"Second Choices" was an appropriate name for an episode of Private Practice filled with difficult, complicated decisions. Oh, the tangled web these characters weave.

Look no further than Violet Turner if you want a story line surrounding a complex individual. The focal point of "Second Choices" was her long-awaited return to L.A.

She seems nonchalant about her Costa Rica and New York adventures - which she calls her "crisis point," no thing - as she wants to reinsert herself in Lucas' life.

Pete does what he can to accommodate this, bringing Lucas to the office, convincing Addison to support it, etc. But then Violet takes things a bit far for Pete's liking.

He bristles at the idea of sharing custody or any routine that isn't very, very slow. She says slow is good ... but may sue for custody, since her definition is different.

Much as we'd like Violet to be back to normal, we are squarely on Team Pete. He's right when he says she earned her crazy. But that doesn't give her a clean slate.

Violet's back in body ... but not where she needs to be in spirit.

Forgiving her for what she did, as understandable as it was, can't erase what happened, and he is doing right by Lucas. We hope Violet comes to see it that way with time.

We did love how Violet and Addison uneasily, but sincerely tried to understand, respect and support each other in what has become a very unusual, difficult situation for all.

As for Pete and Addison, there's a bit of a snag there as well. A snag named Sam, who lets Amelia convince him to fight for Addy, and makes out with her on the balcony.

She clearly has feelings for both, but for very different reasons. But who will be the first choice, and who's the second choice? Would this be a moment of enlightenment?

Pete catches them, which leads to a "crisis point" of sorts as well - they seem to step up for each other right then and there. The question is whether it sticks this time.

On an interesting side note, Amelia admits she doesn't know what she wants, who she is ... by telling Sam to take control of his life, was she trying to force herself to?

Speaking of unresolved issues, there's Cooper Freedman ...

His patient this week eats stuff. Like, non-food stuff. He and Sheldon want to fix it, but the kid's impatient mom just wants him to quit eating dirt by any means necessary.

When they see her personally eating toilet paper (really), she admits she had the same mental ailment as a kid, but willed herself to stop. Until now, 'cause she's so upset.

Cooper, predictably, gets unnecessarily angry about her lying to her son and how he'll never be able to trust her now. Which we later learn, is all rooted in his own issues.

Opening up to the poor little guy, Coop asks him to forgive his mom - to do it for himself. Baring his soul, he says he never has forgiven his own parents for lying to him.

It turns out that his folks had an older son who died two years before he was adopted. Learning about this many years later made Cooper feel like he's just a replacement.

Whatever issues Cooper has - and he has plenty - don't stop him from being a great pediatrician. In this case, it may lead to a breakthrough for the patient and himself.

Cooper tells Charlotte it was about more than sex. It was more than that.

Perhaps the reason why he can't forgive Charlotte is that he feels like he's just replacement for her husband, who she also didn't tell him about until much, much later.

It all comes back to childhood trauma, the things making us dark and twisty inside (Meredith Grey can attest). Some deep-seeded emotions take a lifetime to resolve.

He's going to try to get her back and pull out all the stops - starting with vintage Grey's Anatomy / Private Practice repeated, soul-baring lines: "It was more than that."

Time will tell if whatever it was will be again - and whether both of them live to see it through, although we don't see Charlotte or Cooper as PP death pool favorites.

What did you think of last night's Private Practice? Is Pete being too stringent with Violet? Should Addison be with him or with Sam? Discuss below!

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.