Mel comes into the writers' office with news that Alan has decided the show will go into summer reruns, meaning that the staff is off on summer vacation - or technically laid off - for two months. Although happy about the news, Rob has a sense of déjà vu to precisely nine years earlier when he just joined the writing staff of the show. Then, Mel came in with the exact same news. Sally and Buddy were ecstatic as it allowed them to take other temporary writing jobs. Rob, being relatively new in the business, had no such offers, and, without telling his colleagues due to embarrassment, was worried about how to make ends meet, especially with mortgage payments, no furniture in the new house and a baby on the way. Laura was not as concerned about their financial situation, especially as she figured Rob could collect unemployment insurance. Fortunately or unfortunately, the unemployment office was able to get him a writing job, writing a stockholders report for a television tube rectifier company. He tried to hide the job from Buddy and Sally, but Rob didn't have to worry about hiding what had the potential to be over before it even started.
—Huggo