Episode 106: “The Future Me”

A loud screech rips through the post office as the voice of the new Branch supervisor, Glynis Rucker, echoes though the PA system. Ears still ringing from Glynis’ announcement, the DLO team is hardly ready for the arrival of the perky carrier, Kimmi Cooper. Kimmi picked up an undeliverable letter on her route and decided to personally deliver it to the DLO office. Kimmi is also keenly interested in meeting Rita, her rival for the title of Miss Special Delivery. Shane quickly realizes Kimmi’s ulterior motives and moves quickly to shoo her out of the DLO office.

In the meantime, Oliver is turning over a new leaf after his emotional confrontation with Shane. After spending a night house cleaning, he’s unable to stop throwing away items from his past. That also includes the bin of lost letters from Paris, which he had been clinging to in hope that one letter would be from his wife. He attempts to reassure the team that he’s fine saying, “Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s delight. I stand before you, delighted.” Rita and Norman are not convinced, but the team is content to move forward and investigate the letter Kimmi dropped off.

The letter was found in the drawer of an old school desk. The delivery address was torn away and the forever stamp on the envelope means the letter could have been written yesterday or 7 years ago. Upon closer inspection, it appears that a young female wrote:

“Dear Mrs. Richards, Do you remember me? I hope so. My favorite color is purple. I hate math (it makes my head hurt). And I love stars. But more than anything, I looove flowers. Please tell me that you love flowers, too. I will be very sad if you don’t. But you know that, so why am I telling you? You were a beautiful bride. I know that’s true because your dad told me you were the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. Even Bobby said that the flowers in your hair made you look like an angel. You’re so lucky to have Bobby. He is sooooo handsome. I’ll bet all your friends are jealous. Remember to be nice to Bobby. Don’t be bossy. He just wants to take care of you. And try to get along with everyone, even when they say stupid, mean things. Just be happy. Oh…and I hope you’re dancing under the stars with flowers falling down. Because when I close my eyes, that’s how I see you.

Love,
Ellie”

After confirming the address of the furniture shop where the letter was found, Norman heads to the store for his first ever solo investigation. His absence gives Shane an opportunity to press Oliver about the distance that’s arisen between them. Oliver insists that nothing’s changed, but as Shane moves to brush a crumb from his shoulder, he reflexively pulls away. Fortunately, Rita walks in at that very moment, offering a much-needed break from the awkward situation. And as luck would have it, Shane has some important information for Rita.

Shane has learned that Kimmi Cooper is a “branch hopper,” someone who moves from branch to branch in a quest to become Miss Special Delivery. This information brings out the fighter in Shane, who is now determined to make sure Rita represents the branch in the pageant. But, as she talks with Rita, she learns that there may be a bigger problem ahead. The other contestant is the daughter of the new branch supervisor, Glynis Rucker. Glynis is a hardnosed supervisor who runs a VERY tight ship. And her daughter, Vivinee, has been dreaming of becoming Miss Special Delivery since she was a kid. What’s more, Glynis has it quite clear that she’ll squash anyone who gets in her way!

Back on the trail of the investigation, Shane and Oliver track Bobby Richards to a local flower shop. Bobby, who has Down syndrome, immediately recognizes the handwriting as that of his co-worker and girlfriend, Ellie. Bobby calls Ellie from the back of the shop for an explanation. Embarrassed, Ellie, who also has Down syndrome, explains that the letter was written to her future self as part of an assignment in high school. Ellie re-reads the letter, laughing and enjoying the walk down memory lane. She says she’s dreamed of marrying Bobby since they were teenagers and as soon as her parents give the ok, she will. As Ellie comes to the end of the letter her mood turns angry and she demands to go home. When Ellie gets home it becomes clear why she hasn’t gotten married. Ellie immediately confronts her father, revealing the deep-seated tension between a young woman wanting to be free and her father who won’t let go.

After what’s clearly been a long day. Shane joins Rita for a drink. At the bar, they discuss strategy for the Miss Special Delivery Pageant. As they discuss Rita’s talent, her flawless memorization of the 2014 Postal Handbook, Glynis Rucker shows up. Vivinee is also at the bar and is giving a show stopping singing performance. Seeing the competition up close, Shane decides they need to take drastic action. So with makeover on her mind, Shane gives Rita a sexy new look. Her new look leaves Norman and Oliver speechless! But the team quickly pulls themselves together when Ellie’s father shows up looking for details from the letter. Ellie and Bobby ran away to get married and the families are desperate to find them.

As it turns out, the wedding Ellie pictured in her letter was an exact description of her parents’ wedding. After a day of frantic searching, Ellie and Billy are finally found and while they did get their marriage license, they didn’t fill out a date. The couple refuses to get married until Ellie’s father gives his support. But unable to let go, Ellie’s father refuses to concede. Ellie storms off giving Billy the opportunity to confront Ellie’s father. Billy challenges Ellie’s father to confront his misconceptions about his daughter. Seeing that he, and not her disability, is responsible for holding Ellie back, he finally yields. In the same barn her parents were married, Ellie and her father walk down the isle. The spirit of the occasion also puts a crack in wall between Oliver and Shane. As the wedding winds down, Oliver asks Shane if she remembers the steps from their ill-fated dance. Shane says that they can give it a try. She takes Oliver’s hand, and the two dance together under the stars.

As luck would have it, the stage is also set for the finals of the Miss Special Delivery pageant. Norman, Oliver, and Shane anxiously wait for Rita to appear. When she does, they are shocked to see the plain old Rita and not her new sexy persona. Rita explains that she wants the judges to see the real Rita. But before she heads to the stage, Norman gives Rita one tip…to be like his favorite bug, the tree lobster. Its hard exoskeleton makes it virtually “unsquashable.” Despite Glynis’ threats to squash her, Rita stands “unsquashable” and proudly represents the DLO team in the Miss Special Delivery Pageant.

Episode 105: “The Edge of Forever”

A melancholy mood follows Oliver and Shane make their way into the post office. While Shane clearly felt their friendship was developing into something more, Oliver still clings to hope that his wife will someday return to him. The misread signs have led to an uncomfortable state in their relationship, made only worse by the Rita and Norman’s clumsy attempts to dance around the topic. However the team gets a welcome and much needed reprieve in the form of a large cardboard box containing a large manila envelope and an urn.

After the initial shock, Oliver inspects the envelope and sees the name “Maggie” written on the front. On the back is a note that reads, “This envelope has been included at the request of and by prior arrangement with the deceased.” Certain that quick database search will reveal the recipient, Shane clicks away at her laptop for any claims pertaining to “ashes” or “urn.” Her search yields nothing so Oliver opens the manila envelope and finds a single sheet of paper and two stamped envelopes. The envelopes are addressed to a Caitlyn Atkinson and another for a Vanessa Doherty. The single sheet reads:

“Dear Maggie, The time has come and here I am. I’m enclosing both letters for you to mail as soon as you receive this. After all we shared, you’re the only one I trust with them. Thanks for being there when it mattered most. And thanks for keeping your promise.

Your friend,
Carrie.”

Meanwhile, while looking for a misplaced stamp, Norman stumbles across Rita’s application for the Miss Special Delivery Pageant. Having spent days filling out the application, Rita’s hit a wall trying to determine a talent. Shane and Norman desperately try to come up with ideas for Rita’s pageant talent. Oliver suggests that she use her photographic memory to recite a speech by the first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin. The idea gets a cool reception with the DLO team. The brainstorming session is interrupted when Caitlyn and Vanessa arrive to claim the urn.

Prior to their arrival, the team was able to learn that Caitlyn and Vanessa are sisters and that the urn contains their mothers remains. While both are eager to retrieve the urn, they are insistent that it not be given to the other. Both women arrive within moments of each other and immediately begin bickering in ways that only family can. As the sisters argue over who should get the urn, Oliver points out that the original box containing the letters and urn were sent to “Maggie” and since neither of them are her, he cannot give the urn to either of them. Instead, he opens one of the letters and reads it allowed:

“Dear Caitlyn and Vanessa,

You are each receiving a copy of this letter. They were mailed for me by someone you probably don’t remember, but she was a good friend to us once when we needed one. By now I imagine you are wondering what has happened to my ashes and that each of you believes you should be the one to decide where my final resting place should be. And, if you fulfill my last wishes, you will. Do you remember the silly little tradition we used to have when you were children and Daddy and I would have a sort of treasure hunt on your birthday? We’d been such a happy family before. You loved each other so much that I could never imagine you would ever be anything but best friends. But, as we learned, terrible things happen whether we can imagine them or not. All a mother wants for her children is for them to be happy and to have each other when she is gone. But for the last thirteen years I’ve watched two little girls who seemed inseparable grow farther and farther apart. When I got sick, I realized I might never live to see you two be the sisters you used to be, but with this little treasure hunt, at least I will die hoping. So, here it is; go on this treasure hunt together. May it lead you both to me. And, I hope, back to each other.

I love you so much.

Mama.”

While neither Caitlyn nor Vanessa can remember Maggie, they both agree to take part in one final treasure hunt.

The first clue in the treasure hunt leads the two women to a mountain campsite. As they get out of the car and look at the lodge they immediately know where they are. The last time the sisters were at the campsite was 13 years ago when their mother brought them to celebrate Vanessa’s birthday. The culmination of the trip was to be a special hike to find a point called the edge of forever. Unfortunately the hike never happened. As the girls and their mom headed out for their hike, they stopped at the lodge. On the television, they saw the news that the flight their father had taken home was one of the planes that crashed on September 11th.

As memories flood back, the situation becomes too much for Vanessa and she storms off. While Caitlyn runs off to search for her, Oliver and Shane sit down to talk. Emotions reach a fevered pitch as Oliver tries to explain his decision to end their dancing. As a “married man” Oliver says that their partnership was “ill-advised.” Shane counters, telling Oliver that she did an online search for his wife and was able to learn that Oliver’s wife signed a 3-year lease for an apartment in Paris. Oliver fumes at the invasion of privacy while Shane insists that she only wanted to help her friend. Oliver responds, telling Shane she presumes too much by assuming they are friends.

While the emotional turmoil of the occasion has slowed the progress of the treasure hunt, the arrival of Maggie puts everything back on course. Maggie, who owns the camp and was there on that tragic day, explains that several months before, Vanessa and Caitlyn’s mother came and asked her to hold the next set of clues until the sisters arrived. Maggie pulls the letter from a cookie jar and reads it out loud.

“A treasure waits for you to find, but only if you leave behind whatever each has in her heart that kept two sisters so long apart.”

It’s then that the sisters reveal the inner guilt and self-blame each felt over their father’s death. The moment reveals to both of them that now, they are all they have. The final lines of the letter implore the two sisters to disperse their mother’s ashes together; to take the hike they never got to and find the edge of forever. As the sisters walk through the forest they come upon a breathtaking clearing where mountains rise above the valley. As Caitlyn and Vanessa open the urn and prepare to disperse the ashes, they realize they should say a prayer. Shane looks to Oliver, saying as a man of faith he would be the perfect person to deliver a final prayer. As the two sisters join hands and disperse their mother’s ashes, Oliver speaks:

“Whenever I have sorrow, Whenever clouds arise, when songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow and I know… He watches me.”

Episode 104: “The Masterpiece”

In preparation for their upcoming dance recital, Shane selects a hip new song for she and Oliver to perform to. Her choice does not go over well with Oliver, sparking a lively debate between them. Their bickering is interrupted by Cora Brandt who, enthralled by Rita’s novel, exclaims that Rita is her hero and that her novel is a sure fire best seller! Still unaware that he’s the love interest of Rita’s novel, Norman seems more occupied by a package jamming the DLO’s mail chute. After jumping into action, Norman retrieves a tattered package with a letter sticking out.

The letter reads:

“Dear Dad. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other when we used to be together every day. I’ll never forget the day I realized that I loved being your son, but I would never be the son you wanted me to be. If this sounds like an apology, it is. I’m sorry I’ve let so much time go by. I just wasn’t ready. But my life has changed so much and I’m starting to appreciate why you wanted so much for me. I’m sending this gift to you to prove that I finally made it. It’s my way of saying that, despite our differences, the best part of you lives in me, and the best part of both of us is my gift to you. Love, Danny.”

With a little research, the DLO team learns that the package and letter were sent to Henry Barrett 3 years ago. Shane and Oliver then track Henry to the address listed on the package. When they arrive, a neighbor informs them that Henry lost his home and business after a bout with cancer. Henry now lives, works, and spends most of his time at a local bar. Shane and Oliver meet Henry at the bar where they learn that Henry and his son Danny haven’t spoken since Danny ran off to college. Henry, who owned and ran an auto repair shop, had a falling out with his son when he revealed that he was going to New York to study art instead of taking over the family business. The two men argued, and Henry told his son, “You’re not an artist. You’re just a kid who doesn’t have the guts to face the real world.” Danny stormed off and swore he wouldn’t speak to his father again until he had made a name for himself. A decade later, the two men still have not spoken to each other.

In order to learn more about the situation, the DLO team opens the rest of the package. Upon opening the brown wrapping paper, the team finds a beautiful painting. Assuming the piece was one of Danny’s, they take the piece to a gallery where they learn that Danny was a promising painter who exploded onto the New York art scene before tragically losing his life in a fire. The team also learns that the painting is one part of a 3-paneled triptych. Shane researches the piece and discovers that in its entirety, the piece tells the story of Danny’s past, present, and future. In the final panel Danny sent to his father, Danny painted a small figure in the corner. Upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious that the small figure is a baby. With this information in hand, the team has to tell Henry that he has a grandchild, but first they have to tell him that his son is dead.

Before the team talks to Henry, the saga of “Renita Hayweather, Frontier Duchess” needs to be addressed. At the expense of actually supervising, Cora is completely entranced with Rita’s novel. What’s more, as Cora gets deeper into the story, it become obvious that the novel is a fantasy representation of Rita’s actual infatuation for Norman. For her part Cora attempts to help Norman realize what’s going on, but his innocence and naiveté keep him blissfully unaware. As Cora reaches the last page of Rita’s book, she makes one final attempt to help Norman see how Rita feels about him. While well meaning, Cora’s efforts only reveal the enormity of Rita’s heart. And while Norman remains completely unaware, Cora consoles Rita by telling her not to worry about anything, because she is magnificent.

With the final page turned on the Duchess, Shane and Oliver head off to find Henry. As any father would be, Henry is devastated to hear of his son’s death. But hope springs eternal and Henry is buoyed by the prospect of meeting his grandchild. It’s then that Shane decides to set up an online meeting between Henry, his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughter. As Henry and his daughter-in-law Sarah talk, the 2 other pieces of Danny’s final triptych hang in the background. Henry offers to send the last piece back, but Sarah counters, asking him bring the painting when he comes to meet his granddaughter.

While Henry and Sarah get acquainted, Oliver and Shane revel in a job well done. But the mood immediately darkens when Oliver tells Shane that he is pulling out of the dance recital. Despite all their hard work and the obvious chemistry between them, Oliver reveals that he only intended to take a few lessons. Oliver then goes on to confide in Shane that his ex-wife had given him the dance lessons as a gift several years earlier. Oliver believes that his reluctance to take the lessons contributed to his wife’s decision to leave him. What’s more, it is Oliver’s hope that someday his wife will return to him and he’ll be able to dance with her. Shane holds back her emotions, saying simply, “We were good together.” Olive returns to the DLO office and sits down at his desk. Looking at his calendar where he has written “our anniversary,” Oliver tears off that date and crumples it in his hand.

Episode 103: “Soulmates”

With Theresa Capodiamonte’s sudden departure, the DLO team regroups and welcomes their new supervisor, Cora Brandt (Della Reese). Unlike Theresa, Cora is less interested in the unique way lost letters are delivered. Cora decrees that from now on the team is “swinging for the fences,” and if a recipient can’t be found by the end of the day then the letter is to be shredded.

Among the lingering stack of lost letters is a large box with what appears to be copies of a manuscript. Upon closer inspection Cora is able to make out the title, “Renita Hayweather: Frontier Duchess” by Rita Haywith. As the team looks at Rita in shock, Rita proclaims Theresa Capodiamonte told her to be bold and courageous so she decided it was time to let her friends in on her secret. Cora sits down and begins reading the manuscript. As she begins reading the romantic tale of Renita Hayweather and Mr. D’Lorman, Cora thrusts a lost letter into Oliver’s chest.

Examining the water-damaged letter, Oliver discerns that the letter’s origin is Evergreen Colorado. Written on ledger paper, there appears to be a faint logo in the left hand corner of the letter. While the logo is damaged and provides no extra clues, the letter itself is fairly legible and reads:


“Dear Marie,
It was incredible seeing you again. But I have to be honest, it was painful too. You spend all those summers and holidays with your best friend and then she just disappears, well, it’s a hard thing to get over. I’ve always believed there was a reason I saved your life that day. I thought it was so we could spend the rest of it together. Then four days ago, you walk back into my life as if the last ten years had never happened. Please, Marie. Please don’t get married next Saturday.”

Soon the team learns that the Marie in the letter is a microbiologist working for the World Health Organization. Marie spent her childhood vacationing with her family at ranch in the mountains of Colorado. While there, Marie met a young boy named Sam. Sam, the son of a cowboy, and Marie became friends and eventually fell in love over the years. Sam even saved Marie’s life when she slipped on a trail, nearly falling to her death down a steep ravine. But as time went on, Sam and Marie lost touch and their love faded into distant memories. But all that changed when Marie came back to the Ranch.

In the time since Marie and Sam went their separate ways, Sam went from cowboy to owner of the ranch. During a WHO conference at the ranch Marie and Sam reconnected. In the middle of their reunion Marie dropped a bombshell, telling Sam that she was engaged. Although devastated, Sam couldn’t abandon his love for Marie, so, he wrote her a letter, telling her how he really felt. Sam sent the letter but never heard back and 8 years passed before the letter made its way to the DLO team.

As the team works to track down Marie and Sam, another mystery is vexing members of the team. Shane has noticed that Oliver seems oddly preoccupied, taking strange calls and even, on occasion, wearing cologne. Oliver confides to the team that he has been taking dance lessons. And with a student showcase approaching, Oliver is increasingly concerned about his partner, 85-year-old Louise, who ran into a former flame and eloped to Mexico. In desperate need of a new partner, Oliver asks Shane to step in.

After tracking down Marie, the DLO team attempts to deliver the letter to her. As they approach her home, they see a seemingly happy Marie alongside a handsome man and bouncing a small baby. The team presumes Marie married and they decide not to disturb her life with a letter from her past. They return the letter to Sam who is understanding and appreciative of their efforts. He tosses the letter into a fire and prepares to move on with his life.

But all is not as it seems, upon further investigation, the team discovers that Marie and her husband divorced and the family man they saw her with is actually her brother. With the letter destroyed, the team relies on Rita’s eidetic memory to recite Sam’s loving words to Marie. Hearing the letter makes Marie realize that even though she was married, Sam was always her true soul mate. Marie and Sam reunite at the ranch bringing their generational love together again. As they embrace, Sam reveals that he had spent all these years building a cabin for the two of them to spend their lives together. As the sun sets on the mountains, Marie and Sam gaze off at their new home and new life together.

Episode 102: “To Whom It May Concern”

It’s the end of the month and performance review time for the Dead Letter Office’s team of Postables. During Oliver’s tenure as section leader he has consistently earned the highest scores of anyone, but this time, Theresa is determined to dig into Oliver’s mind and learn how he makes the team so effective. The end of the month is also ‘Impossibly Ripped and Mangled Day’ and this month’s most ripped and mangled letter is also postmarked 4 years ago. Having worked through lunch, Shane convinces the team that this investigation is best handled over dinner.

Grabbing a bite to eat at the Mailbox Grill, Rita brings up her utter amazement at the teams new supervisor, Theresa Capodiamonte. Despite all of Theresa’s postal accomplishments, she’s still working to pursue her dreams of becoming a stage performer. She’s even landed a small part in a local production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Rita is clearly inspired by Theresa’s moxie, but she’s not yet ready to openly share her dreams with the other Postables. Norman’s vivid dreams about cheese with feet does however provide the perfect segue for the team to get back to the investigation at hand. Oliver pulls a torn and tattered piece of paper from the equally mauled envelope and finds a letter reading:

“To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Samila I am eighteen years old and I live in Seattle, Washington. I have tried everything – I’ve called all your official phone numbers, I’ve checked all sorts of online websites and searched dozens of archives but nothing has worked, so I am turning to you, whoever opens this, and I am hoping you will care enough to help me. I am trying to find the man who saved my life and changed it forever.”
Accompanying the letter is a request for military service information along with a personal card addressed to ‘Buzz.’ The letter has piqued the team’s interest, and citing Oliver’s belief in miracles and making a difference, Shane volunteers to see the letter is delivered to the US military.

Oliver and Shane head to Ft. Platte where they meet with the Public Affairs Officer, Capt. Hopper. After explaining the situation surrounding the letter, Capt. Hopper points out that his office gets similar requests all the time from Vets looking for old buddies and ex-wives looking for money. The Captain thanks Shane and Oliver for doing their duty and throws the documents into a large stack of papers labeled “SEARCHES.” As Oliver tries to mention the personal card accompanying the letter, Shane interrupts him, sliding the letter into her bag, thanking the Captain for his time and making a hasty retreat. Oliver quickly follows, clearly disturbed at Shane’s disregard for rules and regulations. He confronts Shane about her actions to which she counters that she would rather put her faith in Oliver’s ability to find “Buzz” than leave it in a pile of bureaucratic red tape.

Back at the dead letter office, Oliver, Theresa, and the team open the letter…

“Dear Buzz. This is Samila. Sammy. I hope you remember me, because I’ve never forgotten you. I have so many things to thank you for. But first, I guess I should thank you for the socks…”

Now we learn that Buzz was a soldier serving in the Kamdesh District of Afghanistan. While opening a care package from his mom, Buzz encountered a young girl named Samila. The friendly soldier offers the little girl a pair of handmade socks to which she repays him by offering him a traditional Afghan hat. The hat belonged to Samila’s father and was the only thing she had left of him. Over the coming months Buzz taught Samila to read and even worked with her to start a small school where they taught other Afghan children to read. All that came to end however when the Taliban launched a mortar attack, destroying the school, wounding Samila, and forcing the soldiers to abandon their post. Buzz rescued Samila from the attack, staying behind while placing her into a waiting helicopter.

In the letter Samila says she remembers very little after Buzz put her in the helicopter. However, Samila did make it to America and became a student in Buzz’s home state of Colorado. A quick internet search revealed that Samila is a college senior and is graduating this weekend. The Postables take their “license to deliver” and head out to find Samila.

At the university, the team finds a Samila working in the library. She sits with the Postables and shares her memories of Buzz. Besides being kind, Samila remembers the amazing brownies his mom sent every month. Everyone loved them and gave them a nickname, “Peg’s Practically Perfect Brownies!” As it turns out, the Postables had investigated and rerouted a box of Peg’s Brownies before. The owner, Peg Parker, began her brownie company to honor her son who served in Afghanistan. And thanks to Rita’s photographic memory, the team is now hot on the trail. But there is one problem…Peg started her company to “honor her son,” leaving the team to fear that he may no longer be alive.

After tracking down Peg, the team learns that “Buzz’s” real name is Benjamin. And while she never thought she would say it about her own son, Peg has no idea where he is. Peg goes on to describe the man her son became after his tour of duty. She said he was restless and would disappear for days at a time until one day he didn’t come home. He called once for his mom’s birthday but when she asked where she could send him some brownies, he paused before saying, “Don’t. I don’t deserve them.” He hung up the phone and that was the last time Peg spoke to her son.

With some help from Capt. Hopper the team is able to track Buzz down to a ministry for homeless vets. They also learn that he was awarded the Purple Heart, but left the award in a VA hospital before falling of the grid. Feeling that they may be close to finding Buzz, Oliver and Shane head to the ministry where they meet Pastor Perry who points them toward a disheveled and unkempt man pushing a cart of flowers through the pews. When Oliver calls him Buzz the man stops moving and immediately looks up. He, Shane, and Oliver take a seat in a pew where Oliver hands Buzz the letter from Samila.

Sitting in a pew, Shane tells Buzz about the young woman whose life he saved. Buzz opens up saying he feels guilty for teaching Samila to read and making her a target. It’s than that Oliver reminds him that his sacrifice gave Samila a better life. Oliver reaches out his hand to Buzz, and after a moment, Buzz takes it.

Now that they’ve found Buzz, the Postables must overcome the problem of turning a homeless man into a cleanly shaved and well-dressed gentleman. Quoting John Adams, Theresa reminds the team “There are no problems. Only opportunities in disguise.” With moments to spare, the cleaned up Buzz makes his way into the auditorium, filled with graduates and their families. As Buzz and the team watch, Samila makes her way to the stage to receive her degree and to give the valedictorian speech. Before she starts her speech, she puts out her leg, revealing the red sock she got from Buzz. Samila delivers a moving speech, even crediting Buzz for inspiring her to teach inner-city children. As Samila speaks about the gifts and sacrifices of others she sees Buzz walking towards the dais. Samila runs off the stage and the two share a long awaited and emotional embrace.

Having reunited Buzz and Samila, the Postables rush to make the curtain call at the community theatre. Playing Glinda the Good Witch, Theresa gives the performance of a lifetime. Her performance is so well received that Theresa decides to leave her career with post office and pursue her acting dreams. And in a farewell reminiscent of Oz, the living legend Theresa Capodiamonte wishes the Postables well before taking her final curtain call.

Episode 101: “Time to Start Livin'”

It’s the start of a new week for the team of intrepid postal detectives tasked with tracking down the recipients of undeliverable mail. Amongst the hustle and bustle of shuffling letters, Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), the rigid leader of the team, makes his way to the office. As he moves through the mailroom, he bumps into department newcomer and resident technophile Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth). As Oliver and Shane arrive at the dead letter office they are greeted by the free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe) and the nerdy but lovable Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson).

It’s a particularly special day at for the dead letter team as they prepare to welcome their new supervisor, the legendary Theresa Capodiamonte (Valerie Harper)! As 6-time recipient of the prestigious ‘Dark of Night’ award, Theresa Capodiamonte is a legend in the postal community. The once aspiring Broadway performer followed the dreams of her father, joining the postal service and working her way up to becoming a “goddess in the postal Acropolis.” From the moment she walks into the office, her larger-than-life personality captivates the team. Theresa is also a former colleague of Oliver’s grandfather. A postal legend in his own right, the memory of Oliver’s grandfather is an unseen hand, inspiring Oliver to maintain the highest standards in postal excelence.

With the team assembled and their new supervisor in place, it’s time to get down to the work of delivering lost letters. Oliver selects a letter addressed to ‘Gramma’ at the ‘Lend Him Her Manners.’ The letter also includes a child’s drawing, presumably of the author and his grandmother, standing in front of two trees with a wind chime hanging from one of the branches. There is also a message, “P.S I’m bringing more spoons so we can make another one.”

With just these few details to go on, the team almost immediately discerns that the letter is intended for one of the presumably many ’Grammas’ at the Lendimer Manor Retirement Home. The letter goes on to say that since ‘Gramma’s’ birthday is the next day, and since he’s “pretty sure the retirement home is just down the road,” he’s going to sneaking out of his house and ride all night until he gets to ‘Gramma’s’ retirement home. The author closes the letter by saying that ‘Gramma’ “has to call him Owen now.”

Based on what they’ve determined, the dead letter office team head to the Lendimer Manor Retirement Home to find Owen’s ‘Gramma’. At the home the team finds a few “Babbas,” “Bubbys,” “Grammys,” and “MawMaws” but no “Grammas.” The team approaches Donna, the activities director at the home, for help at whittling down the search. Donna leads the team to the music room where they find a group of “Grammas” rehearsing for an upcoming musical cabaret. As luck would have it, one of the “Grammas,” Vivian, has a birthday the tomorrow. But instead of being happy, Vivian is clearly agitated by the attention and is adamant that she doesn’t know anyone named Owen. Vivian refuses to accept the letter and sends the Oliver and the team away.

At lunch with Theresa, the team can’t escape the feeling that Vivian is in fact their missing “Gramma.” After analyzing the clues they realize that Vivian was doing all she could to avoid talking about her family in front of Donna. It’s then that it becomes obvious that Vivian isn’t forgetting her grandson, but that she’s protecting him. But from what?

The team runs back to the retirement home, but this time, they do everything they can to keep Donna occupied while they talk to Vivian. While Rita distracts Donna, Oliver and Shane confront Vivian one-on-one. It’s then that Vivian reveals that her grandson’s real name is Casey and that she doesn’t know where he or his parents are. Casey recently witnessed the murder of a drug kingpin. Vivian reveals that terrible threats were made against Casey’s life and that if anyone found out where he was, his life would be in jeopardy. As a result Casey and his family were sent into witness protection until after he can testify at the trial. Shane immediately begins researching the case and even stumbles across a picture of the suspected murderer and his accomplice. Shane recognizes the accomplice as Donna, the new activites director at the home. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place and it’s clear that danger is a lot closer than anyone suspected.

With time ticking away, the dead letter team races to get intercept Casey before he makes his doomed bike ride to the retirement home. But on her way out of the home, Vivian gets cornered by Donna. Donna makes an unusual point of buttoning her coat and tightening her scarf. What Vivian doesn’t realize is that Donna also slyly grabbed the letter in Vivian’s pocket, containing all the information about Casey’s whereabouts.

Now that Donna has everything she needs to get to Casey, Vivian and the dead letter team move at break-neck speed to head her off. Luckily, Norman, with a little help from his real estate mogul cousin, is able to set up a diversion that sends Donna to the wrong house. Donna walks up to the home, gun in hand, and rings the bell. After no one answers, Donna peers into a window, seeing what appears to be an empty house. Realizing she’s been had, Donna attempts to run away. But before she can make a break for it, Oliver opens the door and the police pull into the driveway. A police officer orders Donna to freeze and put her hands up–she’s busted.

With Donna in custody, Shane, Norman, Rita, and Vivian frantically search for Vivian’s grandson. Just then, a squad car zooms past illuminating a little boy riding his bike. Vivian immediately recognizes Casey, jumps from the car, and runs to embrace him.

But all is not finished for the intrepid team of postal detectives. With Vivian reunited with her family, the Lendimer Manor needs a replacement for the musical cabaret. Enter Theresa Capodiamonte, who bravely takes the stage and fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a Broadway performer…even if it is on a slightly smaller stage!