Daily Updates

From: Teresa Elaine Leslie <tleslie@emory.edu>
Subject: GH:  Friday Update 4/24/98
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 16:14:06 -0400

Guilt and Innocence:
        In Friday's episode, a rather uneven script by Craig Heller, the
guilty reveal themselves, an innocent boy looks guilty, and a guilty man
walks free, more or less.
        There was a lot of vamping and filler today, with no real action
until the last 5 minutes or so (which seems to be a Heller trademark).
For simplicity's sake, let's just do this by storylines, rather than
rehashing every single scene.

Brenda and the Jacks Boys:
        Brenda and jax meet at the Outback, where she lets him know right
off the bat that she is furious with him.  Why?  Because she thinks he
was responsible for getting her the modelling job that involves location
shoots at exotic locations around the world, and so of course now she will
have to turn it down.  Bad Jax.  In fact, she's going to give him the 10%
advance she was given.  [Updater wants a job like that-- you get to keep
10% of your fee for doing 0%  of the work]  She throws a paper at him--
she's spent the advance to buy him 1000 acres of Brazilian rain forest.
[All together now-- Awww!] "And if you even think of cutting down even one
tree, I will have the natives shrink your head," she warns him, revealing
a simplistic and offensively stereotypical view of Brazilian Indians.
[and prompting the updater to wonder-- which head?]
        Jax pleads ignorance, and Jerry joins them at their table.  Of
course, it turns out that Jerry was the one who recommended Brenda for the
job, not Jasper.  Brenda turns her ire on him, and he counters that he was
just trying to do her a favor, and that she's acting silly.  Jax tells
his brother there's no sense arguing with Brenda, who is so determined to
prove her independence that she does not take the advice of others. Brenda
accuses Jax of making fun of her-- she's right, of course-- and stomps out
of the restaurant.
        She doesn't stay gone, of course.  After a commericial break, Jax
and Jerry discuss how to get Brenda to take the job, since Jax's "reverse
psychology" trick failed miserably.  Right on cue, Brenda stomps back in
and thanks Jerry for the recommendation, pledges to do a good job, and
assures Jax that she will be able to woo him on a regular basis.  She
moves off a short distance to make a cell phone call to confirm the job.
Jerry gets a call as well, and waves Jax away so he can have a private
conversation-- in the middle of a crowded restaurant.  Needless to say,
he's overheard.  Brenda bends down to pick up a piece of paper and thus is
in a position (don't ask me how this works) to overhear Jerry angrily
telling his mystery caller, "I don't owe you a cent.  The deal was
Scorpio gets framed for murder and it didn't happen."  Brenda looks
shocked.

Lizs smells the hankie:
        Elsewhere in the Outback, Liz and Lucky spend most of the episode
talking about catching her rapist.  Liz doubts they can do it, but Lukcy
is sure they can. He knows it's a long shot, but compares it to his work
for Helena: "every time I go to the yacht, I'm hoping to find out
something about my parents.  It's a long shot, but I have to try."  Liz
frets that he shouldn't be doing something so dangerous.  he takes off to
visit the yacht yet again, after suggesting that he and Liz concentrate on
identifying the soap scent Liz smelled on the rapist.  Liz makes a call to
Gail Baldwin, indicating that while she appears to be handling herself
well in front of Lucky, she's still very troubled.  Leaving the pay phone,
she runs into Mr. Murty-- literally--who notices how upset she is and
insists she sit down and talk to him until she feels better.  Leaving her
his handkerchief, apparently to dry her tears, he goes to fetch a glass of
water.  Liz smells his handkerchief and freezes-- she recognizes that
smell.  Aha-- Mr. Murty smells like the rapist.  Now we're getting
somewhere.
        On the yacht, in true Spencer fashion, Lucky snoops around while
waiting for Helena.  He discovers a bug Luke has planted, but as soon as
he finds it, Helena walks in and finds him.  Apparently she thinks he is
planting the bug, because she strides toward him saying, "Lucky, I'm
disappointed in you."  We hear this line along with Luke, who is listening
in from his office. A worried look crosses his face as the bug goes dead.

Tony's Verdict:
        The main action today was at the courthouse, where Tony's trial
has ended.  There were lots of scenes of various characters conversing in
the hall or in the courtroom. First we see Carly and Jason.  Throughout
the episode, Jason is sending our major signals that, regardless of the
outcome, he plans to take care of Dr. Jones.  What good is being a mob
boss if you can't take care of your enemies, after all?  carly completely
misses these signals.  Signal number one, the first conversation of the
show, has Jason reminding her, "You just have to make it through today."
[which also serves as ironic foreshadowing, because of course dear
impatient Carly doesn't manage that.]  She tells Jason she wants Tony to
get the max-- 44 years.  He tells her Tony will pay for what he's done,
then scoots off to talk to Justus-- Signal number 2.
        While he talks to Justus offcamera, Carly talks to Bobbie, asking
about Lucas's reaction to the news that she's his sister.  Bobbie says
he's taking it well, and they agree that Tony is a menace to both their
sons.  Tensions are running high, as Bobbie and Felicia exchange words
about Tony, and then Carly lays into Felicia for criticising Bobbie,
prompting Felicia to remind Carly that no one has given Bobbie more grief
in the past year than Carly herself.
        Monica and Bobbie also squabble, when Monica learns that Bobbie is
getting to visit their mutual grandson.  They smooth things out,
eventually, as Bobbie reassures her friend that she will try to pave the
way for Monica to get to know Michael as well.
        Taggert is curious about the meeting in the judge's chambers
between the two attorneys and the judge, but Alexis gives him no clues as
to what happened.  She's busy absorbing the blows as Ned snubs her
repeatedly.  "Try not to hate me," she pleads with Ned in one exchange, to
which he haughtily replies, "After today, I'll have no reason to think of
you at all."  Ouch.
        There's an exchange between Robin and Jason, of course.  Robin
primly states, "I know we both want different things today, so I can't
really wish you good luck.  But whatever happens, I hope you remember that
Michael's safety was always the most important thing, and now we have."
[SIC]  This dialog was a mess-- not only was it very poor English, but
once you decipher what she seems to be trying to say, it still doesn't
make sense.  Michael's safety was the most important thing to whom?  And
this excuses Tony's behavior how?  What is her point?
        Jason answers evenly that Michael is safe because "Dr. Jones
can't get anywhere near him.  And that's not going to change."  [Signal
no. 3]
        Later, Robin and Felicia remind one another that they did the
right thing.  Robin realizes this is a minority opinion:  "Do you know how
many people are going to hate us if Tony gets a light sentence?"  Felicia:
"well, sometimes being true to yourself carries a price tag.  [yep, you
could get slapped; hey, can I start an offshoot of the SRSS to slap
Felicia?]  but maybe if we split the cost, we'll be okay."  [updater gags
on that one.]
        Later, we get one of GH's patented interwoven-dialogue from two
conversations scenes, as we cut back and forth between Monica and Bobbie
talking in the background and Robin and Felicia talking in the foreground.
The topic for both conversations is Tony, and the contrasting views could
not be further apart.
        Bobbie to Monica: "Tony Jones is a criminal."
        Robin to Felicia:  "He's a good man."  Felicia has another
gag-inducer in reply: "It's out of our hands now.  All we can do is pray."
        Helena has also dropped by the courthouse, looking cooly elegant
in a tiny black dress with a low-cut neckline.  The viper from hell looks
pretty good.  And she has Luke Spencer to keep her entertained.  He slips
into the seat behind her, and asks "am I late, or do I have time to get
popcorn?" Helena smiles indulgently.  They banter throughout the day.  My
favorite exchange-- Luke:  "What, getting soft on me, Helena?"  Helena:
"You of all people should know how I detest that word."  Double entendre,
anyone?
        Finally, Tony enters the courtroom, looking menacing.  He shoots a
mocking look at carly.  The judge enters, says he'll render a verdict,
and warns against courtroom interruptions.  Defense has offered a plea,
we learn, of second-degree custodial interference and the prosecution has
agreed to that plea.  There's a one-year maximum sentence.  No mention is
made of the kidnapping of Robin.
        Everyone is stunned, esp. Carly.  She sputters to Jason that
they've ignored the evidence.  Evidence had nothing to do with it, he
says.  "Someone got to Dara Jansen."  There's a brief recess before the
judge hears arguments about sentencing.  There is much grumbling in the
court, and Carly grows increasingly upset.  Jason says," After we hear the
sentence, I may have to go make some arrangements, and I want you to stay
here."  That's Signal #4, for those of you keeping count.  Apparently,
however, it never dawns on Carly what Jason has in mind.
        Alexis beseeches the court not to send Tony to jail, since his
only crime, she says with a straight face, "is loving a child too well."
Dara concurs, and agrees to a sentence of community service.  Everyone is
shocked, and there is much gavel banging.  Sentenced to one year of
community service, Tony grins at carly from across the room.  Jason rushes
away, saying, "Come on, Justus."  Signal #5.  carly is left alone, shocked
to the core.  "No, no, no," she repeats like a mantra, tears glistening in
her eyes in a way that makes her look positively possessed.
        mac pulls Dara aside to ask what the hell is going on.  I was
distracted from their dialogue, however, by what was going on in the
background while they talked-- they framed a tableau of Felicia hugging
Tony while Robin looks on, smiling.  Everyone is standing around in little
groups, except Carly, who is all alone and in tears.  Tony looks directly
at her as Robin takes her turn hugging his neck, and grins smugly.  Carly
can't take it=- the kidnapper of her baby being congratulated by the woman
Jason loves, the woman he held hostage and deprived of her HIV cocktail,
while he celebrates being a free man.  Tony shows no remorse whatsoever,
and no one is talking about psychiatric counseling anymore.  Tears
glistening in her eyes, Carly starts toward Tony.  "You bastard!"  Taggert
steps in front of her, and pushes her back.  But then mac calls to
Taggert, he turns to see what Mac wants, and Carly grabs Taggert's gun.
This is the week's cliffhanger, as she fires it at Tony.

The End

Terry, One of the Twin Updaters of Different Fridays