about schuyler falls

 

 


Summary of Season 02: Part I of III
(Episodes 2.01 - 2.15)


Episode #2.01:

After being discovered in a drug-haze by hospital trustee Charles Stanford, Doug White sulked in front of his brother, saying he didn't want to go home to Nora. Greg wasn't willing to help him out at first, but when he learned that Doug had been suspended pending a review, the younger brother suddenly offered to put his sibling up for the night. Was he more concerned about Doug's future--or his own, if the hospital should learn that Greg was the one supplying Doug with pills?

 

Mike and Martina arrived at Roald's castle, where they met up with a wounded Jonnie, a numb Olivia and the strange, silent Margaretta. Shortly after they learned that Tristan had killed Olivia's father, the sound of a gunshot rang out from upstairs. As Mike raced up to help Frank, Marty took her frenzied mind off the bizarre activities by giving Olivia and Jonnie the serum that Rena and Greg had concocted to counteract the symptoms of the blood disorders.

 

Brutally shot in the shoulder, Tristan lay on the ground, vulnerable to the mockery of Jim Bonkovich, who still held a gun on him. Jim revealed that yes, he killed Branscomb, framing Tristan for the crime. He also was the person to drag the drunk Tristan from Boondoggles to OmniCorp the night of Olivia's attack, getting the CEO into his car so that he was at the scene of the crime. After laughing about Tristan finally getting a chance to say hello to his daddy, Bonkovich raised the gun again.

 

But Frank shot the weapon right out of the rogue cop's hand. Bonkovich managed to escape, and Mike arrived in time to help Frank get the barely-conscious Tristan downstairs.

 

Frank, Mike, Tristan, Martina, Margaretta and Olivia all headed directly to the waiting cab, in a hurry to leave before the cult members (the di sangue) returned from their evening's hunt. Jonnie started to follow them, but suddenly turned back to the castle, unable to leave without seeing the dead woman who was his lover and partner. Despite her duplicitous, warped nature, he couldn't help but feel he owed her a goodbye. But when he arrived up in her bedroom, the shock on his face at what he sees indicated that something is very, very wrong…even worse than the sight of Vanessa's stabbed corpse


Episode #2.02:

In a hospital in Florence, Martina learned that Tristan, Olivia and Jonnie were all recovering-the latter two more quickly than her oldest friend. She rushed to visit Tristan, as Mike talked with Frank about their mutual remorse about how they handled the Campbell case. Frank showed particular regret for the results of his mistakes on Olivia, who he believes nearly died because he obsessed over Tristan while ignoring the possibility that someone else was responsible for Olivia's injuries.

Having brought his brother home to sleep off the effects of his drug overdose, Greg decided to call Rena to apologize for Doug's behavior…and to explain his own. But Rena did not pick up the phone, instead listening to his voice on her machine. He told her that he had only intended to console her sorrow, that he didn't mean to take advantage of her in any way. But her sadness and loneliness seemed to magnify despite his assurances.

Martina sat by Tristan's bedside, trying to talk to him and get beyond his shock and weakness. When he woke, he immediately tried to tell her how he had been framed for all the crimes of which he had been accused, but she explained that they knew the truth. The charges would surely be dropped when they got home. Tristan was less optimistic about the justice system, and wondered why Jonnie Adair was still a free man. He added that he needed to speak to Jonnie about things Vanessa had said about Philip and his father…things about the disease they all may have shared. This led to thoughts about his mother, and how she would react to news that Roald had been alive all these years. Of course, neither Tristan nor Martina was aware that back home, Philippa would not be reacting to anything any more…

Jem Van Doren stopped by Doug and Nora White's house, and received a less-than-enthusiastic welcome from the tense Nora. Unaware of the true reason behind her nervous demeanor, Jem assumed she was simply mourning Philippa's death. He told her that he was taking it upon himself, as Philippa's sole surviving non-fugitive relative, to organize her funeral. Nora was aghast, considering all the negative things Jem's paper has been publishing about the Campbells, but knew she was hardly in a position to be self-righteous. Sensing he was getting nowhere with her, Jem asked to speak to Doug, but Nora told him her husband was still at the hospital. Surprising both of them, Doug showed up, disheveled and exhausted. Nora let him in and shut the door in Jem's face. However, far be it for Jem to let a little thing like a door stop him when his instinct told him there was a juicy story nearby…


Episode #2.03:

Jem hung around the Whites' house eavesdropping, hoping to hear something juicy. Though he was soon caught by Daphne, who was returning from a sleepover at a friend's house, the scandal-hungry newspaperman apparently heard enough to whet his appetite. He called Chelsea at the department store and invited her to lunch. Chelsea was curious, hoping that he was planning on fulfilling his promise to her (he'd told her that if she snuck into the hospital and got photos of the scene of Philippa's death, he'd consider assigning her to work the gala hospital fundraiser), and so she agreed to join him.

 

In the Italian hospital, Frank went into Olivia's room to tell her that it was almost time to leave. Olivia remained bitter and withdrawn over her experiences, despite Frank's awkward attempts to offer her some sympathy. When asked if she planned to return to work at OmniCorp, Olivia didn't think she could handle working closely with Tristan. Frank tried to explain that Tristan had shot Roald in self-defense, but Olivia would have none of it. She insisted that her father wouldn't have murdered in front of her. Frank admitted that he went through a similar period of denial and idealization when he was in mourning for Camilla…and for his wife, Natalie, who died through stray gunfire back in Buffalo. He also apologized for missing the boat regarding solving Olivia's case, and for not protecting her from Vanessa. Olivia wearily told him he probably couldn't have done anything even if he hadn't been obsessing about Tristan. The two left the hospital together, knowing the only thing either of them could do was to move on.

 

Walking into her house, Daphne interrupted her parents discussing Doug's situation. She didn't understand what was going on, but expressed mild concern over Doug's appearance. Nora explained euphemistically that Doug might be taking a vacation from the hospital. This story was good enough for Daphne, but later she overheard the real story: that Doug had been caught on drugs by Charles Stanford. Daphne realized that her spiteful manipulation of Jason--telling him that her father was an addict in hopes he'd tell Charles--had come true. The teenager felt an unaccustomed sense of regret and dread at her actions.

 

Back in Italy, Jonnie visited Sister Margaretta to say goodbye. He tried to get the still-traumatized young woman to speak to someone other than him, but she seemed unlikely to obey his request. As he vented his frustration and anger at Vanessa, he also admitted something that he hadn't told any of the Schuyler Falls crew-that when he'd gone up to see Vanessa's body at the castle before they all fled, she had disappeared. Apparently she's alive after all. Jonnie explained that he felt it necessary to hide this from the others. Vanessa had a hard life, and though he hated what she'd done, he couldn't help but understand and sympathize with her in some way. To his surprise, Margaretta seemed to understand him as well. An unusually tender Jonnie bid this strange, haunted woman goodbye.


Episode #2.04:

Charles spoke with Greg, asking him pointed questions about Doug's use-and abuse-of medication. Greg tried to hide behind doctor/patient confidentiality, but this only clued Charles in to the fact that Doug may well have gotten the drugs from his brother. Greg refused to talk any more. Charles then said that he would be calling Greg as a witness at Doug's review before the trustees.

During the flight returning from Italy, Martina spoke with Mike about Tristan's future. Mike wasn't sure whether the District Attorney would ask for Tristan's arrest for having jumped bail, but he was certain that neither he nor Frank would obey such an order. Grateful, Martina embraced him, and the two expressed their relief that things could start over between them.

Chelsea met Jem for lunch, at his request, and learned that her conniving boss wanted her to use her father to get information about Doug White. She wasn't keen on such a task, but Jem reminded her that he still hadn't made a decision on whether to give her the coveted job of working the upcoming gala hospital fundraiser, the Crystal Ball. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Chelsea agreed to talk with Charles.

Home at last, Martina and Tristan walked together in the airport and spoke about what to expect in the days ahead. Martina tried to convince her friend that the hard times were over, though he was less than optimistic. But when she gave him the idea of starting a foundation in Philip's honor to fight the blood disease that had led to the young man's death, Tristan had a glimpse of a hopeful future. His relief was short-lived, however, when a pack of reporters surrounded them with questions-one of which revealed the shocking news that Philippa, Tristan's mother, was dead.


Episode #2.05:

Bert Brooke had dinner with Ronald Granger, who revealed some major misgivings about Tristan's suitability as OmniCorp's CEO. The company counsel (and acting-Chairman) strongly implied that he wanted to re-hire Brooke. Brooke won points for tact and loyalty by defending Tristan's behavior, even though both felt Tristan was wrong for turning Brooke in for embezzlement and causing instability at Omni. Brooke was singing his own praises for having a stable existence when he got a phone call from a desperate man--Bonkovich. The fugitive psychopathic cop needed money-and threatened his partner with exposure if Brooke didn't come through for him.

 

Rena and Clark discussed Doug's sudden absence and other hospital gossip. To Rena's annoyance, Clark seemed to think she and Greg were up to more than working on Olivia's case. The conversation moved to thoughts of Tristan, which were never far from Rena's mind, and the fact that he had to spend the night in jail for jumping bail. They both expressed disdain for the media, especially for heartlessly showing Tristan's reaction to learning about his mother's death. Not long after this discussion, a group of reporters showed up, nipping at Greg heels to find out information about Doug. Rena's blood boiled…

 

Frank gave Olivia a lift home from the hospital, where she'd been released after spending the evening there for tests. Her plans were to change clothes before going to Tristan's hearing-she was to testify on Tristan's behalf in order to get the case against him dismissed-but when she saw the state of her apartment (following Tristan's drunken search for the photographs, and the police's follow-up search), Olivia had a fit of fury. She decided she'd get rid of all things that reminded her of Philip and Tristan. Frank accused her of never loving Philip, and she agreed, revealing that the only reason she kept his things around was to fool Tristan into thinking she really had cared for his brother, and thus make Tristan have a better opinion of her.

Aware of Frank's disapproval, Olivia defensively lashed out against Philip and his supposed kinky fetishes, and his rejecting her for some animals-but Frank then told her the truth. That Philip had been infected by the disease she herself shared with Roald and Vanessa. That he hadn't rejected her willingly, and the animals were only used for their blood. Horrified at this revelation, and feeling bitterly lonely, Olivia was overcome by sorrow. She cried for her father and looked to Frank for comfort. But it didn't take long before her anger returned when she remembered that she had to help Tristan--whom she thinks of as her father's murderer--become a free man.

 

Brooke managed to calm Bonkovich down, and though he wasn't sure where he'd get the money, he assured the rogue policeman--who was still in Italy, being hidden by members of the di sangue--that he'd come up with something. He expressed some sadness over Vanessa's supposed death, and also some concern over what to do about Jonnie. When the conversation was over, he returned to Ronald and tried to get some hints about what would happen to Philippa's shares of OmniCorp stock. Ronald (who was Philippa's attorney) wouldn't reveal anything except that they wouldn't be going to Bert. Brooke didn't express any surprise, but did guess that the shares all went to Tristan-in which case, OmniCorp would be remaining in the family's hands for some time to come.

 

Greg tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the reporters nagging him. Taking the bull by the horns, Rena rushed forward, yelled at the press and pulled Greg into a nearby staff lounge. Greg was impressed by her actions, and even more by the nurse's rare happiness when she learned that Olivia's test results were free of the blood syndrome. For a split second he saw her as more than a buddy or colleague, and was about to say…something…when Chelsea Stanford entered the lounge, also apparently hiding from the crowd of reporters. (Truth was, she had been sent by Jem to question Charles about Doug's absence.)  She and Greg recognized each other from Christmas Eve, when they met and flirted at the supermarket, and at once the chemistry between them heated up again. Rena saw this and, aware of Chelsea's more obvious charms-and Greg's obvious attraction--slunk away, barely noticed.

 

At the Stanford residence, an exhausted Charles-tired from being hounded by the press-sought the arms of his wife. He told her that he was certain Greg knew about Doug's drug use, and possibly helped him with it somehow, perhaps due to gratitude over being hired as chief neurosurgeon despite what Charles sees as a lack of qualifications. A fight between their two sons interrupted their conversation. Tyler was pushing Jason around, furious that his younger brother had told Charles what Daphne said about her father's addiction. Jason claimed he'd said nothing specific about Doug. Tyler asked if that were the case, how come Doug's been fired? Charles broke the fight up by explaining that he hadn't only relied on Jason's conversation, and besides, Doug hasn't been fired…yet. These ominous words made Jason miserable, especially when he realized what this would mean to Daphne…and her feelings about him.

 

In the courthouse, the judge dismissed Tristan's case. Overcome by relief, Martina embraced her client and friend, although he was not as emotional or happy as she would have wanted. Alex came over and offered his 'congratulations,' claiming that he'd convinced the DA to drop the charges himself-insinuatingly, he added that he'd fulfilled their bargain at last. She was mortified by his mentioning their deal in public, and furiously told him she didn't believe him. He told her that she was making a bad habit of misjudging him… Disgusted by and afraid of her former fiancé, Martina led Tristan from his side.

 

Like a bad penny, Jem turned up at the courthouse and approached Tristan. Martina and Mike tried to get rid of him, thinking that he was after a story, but Jem acted hurt and said that he only wanted to offer Tristan his condolences for the death of Philippa, who was, after all, his cousin. Tristan immediately reacted to these words, and asked Jem what he really wanted. Jem told him that he'd been taking charge of Philippa's funeral arrangements, but that he assumed Tristan would be taking everything over now. To everyone's surprise, Tristan refused. In fact, he told Jem that there would be no funeral at all. With this odd pronouncement, Tristan rushed out of the courthouse.


Episode #2.06:

Greg and Chelsea flirted up a storm, with Chelsea subtly trying to get Greg--who was unaware that she works for the Record--to tell her about the reason for his brother's absence from the hospital. The jig was up when her colleague Jansen barged in and told her that her father had headed home already, and that they should leave so she could dig some dirt out of him. Greg wasn't sure which tidbit was worse: the fact that Chelsea works for a newspaper, or the fact that she's the daughter of the man who wants to fire the White brothers.

 

Tristan stopped by the forensics lab to speak with Clark about Philippa's death. Clark tried to offer his condolences, but Tristan's cool demeanor didn't seem to invite any sympathetic feelings. To Clark's surprise, Tristan asked for an autopsy on his mother's body. The pathologist objected, since there was no evidence that Philippa's death was anything but an accident, but Tristan threatened to go to Clark's superior if he refused.

 

After dropping Olivia off at her home following Tristan's successful hearing, Frank and Mike got into an argument when Mike seemed to read too much into Frank's concern about Olivia. Mike wonderd if Frank might be feeling some warmth towards the young woman, but his partner lashed out at such a suggestion. Frank expressed his disapproval of Olivia's behavior, and insisted he had no interest whatsoever in her romantically. He explained that not only was it too soon after Camilla's death to get involved with another woman, this particular woman is simply not his type. Finally, he added that his last two romances--Camilla and Natalie, his late wife--might have been destined to fail, after each started out as a result of a murder investigation. He doesn't want to repeat the mistake a third time. Mike saw his point, and began to wonder if his own relationship with Martina could escape this sort of tainted beginning…

 

Alone with her bitter thoughts, Olivia tried to erase her memories of Philip and Tristan once and for all by getting rid of their photographs. But instead, all she could do was remember the day of her marriage, when she asked Tristan to admit his feelings for her once and for all…to leave Vanessa for her. She remembered his refusal, and how surprised and shocked he was when she told him that the only reason she was marrying Philip was because Roald wanted her to. He claimed he felt nothing for her, and that he would tell Philip not to marry her. But she knew, as did Tristan, that he would never cause Philip grief by revealing the truth about the woman Philip loved. And so Olivia married Philip, leading to misery for both of them.

 

Once her memories were over, Olivia decided that since she can't change the past, she'd settle for getting revenge on Tristan--for killing her father and causing her so much pain.


Episode #2.07:

At Doug's hearing, the errant chief of staff learned that the hospital board has little or no faith in him. The chairman, probably at Charles's recommendation, told Doug that he was suspended for at least three months. His re-instatement to the hospital will depend on his undergoing detox treatment and staying clean for ninety days. Doug didn't give in easily, but eventually he realized he had no choice. Charles tried to offer him some advice, but Doug as much as accused him of wanting to be chief of staff in his place. Fortunately for Greg, Doug's anger did not extend to wanting to incriminate his brother, even though Charles made it easy for him to do so by giving him the opportunity to blame someone else for stealing the medication from the neurology department. In a rare display of courage, Doug kept his brother's name out of the mess.

 

Jonnie, who had been arrested at last for his part in the conspiracy to frame Tristan, was released on bail-to his surprise, since he didn't call an attorney or bail bondsman. His guardian angel turned out to be Bert Brooke. Brooke was waiting for the younger man when he got out of prison, and during the awkward ride home, tried to convince Jonnie that his role in the plot was as limited as Jonnie's own. Like Jonnie, Bert claimed that he had no idea what Vanessa had really planned for Olivia and Tristan. Jonnie wasn't inclined to believe him, and was also not optimistic about his own chances for remaining out of jail. He told Brooke that he's certain Tristan is out for his hide--and that since Jonnie can't afford a real attorney, Tristan might just get it. Brooke, generous soul that he is, offered to provide Jonnie with a competent lawyer…

 

Meanwhile, Bert's sister Nora got an unpleasant surprise when her former lover, Chief Cahill, showed up on her doorstep. A few moments of awkward reaction to her growing pregnancy later, Richard made her even less comfortable when he announced that he was there to talk about Philippa's murder.

 

Ross went to visit Clark to see how Philippa's autopsy was coming along. Clark told him that results weren't back yet, and expressed surprise that the DA's office was involved in what seemed like an obvious accident. Ross explained that Tristan has been calling District Attorney Mitchell and demanding his help in finding out what happened to Philippa. Considering Tristan's power--as Philippa's heir, as the CEO of Schuyler Falls' biggest company, and as a man with an axe to grind against the justice system--the DA was taking no chances. Clark understood Ross's situation, and wondered if perhaps a good hamburger and some company would cheer up the young ADA. Ross, to Clark's delight, agreed.

 

As with Bert and Nora, another female sibling was having not as good a day as her brother.  Left in charge at the dress shop in Albany, Beth started to serve a customer, who was shopping for a 'grown up' party dress for her little daughter, when the designer had a strange change of mood. Beth then lashed out at the woman and child with a cruel and profane anger…


Episode #2.08:

Nora was questioned by Chief Cahill, who asked her if she knew of any reason for Philippa to kill herself. Richard had suspicions about Nora, in fact-until her seemingly honest, open reaction to the question "how close was Doug to Philippa" made him decide she couldn't possibly have known about her husband's affair. But Nora was still worried about Tristan's certainty that Philippa hadn't died in a mere accident…

 

Tristan visited Ronald at OmniCorp. After discussing Tristan's belief that there's a conspiracy against him, Tristan asked Ronald to summarize the activities at Omni since he's been away. Ronald tried to convince his boss that Tristan needed more time to recover from Philippa's death, not to mention all the other traumas he's experienced over the past few months. Tristan remained resolute, and said he would be expecting the files he was asking for by the end of the weekend. Ronald thought to himself that Tristan had better expect the unexpected.

 

Ross and Clark had dinner together and discussed their families. Talk turned to their fathers, and how Ronald wasn't particularly fond of Ross's professional choices. Clark agreed that his own father also wouldn't be happy with his life choices--and asked a question that made it apparent that Clark thought Ross was gay. Ross told him with some passion he was very wrong. Clark tried to apologize, although he wasn't entirely convinced. But while Ross claimed he wasn't embarrassed or insulted, he left the table shortly afterward.

 

In Hamilton Park, Mike met Martina at a park bench. Sitting together watching the sunset, they shared a romantic kiss, which was broken off when Mike realized that Marty wasn't mentally "there." When questioned, Martina admitted that she was worried about Tristan's latest obsession. Mike wasn't as sympathetic, but assured her that this time the police were on Tristan's side-and the DA's office is doing everything in its power to make Tristan feel it's taking his worries about Philippa's death seriously. Martina wasn't overly convinced about the DA's office-in particular, Alex Eckhert-but felt better. She might have been less satisfied if she'd known that Olivia Ortiz had overheard the entire conversation.

 

In the throes of anger, and a possible change of personality, Beth continued to rail at the innocent dress shop customer and her daughter. Interrupted by her boss Tamara, Beth calmed down and was just puzzled by the others' reactions. Things grew worse when Tamara told Beth she couldn't handle Beth's strange ways anymore-she was fired. Later, home alone, Beth's alternate personality "Molly" told her that there was only one thing to do: she had to go home to Schuyler Falls.


Episode #2.09:

The autopsy over, Philippa's funeral arrangements began with Jem as the organizer. He spoke with Elaine about his annoyance over the medical examiner's findings--that Philippa died as a result of accident. He grew more annoyed when Elaine expressed interest in interviewing Rena Carlson for an inspirational article. Inspiration, he told her, doesn't sell papers. Jem went on to say that an interview with Olivia Ortiz was more appetizing, although Olivia wasn't speaking to reporters. He jokingly offered to let Elaine write about Rena if she managed to snag Olivia for an interview. Elaine took him up on the challenge, but he didn't take her seriously.

 

Rena, back to feeling irritated by Greg's behavior, was forced to experience it when he joined her for lunch at the hospital. She found his attitude towards his brother's suspension insensitive, not understanding why he was so concerned about his own job security. Keeping his part in Doug's drug habit a secret, Greg turned the conversation to her own risky act--giving Olivia untested medicine. Rena defended the action, and blurted out that she's more regretful of things she hasn't done. This piqued Greg's interest. But he had to leave, and mentioned that he was reluctant to tell his girlfriend Cheryl that he'd decided to go to the upcoming hospital gala with Kaitlin, another hospital colleague. He was worried about Cheryl's reaction to this news. And Rena wasn't all that thrilled to learn this herself.

 

Ronald visited Olivia, at her request. She informed him that she wanted to sell her OmniCorp stock and leave the company altogether. Surprised, Ronald tried to convince her to change her mind, despite Olivia's determination to rid herself of her ties to the Campbells--particularly Tristan. Olivia remained stubborn. The company's acting-CEO asked her to wait to make a decision, implying that he had information that he couldn't yet reveal to her. She didn't agree to wait, but she seemed willing to think about it.

 

The hot summer afternoon at the country club was particularly steamy for the teenagers enjoying the pool. Jason tried to hide his admiration for Daphne, and offered his sincere apology for inadvertantly causing her father's suspension. Daphne, who felt guilty herself for goading Jason into telling Charles about the drug use, said she didn't blame him. Tyler ruined Jason's happy time alone with Daphne by mocking him for not being able to swim. When the younger boy left, embarrassed, Tyler revealed that his teasing was in fact his own warped way of making Jason grow up and take care of himself. Daphne's jokes with him led to a wrestling match, which in turn led to a kiss-their first romantic moment. Unseen, Jason watched them, miserable.

 

The next day brought Philippa's funeral. Jem made a self-serving speech that implied Philippa would have eventually understood how his newspaper needed to dig into their family lives. When he passed the pulpit over to Tristan as scheduled, however, Tristan refused to speak. Later, Charles and Cynthia were among the mourners leaving the church amid a barrage of photographers. Charles was busy expressing his disgust when Cynthia pointed out Chelsea among the scavengers. He went over to stop her, but she was more interested in flirting with Greg White. Greg's rancor regarding Chelsea's trickery disappeared when his attraction to her resurfaced. However, when he noticed that Rena was in need of consolation, he left Chelsea to fume. Jem watched all this with sly amusement at Chelsea's distress, and perhaps a little jealousy of his own…


Episode #2.10:

While receiving guests after Philippa's funeral, Tristan took a moment to speak with Ross about the investigation into his mother's death-but to his irritation, he learned that the DA's office was calling it off for lack of evidence of foul play. As Ross explained, Tristan's intuition-and his paranoia-weren't enough for them to go on. The bitter young OmniCorp chairman was not pleased.

 

Meanwhile, Clark, Marty and Rena discussed Tristan's suspicions. Martina was disturbed by Rena's faith in Tristan, even in the face of Clark's autopsy results. Alone with Rena, Clark seemed to understand what really lay behind his friend's torn feelings.

 

Speaking with his father, Ross told Ronald that things at the DA's office were looking up for him, ever since Alex Eckhert's messed-up case against Tris. Ronald said that it was about time that his son was recognized, and mentioned that if Ross had gone into private practice, he wouldn't have to compete with unethical men like Alex. Ross recognized the beginning of an old refrain and tried to steer the conversation away, but got an unwelcome interruption in the form of Clark. Clark, who had been looking for Ross in order to apologize for making him feel uncomfortable (when he made assumptions about Ross's sexual preference), introduced himself to Ronald. Intensely uneasy, Ross tried to get his father to leave, but Clark was sensitive and discreet, and left without saying too much.

 

At the newspaper, Elaine ran into Chelsea, who was returning her film to the newspaper's photo lab. When Elaine learned that Chelsea had been taking pictures of mourners at Philippa's funeral, she grew exasperated and tried to get Chelsea to see what she was doing was unworthy of her talent. Chelsea reacted with predictable defensiveness, even though she was secretly flattered that Elaine thought her talented. The last straw was when Elaine asked Chelsea what her mother would think about her actions. Telling Elaine to back off, Chelsea recommended that the older woman take care of her own family before worrying about hers. Elaine, thinking Chelsea knew something about her stormy relationship with Beth, responded with unusual heat at Chelsea's words. Although on better terms by the time Elaine left, both women were clearly troubled by each other's comments.


Episode #2.11:

Greg was plagued by woman-trouble. First, girlfriend Cheryl learned that he'd lied to her about whom he'll be taking to the hospital fundraiser gala; this led to her dumping him. Next, when Kaitlin--the woman he'd invited to the ball--learned that he was two-timing her with a colleague, she decided that she needed a steadier man. Announcing that she was reuniting with her fiance, Joe, Kaitlin flung the corsage Greg had bought her back at the womanizing doctor. This meant that Greg might be alone at the gala after all…

 

Jem's financial worries continued. Chelsea used his concern over the newspaper's fiscal health to get the assignment she's wanted for weeks. If Jem gave her the job of photographing the gala, she offered to speak with her father about possibly investing in the Record. Amused by her manipulations, Jem agreed. He also made no secret of his interest in "partnering" with her romantically, but Chelsea bluntly brushed him off, saying he's not her type.

 

Mike's sister Julie visited the police station to drop off Mike's rented tux for tonight. He and Frank joked about Mike's attending the society event, and despite Frank's scorn at such galas, Mike realized that he might be lonelier than he was letting on. In turn, Mike's comments revealed to Frank that Mike's relationship with Marty hasn't progressed past a certain level yet…and that Mike is hoping for more.

 

Nora tried to get Doug to undergo the drug treatment that the hospital board demanded, but Doug's anger and denial wouldn't let him agree. Their argument led to his accidently wounding himself with a knife while cutting a bagel, and Nora was glad to have the opportunity to get close to her husband and offer him comfort. She begged him to reconsider, and to let her help him by driving him to the counseling meeting tonight. Very aware that tonight is the hospital fundraiser--an event he's always co-chaired with Philippa, but which now he cannot even attend--Doug became even more depressed. He went for a walk, agreeing only to think it over.

 

On his way to the gala, Clark was pleasantly surprised when Beth showed up at his doorstep with two huge valises and a request to stay at his house. She was not wholly truthful to him, saying only that she was taking a vacation from work. He offered her his guest room and told her that she was welcome to stay. Beth nervously asked about Elaine, and Clark said that their mother wasn't home tonight--which let Beth off the hook as far as getting in touch with her mother was concerned. When Clark left her alone, Beth tried to get used to the fact that she was back in her childhood town.

 

Rena unwittingly found herself the recipient of Greg's second-hand corsage, and was even more astonished when he asked her to go to the Crystal Ball with him. Aware that she was not his first choice, and that she only had an hour to get ready--and most importantly, that her growing attraction to him makes her all-too-vulnerable--Rena was reluctant to agree. But Greg artfully used flattery, lies and goading to convince her.


Episode #2.12:

Elaine's "volunteering," mentioned to Jem a few months ago, was revealed to be weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings, located in a town a few miles away from Schuyler Falls. The group leader, Father Ryan O'Connor, tried to get Elaine to open up about her own distress--which, he said, was more evident lately. But she maintained that she felt more comfortable helping others. In fact, she said that she'd really like to be someone's sponsor-she really needs to be needed. Ryan agreed to recommend her, should someone who was an appropriate match request advice. Shortly after this conversation, a man familiar to Elaine entered the meeting-she realized later it was Doug White, whom she knows as her son's boss. Pretending she didn't recognize him, she tried to make the nervous Doug feel welcome. But he was clearly uncomfortable and in denial that he belonged in N.A.

 

Olivia arrived at the Cliffside Cavern Hotel, where the Crystal Ball (the hospital fundraiser gala) had just started. People ignored her, in large part, except for Rena--whom Olivia snubbed; Chelsea's interloping camera; and Bert Brooke, who sat down and made himself at home next to her. He flirted with her and implied they have much in common. Olivia barely tolerated his insinuating remarks, but Brooke seemed to feel he'd struck a chord.

 

Clark was surprised to find Rena at the gala, dressed in her mother's gown. He was doubly surprised when she revealed that Greg had asked her in the last minute. She explained that it was probably just an act of desperation and/or pity on Greg's part, but her friend did his best to convince her otherwise.

 

Mike and Martina arrived together. Mike, as a detective, noticed right away that there was an unusual number of armed bodyguards around the ballroom. In between playful banter, they wondered together who deserved all this attention. The answer became clear when Martina noticed with displeasure that Senator Eckhert and his entourage had entered the room--and among his entourage was, naturally, his son, Alex.


Episode #2.13:

Greg and Rena attended the ball together and surprised each other--Rena surprising him with her simple beauty, Greg surprising her with his kindness. Chelsea was glad to see Greg, although she was busy working as society photographer for the evening. Jem was less pleased to see just how obviously attracted his employee was to the handsome Greg.

Tristan's preoccupation with work, even at the hospital fundraiser, led to a discussion with Ronald about OmniCorp. Although Ronald reminded that first they'd have to deal with Philippa's will, Tristan pressed for more information about the status of the company. The conversation led to talk about Brooke, whom Tristan didn't trust--but Ronald felt differently. He tried to get Tristan to see that people can change. Tristan, bitter after his experiences over the past few months, said he was no longer sure of that.

Charles's speech included a tribute to Philippa, and the announcement that the hospital would now name the annual charity ball after her. For some reason, Tristan was surprised and disturbed by this, and--with his friends looking on in concern--started to drink. Meanwhile, Brooke (who was also included in the speech thanks to the gift he'd given the hospital earlier in the year) set about charming Olivia. She was smart enough to recognize the coincidence of Brooke's arriving in Skyfalls just when Tristan started to have his troubles. Brooke insisted that he was not connected to Vanessa's plot in any way, but it was unclear as to whether Olivia believed him.

Rena and Greg's evening took an interesting turn when he convinced her to dance with him. Each started to think differently of the other, leading to a romantic kiss. But when Greg's hands went a bit too far for Rena's comfort-and he basically asked her to go home with him-she broke away and escaped to the ladies' room.

 

Jem, whose financial concerts were souring his ability to enjoy the evening, tried to have some fun by dancing with Chelsea, for whom he was feeling more and more attraction. But she was paying attention only to Greg, especially once she saw Rena running away from the doctor, leaving him frustrated and annoyed. Chelsea left Jem's side at once, and-depressed and disappointed, Jem left for home. And Chelsea headed straight to Greg in order to capture the spoils of war...


Episode #2.14:

While dancing with Mike at the gala, Martina was irritated by Alex's attempts to cut in. She tried to brush him off, but was intimidated by Alex's insinuating words--hinting too closely at their degrading sexual encounter. To shut him up, she agreed to dance with him. But Alex continued to taunt her cruelly about their night together, claiming that she seemed to enjoy herself. She argued that he'd ordered her to "beg" for him, and in fact directed all of her actions as if they were in a porn movie. As Alex laughed, she warned him that his career would be in as much trouble as hers if he were to make their deal public…

 

Rena took refuge in the restroom from Greg's amorous dancing, but Kaitlin arrived and, without intending to, made Rena's night even worse. Kaitlin warned that Greg thinks of women as interchangable creatures, and uses the same tricks and lines on all of them. Though Rena tried to defend him, Kaitlin told her that the lovely gardenia corsage, which Greg had said he'd picked just for Rena, was originally hers. She advised Rena to have fun with Greg…but be aware that it's only about sex with him.

 

At home after his Narcotics Anonymous meeting, Doug found himself unable to sleep, worried about the fact that the last of his stolen medication was running out. He was surprised when Daphne arrived--not having realized she was even out--and shocked when he saw her kissing Tyler. They argued about her choice of boyfriend, whose father (Charles) Doug blames for his situation. Daphne showed him nothing but contempt and ran upstairs.

 

After dumping Jem as a dance partner, Chelsea headed for Greg and tried to get him on the dance floor instead. Greg was annoyed after Rena's strange behavior, but Chelsea cheered him up. Together they danced and flirted shamelessly, and soon it became apparent that they were both ready for more than just dancing. But, just when Greg was going to make his move, he saw Rena and had a change of heart.

 

Left alone by Greg, a frustrated Chelsea had things go from bad to worse when Charles took her aside. He chastised her for embarrassing him by grinding up against Greg--a man, Charles said, who's probably just using her because she's the daughter of the hospital chief of staff. Her self-esteem depleted, and her anger rising, Chelsea fled into the night. She drove erratically down Franklin Street to her apartment, but--making a desperate decision--she suddenly swerved her car in the direction of the river…


Episode #2.15:

Jem's dreams were interrupted by a loud banging on his door. When he saw a police car outside, the situation reminded him of being told of his parents' fatal accident in the middle of the night, several years ago. Since he had no other relatives to care about, his first thoughts were, surprisingly, of Chelsea. But his fears were put to rest when it turned out she was fine-except for the fact that a suspicious policeman had caught her sitting in her parked car outside his house for a half-hour.

As the guests left the fundraiser gala, Greg explained to Rena that his dance with Chelsea meant nothing. Rena affected disinterest, but Greg tried to get her to admit that their kiss was more than a friendly peck. She accused him of wanting to sleep with everyone in the hospital, and Greg admitted that he did want to be sexually involved with her--but what was so wrong with that? Rena didn't like the idea of being a conquest. He attempted to loosen her up, to get her to let her guard down…but this only made her more upset. She insisted that she wasn't his type, and apologized shakily for leading him on.

Ronald caught up with Olivia in the parking lot, and they discussed her feelings regarding Roald's death, and the odd fact that Tristan seemed unable to deal with the community's warm feelings towards his mother. Olivia's bitterness made it difficult for Ronald to communicate with her, but he was finally able to get her to agree to come to a meeting at OmniCorp the next day--even though Tristan would be present as well.

Arriving home after the gala, Clark visited his sister's room, surprised to find that she'd neither unpacked nor even gotten undressed. They bonded with each other, talking about why neither of them feels that they make friends easily. Clark said that you can't please everyone, no matter how much you try; Beth disagreed, seeming to think that if one tries hard enough, one could meet everyone's approval. Later, when Clark left her alone, he was disturbed to realize that she was using a chair to barricade herself in her room.

After making things difficult for Chelsea, Jem finally told the policeman that she wasn't a threat to his safety--in fact, he lied, the girl was his sister. The cop left them alone, and Jem asked Chelsea exactly what she was really doing at his house. Without another word, Chelsea lunged at him, kissing the startled Jem, knocking him against the staircase and removing her clothes. Dazed by her unusual behavior, Jem tried to restrain his impulses long enough to figure out why she'd suddenly changed her mind about him. But Chelsea's steamy advances were too tempting. Right on the stairs, the two began to make passionate love…

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