, Julia and Justin rediscover one another, and the old romantic spark roars back into flame. Elsewhere, Bailey's lifelong buddy Will (Scott McCorkle), who'd once gone steady with the departed Sarah, lands a good job in sports management; and the redoubtable Daphne Jablonski (Jennifer Aspen), the mother of Charlie's daughter Natalie, finds work at a strip club--and also finds time to begin an affair with Julia's hubby Griffin; and 16-year-old Claudia Salinger (Lacey Chabert) is able to graduate from high school a year early and fulfill her life's dream of enrolling at Julliard. As the series winds down, Bailey sells the family restaurant to finance Charlie's purchase of his own furniture business, and at the same time goes "cold turkey" and re-enrolls in college. And perhaps inevitably, Charlie decides that it is time to move his family out of their familiar lodgings and into more economical digs, thereby setting up the opportunity for extended flashbacks to the Salinger's fondest memories of the past six years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season Five of Party of Five marks the fifth birthday of Owen Salinger, youngest member of the orphaned Salinger clan. Having been previously played by twin infants Brandon Porter and Taylor Porter, Owen is now portrayed by a single child actor, Jacob Smith--and, unfortunately, has also been revealed to have a learning disability. Elsewhere in the San Francisco-based Salinger household, 29-year-old Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox), legal guardian of his younger siblings, is left to raise his baby daughter Diana alone when his irresponsible girlfriend Daphne (Jennifer Aspen) takes a powder. Charlie and his 20-year-old brother Bailey (Scott Wolf) later engage in a nasty custody battle over little Owen, but eventually Charlie allows Owen to live with Bailey and his girl friend Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt). Meanwhile, although 19-year-old Julia Salinger (Neve Campbell) is still the wife of Griffin Holbrook (Jeremy London), she enters into an affair with Ned Grayson (Scott Bairstow), the violent-tempered boyfriend of Julia's Stanford roommate Maggie (Heather McComb). And musically gifted 15-year-old Claudia Salinger (Lacey Chabert) is busily cooking up strategies to break out of boarding school and return home. As the season draws to a close, Charlie moves in with his former fiancée Kirsten (Paula Devicq), whose marriage to Dr. Paul Thomas (Tim Dekay) is on the rocks; and, balking at the notion of marrying her live-in boyfriend Bailey, Sarah prepares to leave for New York. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The unusually stark and somber opening credits indicate that this is going to be a particularly powerful and hard-hitting episode. Finally coming to the realization that Bailey's drinking is completely out of control, the rest of the Salinger family, backed up by Grace (Tamara Taylor) and Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt), decide that it is time for showdown. Despite their combined efforts, Bailey (Scott Wolf) not only refuses to join Alcoholics Anonymous, but he also insists that he doesn't have a problem--and when they press the issue, he lets loose a devastating barrage of cruel and hateful counter-accusations. With no other option, the family gives Bailey an ultimatum: either shape up, or ship out...permanently. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The good news at the outset of Party of Five's third season is that the Salinger family has regained full control of the restaurant owned by their late parents. The bad news is that the much-anticipated marriage between eldest son Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox) and the younger kids' ex-nanny Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq) has been scuttled in a spectacular fashion (Charlie and Kirsten are still together, but they've given up all plans for marriage--or at least think they have). In the season opener, Kirsten is coldly unsympathetic to the marital woes of her mother Ellie (Kathleen Noone); Charlie's brother Bailey (Scott Wolf), his girlfriend Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and his best pal Will (Scott Grimes) are stranded in Mexico when their car is stolen; and Bailey's sister Julia (Neve Campbell) angrily confronts her returning ex-flame Griffin (Jeremy Holbrook)--who mollifies her with a surprise revelation. Finally, no one believes the youngest Salinger daughter Claudia (Lacey Chabert) when she announces that she's found her true love at summer camp. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charlie (Matthew Fox) is outraged when the parents of his ex-fiancee Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq) storm into town after Claudia (Lacey Chabert) informs them of Kirsten's current emotional turmoil. Even worse, Mr. Bennett (Nicholas Pryor) holds Charlie completely responsible for the fact that Kirsten has lost her prestigious job and been booted from the PhD program--and he intends to take legal action against the Salingers. Elsewhere, Julia begins having second thoughts about attending Dartmouth; and while celebrating their "independence" from their families, roommates Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Callie (Alexondra Lee) drink a wee bit too much liquor...a "harmless" indulgence that will have negative repercussions in the weeks to come. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Julia (Neve Campbell) and Justin (Michael Goorjian) feel both sad and guilty when their classmate Libby commits suicide--and also begin to wonder what the future holds in store for them. For her part, Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) thinks she has the answer to that question, and finally breaks up with Bailey (Scott Wolf), who has failed her once too often. Meanwhile, Charlie (Matthew Fox) is forced to do some serious soul-searching when an unpleasant secret comes to light during a reunion with his high school buddies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While out of town to watch Claudia (Lacey Chabert) rehearse for a concert, Bailey (Scott Wolf) is seized with the overwhelming urge to start drinking again. Back at home, Grace (Tamara Taylor) thinks that she's prengant--and Charlie (Matthew Fox) is disappointed when it turns out that she isn't, nor does she ever want to be. And while driving to Nevada with Julia (Neve Campbell), Griffin (Jeremy London) makes a snap decision that will profoundly change both their lives. This episode marks the final appearance of Alexondra Lee as Callie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The sudden death of their parents forges a strong and impenetrable bond between the five Salinger children as the hour-long drama series Party of Five begins its first season. Appointed his siblings' legal guardian, 24-year-old Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox) works days as a carpenter and nights tending bar at the San Francisco restaurant once owned by his father, but now run by Joe Mangus (Tom Mason). Bailey Salinger (Scott Wolf), at 16 the second oldest member of the clan, appoints himself treasurer and troubleshooter of the Salinger household; 15-year-old Julia (Neve Campbell) is still traumatized by the loss of her parents; 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert) continues honing her skills as a violinist; and 1-year-old baby brother Owen (played by twins Brandon Porter and Taylor Porter) gurgles and goos, undoubtedly secure in the knowledge that his older brothers and sisters will always look after him. Hired as a nanny for the younger children, Berkeley graduate student Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq) begins dating Charlie, incurring Bailey's jealousy. Before the season is out, Kirsten's duties are taken over by a guy named Bill (David Burke) when she and Charlie become engaged. Meanwhile, Bailey dates such high school contemporaries as Kate Bishop (Jennifer Blanc) and Jill Holbrook (Megan Ward), whose addiction to cocaine yields tragic results in the season finale; and Julia starts going out with Justin Thompson (Michael Goorjian), a budding journalist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi