InsaneJournal

Random thought while watching 204
Linz: We have to sign all this?!

Mel: We have durable powers of attorney, living will, joint tenancy agreement, reciprocal guardianship for Gus…

Linz: After this, signing a marriage license would be a breeze.


They've been living together for six years. Their child is over a year old. Mel is a lawyer, and yet they've never put this kind of paperwork together before?!? Pretty unbelievable. Commitment ceremony, wedding, or no, you'd think she'd have insisted on it, if not before, at least after Gus was born.

I know, I know, it's the writers' way of showing middle America how burdensome it is to imitate marriage if you can't marry. But they could have done it by having Mel point out which parts of that they'd already taken care of, which things they plan to do as the upcoming ceremony approaches, and even which benefits of marriage one can't simply replicate with a fancy contract (e.g. tax benefits etc.).