Phillip, Beth, Olivia, Alan, Edmund, Mindy
and...Joe?
By SHADOWPLAY
Beth finally puts her life back on track after her disastrous relationships with
Edmund and Bill by opening up an art gallery. It has always been her own private
dream and now she is fulfilling it. She's already bought the building and now is
in the process of getting the gallery off the ground. Her passion is so
all-consuming that her family and friends are surprised and impressed with her
energy and passion. Lillian and Lizzie are both happy to see Beth directing her
energy on something other than bagging another man (at least one that isn't
Phillip). Lillian especially encourages her daughter. So, does Rick.
Getting the gallery started has certainly kept her busy. She's been getting in
touch with art dealers, museum curators, local artists, bank loan officers,
accountants, interior designers, etc. One day, while consulting with an
assistant, she is a taken aback when a fireman, dressed in uniform, appears at
the gallery. "Is there a problem? she asks concerned. The firefighter, a
ruggedly handsome man (think: Tom Eplin), tells her that he's come to inspect
the building for fire hazards. "We made the appointment for today, remember? he
says. Beth, embarrassed, remembers. She's just been so swamped this past week
that she plum forgot. "No problem, says the inspector. He introduces himself.
Joe Radinovich. He and Beth shake hands. Beth gives him a tour of the gallery.
He inspects the fire exits, the water sprinkler system, fire extinguishers,
electrical wiring, each time, marking something off on a clipboard he carries
with him. Beth watches him intently and nervously.
This whole process is just so damn intimidating. He comes across a huge hole in
the drywall with exposed wiring. "You're gonna fix that, right? he says,
eyebrows raised. "Oh, yes. Right away, Beth replies eagerly. "Well, everything
seems to check out fine, then, says Joe. He gives her a pass. "So then, that's
it? says Beth. "I can open? "Yeah, he says, but adds that someone'll be back
in the next six months just to make sure she's following fire code regulations.
Beth is so relieved, it obviously shows. Joe asks her what she's opening. Club?
Bar? After she tells him she's opening an art gallery, he seems impressed. They
start discussing art. Joe says he's rather partial to abstract, avant-garde
artists, like Jackson Pollack. Beth loves the Impressionists.
She's impressed and surprised by Joe's knowledge of art. He shrugs. "I took art
history in college." "You did! says Beth. "But you're a..." "...fireman, he
completes her sentence. Sheepish, she says, "I'm sorry. That sounds so elitist."
"Yes, it does, says Joe, grinning. "But don't worry. I won't take it
personally. Actually, the only reason I took art history was because this girl I
was into at the time was an art major. I just wanted to impress her." They both
laugh. "Well, Beth says, here's to the art major girl for turning you into
such an astute art critic." D'oh! Why did I say that, Beth thinks embarrassed to
herself. Joe, noticing the sudden blush crossing her cheeks, grins and says,
"You know, we know each other? Well, sort of? "We do? Beth says, glad to
change the subject. She asks how. She and Joe went to the same school together.
Springfield High. Graduates of 83. Beth crinkles her nose; she doesn't
recollect him. "I'm not surprised. We ran in different circles." He tells her he
was on the football team. She shakes her head; she wasn't much into school
sports. Well, there you go. He tells her about the 20th high school reunion
coming up and asks her if she plans to go. Beth demurs; she's not so certain.
"Oh, come on, he says. "It'll be fun. Get to have a chance to catch up with the
old gang." Hmm. Beth isn't so thrilled about that idea. Beth's assistant
interrupts them with a question. Joe gives them leave to get back to business.
But before he steps out of the building he, throwing caution to the wind, asks
Beth out for a date. Without giving it a second thought, Beth says yes.
Later, Beth tells Rick and Mel about Joe. She asks Rick if he remembers a Joe
Radinovich in high school. "Are you kidding? says Rick. He tells Beth that Joe
was running back on the Springfield High football team, and begins regaling her
with his exploits on the field, like the time he caught a 10-yard touchdown
pass, winning the state championships for Springfield. "It was amazing.
So what? He's a firefighter now? Funny. I always did wonder what happened to
the guy. He had as good a chance of making it to the pros as anybody I've seen
on the gridiron. He even made draft pick, but then, for no reason anybody could
figure out, he dropped out. Changed his mind. Didn't go pro. Never understood
that." Interesting, Beth thinks.
On their first date, Joe takes her to a little Chinese restaurant. They both hit
it off beautifully. They talk, about art, about Joe's job, about his football
career. She asks him why he changed his mind about going pro. He shrugged and
said his heart wasn't in it. He changes the subject so abruptly that Beth
figures she's treading thin ice on this subject. They discuss Beth's divorces,
her kids. Joe has never been married. Never had kids. Beth asks him why not. He
shrugs. "I guess I just never found the right woman." And who is the right
woman, she asks. Someone, he says, who's sweet, gentle, intelligent. Someone
with a good head on her shoulders. Loves kids. Likes to have fun. Has a good
sense of humor. He watches her intently, as if he thinks he's found the right
woman.
If he keeps this up, Beth thinks, he probably has.
Beth is on cloud nine after her date. She tells Lillian, Rick, and Mel about it.
She and Joe go out on subsequent dates. Their dates are fun and different--for
Beth that is. He takes her bowling, bike riding in the park, romantic picnics by
the lake, to the movies. They're fun, outdoorsy, athletic. They enjoy themselves
and, over the course of this time, get to know one another. Though on the
surface Joe seems like a simple, fun-loving guy, there are dark, mysterious
currents to him. Beth finds that endlessly attractive and sexy. She wants to
peel back his layers (figuratively and literally) one by one. Eventually, Beth
introduces Joe to her family and friends. They all seem to like him immediately.
Only Lillian and Lizzie are slow to melt to him. But Joe is so charming,
self-effacing, and good-natured that they come around. Especially Lizzie. When
Beth asks her daughter if she really doesn't mind her dating Joe, Lizzie shrugs.
"Well, if you had to date somebody, I don't mind that it's him. He's cool." Beth
is so happy. In a few weeks, her gallery will be opening, and finally, she's
found a man, a good, strong, hardworking man that her family and friends love.
What more could she possibly want? Everything in her life, for once, is running
smoothly.
Or, so she thinks. Little does Beth know that she has attracted the attention of
her ex-husband, Phillip Spaulding. Ever since Beth announced that she is opening
an arts gallery, Phillip has noticed a change in his ex-wife. She's no longer
the clingy, desperate woman of the past. She's become independent, self-assured,
vibrant...sexy. The change has been so complete and so sudden that Phillip is
stunned. He asks Rick if he's surprised by Beth's sudden change. "Yeah, it's
pretty remarkable, isn't it? responds Rick. When Phillip goes on and on about
just how amazing Beth has become, Rick wonders aloud about his best friend's
sudden interest in Beth. Phillip says he's only happy for Beth, as a friend, but
recently, he's been showing up at the gallery, just to be near her. She sees
this sudden interest as a chance for renewed friendship, but even Lillian
notices the look in Phillip's eyes when he looks at Beth now.
There is reason for Phillip to start hanging out at the gallery. Ever since he
lost his baby (the child was stillborn), life at home with Olivia has turned to
shambles. A huge gulf has appeared in their marriage and it seems to widen with
each passing day. Phillip tries to be the understanding husband. He tries to
reach out to Olivia, to get her to open up about her feelings about the death of
their child, but Olivia shuts down immediately and pushes him away. Drowning
herself in her work at Spaulding Enterprises she refuses to let anyone see the
vulnerable, grief-stricken side of her. When Phillip encourages her to see
Felicia for counseling, she snaps at him that she's just fine. But Olivia isn't
fine. Though she puts up a strong front inside she is devastated. The loss of
her baby has hurt her far deeply than any loss she has ever felt. Far deeper
than Richard's death, even. She has no idea how to handle this terrible grief.
The only thing she knows how to do is to bury herself in her work. It is the
only thing that she knows for certain. Alan, who was also devastated after the
baby's death, also tries to reach out to Olivia but she pushes him away as well.
He promises his undying love to her; she laughs in his face. "You don't know
anything about love, Alan. The things you understand are money and control. So
why don't you stick to that, huh? Alan pretends not to be hurt by his ex-wife's
rebuke, but he clearly is. After a hard day's work, Olivia returns home. She
spends hours in the nursery she and Phillip helped decorate, hugging a teddy
bear to her chest and sobbing. But when Phillip again tries to reach out to his
wife, she pushes him away. "Just leave me alone, Phillip, she says tearfully.
"Why can't everybody leave me alone? So, as usual, when trouble strikes,
Phillip heads for the hills. He turns to his friend Rick; he turns to an
empathetic Felicia; but, most of all, he turns to Beth, who provides him a good
shoulder to lean on and a listening ear, something of which Phillip greatly
appreciates.
The only thing Beth is willing to provide for her ex is a shoulder to lean on
and a listening ear. She really loves being in a relationship with Joe, though
she can't rightly say that she is head over heels in love with him. As she tells
Mel: "I like him. We have fun together." But she leaves open the possibility for
something more. Joe, on the other hand, is completely smitten with Beth. He
tells his father, Len Radinovich, that maybe Beth is the one. He introduces Beth
to his father and the two hit it off. Len Radinovich is a big, burly man in his
seventies who obviously lives life to its fullest. He literally lifts Beth in
the air when he greets her the first time in a big bear hug. Len serves them up
shot glasses of Vodka. "Here's to a bright future, he toasts. Beth,
good-naturedly shrugging, gulps down the Vodka in one quick gulp without
blinking an eye. Joe's mighty impressed.
It is one day before the opening of the Elizabeth Raines Art Gallery. Beth is
excited, and nervous. But as she is making last minute touches, the future of
the opening is ruined by a car bomb explosion in downtown Springfield. The car
bomb touches off shock waves that touches practically every living soul in
Springfield. Joe is called on duty. The next evening, the art gallery opens as
scheduled, but all anyone who is in attendance can talk about is the car bomb
and its affect on the people there. Beth is a little down. She hoped that people
would be more interested in the art she has procured for the gallery. She tries
to liven things up with wine and cheese and a string quartet, but the mood is
somber and dark. Beth feels as if the opening is an utter failure. Lillian,
Lizzie, and Alexandra, all try to cheer her up, but it is Phillip who changes
the mood by starting a discussion on a Kandinsky lithograph hanging on the wall.
This seems to work, and suddenly, everybody, glad to have something else to
think about, begins talking about art. Beth is forever grateful to Phillip.
Phillip, who came stag to the opening, is glad to be of help. Just as they are
deep in their "moment" Joe arrives and sweeps Beth off her feet. This is the
first time Phillip and Joe meet (though he's heard too many raving reviews about
him from Rick and Lizzie, of all people). Joe, who remembers Phillip from high
school, is dismissive of Phillip; he's more interested in Beth and her gallery
opening. Phillip clearly does not like the guy. He recollects Joe's exploits on
and off the football field with Alexandra. The guy was a ladies man; a real
player, he tells his aunt. Girls were always tripping over him. "I don't like
this guy, Aunt Alex, he says, shaking his head. "I don't like him one bit."
Aunt Alex lifts her eyebrows. Tres interesting!
After the gallery opening, Beth brings Joe back to her place (she owns a little
home now). Lizzie and James are spending the night over at the Spaulding
mansion, so they have the place to themselves. Beth is still riding high on the
gallery opening buzz, and she clearly intends to spread some of that good
feeling to the bedroom. She and Joe begin kissing. They slowly undress. But
neither makes it to the bedroom. They lower themselves on the couch. Unbeknownst
to either of them, Phillip stands outside Beth's door. He begins to knock, but
before his knuckles touch wood, he peeks in on the romantic scene through a
window. He watches, then, clearly hurt, backs away, the darkness of the night
enveloping him.
Phillip returns to the mansion. He spends time with his children, then, he turns
in for bed. Olivia, who had backed out from going to the gallery opening with
the excuse of a headache, appears in the bedroom door dressed in very sexy
lingerie. She wants to make love and begins seducing him. Phillip is surprised
over the change in his wife.
But her change isn't so surprising. Earlier that evening, Alan told his ex that
Phillip was redeveloping feelings for Beth, "just as he always does." He told
her that once Phillip leaves Olivia for Beth, he [Alan] will be waiting for her
with open arms. Olivia is determined not to lose Phillip to Beth. She and
Phillip make love, but the sex is less than spectacular. Each apologizes to the
other---Phillip for being too distracted; Olivia for not be completely into it.
Olivia agrees with Phillip that they have a lot of problems to iron out and
softens to his idea about seeking counseling. But by the end of their
conversation, they each turn to opposite sides of the bed, their backs turned on
one another, the gulf between them growing impenetrably large. Olivia cries
softly into her pillow. She doesn't know how or if she wants to save her
marriage.
A month passes. Joe is intimating to his old man that he plans to ask Beth to
marry him. He knows its rather sudden... "Sudden! shouts his father. "I was
wondering when you'd get round to it." Joe knows the perfect time to ask Beth.
The 20th high school reunion. At their high school prom, Joe, who secretly had a
crush on Beth, had wanted to ask her for a dance, but she was so into Phillip at
the time that he, for all his heroics on the football field, couldn't come
between them with a prayer. Now, Beth is his lady and their night together at
the reunion will be magical.
Much has changed for Phillip. His marriage to Olivia is now dead in the water.
The counseling is not working at all. It seems all they do is argue and make
accusations. Olivia accuses Phillip of not being there for her, while Phillip
accuses her of locking her out after their child's death. Both have reached an
impasse. Phillip tells Rick that he now realizes his marrying Olivia was a huge
mistake. He wonders, perhaps, if he was only interested in Olivia simply because
she was forbidden fruit. It was exciting in the beginning, but now... Rick wants
to empathize with his old buddy, but he sees Phillip making the same mistakes
again and again. "You have this tendency, Phil, that when you start having
problems in your relationships, you run away instead of dealing with them." "Oh,
so you're my therapist now? "I'm just saying that I know exactly where this is
going to end up. You're gonna leave Olivia and go back to Beth. But you know
what, my friend, Beth is really in a good place right now. She's happy, happier
than I've ever seen her. Don't ruin this for her." "Ruin it? Come on, Rick, you
and I know that this thing with Joe firefighter won't last. She barely knows the
guy. And how do you know he's right for her, huh? How do you know he's not back
to his old tricks, if you know what I mean? "All I'm saying, Phillip, is to
just back off. Beth is my friend..." "She's my friend, too." "Then act like it
and be happy for her."
Phillip refuses to listen. He much prefers what Mindy (who had returned to
Springfield after her family was irrevocably devastated by the car bomb
explosion) has to say: "Go for it." She always believed that Phillip and Beth
belonged together. "What you two have is so beautiful and special. I don't
understand why you ever let that slip through your fingers, Phillip." Phillip
agrees. But what if Rick is right? What if he'll ruin Beth's one good chance at
happiness. He wishes he had the answer.
The day of the 20th high school reunion is one of excitement and anxiety. Beth
and Mindy try out the evening gowns at Beth's place and have a good laugh over
their goofy high school prom pictures. Lizzie and Marah watch them model the
clothes and offer their opinions. Marah is still in a funk after what had
happened to her mom, Danny, and Tony, and her "little problem, but being here
with Beth and Mindy has cheered her up considerably. Finally, Beth and Mindy
have chosen their gowns, and get ready to leave. Phillip, who has now separated
from his wife, shows up at the house. He is Mindy's date, just like prom night!
Rick and Mel arrive, both looking stunning. Rick is still a little down after he
and Ed had to admit Michelle into a mental institution, and Mel has been
mysteriously distant and moody ever since the car bomb explosion, but the two
are determined to enjoy themselves tonight. They deserve the break. The Four
Musketeers + Mel reminisce about the good old days and have a good time, until
Joe shows up. Joe is drop-dead gorgeous dressed in his tux. Beth is mighty
pleased. Phillip is mighty jealous. "So, you ready? Joe asks. Beth hooks her
hand on his arm and says, "Than I've ever been."
The reunion is held at the Beacon. Everyone seems to be there. All the old gang,
a little older, a little wiser. Or maybe not. Beth and Joe spend the night away
dancing in each other's arms. Joe intimates he has a little surprise for her.
Beth purrs. Phillip sulks all evening. Rick and Mel and Mindy try to cheer him
up, but, you know Phillip. As he watches Beth dance in the arms of another man,
he's struck at how beautiful she is. He sighs. He realizes what a mess he's made
of his life, of both their lives. He has a flashback of their senior prom. Of
that sweet promise of young love. He wonders what has become of that. As Rick
and Mel leave their table to dance, Mindy tries to drag Phillip out onto the
dance floor. Finally, he relents. "Sure. Why not? "Well, gee, Phillip, you sure
do know to make a gal feel special." Phillip laughs. "Come on, Mindy, he says,
twirling her out onto the dance floor. "Let's show 'em how it's really done."
Before Phillip and Mindy have a chance to get their groove on, the band, a
cheesy 80s band, finishes the song. Mindy groans with disappointment. Joe breaks
away from Beth, saying he has to go to the little man's room, but makes her
promise to wait for him. "I've got something I want to ask you." Beth grins.
"Does this have something to do with your surprise? "Yes. Excited? "I can't
wait." Joe kisses her deeply, passionately, then says he'll be right back.
Giggling, Beth sidles over to Mindy and tells her she thinks Joe is going to ask
her to marry him. Alarms sound off in Mindy's head. "How do you know? she asks.
Beth shrugs. "I got this feeling, that's all." "Do you want to marry him?ξ
"Well, Beth begins. "Maybe." "Maybe. That's not the same as yes." The grin
fades from Beth's face. She glances over at Phillip who is huddled with Rick and
Mel. There is a wistful look in her eyes. Ever since Phillip has separated from
Olivia, she has begun to notice what everyone else has noticed about him. She's
tried so long to ignore it. But tonight, of all nights, it has just been a
little harder. Phillip notices her glancing at him. She averts her eyes. Mindy
warns Beth not to do anything rash. "Do you love Joe? she asks. Beth doesn't
answer. Rick sidles up to Beth and Mindy and jokes, "Well, it looks like Phil
has stolen my wife." Phillip is now dancing with Mel. "Come on, he says,
holding out his arm to Beth. "I thought you'd never ask, says Beth. Beth and
Rick slide out onto the dance floor, leaving Mindy alone. After sipping her
drink, Mindy decides to take matters into her own hands. After the band ends one
song, she goes up to the bandleader and whispers in his ear. He nods and she
gives him a thumbs up. Suddenly, the band strikes up "Truly, by Lionel Ritchie.
The first strains bring up a flood of memories for Beth and Phillip. Mindy,
pulling more of her puppet master strings, pushes Phillip to ask Beth for a
dance.
The music, the lights, Phillip holding Beth close, it is all overwhelming. They
both begin reminiscing about the good-old days. Phillip tells Beth about the
first time he saw her that prom night, and how beautiful she was and how bad he
felt because Beth was dating Rick, and yet, Phillip was in love with Beth. Beth
listens to him go on and on. "What ever happened to us, Beth? he asks. Beth
doesn't know. She's trembling. Silly little girl, acting like the seventeen year
old she was all those years ago. "We've changed, Phillip, she says. "No we
haven't, says Phillip. "I think the problem between us is how little we've
changed." Phillip holds her tighter. Beth can literally feel his heartbeat
through his tuxedo. After the dance ends, Beth asks to talk with Phillip alone.
They find a quiet spot in the lobby. Beth tells Phillip that she knows how he
feels about her. Phillip admits this is true. She tells Phillip that nothing can
happen between them because she is with Joe now and she is very happy. "Are you,
Beth? Are you really" "Don't do this to me, Phillip." "Why? Because you're
afraid to admit your feelings for me? I saw the way you looked at me earlier.
You still love me. Say it, Beth." "Phillip, of course, I still love you. You are
the father of my children. I will always care about you. But you and I know that
we can never be together." Phillip tells her he doesn't believe that. His last
marriage to Olivia has taught him what's really important. His family. His
children. Beth. "You are the world to me, Beth. You always have been. No matter
how many times we've strayed from one another, we've always come back to each
other. We're like two planets revolving and circling in the same orbit. The
moment we shift away from each other, our universes go into a tailspin. Let's
face it, Beth. Neither of us can explain this, except to say that this is love."
"No it's not, Phillip. Look, you're feeling just a little nostalgic tonight and
once this night ends you'll feel differently." "No, I won't." "I will, Phillip.
Look, Joe plans on asking me to marry him tonight." Phillip is stunned. "But you
won't say yes, he says, after composing himself. "Yes, I will." "You can't do
that, Beth. We've been down this road before and it always ends badly. My God,
look at what's happening between me and Olivia." "That's not my fault." "No,
it's my fault. For not seeing what was so plainly in front of me. We belong
together, Beth." "We always end up hurting each other in the end." "Not this
time. Please, Beth, believe me, I mean it this time. Don't marry Joe. Come back
to me." "Why? Why should I? "Because I love you." "Oh, Phillip, please." "I
love you, Beth." "Stop it." "I love you." "Dammit, Phillip. Why are you doing
this to me? "Because I love you. I love you, Beth. I love you."
By now, Phillip has taken Beth in his arms. Beth rests her cheek on Phillip's
chest, she is exhausted from fighting him and fighting her own roiling and
confused emotions. She is crying. He lifts her chin and wipes away the tears.
They gaze longingly into each others eyes, and then, gently, sweetly, they kiss.
Joe has spent most of the time in the restroom, gathering enough courage to
finally pop the question. He looks at the ring he has bought in its little
velvet box for encouragement. When he finally bites the bullet and emerges from
the restroom, he's sidetracked by old high school buddies of his on the football
team. They joke around and reminisce, but Joe is anxious to get back to Beth. He
goes over to their table and asks Rick, Mel, and Mindy where she is. "Oh, she
was around here somewhere, says Mindy, wide-eyed with false innocence. Joe
senses something's up by their strange behavior. He notices that along with
Beth, Phillip can't be found either. He asks them where Phillip is. When they
don't answer, he takes off, shoving himself through the dance crowd. When he
finds Beth and Phillip together, he catches them kissing.
"What the hell is going on here?
Beth desperately struggles to make Joe understand that it is all a
misunderstanding, but he doesn't want to hear it. "Man, am I a fool, he says,
his voice cracking with anger and pain. "What a major fool I am." Beth tries to
calm him down; he's shouting and attracting attention. Rick, Mindy, and Mel have
joined them in the lobby. "Please, Joe, says Beth. "Let's just go somewhere to
talk this over." She touches his arm but he shoves her hand away, as if her very
touch is painful to him. Beth is stung by his rejection. Phillip defends her.
But Joe, who doesn't want anything to do with either of them, punches Phillip on
the mouth and storms off. Beth is torn between chasing after Joe and tending to
Phillip. She decides to go after Joe. Mindy follows her. Phillip is lying on the
lobby floor. Rick and Mel are standing over him, shaking their heads with shame.
"What? says Phillip. "Don't...dont say anything to me, Rick. Not now." Rick
offers his friend a hand and lifts him off the floor. Mel offers to find an ice
pack for Phillip's bloody mouth.
Mindy stops Beth in the parking lot of the Beacon. She tells her to let Joe go.
"I can't Mindy." "Why, Beth? Why do you keep ignoring the obvious? Beth shakes
her head. She runs after Joe.
Joe ends up at the locker room at fire station #502. He takes the ring out of
his pocket and stares at it. All his hopes have now gone down the drain. Angry,
he takes his frustration out on a locker, pounding it harder and harder with his
fists until his knuckles start to bleed. Leaning against the locker, he slides
down to the floor, and begins to weep.
Beth is truly torn now. She admits to her mom that she cares about Joe, and
would have accepted his marriage proposal, but Phillip's admittance of his love
for her has torn her world asunder. "I thought I knew, Mom. I thought at my age
I'd know everything, that I'd be smarter about things like this. But I don't
know." "Sweetheart, says Lillian. "This idea that the older you get the wiser
you get is a whole bunch of hogwash. Honey, love isn't any simple at sixty than
it is at sixteen. Oh, of course, there are differences, but the pain and the
confusion is still the same. Even moreso, because when you're older you have so
much more to lose than to gain." Lillian's voice takes on a melancholic yearning
and loss. Beth asks her mom if something is wrong. Lillian skirts the issue
(though clearly she is speaking of her own personal and very recent experience).
She tells Beth to follow her heart, but her mother's advice rings hollow.
Especially since in the weeks following the high school reunion Beth has come to
the realization that she loves Joe...and Phillip. How could she have ever let
this happen, she pleads to her friend Mindy. "Oh, poor you, says Mindy, who
teases her old friend. When has Beth ever not had two men chasing after her?
Joe is equally torn. He tries to be the same good-old Joe at the fire station,
but when he is alone the pain is still raw. He doesn't tell his father what's
wrong, though the old man knows something's up. He tries to help in his
larger-than-life fashion, but nothing seems to cheer up Joe. Beth tries to get
in touch with Joe, but he refuses to speak to her. His father tells him he's
being an ass. "I don't know where in the world you get it from." Joe finally
does open up to his old man. Beth's betrayal hurts just as badly as Frannie's.
Len nods, remembering his son's old girlfriend. He claps his hand paternally on
Joe's shoulder and gives it a good squeeze.
The only person in this triangle who isn't torn or confused is Phillip. He
courts Beth with flowers and promises of marriage. He is so certain of his
purpose that he is single-minded in it. Aunt Alex and Alan are flipping over the
latest turns in Phillip's twisted love life, but for entirely different reasons.
Olivia, who has seen the axe falling on her marriage for some time, is
distraught. Phillip asks his wife for a divorce. She hurls a vase at him. He
ducks. Unfortunately. "Go to hell." "Don't make this any harder than it is,
Olivia." "Oh, please." She hurls another vase. "What do you want from me? he
shouts. She accuses Phillip of abandoning her. "I'm sorry, says Phillip, and he
really is. He feels guilty leaving his wife, especially after she had lost their
baby. But, the heart wants what the heart wants. "I'm sorry, Olivia mocks. "I'm
sorry." She throws another vase. She picks up another. Alexandra enters the den,
sees Olivia aiming the vase at Phillip and has an apoplectic fit. "No, not that
one. I bought that at Sotheby's for $25,000. She and Olivia fight over the
vase. Alexandra, surprisingly, is the strong one and snatches the vase out of
Olivia's hot little fingers. "Fine, Olivia screams. "You want a divorce. I'll
give you a divorce." Just now, Alan enters this cozy domestic scene. "I'll give
you your divorce, she huffs breathlessly as she rushes past an immobile and
guilt-ridden but nonetheless undeterred Phillip. Alan tries to stop Olivia in
the hall. His hands grip her shoulders. He tries to console her but she breaks
free of his grip. "Get your dirty hands off me, you damn bastard, she snarls.
"I hate you. I hate all of you. I wish I never met this sick, twisted family."
"Olivia, Alan shouts as she storms away. "Let it alone, Alan, says Alexandra.
"Just let it alone."
Distraught, feeling low-down and rejected, Olivia goes over to her club to drown
her sorrows in lots of booze. Edmund, who is having romantic troubles with
Cassie, joins her. The two trade quips about whose love life is worse. Before
long, Edmund invites Olivia up to his room at the Beacon. They drink some more,
and Olivia admits to Edmund that Alan had offered her some lake land that had
once belonged to Danny as a gift. Alan came into possession of it after the car
bomb explosion (the IRS had gotten hold of it because of back taxes Danny owed
on his businesses and sold it on the auction block). She turned it down at the
time. Edmund wonders if there's any brains at all in her lovely head. Olivia
frowns. Edmund explains to her that if she expects to come out with anything
from her divorce from Phillip then she's a bigger fool than he thought. "He's a
Spaulding, remember. They're going to rob you blind." He advises Olivia that she
can come out with a lot more if she plays her cards right. But in order to do
that she needs to play nice-nice with Alan. "You and I, he says, lifting his
glass to Olivia, "would make excellent business partners, no? Say, running a
real estate development? Olivia grins, the first time in a long, long time.
Beth is still running around in circles. She doesn't know who to
choose...Phillip or Joe? She is getting too much pressure, but oddly, all the
pressure seems to be weighing in Phillip's favor. Lillian, Mindy, Alan,
Alexandra, Lizzie, Phillip, even. Rick simply tells her to do what's right,
which doesn't help her at all. What is right? she wonders. After Alan pressures
Beth to return to Phillip, she breaks down. She can't take the pressure, any
more. A sympathetic Alan tells her that what she needs is to get out of town and
be alone to sort out her feelings. Beth agrees. Alan gives her the keys to the
Spaulding cabin, fires up the Spaulding jet, and whisks Beth away. Phillip asks
Lillian where Beth has run off to, but, as much as Lillian wants to tell
Phillip, Beth swore her to secrecy. At the Spaulding Mansion Phillip runs into
his father who supplies him with the answer he needs. Phillip races off to find
Beth. Of course, this is exactly what Alan had planned. Later, he agrees to meet
with an apologetic and contrite Olivia at the Beacon. After Olivia hangs up the
phone, she turns to a conspiratorial Edmund with a grin.
During the time when Beth was trying to figure out what the hell she was going
to do with her life, Mindy befriended Joe. Mindy understands what Joe is going
through since she has gone through it herself before and so she feels sorry for
the guy. They get together at Company to commiserate. Joe struggles to
understand this thing between Phillip and Beth, and if, there is any chance for
Joe and Beth. Mindy tells him not bloody likely. She tells him her own part in
the Phillip/Beth saga. "Those two are like a freight train traveling a hundred
and fifty miles per hour. I learned, the smart thing is to just get the hell out
of the way." "Yeah, says Joe. "tell me about it." Joe comes to like Mindy, and
she him. Just two newfound friends commiserating over their lousy love lives.
Phillip tracks Beth down at the Spaulding cabin. Over the course of two days,
they have it out. They get out all their frustrations, their insecurities, their
fears. They sleep over it, walk alone through the woods. They push one another,
challenge one another. Finally, exhausted, Phillip gives up. "You do what you
have to do, Beth, and whatever you decide, I'll respect. But whatever you decide
won't change what I feel for you." "Phillip, she says. "I don't doubt that. I
know you love me. I love you. I always will. But we can't seem to ever work out
our problems. I need to know Phillip that you'll stand beside me always. I need
to know I can depend on you." "What do you mean, you can't depend on me? Beth, I
will never leave you again." "How can I be so sure? You pledged to stand beside
Olivia and now you're leaving her." Chagrined: "That's different." "No it isn't,
Phillip. You've done that to every woman you've been with. Including me." "What
is it do you want me to do, Beth? Tell me and I'll do it. If it means you'll
come back to me." Beth thinks. "Maybe, we should get help. Counseling." Phillip
nixes that idea, citing his own bad experience with Olivia. "Then there's
nothing more for us to say, Phillip." Beth rises from her chair and heads to her
bedroom, obviously to pack and go home. Phillip stops her. Quietly, he relents.
He agrees to counseling. "I just don't want to lose you again." Beth goes over
to Phillip and they embrace.
Just as Phillip and Beth make up, an emergency call comes through fire station
#502. Joe, who is still brooding over his lost love, joins his fellow
firefighters and rides out to the rescue. They race through the streets of
Springfield, the siren blaring into the night. The fire engine comes to a stop
in front of the Marler residence. The house is engulfed in flames. Blake and her
kids have gotten out safely, except one: Jenny Sutherland, the little girl Blake
and Ross have taken on as a foster child. Jenny's mom was killed in the seven
car pileup caused by the car bomb explosion. Blake pleads to the firefighter to
find Jenny. Joe promises her they'll do their best to rescue the child. The
firefighters turn on their hoses on the burning house. Joe and another
firefighter enter the smoke-filled house. Joe calls the girl's name, but the
roar of flames is deafening. Outside, Ross, Holly, and Ed arrive at the scene.
They are both worried. Blake is hysterical. She tells them little Jenny is still
inside. "No she's not, mom, says Kevin. He tells Blake that he just saw Jenny
running across the street. Holly, Blake, and Ross exchange glances, then race
off in the direction Kevin saw Jenny. Joe continues to call Jenny. He and his
partner move through the house, dousing flames with their hose. Suddenly, the
roof caves in at the front entrance, trapping Joe and his partner inside.
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