Monica and Tess laugh as they look at themselves in the mirrors of the fun house at the Grazeldi circus.  Tess reminds Monica that, like their distorted mirror images, the circus is all about illusion.  Davey Tucker seems like circus, yet Davey dreams about being a regular boy.  Davey's father Leroy, an achondroplasoc dwarf, works as a circus clown.  Since Wally Grazeldi is unable to pay the performers, many are quitting the show.  But Leroy steadfastly remains, and Tess, a ""talent scout"" offers the talents of Monica as a clown and Andrew as a ringmaster.  What Wally really needs is a human cannonball.  He asks Leroy, but Leroy refuses, he has a phobia of small spaces.  As Monica is coached in clowning by Leroy, she begins to learn more about the Tuckers, how close the father and son have been since Davey's mother, also a little person, died when he was a baby.  Davey befriends Mary Jane, a local schoolgirl who is teased by her classmates for being overweight.

A Clown's Prayer

Roma Downey

Della Reese

John Dye

Larry Peerce

Mother's Day

Monica's Bad Day

In the middle of the African desert, Andrew snaps photographs of Sudanese slaves in the hot sun.  Back in the United States, young Thomas Cooper is upset that his mother, Senator Katherine Cooper, has to return to Washington D.C.  Monica is horrified to see the pictures that Andrew took, and wonders why the angels aren't in the Sudan.  Tess indicates that Thomas is the little child that will lead them there.  In Washington, Dr. Joseph Akot, working with Andrew and Monica, approach Kate about the problem of slavery in the Sudan, but Kate, espousing the Sudanese  government's position, denies its existence.  They persuade her, however, to keep the pictures and reads Dr. Joe's letter, which says that slaves can be bought and sold for fifty American dollars.  Thomas is moved by one of the pictures in particular, of a small Sudanese boy, who Thomas names Sam after his older brother who died before Thomas was born.  Thomas pleads with his mother to rescue Sam, but tells him that the issue is

Such A Time As This

In July of 1944, a month after D-Day, a small squad of American soldiers make their way through the deadly battlefields of Normandy, part of the attempt by the Allied forces to re-claim France.  Led by Sergeant Walker, the men are weary, and anything but unified.  Cynical Private Joe Farady takes bets in how many casualties there will be at the end of each day.  Private Eddie Rourke, full of optimism, is constantly at odds with Joe.  Privates Nick Dante and Homer Stucky comprise the rest of the squad.  Monica, on a Search and Rescue mission, watches over the man unseen.  Through a flashback, we learn that the feud between Eddie and Joe began several months earlier, in an Allied canteen.  Joe is upset to find Eddie dancing with Stella, a USO hostess whom Joe considers his girl.  Stella isn't interested in Joe and tries to let him down easy.  Tess, a USO singer, tells Monica that she is assigned to Joe, that she must help him decide to become a hero.  Back on the battlefield as the comba

The Compass

A support group for terminally ill people try to prepare themselves for their own death. Monica leads the group and helps each of them recognize what they want to do to fulfill their final wishes.

The Last Day of the Rest of Your Life

As Monica and Tess drive through the crop fields of central California, Monica comments on their beauty.  But when Tess asks her to take a closer look, Monica sees the hardworking families, including many young children, toiling over the crops in the hot sun.  One such family is the Morante clan.  Patriarch Roberto works tirelessly alongside his wife Elisa, his teenage son Tino, and younger children Claudia and Miguel.  They migrate with the season, always traveling to the part of the country that is being harvested.  One of their few joys is the letter they receive each week from their grandmother.  Roberto is illiterate so he has Tino read the letter, though Tino would rather be listening to classical music on the car radio.  As the Morantes settle in the latest migrant camp, they meet Monica, the church volunteer, Andrew, the camp supervisor, and Rafael, a fellow migrant worker.  At church on Sunday, Tino discovers the piano and begins to play.  Tess offers to be his music teacher.

The Letter

Molly Avey's preparations for her husband Jordan's 40th birthday surprise party are interrupted by a phone call from her doctor's office, they suspect she may have cancer, the disease that killed her mother and grandmother at the same young age.  Andrew, working as the Avey's farmhand, believes that Molly is his assignment, but Tess cautions him that there may be some other surprises.  Despite Andrew's pleas, Molly refuses to tell Jordan about the phone call and spoil the party.  Instead of being happy at the surprise, Jordan seems depressed to find everyone gathered in celebration.  He finds some joy in talking with his good friend Donna, and they reminisce about their high school romance.  Molly and Jordan's young son Jimmy interrupts the party with the news that one of the cows has gone into labor.  Jordan, Andrew, and Jimmy struggle to deliver the calf, and it is born premature.  Jimmy plans to raise the calf and names it Hannibal, but Jordan tells him that some things are meant to

Til Death Do Us Part

On Halloween night all the angels have their hands full, and this night is no different for Monica, Tess, and Andrew, who attend to a spiritual battle at Salt Lake City's Mercy Hospital.  The ambulance brings Lonnie, a deranged and suicidal homeless man.  Lonnie frequently visits the ER and Duncan, the head of the ER and Lonnie's best friend from childhood, has diagnosed him with Multiple Personality Disorder.  Andrew arrives to comfort Lonnie, but suddenly lucid, Lonnie claims to be ""Gregory"" and recognizes Andrew as an angel!  Andrew looks to Tess for some insight and she relates Lonnie's history.  Many years ago, when Tess was Lonnie and Duncan's Sunday School Teacher, she taught them that faith in God is like a mustard seed, though little, it can grow to be very large.  Despite an abusive home life, Lonnie struggled to have faith, and cherished the mustard seed that Tess gave him.  One Halloween though, a prank gone awry resulted in Lonnie burning a house down.  Monica then continu

The Occupant

In New York City, Tess and Monica enjoy the vocal talents of some street performers, but when Monica tires to join in Tess points out that, clearly, singing is not one of her gifts.  Monica reminds Tess that she has always prayed for a beautiful singing voice, and when she hears one echoing down the halls of Carnegie Hall, she believes God has finally answering her prayer.  much to her disappointment, Monica finds the voice really belongs to a rude English orphan named Alice.  Alice is in New York to perform in a vocal contest with her choir, and Monica's assignment.  Tess tells Monica that she is to give Alice a ""singing lesson.""  Monica reluctantly agrees to be Alice's chaperone for the day, and they start to explore the city.  Alice, who remembers a song her father taught her, wants to see Herald Square, and Monica, trying to be friendly, takes her there.  At Herald Square, Monica meets Andrew posing as a mime and relates a story.  Centuries ago, in heaven, Monica was kicked out of

Voice of an Angel

Monica, Tess, and Andrew sit on a Chicago park bench reading the Chicago Daily Guardian, a tabloidesque newspaper with the motto: ""If It's The Truth, It's News.""  The angels  cringe at the sensational headlines and Tess notes that there is more to the truth than just the ""facts"" these articles portray.  According to Tess, Liz Bradley, the editor of the Guardian, is suffering from a contagious disease, cynicism.  She is Monica's assignment.  When Monica arrives at the Guardian to  interview for a reporter job, she meets eager young Ray, who works as a gofer while awaiting his big break as a reporter.  Liz is impressed with Monica and hires her, assigning her to a story about possible shady  dealings between Mayor Hunley and some Taiwanese officials.  Liz teams Monica with the Guardians' star reporter Lauren,  who is also Liz's younger sister whom Liz raised.  Lauren feels that Liz is to obsessed with her work, and as a result, the sisters fight frequently.  Soon after Lauren and Monica

The Whole Truth And Nothing But...

In Andrew gives a tour of Taffy Town to a group of young schoolchildren.  Taffy Town seems like a wonderful place, as evidenced in the warm video that plays for visitors hosted by the founder, Uncle Dudley.  He is known to children as the man who makes all the taffy in the world.  Tess reveals that when Uncle Dudley died five years ago, the spirit behind Taffy Town died with him.  Monica meets Bo, son of Uncle Dudley and the current owner of Taffy Town.  Bo has never been able to live up to his father's genial image, and has come to hate being saddled with the responsibility of Taffy Town.  To make matters worse, Taffy Town is losing money, and Bo hires Monica as an efficiency expert to figure out why.  Monica starts to interview the employees of Taffy Town, and finds the veteran staff to be hard working, yet a little lacking in spirit.  Clarence, a blind man, works as the taste tester.  Susie, following in her family's footsteps, works the big taffy machine while nursing a quiet love

Then Sings My Soul

Robert and Brianna return to their impoverished hometown of East St. Louis for the Thanksgiving holiday.  This tradition annoys Brianna, who worked hard to leave this city behind, and wishes that Robert's widowed mother LaBelle would come to their safe and wealthy neighborhood instead.  Monica and Tess watch unseen as Robert welcomes in the season with a beautiful carol played on his treasured trumpet.  When a local homeless man named Gabe is drawn to the music, LaBelle welcomes him in for dinner, much to Brianna's chagrin.  LaBelle tells Brianna that she is happy in East St. Louis, where she knows her neighbors and volunteers at the soup kitchen.  After the holiday, Robert and Brianna work hard to afford their home by selling water filters.  Though money is very tight, Robert buys LaBelle a cell phone for safety reasons.  She calls him late one night to tell him that a vandal has broken a window in her home, so Robert promptly leaves for East St. Louis.  Hours later, Andrew, a policem

The Christmas Gift

At a New Year's Eve party in the final minutes of 1999, the angels meet Angela, their new assignment.  Tess tells Monica that Angela is reluctant to enter the new millennium because she does not want to give up the past.  Tess also informs her that Angela has forgotten about an important appointment that she has made many years ago.  in the crowded chaos of the party, Andrew, working as a waiter, accidentally spills some champagne on Angela's dress.  Angela graciously retreats to the ladies room where she meets Monica, the attendant, who is able to clean her dress.  Monica recites a poem to Angela, ""Oh! To be alive in such an age!"" and this triggers a childhood memory about Angela's father.  When she leaves the ladies' room, the commitment-weary Angela becomes nervous when she oversees her escort, Nick, showing Andrew an engagement ring.  Later, on the terrace, Angela tells Andrew about her father, Carl, whom she idolized.  He was full of spirit and had a love of great poetry.  Angela

Millennium

In Tess and Monica are on hand to witness their next assignment, Jim Sullivan, get fired from his job as a construction foreman.  Trying to warn the project managers of potential safety hazards, Jim instead incurs their wrath.  Tess reminds Monica that humans value themselves for what they do, rather than for who they are.  In light of this, the angels must keep Jim from making any desperate decisions.  Unable to find more construction work, Jim takes a low-paying job as a limousine driver and worries that he will be unable to financially support his wife and two daughters.  As the bills pile up, Jim does make a desperate decision.  Tailing his co-worker's advice, Jim decides to drive a questionable by generously-tipping client around for the evening.  Monica, the limo dispatcher, warns against it, but the  promise of quick cash is too tempting to refuse.  Stuart Deane, Jim's passenger, is secretive about his business and appointments.  Jim learns too much when Deane leaves their last

With God As My Witness

Andrew, on assignment as a sixth-grade teacher, resides over a parent-teacher night at the school.  A simple game the parents plat turns into a scene when a divorced couple, Martin and Janet, argue over who better knows their son, John is humiliated in front of his classmates, but quietly hides his grief as Tess and Monica watch, unseen.  As Andrew builds a relationship with John, he begins to understand the tug-of-war that is John's life.  John lives with his mother and her new husband Phil, and spends the weekends with his father.  When Martin and Janet do have to deal with each other, their communication is riddled with subversion and insults.  One weekend while John and Martin eat pizza at a local restaurant, they run into Andrew and Monica, who describes herself as an ""advocate"", someone who helps people.  When Janet arrives at the restaurant to deliver John's homework another fight erupts, and John decides that he would like to enlist Monica's services to help him divorce his par

A House Divided

Greg and Ellen Sawyer have been married for 19 years.  Tess and Monica's assignment is to make sure they stay married well past twenty.  Greg, a successful Portland developer, is often to preoccupied with his work to notice Ellen.  But when securing a business deal takes precedence over their 20th wedding anniversary celebration, Ellen begins to question her marriage.  When Monica, working as Ellen's assistant, helps her go through some old boxes, Ellen discovers love letters from an old boyfriend, a musician named Denny.  The passionate letters reawaken Ellen's sense of romance and she begins to wonder if she made a mistake in marrying Greg instead of Denny.  Meanwhile, Andrew refuses to sell Greg a lucrative piece of property that would cement Greg's plans for a waterfront condo.  In the ensuing negotiations, Greg barely notices when Ellen leaves to celebrate their anniversary alone at their cabin in the woods.  Instead of going to the cabin, Ellen detours to Oregon City, in hopes of

Buy Me a Rose

Monica is ecstatic to be assigned to help her beloved Ireland, where she first set foot on earth.  Her assignment is a group of teens from Northern Ireland, whom she hopes to persuade to come to the United States through a program called Project Children.  However, the group of teens is made up of both Catholics and Protestants, religious groups that have been fighting a bloody religious war for centuries.  Recently, a peace treaty was signed, but peace is dependent on the youth of Ireland.  Monica interviews teenagers of the program, and finds bitterness and prejudices on both sides.  She hopes that two particular teenagers, Tommy, a Catholic, and Rose, a Protestant, will be able to lead the others into peace.  Tommy's brother Gavin, whom Tommy greatly admires, also encourages Tommy to work towards peace by accepting the trip to America.  In America, the teens find that their prejudices are strong, and they are reluctant to overcome them.  The first night, Tommy and Rose both wake fro

Life Before Death

The angels arrive at the Cherry Lanes Bowl-A-Rama where they meet Ziggy, the unhappy owner of the alley.  Despite the fact that it is technically the angels ""night off,"" Monica takes immediate interest in helping the cantankerous woman.  Ziggy, who is too proud to ask for help from anyone, refuses Monica's offers to watch the counter.  At the same time, Darrell, a security guard, is led into the bowling alley blindfolded.  Darrell's friends have brought him to Cherry Lanes to celebrate his birthday, unaware that Darrell and Ziggy, though once best friends, haven't spoken in years.  Ziggy's resentment of Darrell is immediately apparent.  As Andrew and Tess teach Monica to bowl, she's ecstatic when she knocks down one pin, but even more excited to learn that she gets a second chance at the remaining pins.  On another lane, Tess counsels Renee and Warren, a newly engaged couple, who argue about whom to invite to their wedding.  Monica questions Ziggy about her anger toward Darrell and sug

A Perfect Game

Monica, Tess, and Andrew find themselves in a New York art museum, each assigned to a different individual.  The museum is full of visitors of all ages, including a class of young children on a field trip.  Keeping a wary eye on these youngsters is Bud, an older security guard whose retirement begins at the end of the day.  Bud has emotional walls between himself and the rest of the world, and it is Tess's assignment to help knock them down.  Monica is talking to Antonio, an artist who despises his displayed painting, a modern art piece compromising of yellow and above black whose dividing line is flawed by a solitary bump.  In another wing, Andrew has revealed himself as the angel of death to Constance, a woman who has just discovered that she has cancer and is trying to determine what she has contributed to the world.  Tess discovers that Bud is obsessed with a painting of a little girl holding flowers.  Bud protects this painting more than any other in the museum, and even makes the

Here I Am

Ross Berger, an 83 year old owner of a successful chain of exercise gyms, credits his recovery from a stroke to his own physical strength and will.  He considers himself a self-made man and believes religion is for the weak.  Ross' son Alan, on the other hand, is a man of faith in God and a well-respected college professor who deeply values his Jewish heritage.  Alan's son Aaron, who is preparing for his bar mitzvah, admires his grandfather's physical strength more than his father's spiritual faith.  Monica and Tess agree to help Ross produce an exercise video for stroke victims, while Andrew tutors Aaron in Hebrew, teaching him the true meaning of the bar mitzvah, the acceptance of his new responsibilities as a man of God.  Alan's wife Connie is worried about Ross' influence on Aaron, but is even more concerned about Alan's frequent dizzy spells, one of which results in a serious car accident.  When Alan receives the news that he is dying from a rapidly growing brain tumor, he confide

Bar Mitzvah

As Monica and Tess discuss the end of winter, Tess reminds Monica that in some places winter lasts all year round.  One such place is the Kewanee Women's Correctional Facility where Monica's assignment, Carla Robinson, is doing 25 years to life for murder.  Monica joins the prison staff as a social worker and begins to implement a prison theater program.  With Tess' help as a prison guard, Monica is able to get a small group of the prisoners to open up about themselves and their crimes.  Carla though claims to be innocent and spends her time trying to get a pardon.  Meanwhile, Andrew is a hospice nurse to Santos Gonzales, the father of Orbie, the man Carla was convicted of murdering.  Even after several years, Santos is still bitter about Orbie's death.  At the prison, Monica chooses to play ""Agnes of God"" for the women to perform for the rest of the inmates.  ""Agnes of God"" tells the story of a young nun who becomes pregnant as a result of being raped.  Agnes is accused of murdering t

True Confessions

Toni Cozzi organizes her life the same way she runs her family, in adherence to rigid schedule.  Monica and Tess watch unseen as Toni prepares for her day, completing even the simplest tasks with perfect timing.  Toni's way of keeping her family safe.  That family includes: Amy, a high school volleyball player, and Angelo, the youngest, whose specialty is playing the tuba and getting into mischief.  The family is just days away from the grand opening of their new pizza parlor ""Paul and Toni's Perfect Pizza.""  Monica is hired as a chef and Andrew as a handyman.  As Monica begins making the pizza, it becomes apparent that Toni won't reveal the secret of her family sauce, not even to her own family!  At the same time, Toni worries about Amy's increasing appetite and water intake, and about her general moodiness, scared that Amy is getting into drugs.  When Amy collapses on the volleyball court, the doctors diagnose her with juvenile diabetes.  Tess, the nurse, teaches the family about the

Quality Time

Abby is a 71 year old widow who spends her days watching soap operas and her nights doting to her overly-attached son Phillip and his wife Judith.  Monica and Tess's assignment is to help cut the apron strings between mother and son.  When Monica arrives at Abby's door to collect clothes for the ""Living the Rest of My Life"" Retirement Community fundraiser, Abby is skeptical.  Later, when Tess tells her about the activities that take place at ""Living the Rest of My Life,"" Abby agrees to visit to see for herself.  Abby is excited to find many seniors who keep busy with all sorts of activities, though she tries to mask her enthusiasm.  She meets Ramone, a young graffiti artist who serves mandatory community service hours by helping Andrew, the Community's handyman, paint the hallways.  Abby also meets Lois, a retired artist and widow, who hides in her apartment angrily refusing to socialize with the other community members.  Abby uses Lois and Ramone as reasons why she wouldn't want to mo

Living the Rest of My Life

Ricky Hauk has just received the news that he's being laid off from his dead-end job as a mechanic at Al's Gas Station.  Ricky vents his frustration by writing poetry on the bathroom wall, quickly erasing it before it can be preserved for posterity.  Monica is hired to take inventory at the station, and she encourages Ricky to pursue his writing.  When Shelley, a local college student, arrives with her snobby boyfriend Marshall, Ricky is immediately smitten.  When Marshall notices Ricky's college hat, he accuses him of being a poseur, and the boys exchange words.  As Marshall and Shelley leave, Ricky discovers Shelley dropped her school I.D.  Later, Ricky agrees to help his little brother Joey win the Invention Convention at the College.  When Shelley returns to the station in search of her I.D., Ricky claims to be a student at the college.  Shelley suggests he enroll in her writing class.  Ricky agrees to check it out.  Ricky's mother Ellen is frustrated to find out about Ricky's plan

Stealing Hope

Late one night in New York City, a desperate Monica hails a cab and demands that Merl, the driver, take her to the Queensborough Bridge, she says if she doesn't reach the bridge by 10 pm, someone will die.  Flynn Hodge, the proprietor of Flynn's Bar and Grill also hops in the cab, claiming Monica hasn't paid her dinner bill.  Tess and Andrew watch from the curb, noting that Monica is having a really bad day.  in the cab, Monica tells the man that she is an angel and that they think she is crazy.  Monica reminds Flynn that it was something he did earlier in the day that led to this desperate situation.  Flashback to that morning, Flynn rushes to the bank to appeal a foreclosure on his restaurant.  Due to Monica's poor parallel parking job, Flynn misses his meeting and, despite Monica's apologies, he yells at her.  Tess counsels Monica to forgive Flynn right then rather than harbor her own anger and take it out on someone else.  Meanwhile, Andrew counsels Simon to meet his estranged son

Celine sits at the grave of her friend Petey Carmichael giving him an update of the things that have happened since his death.  She tells Petey that his mother, Audrey, hasn't been doing too well since he left, she refuses to compose music and she drinks frequently.  Celine asks Petey if he can send some angels to help her.  Tess and Monica reminisce about Audrey.  Tess tells Monica that Audrey hasn't forgiven them for helping her day goodbye to her Petey.  Since Audrey refuses to see Tess, Monica, and Andrew, another angel, Emma is assigned to Audrey.  Emma, a very fastidious angel, rents a room from Audrey and immediately begins spring cleaning the cluttered house.  Meanwhile, Andrew is assigned to Liz, a tough and demanding radio talk show host who has lost a child, though may years ago.  Andrew proposes a series of radio shows on addiction.  At the same time, Monica begins to appear in Audrey's dreams, repeating the phrase, ""That's what makes you strong.""  The next day, Audrey begi

The Radcliff family is a paradox of centuries.  Mother, Kate, lives in the 19th Century, running an antique shop and avoiding technology as much as possible.  Father, Charlie, lives in the 20th Century with his wide-screen TV and microwave.  But Sarah, their 13 year-old daughter, and Millie, their kindergartner, live in the 21st Century, relying on the Internet to help them with their school projects.  One night while researching Hawaii, Sarah stumbles onto a pornographic website.  Charlie and Kate insist that she turn it off immediately, upset that this sort of material is so easily accessible.  At the antique store, Kate meets Monica and they become fast friends.  Meanwhile Tess, Millie's teacher, avoids Millie's questions about reproduction (her pet rabbit is pregnant) suggesting that her mom and dad will want to give her those answers.  Kiki, Sarah's world-wise pal, takes her to the cyber cafe run by Andrew.  At work, Charlie's co-worker shows him some porn sites on the web.  Charl

Pandora's Box

Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives.

A Clown's Prayer

Seasons9

Season 6 Episodes26

Cast3

Crew1

Discussion

Episode Summary