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written by Margaret Royal

Love, Lies and Voldemort

The Lianca Recaps

Monday, August 4, 2003

Close shot of the white rose from Erica's bouquet. Bianca's hand takes the flower and raises it. "Bianca," Maggie breathes. "It's one flower," says Binks. "It's just one flower. You know what, my mom can spring for a whole new bouquet." That's true, Binky. Maggie hems and haws a little, but Binks isn't paying attention, because she's morphed into Manic!MarthaStewart! mode again. "You know, Maggie, my grandmother used to say, 'a place for everything, and everything in its place,'" she recites, as she pointlessly straightens some chairs. Maggie tells her not to do anything, since it's not her job, but Bianca thinks it is: "I'm making my mother's and Uncle Jack's wedding picture-perfect." Maggie makes the dumb move of suggesting that there's no such thing, and Binks yells that she's going to prove it. She wants everything to be right for Erica and Jack's return, "exactly the way it's supposed to be, exactly the way they left it, as if nothing ever happened." Oh, I have no idea what Bianca is talking about here. None at all. This is so subtle. What's going on? Maggie gestures at Bianca to stop, and Binks backs up into a rack of flowers, knocking it to the floor. She stares at it open-mouthed and crushed.

Shot of the disgraced rack of flowers. Bianca berates herself for being "stupid" and "clumsy—look what a mess I made!" she cries. Maggie tells her it's not her fault, and I open an umbrella, because it appears to be raining anvils today. "No, Maggie, it is my fault, and I need to clean it up myself," Bianca anvils back. Maggie tells Binks to "cut [her]self a break," but Binks says she doesn't understand. Maggie says that she does, "more than anyone." Binks isn't interested; she wants to get it all cleaned up before "[Erica] finds out what happened." "To the flowers or to you?" Maggie psycho-sleuths. Annoyed, Bianca stops gathering stray flowers, stands up straight, and looks at Maggie. Maggie tells her that they can pick the stuff up in a minute, but for now Binks needs to "take a breather." Binks, realizing she's acting crazy, tries to compose herself. She looks dazed as Maggie leads her back to the front of the dining room to sit down. Still shaken, Bianca says that Erica and Jack are supposed to be sharing a husband-and-wife dance and laughing "without a care in the world." "Stuff happens," says Maggie. Oh, Maggie. You always know what to say! (Actually, I can't blame Mags. There isn't really anything to say.) Bianca disagrees and fiercely tells Maggie that Erica deserves that kind of happiness, "and she's gonna get it." Maggie nods, but she knows what Binks is saying. So what if Erica and Jack get married and it's all perfect the way Bianca wants it to be? "That still doesn't change what has happened to you," Maggie says. "One wonderful wedding will not make that night go away until you learn how to deal with it—" "Damn it, Maggie," Binks interjects. "Why can't you just let me be?" Binks wants to be left alone to be "happy for a change." Maggie says that the reason she can't leave Bianca alone is because she loves Binks, and because she thinks that if Binks doesn't get help, "[she] may never be happy again." Binks, eyes wet with angry tears, stares at Maggie in confusion.

Bianca and Maggie are still sitting in the Valley Inn dining room. Bianca says that she knows Maggie is scared for her, but Maggie's helped her, more than Maggie can know. Maggie thinks it's not enough. Binks says that "knowing [she] ha[s] someone who loves [her]" is "exactly what [she] need[s]." But Maggie disagrees; she's neither a "crisis counselor" nor a "shrink," and she doesn't know "the first rule" about what to do. "The first rule is that you care," Bianca insists. "Yeah, but what if I'm messing you up?" Maggie says. Yeah, what if? I'm asking, because one of the ways ABC, Frons, and McTavish have rationalized this storyline is to say that it will promote rape awareness; it'll be an educational service to the audience. So I don't get what the lesson is. We've already had a couple of "don't do as I do; do as I say" PSAs from Eden about not going it alone through a rape, and seeking out help. Are they trying to suggest that if you're a rape victim, but you have one caring friend, you won't need any professional help? 'Cause they're not doing a very good job of demonstrating that the best course of action is to seek medical attention, report the rape, and get as many resources as possible for dealing with the psychological fallout. I don't think Maggie is screwing Bianca up, but she is enabling her silence, and that's not going to work. So it makes sense for her to ask about it. I don't think the text as we have it knows what the hell it's doing, though.

Maggie tells Binks that if she were hit by a bus, she would send her to a doctor, and she suggests that Binks talk to David, but Bianca is adamant about "no doctors." She reminds Maggie that Maggie promised not to tell anybody about it. Maggie swears she'll keep the promise, but she asks Bianca to promise her that she'll think about seeing a doctor. Reluctantly, but with a touch of apology, Bianca agrees. But she wants to get "this stuff cleaned up" before Erica gets back. Binks? It's really not that big a mess. It's like three flowers. Maggie has a better idea. She's going to go get them some drinks from the bar, and then come back and help Binky clean up, but in the meantime, she wants Bianca to sit down, stay put, and relax. Binks agrees, smiling. Maggie shuts the doors on her way out, and Binks turns contemplatively toward them before we cut to . . .

Maggie entering the bar. She walks past David and Anna's table. David rehearses his sins, but he thinks they owe it to Leora to try again. Anna wonders if David thinks they can go back to the way they were, and David thinks it will have to be "something new. Something totally different. But at least we'll be in a place where we'll be free to love each other again." Anna thinks that sounds like a good idea, but she doesn't think getting married is the smartest way to take things slowly. But David wants her to stay open to the idea so that he'll know she hasn't given up on them. Anna says "[she] wouldn't be [t]here if [she] had." David takes her hand, kisses it, and gets up to get them some more drinks. He gives her a kiss on the shoulder as he goes, and leaves her looking overwhelmed. Maggie's at the bar, and they chat. Maggie explains that she's still hanging around because Bianca is and thinks the wedding will still go on. He noticed that Bianca "was pretty upset," and Maggie agrees, but says that they were just talking—"really bonding, actually"—and she thinks Binks is going to be okay.

In the dining room, where Bianca is waiting, the doors close. "Now that's what I call speedy service," she grins. But a hand locks the door and slides the bolts to, and Bianca spins around. It's Michael, sleeveless, dirty, and angry. Slowly, he approaches Binks, who sits frozen and terrified in her chair.

Michael is terrorizing Bianca. Ugh. Binks gets up and backs away from him, but he follows her around the room and knocks away chairs between them. He reveals that Jack had him "locked by his goon squad into the Dumpster—or was that [Bianca's] bright idea?" Binks is struggling with the locks on the doors, but she can't get out. Michael says that it doesn't matter anyway, because now that the wedding is over, "[they]'re alone, just the way [he] like[s] it." Bianca tells him not to come any closer, but he easily closes the distance between them and seizes her wrist, twisting her arm up under her and pulling her against him. He says that Bianca "should know by now that when I want something, I will not be stopped," and, dropping kisses on her face and neck as Bianca writhes and cringes, declares that he "won't be dismissed. Not by you, not by my father, not by anyone." Oh, I get it: Michael attacks women because he feels rejected by his father! Maggie runs in from the side entrance (I don't know who's stupider, Michael for not realizing that the room was permeable, or the writers for thinking we'd buy that he'd be stupid enough not to realize—or is it us for watching?) and yells at Michael to leave Binks alone. She throws her drinks at him but misses wildly, and she tries to throw a flower rack and presents at him, but he bats them away like so many pieces of lightweight cardboard. Which they are. Bianca watches this in panic and horror. Maggie grabs a letter opener (or cutlery?) from the pile of boxes and slashes twice at Michael, but he darts out of the way. When she lunges at him, he grabs her wrist and pulls her back up against him, tossing the letter opener away. Maggie screams, and Bianca yells at Michael to "keep [his] hands off of her." "What are you gonna do?" Michael taunts. Commercials.

Michael has Maggie wrapped up and taunts Bianca more, telling her that "[she] should know that dirty talk only turns [him] on." He continues to taunt her when David comes up from behind, whirls Michael around, and socks him in the jaw, causing him to fall over into a serving tray. "You ever lay a hand on my cousin again and I'll break both your arms," David rages. Anna has wandered in, too, and wants to know what's going on. Michael says that "this little whack job over here"—Maggie—"jumped me with a knife." He wants her arrested. "You're the one that deserves to be in jail," says Maggie, who is trying to comfort a logy Bianca. Anna reminds Michael that he's out on bail and that he would have a tough time convincing a jury that Maggie attacked him. Michael mentions that "[Anna's] cocky nephew, Aidan," along with Tad and Boyd, stuffed him into the Dumpster at his condo; he thinks that's worth noting. David crosses to Maggie and asks her if she's all right; she says she's fine, but Bianca is breathing heavily and looks shaken to the bone. David stares at her. Michael continues to badger Anna about charges holding up in court. She tells him that without physical evidence "other than the way [he] look[s]," there's not a lot to go on to prove that he got jumped—"so it's sort of like when Kendall and Erica accused you of attempted rape." Michael laughs at this, but David whirls around. He turns and looks back at Bianca, who is trying to calm down but not succeeding. "Don't worry; I'll take care of her," Maggie says, as Michael insists on giving a statement, and Anna leads him out of the dining room. David leans in and asks Bianca if Michael "hurt [her]" or "tr[ied] to do anything to [her]." Bianca denies it. David says that if he did, she could tell them. "Why don't you just leave me the hell alone?" Bianca spits, and stalks out towards the lobby. Maggie runs after her, but David stops her. "Bianca's secret," he says. Maggie stares at him meaningfully.

Maggie's still standing in the doors between the dining room and the lobby. She tells David that she promised Bianca she wouldn't say anything. David understands. "I have to go find my friend," Maggie says, and scoots out. David walks to the open lobby door. "Dear God," he sighs.

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Screen grabs courtesy of Olga Online.© 2000-2003 (texts) are with the author. If not otherwise stated, the author is Ivanova. All rights reserved.