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Post by topbilled on Oct 11, 2023 14:10:59 GMT
132 A Corpse Can Ruin a Vacation
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
It is revealed Bradley inflicted the marks on his arm. He self-harmed to deal with the stress of everything that’s going on. Despite her reluctance, Trish agrees with Amanda and Gisselle that Bradley should see Ross.
As Bradley attends a counseling session with Ross, Amanda has a new flashback of the time she gave Bradley up to the Conrads. She had been married to Ross’ twin brother Reese. But Reese was involved with the mob, working for Tony Salerno. There is more to the story…
We show the audience in these brief new flashbacks that Reese was about to be killed by the Salerno gang and that Amanda and her unborn child were in danger. A short time later Amanda was on her own and gave birth then handed the boy over to Trish and Gary. Amanda quit college and enrolled in the police academy to devote her life to nailing criminals like the Salernos.
Out of the flashback we see Amanda at the precinct. She hears Schuyler who just came by to tell Ryan they are invited for dinner at the Salerno mansion. It’s been awhile since they’ve seen Naldo, Sandra and Vito.
We cut to a scene at the O’Reilly home. The captain has the day off. Bernice drops by for a chat. The captain says groveling is not usually her style. It is said Kermit returned to Boston. Bernice would like to visit Heidi who isn't taking her calls. The captain says when Heidi found out Bernice was coming over, she went out with Shannon. The captain finds it deplorable how Bernice broke their daughter’s heart. Bernice says she had too much to drink; surely the captain understands.
We cut to the park, where Heidi sits with Shannon. Heidi is talking to a woman who often goes there and has befriended her. The woman is Nevaeh Belmont. Nevaeh has brought hot buns to share with Heidi.
Back at the O’Reilly home the captain tells Bernice they are through, and he wants nothing more to do with her. She mentions a holiday trip to see Lance. He says she will have to go to Paris by herself and explain to Lance why she tore apart their family. Bernice reacts.
When Heidi returns to the house, Bernice tries to talk to her, but Heidi ignores her and goes inside. Bernice starts to drive off and gets a call from Lance who asks how everyone is.
We cut to the hotel. Birdie and Dolph are enjoying their honeymoon. Birdie has moved into Dolph’s suite, and Dolph is having Fronklin and Jarrett make sure all of Birdie’s things are brought over from her old suite. Fronklin and Jarrett realize during a chat with Dieter that Birdie not only managed to get off the streets and live at the hotel permanently, but she is now half owner as Dolph’s bride.
This chat is interrupted when a flamboyant woman arrives to check in. Valentina Sherwood has been hired by a wealthy business owner to accompany him and his three daughters to Chicago. The reason for the journey is that Harvey Channing would like Valentina, who has a reputation for matchmaking, to check out a guy who proposed marriage to his eldest daughter Edith, and determine if he is acceptable. Valentina has unique ways of determining suitable matches.
Valentina knows that Edith is a closeted lesbian who’d rather not marry a man, so she agrees to help Edith find someone more to her liking and to pawn the guy in Chicago off on the second daughter, Brooke, who is more outgoing and seems more compatible with Rodney Vanderkellen.
When Brooke is introduced to Rodney, they hit it off. Rodney is afraid to dump Edith, especially since Harvey is anxious to marry Edith off. But Valentina aids Brooke and Rodney in eloping, which angers Harvey and the Vanderkellens. During an argument with Valentina over this, Harvey falls backwards into a fireplace and hits his head on the mantel.
Meanwhile the youngest daughter, Annalisa has brought her hick boyfriend Buddy O’Shea with them, hiding him in a trunk that was supposed to contain a wedding dress for Edith to marry Rodney. Buddy has been inside the trunk with holes drilled in the side so he has oxygen.
Buddy comes out of the trunk just as Harvey seems to have died. Valentina puts Harvey into the trunk with help from Buddy, while she figures out what to do with the body. She doesn’t want Buddy to tell Annalisa or the girls what’s happened to their father.
At the same time Brooke wins over Rodney’s parents, and her new in-laws now accept her. While this is going on, Edith strikes up a chat in the hotel with an attractive female model who is a lesbian. They kiss, which makes Valentina happy, though she’s glad Harvey’s not around to see.
Annalisa wants to marry Buddy since they both just turned 18. Valentina agrees to let them go to the same justice of the peace that Brooke and Rodney went to. Alone in her room with the trunk, Valentina still needs to figure out what to do with Harvey’s body.
She hauls the trunk out of the hotel down to a rental car. With help from Jarrett, she puts the trunk into the car, and drives to Navy Pier to dump it into the water. It’s almost dark.
On her way to Navy Pier, she is pulled over by Jude because the vehicle has a broken taillight. At first she thinks Jude’s pulling her over because of Harvey. But he has no idea what’s in the trunk, though he thinks Valentina is acting odd. Valentina takes the ticket for the taillight, thanks Jude and drives off. Jude continues on to the precinct to clock out.
A short time later Valentina has arrived at the pier. As she is trying to push the trunk into the water, she hears a sound. It’s Harvey who woke up. He’s alive. She undoes the lock and opens the trunk. He wants to know where they are and what’s going on. She says she thought he needed air,. The moon and the stars are so lovely here along the pier.
He recalls fighting with her earlier. She says the Vanderkellens have accepted Brooke with open arms. He asks about Edith. She says Edith found the love of her life and that’s all he needs to know. What about Annalisa, he cries. She says Annalisa also got married, to Buddy. Harvey doesn’t like Buddy but Valentina says Buddy agreed to help with the family business, to give Harvey time to go on his own honeymoon.
What honeymoon!, Harvey shouts. Valentina says she only agreed to come to Chicago and help straighten out his daughters’ affairs, because she was secretly hoping Harvey would see her in a new light and maybe want to marry her. Harvey says that is absolutely out of the question. He doesn’t love Valentina. He doesn’t even like her. Valentina is crushed and gets the message. She takes the car back to the hotel to pack her things and leave.
In the next scene, the daughters are at the hotel saying goodbye to Valentina. They are glad their father is back from wherever he went, still not aware he’d been in the trunk. They are angry at how dear old dad is treating Valentina, after everything she’s done for them. They refuse to ever talk to him, unless he patches things up with Valentina.
In the next part Harvey’s gone after Valentina, who’s down in front of the hotel to get a tram to the airport. He tells her not to go, he’s thought over their situation and her offer to be his wife. She says she’d only take him back out of pity at this point. But she will do it, for the girls’ sake.
The last scene has Harvey marrying Valentina, while the daughters’ and their companions witness the ceremony. Valentina winks at the camera and says all’s well that ends well.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 12, 2023 19:12:42 GMT
133 Dinner Scenes
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
At the O’Reilly home, Heidi is serving dinner to her father. The captain compliments the tasty hot cross buns she has included with the meal. Heidi says she didn’t make those, but a friend did. The captain asks who her new friend is, but before Heidi can tell him much about Nevaeh, they are interrupted by a call. It’s Lance who just spoke to Bernice, who told him what happened. The captain doesn’t want to rehash it and he informs Lance that he isn’t concerned with what Bernice does anymore.
Heidi is getting texts from Kermit who’d still like to talk. She’s been avoiding him. She does text back that she is no longer interested in ever speaking to him again and that she is going to block his number. His last text is “I’m sorry, I love you” which causes her not to be able to block him. But she doesn’t reply back (yet), she keeps staring at the text. Shannon got food all over himself and needs a bath. Heidi puts her phone down and takes Shannon off.
The captain has finished chatting with Lance and he looks at a family photo from happier times. Then the captain uses some new app on his phone that nobody else knows he uses. It’s a gambling app.
We cut to Bernice who’s having dinner at Biggie’s with Gisselle. She tells Gisselle about the blunder she made by sleeping with Kermit, and that she’s going to Paris for awhile to be with Lance. Gisselle gets a call from Bradley who is very upset about something. Gisselle gets up from the table and goes outside to take it. Bradley just came home from hanging out with Dahlia, and he found Trish on the floor. She’s overdosed again. Gisselle is on her way.
In the car Gisselle dials Amanda who’s eating some leftover food at the precinct. Gisselle tells Amanda about Bradley’s call regarding Trish. Amanda sets her food down and says she’s on her way. A short time later Amanda reaches the Conrad place. Gisselle is already there trying to calm Bradley down. The ambulance has been called. They are right behind Amanda. Amanda hops out of her car and rushes inside to help Bradley revive Trish. The paramedics arrive and take over.
Bradley tells Amanda and Gisselle that his mom was angry that his dad wasn’t sending money for child support. They had a big fight on the phone earlier, before Bradley went out. Trish apparently called an old dealer she knew to score more gear. The paramedics are unable to save Trish’s life, and she dies.
In the next scene Bradley is on the phone with Gary, telling him what’s happened. Bradley is too upset to keep talking about it, so Amanda takes the phone and finishes the call. Gisselle tells Bradley he’ll come stay with him at her place, until his dad can make it back from Seattle.
We then cut to a dinner scene at the church office. Agnes and Adrian are going over some accounting ledgers and are enjoying a pizza that was delivered. Amanda comes by to tell them about Trish’s death. She says Bradley’s gone to stay with her mother for awhile.
As Amanda leaves the church and gets her in car to drive to the precinct, she gets a call from Gisselle who says Bradley’s playing video games on his device and not wanting to talk. She tells Amanda that with Trish dead, it may be time for Amanda to tel Bradley that she’s his actual birth mother. Amanda thinks that would be more confusing for Bradley right now. She forbids Gisselle from saying anything.
Amanda has returned to the precinct and hangs up. She needs to find a file on her computer and doesn’t know what folder it’s in. She dials Jude who is having a late dinner with Sonja and Jim. Jim has agreed to buy out Woo Jun, who wants the money from selling his half in the apartment building to hire a better lawyer to appeal his conviction.
While Jude helps Amanda over the phone, there’s a knock at the door. It is Jim’s old girlfriend from Tombstone, Charita. She couldn’t get him off her mind, and she wanted to see him again. She asks if she can come inside. Sonja says, yes of course. Jim reluctantly helps get her luggage from the taxi. Charita finds out that Jim owns this building now.
We cut back to Jude on the phone with Amanda. Amanda feels like a dunce since she can’t remember how to find this file they always use. Jude says it’s okay, Jim often forgets stuff too. Amanda will call Ryan to ask him. As she hangs up, we stay with her as she dials Ryan.
Ryan picks up, while finishing a meal at the Salerno mansion. He steps on to the patio to talk to Amanda and help her find the file. We cut to Schuyler at the dinner table with the others. Naldo and Sandra invited Yvette and Blane, since they are all friends. This is an attempt to help the Murdocks reconcile. As the desert is being served, Yvette’s water breaks.
Ryan has just successfully helped Amanda find the file. As he hangs up and returns to the dining room, he learns Yvette’s in labor. They all hurry to the hospital. A short time later, Yvette gives birth to a boy, named Petey. Schuyler doesn’t really know what to make of this, since it’s clear that Ryan is trying not to act interested but he is.
Schuyler takes Vito to get some ice cream, while Ryan talks with Blane, Sandra and Naldo about the baby’s birth. When Ryan glimpses the infant for the first time, he can’t help but realize it looks a bit like him.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 12, 2023 19:14:56 GMT
134 Petey
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
It’s been two or three weeks since Petey was born. He’s now at the Murdock home with Yvette and Blane, who reconciled. But Yvette senses that Blane’s still keeping secrets from her. Ryan stops by and promises he won’t make a habit of it. He’d like the Murdocks to come by next week for Christmas. They can take some photos that Petey will treasure later. Yvette likes the idea and accepts while Blane’s on a call with a broker.
Yvette asks about Schuyler. Ryan gives a vague answer. As Ryan leaves, he sees a missed call from Schuyler. He meets Schuyler at Biggie’s for a meal. He tells Schuyler about inviting the Murdocks over for Christmas. He asks if Schuyler is okay with that. Schuyler guesses he will have to be, though it would’ve been nice if Ryan ran it by him first. Ryan reacts.
We cut to the precinct. The captain has been using the gambling app on his phone a lot. But though he initially was winning, that’s no longer the case. He’s been racking up debts and he can’t seem to stop, thinking he can win more money back again.
A realtor shows up to see the captain. He says he recently sold a house in the captain’s neighborhood, and he thinks he could help the captain get a good price for his too, if he’s interested. The captain says his home is where all his family memories are, and he’s not interested. The realtor leaves his card on the desk just in case the captain changes his mind.
In the next scene Heidi shows up. She has Shannon with her. They had just met up with her new friend (Nevaeh). And she has more of the hot cross buns the captain likes. Heidi says she had a voicemail from her mom who’s flying to Paris today to be with Lance. But neither one can bring themself to phone Bernice before she goes.
In the conference room Jude is meeting with Tyrone. Ryan just clocked in and joins them. They discuss Nevaeh Belmont. Jude says he’s been summoned to Washington D.C. by some crime investigating committee to offer corroborating testimony about an old case. The captain is allowing him time away to do this. Jude wants Ryan and Tyrone to have a chat with Nevaeh Belmont and see if she lets anything slip about the type of racket she may be running, selling babies.
We cut to Schuyler who has gone to the Murdock home with a present for Petey. He is trying to take the high road. But he does not really want this baby to be part of his and Ryan’s life. Yvette thinks Schuyler is thoughtful and opens the present.
We go to Jude who has left the precinct and gone to the coffee shop to find Sonja. He explains that he has to fly to D.C. later today. Sonja knew about some of this, but thought it would be after the holidays. She asks how long Jude will be away. Jude doesn’t know but hopes it’s just a day or two and he’ll be back for Nathan’s first Christmas.
Dewey comes in for his shift and learns Jude has to leave for awhile. He also hears Sonja and Jude discuss their current houseguest, Charita.
At the apartment building Jim is telling Charita she wasted her time coming up from Arizona. They can’t reclaim what they had. She admits she was angry when she found out he married that Korean woman, but she now understands why he did that. She loves Jim and wants to try again. She wants to help him look after this building.
We cut to the precinct. Bradley comes in with Gisselle to find Amanda who is working overtime today. They tell her about the upcoming Christmas pageant at school. Bradley wants Amanda to be there. His dad will also be there, since Gary is due to arrive from Seattle. Amanda thinks that’d be nice and she accepts. Bradley is very happy about this.
We go to Jude at the apartment building gathering some clothes and packing a suitcase before heading to the airport. He tells Jim and Charita he will try to make it back for Christmas. But if he isn’t back, he wants them to help Sonja and Nathan have a good time. Before Jude goes, Charita tells him that she and Jim are an item again. He reacts. The ride share to the airport just pulled up out front.
We cut to the captain in his office at the precinct. He’s gambling some more and has accumulated additional losses. He realizes he is not going to be able to pay all this back right away, unless he does something drastic. He sees the card the realtor left behind. He dials the guy’s number and says he reconsidered…he wants to sell his home quickly.
We dissolve to the next morning at the O’Reilly home. The captain gets a visit from the realtor who found someone interested in buying this home. The realtor can arrange a quick sale. The captain is relieved. As the realtor leaves, Heidi walks into the room and admits she overheard. The captain says he is may be retiring soon and that he feels he needs a smaller place, maybe a condo. It will be a place that has enough room for her and Shannon. Heidi reacts.
As the captain leaves for work, Heidi swallows her pride and dials her mother. Bernice is in Paris at Lance’s apartment. Bernice is grateful to hear from Heidi, thinking her daughter’s forgiven her. Heidi tells her not to count her chickens before they hatch. She called for another reason and tells Bernice about the captain’s sudden decision to sell the house.
At the same time Schuyler’s gone to the Murdocks again. He seems obsessed with little Petey. Blane’s gone to meet his broker, so Schuyler spends time chatting with Yvette who just finished breastfeeding and put Petey down for a nap. Yvette has to deal with something burning in the oven. As Schuyler looks down at the child in the bassinet, he notices Petey has Ryan’s eyes.
Yvette has resolved the crisis in the kitchen. She returns to the living room, but Schuyler needs to go. He has an interview for a new job. Yvette says she will see him at Christmas dinner. Yes, Schuyler says. We go with Schuyler on his way out. On the porch, he looks at a spare key he found inside the house and took. He studies it and puts it into his pocket.
In the last scene Schuyler has shown up for the interview. It’s a job as a paralegal position, while he’s in law school preparing for the bar exam. The lady lawyer who runs this firm was impressed with something on his resume. She’s anxious to meet him. The woman is Nevaeh Belmont.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 13, 2023 13:54:20 GMT
135 Separated at Christmas
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
We start with Jude on the plane to Washington D.C. to testify. He sits next to a man named Merle Denton. They make small talk. Denton says he’s a military contractor, which is a lie. He’s really a hitman.
When Jude lands in D.C., he takes a tram to a nearby hotel. Merle’s on the same tram, to the same hotel. At the hotel Jude checks in and goes to his room. Merle then checks in and gets a room directly across a courtyard from Jude’s. In his room, Merle dials a number. The man who answers on the other end is former judge Harry Greenwood. Merle says “We’re here. We just arrived.” Harry, who’s using a burner phone in prison, smiles.
He tells Denton he doesn’t want Jude dead, not yet. Harry wants the pleasure of killing Jude when he gets out, and he intends to get out soon. He just wants Denton to scare Jude, put him on edge. Denton will be in touch after he’s done this. The call ends and Denton settles in.
Across the courtyard Jude’s unpacking. He is on the phone with Sonja, telling her that he just arrived. She is anxious for him to testify before congress on an old case, then to get back to Chicago. She tells Jude about some presents she and her mom bought Nathan and Jim earlier.
We dissolve to the next morning. Jude is testifying, and after it’s over, he is thanked for his testimony. He heads back to the hotel, but a blizzard comes up out of nowhere. Jude learns the tram to the airport isn’t running and all flights have been canceled for the rest of the day as the severe weather conditions are expected to last until the next day.
He dials Sonja to tell her he won’t be there to help celebrate their son’s first Christmas. She tries to conceal her disappointment, but it can’t be helped and she understands this. Jude looks out his window. He sees the room on the other side of the courtyard and doesn’t realize it’s where Denton is staying.
We cut to Denton who is bribing a room service employee, to borrow the guy’s uniform and a cart the guy uses. He says it’s for a gag he intends to play on a ‘friend.’
We go back to Jude. He is sorry he can’t make it home for Christmas. He promises Sonja he’ll make it up to her. There’s a knock at the door. It’s room service. Jude didn’t order any room service. He tells Sonja he must go and will call her later.
In the next shot Jude’s set the phone down. He walks to the door and looks through the peephole. He sees a room service cart. He slowly opens the door to tell the employee he didn’t order any food and the guy must have the wrong room. But there’s nobody there. Just the cart.
As he lifts one of the lids to see what kind of food it is, a shot rings out. He quickly ducks back into the room. He grabs his gun and heads into the hall. Meanwhile Denton’s hurried down a flight of stairs and tucked his gun inside the uniform vest. When he reaches the next level, he pretends to be looking for his cart and asks an employee if they saw his cart. He claims it was stolen.
By the time Jude gets downstairs, Denton is gone. Jude talks to the employee and asks what the other guy looked like. The description is vague and could fit anyone. We cut to Denton who’s gone into a men’s room and changed out of the uniform. He puts the gun into his trousers then exits the men’s room and returns to his suite unnoticed.
Later Jude is with hotel security looking at camera footage. There are no good shots of the man who brought the cart to Jude and fired the shot. The manager offers to move Jude to another room. But Jude intends to stay in his room and see if the guy comes back. Though he thinks it was a warning, not meant to kill him.
Back in Chicago Sonja is telling Jim and Charita that Jude can’t make it home. They will open half their presents tomorrow then save the other half for when Jude gets back. A car pulls up outside. It’s the captain. He comes in with Shannon. They brought a present. Sonja has a present for them, too. She says Jude is stranded in D.C. due to a blizzard. The captain saw some weather reports on the news. Sonja asks about Bernice.
We quickly cut to Bernice in Paris. She and Lance discuss the captain’s intention of selling the house, a place that’s been in the family for several generations. She decides she needs to go back and make sure the captain is doing the right thing. Lance reacts.
Back in Chicago the captain has returned home. He tells Heidi the sale for the house is going through, and he’s found a new condo in a nice neighborhood. She admits she spoke to her mom and that Bernice and Lance know what’s going on. As Heidi steps into the kitchen to check on something she’s preparing, the captain gets an email on his phone. He thinks it is from the realtor. But it’s someone else.
This person knows he has a gambling problem and that he’s taken funds out of a police account to cover his losses. They will keep his name out of the media if the captain does a favor. The captain reacts.
In the next scene Heidi is serving a special Christmas meal to the captain and Shannon. There is a knock on the door. It’s Kermit. He’s back to make amends with Heidi. When she burns herself by spilling some hot soup on her arm, the captain puts aside his differences with Kermit and together they take her to the E.R.
We cut to Sonja. Her parents have driven up from Hegewisch. She is still disappointed Jude’s not able to spend Nathan’s first Christmas here with them. Charita wants to open a present. Jim says no, it’s too early. But Sonja doesn’t see any harm in it. While opening a present from Jim, Charita says she loves it and kisses him. Jim doesn’t remember buying it.
We cut to Ryan’s place. Amanda stopped by with a present. She learns the Murdocks are here, but Schuyler isn’t. Ryan’s acting strangely. So are Yvette and Blane. Amanda is in a hurry. She doesn’t want to be late for Bradley’s performance in the Christmas pageant at Holy Name.
As she drives off, we go with Ryan back into the living room. We reveal that Petey’s missing. Someone got into the Murdock house earlier and took the baby. They all think it must have been Schuyler.
We then cut to Schuyler who has Petey at a hotel room. Petey is a little angel, asleep on the bed. Schuyler wishes this had been a child that he and Ryan had with a surrogate, not a child Ryan had with the Murdocks. Schuyler is not in a good frame of mind.
Schuyler’s phone keeps ringing. It’s Ryan who’s frantically trying to reach him. But Schuyler is not answering. He’s picked up a pillow and it looks like he’s about to smother the child.
We go to Amanda arriving at the school pageant. Gisselle is there and she’s with Bradley in the wings before he goes onstage. He mentions not having a mother since Trish died. Gisselle tells him that Amanda is his mother. This catches him off guard. When he goes on stage with the other kids, he sees Amanda arrive and take a seat next to Gisselle.
We cut to Schuyler’s hotel room. In a moment of near insanity, Schuyler almost kills Petey, but is unable to bring himself to do it. In the last scene he shows up on Ryan’s doorstep with the baby and rings the doorbell.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 13, 2023 13:56:22 GMT
136 Reunions
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
We start at the Christmas pageant. Gary is now there, seated next to Amanda and Gisselle. He came in late. They all watch Bradley perform in the pageant, which they think is quite good. After it is over, they go to meet him and the other kids in the parish hall where refreshments are being served by Sister Agnes and Father Adrian.
Bradley is happy to see his dad. But he is unable to speak to Amanda, because what Gisselle told him before the performance has thrown him for a loop. Amanda tries to figure out what’s the matter. Gisselle admits she talked to Bradley earlier who said he was missing Trish. She doesn’t reveal the rest of what she said, that Amanda is really Bradley’s mom.
Off to the side Gary and Bradley have a chat. Gary says he was recently remarried, and that Bradley’s new stepmom and step siblings would like Bradley to come to Seattle to live with them. But first Gary has a job with a hauling firm down south for a few months. After he’s done with that job and is heading back to Seattle, he will take Bradley with him.
In the next scene Gisselle and Amanda learn about Gary’s plans to take Bradley west in the spring. Gisselle is glad Bradley will remain with her for a few more months, since it will give Bradley time to bond with Amanda as his mother. Gary makes plans to see Bradley the following day then heads to the motel run by Venus and the other girls.
At the motel Venus puts a few moves on Gary, but he says he’s married. Venus hates being alone on Christmas Eve. She asks Gary to have a drink with her, without it leading to sex. They bond.
We cut back to the church/school. Amanda and Gisselle are leaving the parish hall. Bradley is supposed to meet Gisselle by her car. But he’s not there and seems to have gone missing. Gisselle dials Amanda who has just driven off. She circles back to help Gisselle look for Bradley.
Gisselle fears Bradley has run away. Maybe he went to where Trish died. Gisselle’s car won’t start. She hops into Amanda’s vehicle. On the way to Trish’s old place, Gisselle admits she told Bradley he’s Amanda’s son. Amanda is angry by this and nearly loses control of the car. She pulls up in front of where Trish lived, turns off the motor and yells at her mother.
They go up to the front door. A new family is living there. They haven’t seen Bradley. Gisselle is on her phone dialing someone. Amanda figures Gisselle is calling Gary, but Gisselle is actually calling Ross. Ross admits Bradley came to see him. Amanda finds all of this quite unsettling.
At Ross’ place, Amanda is calmed when she sees how well Bradley gets on with Ross. Ross and Bradley have been discussing Gary. Bradley is talking about his plans to do stuff with Gary tomorrow. Bradley wants to talk to Amanda. Ross and Gisselle leave the room to give the two some space. Amanda tells Bradley he’s the most important thing in her life.
Bradley asks why she gave him up. She says the reasons are very complicated but it was to keep him safe. She never wanted to give him up but felt it was best. She says his coming back into her life has been the greatest gift she could ever receive. She has tears in her eyes.
Meanwhile Yvette is tearfully reunited with Petey and thanks Schuyler for bringing the baby back. Blane is angry and so is Ryan, but Ryan says it is the holiday. He asks Schuyler to come inside. But Schuyler is haunted by the memory of what he almost did to Petey, and he can’t stay.
Dissolve to two days later. Bernice shows up at the O’Reilly home. She flew back, after she heard about Heidi’s injury. Heidi will be fine. Bernice has an awkward encounter with Kermit. Heidi tells them they must over what happened if the family is to get back to normal. They agree.
Bernice tells the captain she heard about his plans to sell and move to a condo. She asks why this is happening so suddenly. He says that after the deaths of Nenita and Morgana, he felt it was time for a different place. The captain gets another text from the person blackmailing him.
We cut to Jude arriving home. He steps into the apartment building and is reunited with Sonja and Nathan. He opens some presents with them that they had saved for his return from D.C. Jude looks around and asks about Jim. Sonja says Jim and Charita fixed one of the other apartments and moved into it. This is Jude’s idea of a homecoming.
We cut back to the captain. He’s gone to meet his blackmailer. As he pulls up the driveway of a wealthy home, we reveal it’s the mansion of Mayor Henry Clovis. The mayor’s wife Zora is away visiting a sick relative. The mayor apologizes for having the captain come over at this hour. But he’d like to discuss the captain’s problem.
The mayor admits he has the captain’s office bugged and under a hidden camera surveillance. He’s been waiting a long time for the captain to do something besides drink, to gain his cooperation for a special “job.”
The captain insists he did not use city funds for gambling. The mayor knows, but has a way of making it look like the captain did. The captain asks why he’s doing this. The mayor needs to ensure the captain’s help in getting rid of someone who has been causing difficulty for the mayor.
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Post by NoShear on Oct 13, 2023 14:41:20 GMT
136 Reunions
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
We start at the Christmas pageant. Gary is now there, seated next to Amanda and Gisselle. He came in late. They all watch Bradley perform in the pageant, which they think is quite good. After it is over, they go to meet him and the other kids in the parish hall where refreshments are being served by Sister Agnes and Father Adrian.
Bradley is happy to see his dad. But he is unable to speak to Amanda, because what Gisselle told him before the performance has thrown him for a loop. Amanda tries to figure out what’s the matter. Gisselle admits she talked to Bradley earlier who said he was missing Trish. She doesn’t reveal the rest of what she said, that Amanda is really Bradley’s mom.
Off to the side Gary and Bradley have a chat. Gary says he was recently remarried, and that Bradley’s new stepmom and step siblings would like Bradley to come to Seattle to live with them. But first Gary has a job with a hauling firm down south for a few months. After he’s done with that job and is heading back to Seattle, he will take Bradley with him.
In the next scene Gisselle and Amanda learn about Gary’s plans to take Bradley west in the spring. Gisselle is glad Bradley will remain with her for a few more months, since it will give Bradley time to bond with Amanda as his mother. Gary makes plans to see Bradley the following day then heads to the motel run by Venus and the other girls.
At the motel Venus puts a few moves on Gary, but he says he’s married. Venus hates being alone on Christmas Eve. She asks Gary to have a drink with her, without it leading to sex. They bond.
We cut back to the church/school. Amanda and Gisselle are leaving the parish hall. Bradley is supposed to meet Gisselle by her car. But he’s not there and seems to have gone missing. Gisselle dials Amanda who has just driven off. She circles back to help Gisselle look for Bradley.
Gisselle fears Bradley has run away. Maybe he went to where Trish died. Gisselle’s car won’t start. She hops into Amanda’s vehicle. On the way to Trish’s old place, Gisselle admits she told Bradley he’s Amanda’s son. Amanda is angry by this and nearly loses control of the car. She pulls up in front of where Trish lived, turns off the motor and yells at her mother.
They go up to the front door. A new family is living there. They haven’t seen Bradley. Gisselle is on her phone dialing someone. Amanda figures Gisselle is calling Gary, but Gisselle is actually calling Ross. Ross admits Bradley came to see him. Amanda finds all of this quite unsettling.
At Ross’ place, Amanda is calmed when she sees how well Bradley gets on with Ross. Ross and Bradley have been discussing Gary. Bradley is talking about his plans to do stuff with Gary tomorrow. Bradley wants to talk to Amanda. Ross and Gisselle leave the room to give the two some space. Amanda tells Bradley he’s the most important thing in her life.
Bradley asks why she gave him up. She says the reasons are very complicated but it was to keep him safe. She never wanted to give him up but felt it was best. She says his coming back into her life has been the greatest gift she could ever receive. She has tears in her eyes.
Meanwhile Yvette is tearfully reunited with Petey and thanks Schuyler for bringing the baby back. Blane is angry and so is Ryan, but Ryan says it is the holiday. He asks Schuyler to come inside. But Schuyler is haunted by the memory of what he almost did to Petey, and he can’t stay.
Dissolve to two days later. Bernice shows up at the O’Reilly home. She flew back, after she heard about Heidi’s injury. Heidi will be fine. Bernice has an awkward encounter with Kermit. Heidi tells them they must over what happened if the family is to get back to normal. They agree.
Bernice tells the captain she heard about his plans to sell and move to a condo. She asks why this is happening so suddenly. He says that after the deaths of Nenita and Morgana, he felt it was time for a different place. The captain gets another text from the person blackmailing him.
We cut to Jude arriving home. He steps into the apartment building and is reunited with Sonja and Nathan. He opens some presents with them that they had saved for his return from D.C. Jude looks around and asks about Jim. Sonja says Jim and Charita fixed one of the other apartments and moved into it. This is Jude’s idea of a homecoming.
We cut back to the captain. He’s gone to meet his blackmailer. As he pulls up the driveway of a wealthy home, we reveal it’s the mansion of Mayor Henry Clovis. The mayor’s wife Zora is away visiting a sick relative. The mayor apologizes for having the captain come over at this hour. But he’d like to discuss the captain’s problem.
The mayor admits he has the captain’s office bugged and under a hidden camera surveillance. He’s been waiting a long time for the captain to do something besides drink, to gain his cooperation for a special “job.”
The captain insists he did not use city funds for gambling. The mayor knows, but has a way of making it look like the captain did. The captain asks why he’s doing this. The mayor needs to ensure the captain’s help in getting rid of someone who has been causing difficulty for the mayor. Going back to your original post for this thread, TopBilled, it included mention of your personal connection with Chicago, and I thought of both your early farm life as well as schooling in Los Angeles: Your geographic history obviously has given you some locale elements to mix in with your love of film and television. As to this latest post, the Christmas pageant reminded me of my two favorites of your titles: "Sugar and Vice" "Santa’s Slay" |
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Post by topbilled on Oct 13, 2023 14:51:22 GMT
Thanks NoShear. I have been enjoying the arc with Amanda and her son Bradley. I introduced Bradley near the beginning of season 5. I knew I was building towards him finding out she's his biological mother. But I didn't want to reach that turning point too soon. We needed to have Amanda get re-involved in his life, reveal to the audience her true connection to him. Show him doing things that preteens do...his vulnerability, nearly getting involved with a gang. Plus show him developing a friendship/relationship with Amanda.
Then gradually have other people find out the truth that Amanda's his biological mom...such as her mother Gisselle and the shrink (Dr. Ross Jax, who has a past connection himself with Amanda). I had introduced the adoptive mother back in season 5, and she's a mess, on drugs, neglectful of Bradley, etc. Amanda has been trying to help straighten out Trish the adoptive mom...but Trish overdoses and dies at the beginning of season six. All this sets the stage for Bradley finally learning Amanda is his mother in this special Christmas episode.
I thought it would be interesting if Gisselle blabbed, right before he went on stage as the pageant was beginning. So he doesn't have a lot of time to process it...he can't just run away because the nun and the teachers are herding him and the others on stage. And we keep cutting between him on stage and Amanda in the audience. He now knows the truth. But Amanda doesn't know he has found out the truth. At this point we are ready to play the confrontation scene, 'why did you give me up, why did you abandon me?' etc.
There is still more to this story. Like why did she really give him up. And what really happened with the biological father? At the same time, we have his adoptive father Gary back in his life again. So this poor kid is pulled in all these directions. And Amanda will try to be a supportive mother, but she never really learned how to be a mother. She learned how to be a good cop, and motherhood is still quite a foreign concept to her. On top of this, we have Amanda's own dysfunctional relationship with Gisselle who was hardly ever mother of the year material. So yeah, I've been enjoying this storyline...it's meaningful how it all comes to a head in this Christmas episode. Thanks for reading.
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Post by NoShear on Oct 13, 2023 15:30:41 GMT
Thanks NoShear. I have been enjoying the arc with Amanda and her son Bradley. I introduced Bradley near the beginning of season 5. I knew I was building towards him finding out she's his biological mother. But I didn't want to reach that turning point too soon. We needed to have Amanda get re-involved in his life, reveal to the audience her true connection to him. Show him doing things that preteens do...his vulnerability, nearly getting involved with a gang. Plus show him developing a friendship/relationship with Amanda.
Then gradually have other people find out the truth that Amanda's his biological mom...such as her mother Gisselle and the shrink (Dr. Ross Jax, who has a past connection himself with Amanda). I had introduced the adoptive mother back in season 5, and she's a mess, on drugs, neglectful of Bradley, etc. Amanda has been trying to help straighten out Trish the adoptive mom...but Trish overdoses and dies at the beginning of season six. All this sets the stage for Bradley finally learning Amanda is his mother in this special Christmas episode.
I thought it would be interesting if Gisselle blabbed, right before he went on stage as the pageant was beginning. So he doesn't have a lot of time to process it...he can't just run away because the nun and the teachers are herding him and the others on stage. And we keep cutting between him on stage and Amanda in the audience. He now knows the truth. But Amanda doesn't know he has found out the truth. Now we are ready to play the confrontation scene, 'why did you give me up, why did you abandon me?' etc.
But there is still more to this story. Like why did she really give him up. And what really happened with the biological father? At the same time, we have his adoptive father Gary who is now back in his life again. So this poor kid is pulled in all these directions. And Amanda is trying to be a supportive mother, but she never really learned how to be a mother. She learned how to be a good cop, but motherhood is still quite foreign to her. On top of this, we have Amanda's own dysfunctional relationship with Gisselle who was hardly ever mother of the year material. So yeah, I've been enjoying this storyline...and it's meaningful how it all comes to a head in this Christmas episode. Thanks for reading. You're welcome, TopBilled... I know I've mentioned something to the following in the past to you but: Aren't you at all afraid of someone pillaging your ideas as their own by making your work so public?? |
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Post by topbilled on Oct 13, 2023 15:34:31 GMT
Thanks NoShear. I have been enjoying the arc with Amanda and her son Bradley. I introduced Bradley near the beginning of season 5. I knew I was building towards him finding out she's his biological mother. But I didn't want to reach that turning point too soon. We needed to have Amanda get re-involved in his life, reveal to the audience her true connection to him. Show him doing things that preteens do...his vulnerability, nearly getting involved with a gang. Plus show him developing a friendship/relationship with Amanda.
Then gradually have other people find out the truth that Amanda's his biological mom...such as her mother Gisselle and the shrink (Dr. Ross Jax, who has a past connection himself with Amanda). I had introduced the adoptive mother back in season 5, and she's a mess, on drugs, neglectful of Bradley, etc. Amanda has been trying to help straighten out Trish the adoptive mom...but Trish overdoses and dies at the beginning of season six. All this sets the stage for Bradley finally learning Amanda is his mother in this special Christmas episode.
I thought it would be interesting if Gisselle blabbed, right before he went on stage as the pageant was beginning. So he doesn't have a lot of time to process it...he can't just run away because the nun and the teachers are herding him and the others on stage. And we keep cutting between him on stage and Amanda in the audience. He now knows the truth. But Amanda doesn't know he has found out the truth. Now we are ready to play the confrontation scene, 'why did you give me up, why did you abandon me?' etc.
But there is still more to this story. Like why did she really give him up. And what really happened with the biological father? At the same time, we have his adoptive father Gary who is now back in his life again. So this poor kid is pulled in all these directions. And Amanda is trying to be a supportive mother, but she never really learned how to be a mother. She learned how to be a good cop, but motherhood is still quite foreign to her. On top of this, we have Amanda's own dysfunctional relationship with Gisselle who was hardly ever mother of the year material. So yeah, I've been enjoying this storyline...and it's meaningful how it all comes to a head in this Christmas episode. Thanks for reading. You're welcome, TopBilled... I know I've mentioned something to the following in the past to you but: Aren't you at all afraid of someone pillaging your ideas as their own by making your work so public?? |
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Post by topbilled on Oct 13, 2023 22:44:39 GMT
137 Meeting Trigger and Living to Tell About It
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
It is the start of a new year. The captain is still waiting to find out who the mayor wants the captain to help get rid of. He doesn’t let on to Heidi and Bernice the jam he’s in. Per the realtor the sale on the house has just been finalized. Also per the realtor, the condo the captain is moving into, located in Schaumburg, is going through escrow. So in a month or so, the captain will be able to move.
Meanwhile Jude’s back at work. He tells Amanda that while he was in D.C., someone had taken shots at him but then disappeared. He’s sure whoever is behind it will resurface. Amanda thinks this has Harry Greenwood’s name written all over it. She calls the penitentiary and learns from the warden that Harry is still under lock and key, and has been on his best behavior.
In the conference room, Ryan and Tyrone bring Jude up to speed on the investigation into Nevaeh Belmont’s legal activities. Tyrone says Miss Belmont hired a new assistant. Ryan is surprised to learn the paralegal is Schuyler, since Schuyler never told him about this.
Ryan leaves to talk to Schuyler who is still staying at the hotel. Ryan asks why Schuyler didn’t mention his job. Schuyler didn’t think Ryan would be interested. Since their marriage is once again in jeopardy, what does it matter. Ryan is frustrated and is about to return to the precinct. Before he exits the suite, he tells Schuyler that Nevaeh Belmont is suspected of running an illegal baby ring and to be careful. Schuyler reacts.
Meanwhile, two recent murders in the city have gone unsolved. One happened on Christmas Eve and the other one happened on New Year’s eve at the motel Venus is running since Sugar left. The captain wonders if the man they suspect of the crimes, a guy known as Trigger, may be the one the mayor wants out of the way.
When Ryan returns to the precinct, he, Tyrone, Jude and Amanda are called into a meeting with the captain. The captain tells them all to forget about Nevaeh Belmont for now. He wants them to focus on finding Trigger. It’s important to the mayor. Jude wonders since when did the captain get chummy with the mayor and care what the mayor wants.
We cut to a woman named Miriam Halsey who lives in a suburban area. Miriam is a shy socially awkward 30 year old who lives in Naperville. All the girls she grew up with are married and have kids. She’s never had a serious boyfriend. Some people think she might be asexual, but she isn’t. She likes men but just doesn’t have luck with any of them.
Each day Miriam takes care of her sick elderly father Elmer, and she spends time on her phone when Elmer is sleeping. She has struck up a friendship with a guy online whose name is Caleb. For a few weeks she has shared intimate details with him.
We see that on the other side of his screen Caleb is Trigger, the guy that the police suspect in the recent killings. Trigger has been staying at the motel and he has killed two people, and he’s itching to kill another one.
These killings baffle Jude, Amanda, Ryan and Tyrone since there are no discernible patterns. Trigger a.k.a. Caleb is sweet and kind to Miriam online. She says she is coming to Chicago to buy her father a birthday present. While Miriam’s in Chicago a neighbor lady will look after Elmer Halsey. Trigger is reluctant to meet Miriam, but she persuades him. He says it will have to be Thursday, because he’s busy Friday (the day he intends to make his next kill).
We then dissolve to Miriam on the train from Naperville into Chicago. Later, when Miriam arrives at Union Station, Trigger meets her on the platform. He says even though Caleb is his real name, people call him Trigger. Miriam thinks the name Trigger sounds awfully violent, so she continues to call him Caleb, which he likes.
Miriam realizes he doesn’t look exactly like the photo he used online. He says he was deceptive about how he looks, because girls usually reject him due to the scar on the side of his face and neck. She understands what it’s like to be rejected and she instantly forgives him. They spend the afternoon having a wonderful time and then go back to his motel room where she loses her virginity to him. He is very tender and loving.
Meanwhile, Venus is visiting with Jude and Amanda at the precinct. She says Trigger is at the motel but he hasn’t behaved suspiciously. Venus then tells them that Trigger always uses the same room, which Sugar kept especially for him and made sure Venus doesn’t let anyone else use. Usually Trigger is alone, but now he seems to have a girlfriend. Jude wants to know about the girl, whom Venus says is Miriam Halsey. Based on Venus’ description, Amanda figures Miriam is an innocent gal from an outlying area who doesn’t know who she’s gotten herself involved with.
We dissolve to later that night at the motel. When Miriam goes for ice, Trigger sees a newscast on TV in which Ashley Clark interviews the mayor about the killings. Trigger tells the figure on screen that he’s the one who’s going to die tomorrow, meaning the mayor. Trigger realizes the door is open and Miriam is there with the ice. She just overheard what he said.
At first Trigger tries to play it off as a joke, but Miriam can sense he was not joking. Trigger pulls her into the room and locks the door. The ice spills on to the floor. Miriam is now scared and asks him if he is the one who committed those horrible murders last month. He says yes, those people had to die. And so does the mayor. Miriam asks what the mayor ever did to him. Plenty, Trigger retorts angrily.
Miriam wants to get away from him, but Trigger is holding her arm tight and he says he can’t let her go. She’s too good and will run right to the cops. She swears she won’t, but he doesn’t believe her.
Meanwhile, Jude, Ryan and Tyrone are staked out nearby. Amanda’s in the motel undercover as an ill-mannered guest. Trigger knows Amanda’s a cop but doesn’t let on. He will use Miriam as a shield to get away.
Miriam is afraid for her life. Back home in Naperville, her father and the neighbor lady watch this siege play out on live TV. Eventually Trigger is gunned down. As he lies in a pool of blood, he tells Miriam to love him. And she says ‘I do.’ She cradles him in her arms as he dies.
In the next part an ambulance hauls Trigger’s body away. Miriam tells Jude and Amanda about Trigger’s intense hatred for the mayor, which the captain overhears as he pulls up. Miriam is afraid to go back to Naperville. Her father and their neighbors won’t understand how she could’ve fallen for a killer. Amanda says they’ll just be glad she’s okay.
Inside the motel Venus is in the office when she gets a call from a familiar voice. It’s Sugar. Sugar says she is on her way back. Venus is surprised to hear this. Sugar says life on a ranch in Wyoming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Supposedly she had a big fight with Orvy and is leaving him. Venus reacts. Sugar then asks about Trigger. Venus tells her Trigger died. Sugar has tears streaming down her face.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 14, 2023 14:27:37 GMT
138 One Door Closes
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
Sugar’s in Chicago. At first she is vague about the circumstances that supposedly brought her back. Venus thinks Sugar will want to resume operations. But Sugar seems to have other more important business on her mind, like giving Trigger a proper burial.
Sugar goes off to meet with an undertaker, whose name she got from calling Birdie. After Sugar drives off, Amanda comes by to tell Venus that Miriam Halsey went back to Naperville and left some items in Trigger’s old room she’d like sent to her. Venus will have Cocoa, one of the girls, take care of it. Amanda learns that Sugar’s back and asks Venus what brought Sugar to town. Venus says Sugar claims she and Orvy had a massive fight. But Amanda detects that Venus doesn’t quite believe it.
When Amanda returns to the precinct, she sees Jude and the captain and tells them about Sugar’s return. They all agree something else must’ve brought Sugar back. We then cut to Sugar finalizing arrangements for Trigger’s burial with the undertaker.
In the next scene Sugar stops at the hotel. She has tea with Birdie and thanks Birdie for helping her get Trigger buried. Birdie’s the only one who’s known Sugar’s connection to Trigger, which Sugar managed to keep secret from everyone else. Birdie asks if Sugar will be returning to Wyoming. Sugar says there are problems in her marriage.
Sugar tells Birdie that Orvy has been overbearing and Sugar feels she has none of the freedoms she had before. During this chat, Sugar sees a call from Orvy which she ignores. The subject changes to Birdie’s recent marriage. Birdie says she’s now helping run the hotel.
At the front desk, Fronklin is checking in a guy named Vincent Shepherd. Fronklin has Jarrett show Vincent to his room. On the way to the room, Jarrett learns Vincent just got out of the state mental institution after spending most of his adult life there. He has no family, but supposedly a huge trust fund that had paid for his care the last three decades.
A lawyer named Grimes has been in charge of the estate. Grimes didn’t even bother to pick Vincent up from the institution because he is busy at his office doing some last-minute juggling of the books. His creative accounting is meant to hide the fact that he had spent most of Vincent’s family money on himself, thinking Vincent would never be released.
Vincent drops off his luggage, but he’s eager to go see Grimes. He finds out how to get to the address for Grimes’ office, from Jarrett. We cut back to Birdie’s suite. She encourages Sugar to call Orvy back, which Sugar does. Orvy apologizes and says if Sugar returns to Wyoming, things will be different. Sugar reacts.
Meanwhile Vincent turns up at Grimes’ office and gets the run-around. Grimes gives him some money to cover the hotel bill and promises to meet with him tomorrow. When Vincent returns to the hotel, he has memories of when he was fifteen and stayed here with his family.
In flashbacks we see that Vincent’s mother killed his father in a moment of rage after learning he had gotten another woman pregnant and had another son. Vincent’s mother took her own life. Vincent didn’t want her reputation to be tarnished so he made it look like he killed his father and mother. It was because he snooped through his father’s belongings that his mother found out about the other woman. Vincent felt responsible.
When Vincent confessed about the “double” homicide, he played crazy and the cops and lawyers believed him. He was sent to the institution, where he’s been for 35 years.
Back in the present Vincent tries to focus on his new freedom and what kind of future he can have. Vincent goes into the lounge where Birdie’s practicing for tonight’s show. Sugar is now leaving and again thanks Birdie for her help.
We go with Sugar who stops at the precinct to see if the undertaker came by the morgue to get Trigger’s body. Amanda and Jude tell her that was all taken care of. They ask Sugar what her true connection was to Trigger. She says Trigger was her son.
Dissolve to an hour later. Sugar is back at the motel. She tells Venus and the girls she’s going to give her marriage to Orvy another shot and is flying back to Wyoming. She thanks them all for being nice to Trigger.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 14, 2023 14:30:31 GMT
139 Another Door Opens
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
The captain steps into his office and sees some hot buns Heidi brought by while he went off on an errand. He enjoys these tasty things. He grabs one and logs on to his computer to do something. His phone rings. It’s the mayor. The captain says Trigger’s dead. But the mayor says that while Trigger, who was actually his illegitimate son, posed a problem, he wasn’t the real threat. The mayor wants the captain to meet tomorrow.
The next day we see the captain chatting with the mayor at the park. The mayor says Trigger’s mother Sugar is the real threat. She is the one he wants the captain to get rid of. The captain explains Maureen Marland, now Maureen Colby, a.k.a. Sugar, is now back in Wyoming.
The mayor says that when Sugar was in Chicago a few days ago, she called him and demanded a bunch of money. He wired it to her, because she threatened to blow the whistle on him and all the information she has collected on him over the years.
The captain likes Sugar and says he doesn’t think Sugar is a real threat if she’s in Wyoming. She probably wanted the money for Trigger’s burial, which wasn’t too much for the mayor to be expected to pay. But the mayor is paranoid. He wants the captain to find a way to lure Sugar to Chicago again, to get rid of her for good. The captain reacts.
We then cut to the hotel. Vincent has been waiting for Grimes to show up, but Grimes never materialized. So Vincent returns to Grimes’ office and catches Grimes trying to skip town. He learns Grimes spent most of his money, and this angers him.
Grimes is afraid that Vincent will kill him, but Vincent says he is not a killer. He then realizes he hasn’t needed a lot of money for most of his life. So what Grimes took isn’t really that important in the grand scheme of things. However, he does want to know about his half-brother whom he's never met. If Grimes can arrange a meeting with the half-brother, Vincent won’t tell police about Grimes’ embezzling the Shepherd funds.
In the next part we learn that Grimes kept his word and set up the meeting. But Grimes is still paranoid that Vincent might change his mind about the money and decides to leave town anyway. On his way out of Chicago, he crosses paths with another person he stole from and that person kills him. This leads to Jude and Ryan investigating Grimes’ death which leads to them trying to get in touch with Vincent Shepherd.
Meanwhile the captain has stopped at Bernice’s place where Heidi and Shannon are staying until the captain’s new condo is ready for them to move into with him. Bernice can see something’s distracting him. He tells Bernice about the gambling and what he’s up against with the mayor who wants help to get rid of Sugar. He is afraid the mayor may have murder in mind.
They are interrupted when Heidi comes into the room and they quickly change the subject. The captain sees a text from the mayor asking if he figured out a way to lure Sugar back. The captain texts back ‘no.’
The next day the captain has been summoned to the mayor’s office. The mayor tells the captain he’s being very uncooperative. But the captain thinks that if he teamed up with Sugar, then it’s the mayor would be forced to cooperate. If the mayor tries to cause trouble for him, then he will cause even more trouble for the mayor. The mayor laughs but the captain’s hit a nerve. The captain leaves, and the mayor pauses, before asking his secretary to make a call for him.
A short time later Jude has come over, since he’s the one the mayor had the secretary call. The mayor says he’s ‘worried’ about Colm O’Reilly and thinks O’Reilly needs to step down as captain. He’d like to know if Jude would be interested in the job. Jude wasn’t expecting this conversation.
Jude doesn’t give a real answer to the mayor, and after he leaves the mayor’s office, he goes to the coffee shop to find Sonja. He tells what the mayor said. She thinks this is a great chance for Jude to advance his career, but Jude doesn’t think Captain O’Reilly is planning to step down. Jim comes in with Nathan and learns what’s going on. He agrees that old Colm won’t retire unless he’s forced. Jude returns to the precinct to tell the captain that Ryan’s following some leads about the death of Grimes, and that Tyrone is resurrecting the case against Nevaeh Belmont.
Then he closes the door to the captain’s office and tells the captain about his visit earlier with the mayor. Jude says he doesn’t want to earn a promotion at Captain O’Reilly’s expense since O’Reilly has been a mentor to him. The captain appreciates that. After Jude goes off to call Ryan, the captain fumes that the mayor is playing hardball.
In the outer office, Jude’s on the phone with Ryan. Ryan’s somewhere observing Vincent. Vincent has just met his well-to-do younger half brother, a 40 year old defense lawyer who seems to have the life that Vincent probably would have had if his parents hadn’t died and he hadn’t gone to the institution. The brother, Keith, doesn’t want to have anything to do with Vincent, which hurts Vincent’s feelings. Vincent realizes it was a mistake trying to connect and starts to leave.
On the way out, Keith’s mother Hilary says she is sorry for the problems she caused Vincent’s parents. But she never believed Vincent murdered them. Vincent admits that his mother was responsible, but he covered it up. Hilary believes this, because she used to work for the family and knows Vincent’s mother had a vicious temper.
After Vincent leaves, Hilary thinks Keith should give Vincent a chance and urges him to reach out in a few days. Keith will think about it, but right now he is busy wrapping up a big case he’s been working on.
Vincent goes back to the hotel. He is followed by Ryan, who asks him more questions about Grimes. Vincent admits that he had seen Grimes twice since getting out. But he did not kill Grimes. Ryan doesn’t agree and thinks there’s enough circumstantial evidence for a case. He decides to arrest Vincent, even though Jude said they needed more information.
In the next part Hilary has learned about Vincent’s arrest on the news. She convinces Keith to help clear Vincent. They arrive at the precinct and arrange to have Vincent bailed out. Vincent then goes to stay with them. At this point, Keith has learned about how Vincent did not really kill his parents. He agrees with his mother that Vincent doesn’t need to take the blame for another death, when he is innocent.
A witness then comes forward and pins Grimes’ death on her boyfriend who had been swindled by Grimes. Vincent is now cleared of all charges.
Vincent is not sure what he should do with the rest of his life. Keith learns that Grimes had invested some of the stolen money in a real estate deal that seems to be quite lucrative. These funds will go to Vincent. But Vincent doesn’t want money. He just wants a chance to do something meaningful with his life.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 14, 2023 19:29:21 GMT
140 The Mayor Enjoys Cocoa
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
At the precinct the captain is working late when Jim stops by. Jim says he heard the captain may take early retirement, which he can’t believe. It is revealed that though they are the same age, Jim left the force seven years ago, because he took early retirement.
The captain tells Jim about the gambling and the skeletons in the mayor’s closet. Jim says he will help keep the mayor in check. The captain’s eating some fresh hot buns Heidi brought by again. He offers one to Jim. Jim says he sometimes misses working on the force but his memory isn’t what it used to be, and he’d be no good at the job now.
As Jim exits, we see Amanda at her desk on the phone with Gisselle. Gisselle is trying to convince Amanda to make time to take Bradley to an art exhibit. Gisselle tells Amanda she won’t bond properly with Bradley if she doesn’t make an effort. Amanda realizes that for once her mother is right. Gisselle puts Bradley on the phone and Amanda tells him she’ll get tickets and take him to the museum. He’s excited about this.
We then cut to Jim who has stopped off at Biggie’s. He is having a drink when one of Venus’ girl Cocoa comes in. Biggie won’t let Shorty serve Cocoa because she caused trouble the last time she was in here. Biggie starts to raise his voice at Cocoa to make her scram, but Jim says that’s no way to treat a lady. He offers to take Cocoa somewhere where she can have a real good time without being harassed. Cocoa appreciates it.
In the next scene Jim has gotten a ride share with Cocoa outside Biggie’s. Jim tells Cocoa that he picked her because she reminds him of Sugar, the gal who used to run the motel. And Sugar was sure a hot number.
They go to a nice part of downtown and end up at the mayor’s home. Jim called a friend who works as a housekeeper for the mayor. Jim learned from his pal that the mayor’s wife is out of town. The mayor’s here alone. He tells Cocoa to go and ring the bell. He knows the mayor will let her in, because he won’t be able to resist a pretty young thing like Cocoa.
Cocoa takes a wad of bills from Jim and saunters up to the door. Jim watches her go inside. He calls the captain and says “It was easy. Nobody can resist some nice Cocoa on a cold winter day.” Jim then takes off.
After the call we stay with the captain who is now at his new condo. The place is almost ready for Heidi and Shannon to come stay with him.
We cut to Jim. He’s home. Jude and Sonja ask where he’s been. He says he had a drink at Biggie’s and doesn’t mention anything about Cocoa. But when Charita walks up, she smells another gal’s perfume on Jim.
We go back to the mayor’s home. Cocoa works fast and is now showing the mayor some panties she has on under her dress. He likes to play when his wife isn’t around, which is often. He asks if she wouldn’t mind if he called her Sugar. She says sure honey, whatever floats your boat.
They quickly head to the bedroom. In the throes of passion, he asks how she knew where he lived. She says she’s seen him on the news and made it her mission to find a way to be with him. He likes a girl with initiative. He has her take charge and do naughty things to him, the way Sugar did.
Back at the captain’s condo, Bernice shows up. She asks about the mayor. She hasn’t told Heidi or Lance anything. The captain says Jim is helping. Bernice isn’t sure she wants to know what this all entails.
At the mayor’s home, music is playing and we see the mayor asleep in bed after a long and exhausting session with Cocoa. There is a sound at the front door. Someone’s coming inside. It’s the mayor’s wife, Zora, who has returned early from her trip. Zora sees a light on upstairs and hears music. She walks up and and finds her husband and Cocoa in bed.
In the next part, Zora has turned that dreadful music off. The mayor is waking up. He looks around, trying to regain his bearings. He notices his wife is there and remembers Cocoa. Zora tells him that she paid off his prostitute and sent her on her way, but not before she took some lovely shots of the mayor in bed with Cocoa. The mayor reacts.
We dissolve to a week later. Mayor Henry Clovis is at a press conference, announcing his resignation. His wife is at his side. It is revealed that she “convinced” (blackmailed) him to quit his job and take her to Fiji.
Jim comes by the precinct to see the captain, which Jude observes as the two men go into the captain’s office and close the door. The captain asks about Cocoa. Jim says Cocoa’s a good girl and won’t say anything to anyone. They’re both glad the mayor’s leaving town.
In the next part, Jim has left to meet Charita at Biggie’s. The captain is now clocking out for the day. He’s going to Bernice’s to pick up Heidi and Shannon and take them to the new place. He asks where Amanda is, and Jude says Amanda has the day off.
We then cut to Amanda looking at paintings with Bradley at a museum art exhibit. They are having a nice time. Bradley says he wants to be an artist. Amanda thought he wanted to be a cop. Bradley says he keeps changing his mind what he wants to be. Amanda says that as long as he doesn’t end up a criminal, she’ll be okay with whatever he decides to do with his life. They continue on with the exhibit.
Meanwhile the captain is on his way to Bernice’s home. He texts and says he’s running a bit late but will be there soon. Bernice replies back with an emoji. In the other room, Heidi has received a visit from her friend Nevaeh. Bernice just met Nevaeh for the first time and thinks she’s very nice and can see why Heidi is friends with her. Nevaeh needs to head off to an appointment. Before she goes, she leaves some more buns.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 15, 2023 13:52:31 GMT
141 Nevaeh
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
Nevaeh has gone from Bernice’s home to a meeting with Tyrone, whom she realizes is asking her some phony sounding questions about an old case (involving Pamela Fredericks). She gives him vague answers. After the meeting, Tyrone drives to the precinct to meet with Jude. He tells Jude that on his way out of Nevaeh Belmont’s office, he saw one of her paralegals. It was Schuyler.
In the next scene Jude has gone to visit Ryan who has a day off. He mentions what Tyrone said. Ryan admits he recently learned Schuyler is working at the Belmont law office, but that Schuyler might be able to get information for them. Jude asks if this is something Schuyler agreed to, or if it’s something Ryan plans to do by getting Schuyler back in the sack. Ryan thinks that’s uncalled for. Jude apologizes. Jude says they’ve spent a lot of time circling around Nevaeh and need to get the goods on her.
As Jude leaves Ryan gets a call from Schuyler to meet up. Schuyler says there’s something he needs to tell him. Ryan thinks it’s about Nevaeh but when they meet at the pier, Schuyler says it’s actually something else. He just had confession with Adrian about Petey. Now he needs to confess a sin to Ryan. Ryan doesn’t get where this is going. Schuyler blurts out that when he and Ryan were separated last year he had a one-night stand.
Ryan figured as much, and he doesn’t want to hear the details. But Schuyler thinks he should. Schuyler then proceeds to tell him that the other guy was Tyrone. Ryan doesn’t know what to say.
We cut to the captain. He brings Heidi and Shannon to the new condo with Bernice’s help. Heidi loves her room which has a door into the adjoining nursery. Bernice figures they will all be happy here, and she admits her place will feel lonely now. The captain says she can stay here, since they seem to be an item again. Bernice reacts.
This is interrupted by a call from Lance, phoning from Paris. He wanted to find out if everything’s going well at the new place. Heidi is texting him photos of the condo. The captain tells Lance that Bernice might move in with them. But Bernice says that is not true, at least not yet.
In the background the captain sees the buns that Heidi received earlier from Nevaeh. Nobody has touched any of them. He is about to grab one but is interrupted when some neighbors come over to say hi and welcome them to the community.
We dissolve to the middle of the night. The captain is still adjusting to the noises outside this place and can’t sleep. Bernice stayed over, but is not in bed with him. She’s on the sofa. Heidi and Shannon are in their rooms. The captain decides he’d like a midnight snack. He steps into the kitchen. When he turns on a light it wakes up Bernice.
She joins him and will heat some milk. While milk warms on the stove, they discuss the early days of their relationship. The captain spots the uneaten buns. He grabs one and starts to eat it. Bernice is now pouring the milk. As she brings a cup over, the captain’s face is turning blue. He can’t breathe and gasps for air. Bernice screams for help. Heidi runs into the room and instructs Bernice how to administer CPR. Heidi finds her phone while Bernice is working on the captain, to call for an ambulance.
Later that morning Jude is clocking in at the precinct. Amanda is crying along with some of the others. Jude asks what happened. They tell him the captain collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Ryan and Tyrone have gone over there. Jude says he is heading over there too.
At the hospital Ryan and Tyrone are questioning Bernice and Heidi about what the captain ate, and where the buns came from in the first place. Heidi tells them about her friend Nevaeh. They both ask her if Nevaeh’s last name is Belmont. Heidi says yes. Off to the side Bernice takes a call from Lance who’s flying home. The doctor walks up.
Jude has now arrived. He hears what the doctor has to say. The captain is going to live but is weak. Ryan and Tyrone head over to the Belmont law office. Jude goes with them and they will fill him in on what Heidi said. Back at the hospital Heidi is upset her friendship with Nevaeh nearly led to her dad’s death. Bernice tells her not to blame herself. It is said one of the new neighbors is looking after Shannon. Heidi calls to check on him.
At the Belmont law office, Schuyler is reporting for work and bumps into Nevaeh. She came to get cash out of a safe and her passport, but doesn’t say why she’s leaving. After she takes off, Ryan shows up with Jude and Tyrone. Schuyler tells them about Nevaeh’s odd behavior. They figure she’s heading to the airport. Jude and Tyrone take off to stop Nevaeh.
Ryan stays behind to talk with Schuyler who says he liked working here, helping childless couples adopt. He says the business is above board. But Nevaeh’s vendetta against the captain isn't.
In the next part it is a day later at the hospital. The captain’s life was saved. He’s being kept here for observation. He wants to know if Jude and Tyrone tracked down any leads about Nevaeh who did not get a flight out but managed to sneak out of the airport and is still at large. Bernice asks why Nevaeh would have a vendetta against the captain. But nobody knows the answer to that.
Jim stops by with Charita. Jim and the captain rack their brains about old cases and enemies. But Jim’s memory is faulty. The captain appreciates Jim’s willingness to help. As Jim leaves with Charita, Lance shows up. He is with Heidi and Shannon. The captain is happy to be with his kids.
Bernice has gone to have coffee with Gisselle. She tells Gisselle that she realizes the captain’s near death experience taught her how much she still loves him. She will remarry him, if he asks her.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 15, 2023 13:54:17 GMT
142 Easy Target
Outline written by Jarrod McDonald, c) 2023
Ryan meets with Adrian to get clarity about his relationship with Schuyler. Adrian thinks Schuyler told Ryan everything about Petey, but then realizes that isn’t really the case. Ryan’s here about another matter. Ryan mentions Schuyler slept with a fellow cop and the cop works with him. He doesn’t say it’s Tyrone.
Adrian asks if Ryan still loves Schuyler. Ryan can’t deny he does, but it’s a marriage that has never been easy. Adrian says Schuyler’s decision to come clean is a good thing, suggesting he wants the marriage to work.
In the next scene Ryan has left Adrian’s office and driven to the Belmont law office to find Schuyler. He learns the firm’s other partner, Marshall Wiley, heard from Nevaeh but Nevaeh didn’t reveal her whereabouts. Wiley lets Schuyler take lunch early, to go off and talk with Ryan. During lunch at Biggie’s, Ryan says he isn’t sure they ever had a good marriage.
In addition to the stuff with Tyrone, Schuyler still feels guilty about taking Petey. Ryan says nobody was hurt. Petey is happy and thriving in his home with the Murdocks. Ryan still thought he and Schuyler could work things out and have a future. But when Schuyler told him about Tyrone, Ryan started to rethink things. He tells Schuyler they need time apart to decide once and for all if they are going to last for the long haul.
After lunch Ryan heads to the precinct and finds Tyrone at his desk. They go into the conference room. Ryan closes the door and tells Tyrone he knows Tyrone once slept with Schuyler, and he’s not going to dwell on it. They need to be professional and work together. Tyrone reacts.
As Jude comes up, they change the subject. Jude thinks they’re talking about Nevaeh. Jude says he saw the captain at the hospital earlier and promised they’d nail Nevaeh. Ryan mentions visiting Schuyler earlier and learning Nevaeh contacted Marshall Wiley from an unknown place.
At the hospital Bernice has come by with Gisselle to visit the captain. The captain cannot rest until he can figure out who Nevaeh woman is and why she wants him dead. He’s also worried about Heidi and Shannon being in danger. Bernice says Heidi and Shannon are at her place. Lance is with them, and they’ve installed a new security system. He has nothing to worry about. He must rest so he can get out of here.
In the next scene Bernice has gone to get a magazine for the captain from the gift shop. Gisselle takes an opportunity to tell the captain that Bernice still loves him very much and would be willing to remarry him if that’s what he wants. The captain reacts.
Back at the precinct, Amanda has joined Jude, Ryan and Tyrone in the conference room. They go over leads regarding Nevaeh.
Meanwhile, at the hospital Bernice has dropped off the magazine. She and Gisselle leave. On their way to the elevator, Bernice says the captain’s mood is different. Gisselle admits telling the captain about Bernice’s feelings.
We cut back to the captain’s room. He’s reading the magazine Bernice brought him. A nurse enters the room to inject him with something. It’s Nevaeh, holding the needle. Nevaeh is dressed as a nurse. She tries to inject him with something. He realizes she is not a nurse. They struggle. He manages to shove her away,. He desperately pushes the call button.
Nevaeh is up on her feet again. This time she manages to inject the captain and runs off. He’s flatlining when other nurses and a doctor reach the room. At the same time Birdie has just come to see the captain and Nevaeh’s run right past her.
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