The Rachel Incident

The distance between Rachel and James grows. Though they have moments of intimacy, they struggle to regain their footing. One moment of closeness occurs when they are drinking wine out of their usual mugs and decide to destroy the mugs that Carey and Byrne used to drink out of. They throw them off the roof and watch them shatter. Despite this moment, James seems to be keeping a secret. He often takes phone calls he does not want Rachel to hear.

Rachel spends Christmas with her parents and agrees to spend St. Stephen’s Day with James at his mother and stepfather’s house. Her brother Kevin comes out to her as bisexual, and she tells him that she supports him. She feels relieved that he will not have to stay closeted like James and Byrne did and hopes that things are changing for the better.

At the St. Stephen’s Day party, Rachel is surprised to see their old coworker, Sabrina. She tells Rachel about moving to New York and how much she liked it. James sees them talking and asks Rachel to help him with drinks. He confesses that he is moving to New York because he won an internship for a late-night talk show.