Tonight on CBS The Briefcase continues with an all new Wednesday June 3, season 1 episode 2 called, “Scotts/Musolinos,” and we have your weekly recap below! On tonight’s episode, a Maryland couple are up against the hefty cost of adoption.
On the last episode Emotions ran high when the Bergin Family from Matthews, N.C. and the Bronson Family from Manchester, N.H. were presented with a life-changing amount of money and a huge decision – to keep, give or share it with the other family. Initially, they thought their choice would be straightforward, but after learning about each other lives, they realize it is much more complicated. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the CBS synopsis, “a Maryland couple are up against the hefty cost of adoption, while a family based in North Carolina deal with being apart for half the year while dad works a fishing job in Florida.”
This is definitely one series that you don’t want to miss. Don’t forget to stay tuned to Celeb Dirty Laundry where we will be live blogging the season 1 episode 2 of The Briefcase.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#TheBriefcase begins in a trailer park in the Florida Keys. The Musolinos live apart. The wife and kids live in North Carolina and husband John lives down there fishing to support them. They have an autistic son and wife Amanda home schools him. She hopes to unite their family in the Keys together. I Maryland, Josh and Susan Scott are little people who have a tough life. She works at the Sheriff’s office full time and her husband commutes two hours each way to get to work. Susan and Josh live paycheck to paycheck and hope to adopt a child since she can’t carry a child of her own.
The families think they are on a documentary about money. Faye Stapleton shows up to talk to the Musolinos. She says they know they are a fantastic family and says the briefcase is for them. They are shocked to see all the money. They tell them it’s $101,000 for them. Amanda and John hug and cry. Amanda says it will fix what was broken by their bankruptcy. They are so thrilled. In Maryland, also at a trailer park, the Scotts get their briefcase. They look inside and are shocked. Josh says this can change everything for them. Susan cries and hugs him then thanks the producer.
Susan says living paycheck to paycheck is hard and this means they could have the family they want. The producer says the money is theirs but there’s also a decision. They tell them both they have to decide to keep all, some or give it all away. The left over money will go to another family who is in as much need or more than they are. Josh says he knows there are families worse off than them and they should help someone else. Susan says she loves him for thinking of others first. The Musolinos agree that others could need this too. John says Amanda would give all the money away.
They are both told they will get more information about the other family via text and will have 72 hours to make their decision. Neither have any idea that the other family also has money. They tell them each to take the $1,000 on top and go spend it. The Musolinos go scuba diving and the Scotts go ride dirt bikes. Amanda Musolino will also use the other money to get their kids a computer to use for school. Josh rides a little dirt bike while Susan watches. She says they’ll use the rest of the $1,000 to pay on their credit cards.
Later, Susan tells Josh that her heart and brain are saying different things to her about the money. She says they could start a family but helping someone else is important too. She says her brain is thinking of a child being in reach for them. She says it’s a once in a lifetime chance they’ve been given. He says he just wants her to be happy. In Florida, John tells Amanda he wants to know what she thinks. She says they have to give it away and that’s where she stands.
John says they have to keep some of it. He hugs her and says she’s trying to give away $100k. She says the briefcase is a gift and it can help them or someone else. She says it’s the right thing to do. They get their first texts. Susan reads a text that tells them it’s time to make the first bank trip. Josh goes first and Amanda for the other family. The money in the briefcase will be what they’re willing to share. They each leave for the bank. Josh heads home after his bank stop.
Amanda says she’s confident but nervous. They each come home to talk to their spouse. Amanda shows John she only kept $3,500. John wants to keep all of the money. In Maryland, Josh kept all of the money for them. Susan is stunned. She is shocked and says she can’t believe he kept it all for them and says he did it to keep her happy. Josh says he didn’t want to keep it but wants her to come first. Susan says she’s so proud of him for putting their family first.
Susan and Josh head to the grocery store and she talks about how they can’t just shop for what they want usually so this is a big treat. They buy a turkey and he picks her up to get stuff off the high shelves. Susan says a huge weight is off her shoulders. Back in Florida, John and Amanda go look at a boat they could use to help their charter business they want to start. He wants her to be able to start her charter business. They look at a really cool boat that costs more than $100k.
They take the boat out for a spin. Amanda says it was incredible and she wishes the boat was hers. They talk about if they had a boat like this, she would move down with the kids and they could finish out their bankruptcy. John says it would let their family get back together. Amanda says she loved the boat but it hasn’t changed her mind since there’s still another family out there and she has to be able to sleep at night.
Susan tells Josh she has a lot on her mind about the decision to make about the money. Josh says he’s not comfortable with keeping all the money and suggests a 60/40 split. Susan asks him about their bills. She says it will cost $20-$25k to adopt and they want a little person which means a foreign adoption. She says in other countries, they throw them away like garbage. She asks if he will resent her if she asks to keep it all. She says if they give away too much, they jeopardize their family.
Susan and Josh get another text about the Musolinos. They hear they make $43k and have more than $100k in debts. They also hear that the family is split between Florida and North Carolina. The Musolinos get a text saying the other family has $70k income and $219k debt. Then they read about them wanting to save up to start a family. Then the couples are told that the other spouse will now go to the bank. Amanda says the other family needs the money and wants them to have it.
Susan and John head out to the bank in Florida and Maryland. They have 36 hours left until their big decision. Susan comes back from the bank and meets Josh and their family at the local watering hole. She asks if he’s ready to see and shows him she decided to give $15k to the other family and keep the rest. He’s shocked it’s so small and she says that’s where she’s comfortable at for now. John shows Amanda that he left $26,500 for the other family. She asks what the hell he’s done.
Amanda says it makes her feel guilty and says she would rather give it all back. He says that’s a lot of money for the other family. They get another text. John and Susan get a text saying they’re going to Maryland and see how the other family lives. Amanda tells John she hates him and storms off.
Dave Broom meets the Musolinos in Maryland. Amanda says yesterday she was really upset but they decide they don’t want to fight. Amanda tells John she loves him. Dave takes them first to a coffee shop where Susan and Josh frequent. He pulls up so they can see them get out at the coffee shop. They notice they pulled into a handicap spot then see how tiny she is. Amanda starts crying and then Dave takes them to their house.
Amanda wasn’t expecting little people. John says they’re just people. Amanda says they probably have a hard time finding a job and says she sees discrimination with their autistic son and says that couple will face it the rest of their lives and says it’s not fair but it’s the world they live in. Amanda wants to give all the money away. Dave asks if it’s because it’s little people. John says that’s the wrong way and says you shouldn’t feel guilty because they’re little people. He wants her to use logic.
They head to their house. They pull up to the trailer and tells Amanda and John they can go inside their house. It’s a nice trailer inside, clean and stuff is lower than theirs. John says it seems like they are an ordinary newly married couple. John wants to pet their cat and it hisses at them. They look through their bills. John and Amanda says they’re in the same boat they are. Amanda sits and looks through the adoption information on little people and Amanda says wants Susan to be a mother.
Amanda wants to give them all the money and John says it’s killing him. She then agrees to keep $15k. She says 40/60 is the best she can do and says $40k for them. He says that won’t pay their bankruptcy after the taxes on the money. He says he knows they want a kid and he says they have three kids already there. John says he wants her life easier and wants her to move with him. She asks what that will take and he says $60k and give them $40k. She cries and says it’s not enough.
John tells her that $100k isn’t enough but they can be fair. Amanda says she has to think what she can live with. John reminds her they don’t even have a home they own. She cries and he hugs her. She says she just wants them to be together. Next, Susan and Josh head to Florida. They are taken to Big Pine Key when they can be together. They head to the trailer park and see the tiny place the Muolinos live in – it’s just an RV. They tell them they can go inside.
Josh says he thinks they’re worse off than them. They look at the washing machines outside then see the inside and Susan says there is no privacy and you can hardly get in there and says with three kids, that’s crazy. The kids have no place to play and Susan says that’s so sad. She finds a book about autism and says at least one of their kids is autistic. Susan says she can’t imagine having three kids in a place like that. She says maybe they don’t have to live like that and makes it a struggle to decide.
They look at their bills and figure out they don’t have medical insurance then see the bankruptcy information. She asks what he’s thinking and Josh says he’s thinking about them, their adoption, the autism and their bankruptcy. Josh says he’s worn out and they just need to talk about it. They agree it’s not easy and she’s not sure. Josh says he wants that family to be able to be together again but wants he and Susan on the same page.
Susan says she doesn’t know that she can give up the dream of them having a child. She says they both want to feel good about their decision and helping the other family. They get another text about making the final decision together and it says they will give the other family the briefcase in person in LA. Josh says that’s the honorable thing to do. Susan says this is so hard. Both couples journey to LA. They will meet at Union Station. The decision is final and cannot be changed.
John and Amanda sit and then Susan and Josh show up. Susan says she’s nervous and excited and says it’s a big deal. They all shake hands. They talk about all the travel. John says he was at their house and they’re surprised. The producer shows up with a briefcase and tells them that they both got a briefcase. Both couples are stunned. Amanda says she wasn’t expecting that. Josh says wow. Susan says her heart is racing and says it’s a game changer to know they both were struggling with this.
Josh worries they didn’t put enough in there. The producers set down the two briefcases. Amanda says she’s going to start crying. The producers tell them to share their decision. John says at first it was too much to think about. He says at one point they took money for granted then had a disaster. Amanda says she wanted to give them all of it. Susan says they want to adopt then it struck them when they saw they had a special needs child.
Amanda says they gave them $40,000. Susan says it doesn’t need to be that much. John says if their kids weren’t a factor, it would be much more. Josh and Susan are crying. Susan says she’s beyond excited. Amanda hugs Susan who says this means that they can have a family. Susan says they will accept it and it means a lot. Susan says they went back and forth and says the only way they can have a family is to adopt and they had to try and find a balance.
Susan reveals that they gave them $20k. Amanda tells them that she can pay off her bankruptcy with it. They are thrilled with the $20k. Susan says seeing their reaction means they did the right thing. Amanda says this is amazing and will bring them together. He says the money was a good vessel for making the change. Amanda says this forced them to get their priorities in line. John says they did a great thing for a great family. They walk away with $80k and the Scotts walk away with $120k. They agree to stay in touch now that they have bonded. Susan is so excited they can now have a child. They leave together to go eat dinner.
THE END!
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