Ep 9. Amanda Unplugged

Amanda Unplugged is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the iconic American soap opera, Melrose Place. The episode originally aired on October 28th, 1995, and was directed by Charles Correll.

In this episode, we see Amanda Woodward, portrayed by the talented Heather Locklear, experiencing a breakdown after realizing her life is in pieces. Amanda is a high-powered advertising executive who has always been in control of her life and career. However, her personal life has been a series of failed relationships, and she has been emotionally distant from the people around her. Throughout the season, Amanda has been struggling to regain control of her life, but this has only led to her becoming more self-destructive.

At the start of the episode, Amanda is shown to be extremely agitated and is not pleased with her assistant, Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith). Amanda's boss, Brooke Armstrong (Kristin Davis), is also unhappy with her performance. Amanda's mood worsens when her boyfriend, Kyle McBride (Rob Estes), cancels their weekend plans.

As the episode progresses, Amanda's mental health starts to deteriorate, and we see her snapping at people, screaming over the smallest things, and even throwing a flower vase at Alison's head. This leads to Amanda's colleagues becoming increasingly worried about her behavior. Amanda also shows signs of paranoia and starts to distrust her friends and colleagues. She accuses her assistant Alison of spying on her and also becomes confrontational with her boss, Brooke.

In a desperate attempt to get her life back on track, Amanda seeks the help of a life coach, known as 'The Thinker' (Tony Amendola), who is known for helping executives get their lives back on track. However, Amanda is skeptical about his methods and becomes increasingly angry when he suggests that she needs to take time off from work. Amanda refuses to take the advice and continues to spiral out of control.

With her mental health continuing to decline, Amanda finally hits rock bottom when she crashes her car while driving under the influence. She is arrested by the police and spends a night in jail. The experience shocks Amanda, and she finally realizes that she needs to get help.

In the final scenes of the episode, we see Amanda checking herself into a mental health facility, much to the shock of her colleagues and friends. This sets up a new storyline for Amanda, who is now facing her mental health issues head-on, and we are left wondering what will happen to her next.

Overall, Amanda Unplugged is an intense and dramatic episode that explores the challenges of mental health and the impact it can have on a person's life. The storylines and characters in Melrose Place were known for being over-the-top, but this episode takes a serious look at a serious issue. The episode is a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health and how it can affect even the most successful people.