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Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 20:03:24 GMT
From: pitman@anotherwayout.com (Kent M Pitman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps.cbs
Subject: Y&R: AWO#40: "The Best Laid Plans"
Message-ID: <sfwn2q5buk3.fsf@world.std.com>
INSIDE... * Will Nick's New Find Put His Plans Back on Track?
* Can Bug and Paul Knock Baldwin's Plans Awry?
* Can Sasha Plan On Help From Dr. Tim?
* Will Mary's Lunch Plans Go A-Rye?
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANOTHER WAY OUT, Episode 40, 08-May-97 by Kent Pitman (kmp@harlequin.com)
"The Best Laid Plans"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hiding behind a small shed, Christine and Paul watch through binoculars as
Michael Baldwin leaves the prison. "I can't believe they let him out!" the
Bug whispers angrily to Paul. "Well, Chris, that's what you get for not going
to testify..." "Well, I just thought they'd let him out whether I testified
or not ..." Paul looks confused. "So then why can't you believe they let him
out?" he asks innocently. "Paul!" she chides him. "Can't you be just a
little supportive?" He sighs, not understanding why simply paying attention
to her words and trying to make sense of them is counted as a hostile act, but
his need to contemplate the issue is cut short as Michael's car starts to pull
away. "Come on, let's follow him," Cricket says. They rush back to their
car, where they see Mary Williams spreading a large red checkered tablecloth
on the ground.
Danny, having forgotten his music when he left the house, re-enters the
apartment to see Sasha on the couch. "I didn't expect to find you here," he
says. "Oh, Danny, .... hi," Sasha says. "I was waiting for Phyllis." Danny
stops and sits with her for a moment. "There's something strange going on,
isn't there?" he asks. Sasha blushes, "I don't--" Danny cuts her off, "I can
tell there's something strange between you and Phyllis... she says you're
going through some rough times together. Would you do me a favor--a personal
favor?" he asks. Sasha is strangely attracted to Danny. "Well, Danny,
I--sure, what's the favor?" "I know a guy who's a therapist--a good one--and
maybe you could talk to him--I'll pay. Just to kind of get your head clear,
you know?"
Sasha is uncertain how to respond but concludes that it's harmless to agree.
"Well, Danny, I'm not sure if it's really any good, but if it'll make YOU
happy, sure, I'm sure it couldn't do any harm. And, in return, maybe you
could do me a favor?" Danny nods, just happy that she's agreeing to his
suggestion, "Sure, what?" "No, now I'm embarrassed," Sasha says. "No,
really, what is it," Danny says. "A hug?" she says. Danny grins. "Are you
kidding? Absolutely--my fans are always after me for hugs--and a lot more--so
it's the least I could do for a friend of my wife's..." "Really?" she says.
He slides closer to her on the couch and they hug... a lot. If more happens,
we don't find out now.
"Mom!" Paul whines. "With that big bright tablecloth, you're going to give
away our cover." "Well, that's a fine `how-dee-do' for a son to give his
mother," Mary grumbles. "Oh, Mary, it's just that we're on a case and this
isn't the best time..." Christine starts to say. "You can't just go running
off into a chase without a proper lunch," Mary says. "What if you run out of
fuel while you're chasing him? Now sit down, and let your mother fix you a
good meal..." "Mom!" Paul says, "While you're talking, he's getting away and
there isn't going to BE a chase!"
Sharon sits at the dining room table in her house, talking to Nick. "So let
me get this straight," she says to him. "With this new plan you got from the
internet, you can make thousands of dollars in just a few hours using only
your own home terminal and with absolutely no risk?" "That's what the offer
said," Nick says excitedly. "In fact, it said that bad fortune comes only to
those who ignore the opportunity! Don't you see, Sharon? This is the answer
to our dreams--a chance to prove to Dad that I do have some business sense
after all. And I can do it all while sulking in my bedroom and pretending I'm
still not back from Seattle!" "It sounds too good to be true," Sharon says
prophetically. "Oh, Nicholas, I'm so proud of you!"
"You're worried there won't be a chase?" Mary laughs. "Now, Paul Williams,
don't you think your mother has learned a few things in all my years? Give an
old lady a bit of credit..." Paul looks genuinely stumped. He is apologetic
but also very frustrated. "Well, of course, Mom, but--" She interrupts him by
pointing off into the distance. Paul and Chris look through their binoculars
to see a group of elderly women stopping Michael's car and making him get out.
Mary explains, "Those are my friends from Church--and you perhaps recognize
that new woman, Betty Arnold, who came in from Kansas? Ex-criminals like
Michael Baldwin need a healthy lunch, too, you know, to make sure they have
sufficient vitamins and minerals that their brain can make the intelligent
choices to keep them from turning to evil. There now. You eat while he eats.
When everyone is properly fed, you can all get back to your nice little chase
and I'll go about my business." Paul looks at Christine, who shrugs and
sighs. Resigned to the situation, they let Mrs. Williams put bibs on them and
they sit down for the picnic lunch she has prepared them.
* * *
Days later, Christine is in an office building with a fancy camera with a very
long lens focused at a building across the street. She has recording
equipment set up all around the room. We hear Michael Baldwin on a speaker
saying cheerfully, "Well, time to call it a day." Cricket watches through the
camera for a moment and then sits down as she hears the door click and
presumably sees Michael exiting. She picks up the phone and presses a speed
dial key. She punches another button and we hear the phone ringing over a
speaker. "Paul Williams Investigations," comes the voice answering. "It's
our private line, Paul. I know it's you," she reminds him. "Oh, sorry,
Chris--force of habit," he says. "Anyway, Michael's on his way over," she
says.
Sasha is with Tim in his office. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Greene.
Please, feel free to tell me about yourself and what brought you here," he
prompts her. "Well, I'm doing this as a favor to a friend," she says. "A
friend? Well, the husband of a friend. Danny Romalotti," she says, blushing.
"Danny--uh, Mr. Romalotti--sent you here?" he asks, trying to maintain his
professionalism when realizing how close Sasha's circle of friends is to his
own. "That's right. He asked me and... well, I think I have a crush on him,
so I couldn't say no, could I?"
"This is all confidential, right?" Sasha asks Tim. He nods uneasily, "That's
right. I'm bound by ethics to keep this all to myself." She smiles. "No
matter how kinky or weird..." "Absolutely," Tim says. "Complete
confidentiality--even if you've broken the law.... you haven't, have you?"
"Funny you should mention that, Doc," Sasha says, "There is this little thing
going on and I've been really without anyone to talk to about it, so..." Tim
covers his face with his hands so she can't see him rolling his eyes in
dismay. "Go on..." he says. "Well, you see," she says, "this guy--Danny--his
baby-- well, the baby he thinks is his--it isn't really. And I think I'm the
only one who knows .... and this woman Phyllis, Danny's wife? She's tricked
him into marrying her because he thinks it is his kid. So I've told Phyllis I
wanted $20,000 to keep from going to the tabloids--I never imagined she'd get
the money--she must have some poor sugardaddy wrapped around her little
finger. So I found out the tabloids would pay $50,000 for the story... so I
figured, if she can get $20,000 that easily, she can probably get me the rest
to match the tabloids..."
Paul is on a headset talking to Christine by some sort of cellular phone as he
moves about. "I'm in his apartment now--I was just checking over the setup to
make sure all our bugs are working." The Bug (the one he has not just
checked, that is) nods, "Ok, Paul, but you better get out of there before he
gets back!" Paul calmly goes back into the closet and crosses back into
Danny's old apartment. "Ok, Chris, I'm home again. Good thing we saved this
old apartment--who'd ever have thought we could make such a good re-use of the
hole in the wall that Michael dug when he was stalking you?" Paul remarks as
he swings a bolt down to assure that Michael can't come back through the wall.
In the middle of Sasha's explanation about the blackmail arrangements, the
phone rings and Tim answers. "Dr. Reid," he says. "It's Phyllis," a voice
whispers. "I have to see you." "Now is not a good time," he says. "I'm with
a patient and will return your call later," he says, putting down the phone.
He motions her to go on, saying, "Sorry about the interruption--please go
on--you were coming to perhaps a concern that asking for this money was not
ethical?" he says hopefully. "No, I don't care about that. I'm just
wondering--I mean, I really like this guy Danny. Do you think there's any way
I could--well--to be blunt--get the $50,000, but still break up the marriage,
but end up with Danny in the end?" Tim looks like he's reached his limit. He
glances at the clock. "Well, I see our time has expired for today--how about
if we pick up here next time?" he asks. Sasha looks uneasy. "You're not just
copping out on me, are you? You'll really have an answer for me if I come
back?" "Oh, absolutely," Tim says, wondering if he's lying to her but unable
to explain the truth of his situation. "Ok, then. I'll be back soon," Sasha
says.
* * *
Paul and Cricket are together in a car, many days later. "You're sure you
want to confront Michael?" he asks her. "Don't you see, Paul, it's the only
way!" she says with a kind of manic gleam in her eye. "Look, Chris, I hate
to say it but I really think this investigation is going nowhere--we've been
tracking Michael for weeks and there's no sign he's up to anything at all.
Maybe we should just give it a rest..." "Paul! Don't you see? That's
exactly what Michael wants! He's trying to wear me down. And he's not going
to do it," Cricket says with her usual air of certainty. "Ok, whatever you
say," Paul says. He pulls up at Michael's office. "Go for it," he says.
Cricket disembarks and heads purposefully indoors.
"Dr. Reid? Dr. Reid? ..." Sasha waves her hand in front of his eyes. "You
promised me you'd have an answer for me? Some way for me to get the money out
of Phyllis... and her husband...?" After a bit more of a pause, he looks at
her and says solemnly, "This is a very complex situation." She blushes and
nods. "I guess you don't usually hear things quite like this." Tim chuckles,
"No. It's safe to say that your situation is unique. And I find myself in a
complex ethical dilemma about how to resolve your matter. But I believe I can
in fact suggest a somewhat unusual resolution that, in an odd way, is both
ethical for me and answers your request for advice." She stares at him,
surprised but happy. "Ok, Doc, fire away..."
"Christine," says Michael. "How very nice to see you," Michael says with
complete confidence. He presses a button under his desk but there is no
immediately obvious effect. "Cut it, Michael. It's me, remember? I know
you're up to something, I just don't know what. When you went away to prison,
you said you had a plan to get back at you, and I want to know what it was..."
Security men enter and Michael points them to Christine. "This is the woman
who's been stalking me, gentlemen," Michael says. "Stalking you? How did
you--" "How did I find out about it? Come now, Christine, you're soooo....
predictable. I didn't even have to check--I just knew." He turns back to the
officers, who are cuffing Cricket. "I think if you'll check downstairs,
you'll find her accomplice waiting in a getaway car. Then if you check my
apartment, you'll find they've dug a tunnel from their apartment into mine...
their fingerprints all over the place should confirm what they've been up to."
Dr. Reid clears his throat. "Well, first, I have a professional obligation to
you to keep your affairs confidential, but I have no such professional
obligation to my friends to keep their affairs confidential. I will, however,
ask you politely to keep what I am to tell you to yourself." "Oh,
absolutely," Sasha says eagerly. "Fair is fair." "So it is," Tim agrees. He
goes on, "First, I am the sugardaddy from which Phyllis obtained the $20,000."
Sasha looks immediately uneasy, and mutters a quiet "uh oh". "No, I think
this is going to work out ok. Now, you have an agreement with Phyllis to keep
quiet for that money, but that's really my money, and I think it would be
better spent if I simply tell you it's yours as my gift. I think you should
sell the story to the tabloid because I have no more money to give her to
match their offer. That would mean you'd get $70,000 in all."
Sasha questions his reasoning. "But then Phyllis will be mad at me," Sasha
says. "She will," he admits. "But Danny will not. He'll be grateful. They
will surely break up over this, and you can be there to help Danny in his ...
shall we say ... time of need?" "You'd do all this for me? What's in it for
you?" "Well, strange as it may seem, I'm in love with Phyllis. And I could
be there for her in her time of need as well," he says. "If that happens, my
$20,000 is money well spent... which is more than I can say for how Phyllis
was dealing with it," he sighs. Sasha thinks for a while. "You're right...
It does seem like a strange arrangement. But it sounds like it would work."
Suddenly she gets worried. "But what if it fails?" Tim shrugs, "Then you can
afford $70,000 in therapy to help you get over it."
"But I don't understand," Cricket protests as the police start to tug her out
the door. "Understand?" he says, taunting her. "Yes," she replies. "Your
plan--what was it? I have to know!" "Oh, my plan," he says, smiling
enigmatically. "My plan was to ignore you..." "Ignore me? You could never
do that--it was too important for you to get even with me. You could never
ignore me!" Michael smiles. "But I did ignore you, Christine. It's you who
couldn't ignore me. And now you'll pay for that. The stalker becomes the
stalked, and vice versa. A bit of role reversal--just like old times, eh,
Christine? The master is always one step ahead of the student." He smiles a
mocking kind of smile at her. "Good bye, Christine. Enjoy prison," he says,
adding, "Do say `hi' to all my friends there. I've told them to expect
you..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1997 Kent M. Pitman. All Rights Reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another Way Out" takes plotline state at time of publication and shows that
there are interesting places right around the corner. The goal, besides
having some fun with good-natured parody, is to challenge the notion that we
must be mired in certain tired plotlines for months just to have a good time.
There is always another way out...
Archives of this and older episodes of "Another Way Out"
as well as the more serious "morals" that underly them,
can be found at: http://world.std.com/~pitman/awo/index.html
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