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
Continue to the next part
of the Season 02 summary...
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