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written by Margaret Royal

Love, Lies and Voldemort

Episode Recaps

Monday, July 14th, 2003

For the first time, we see the new second set of credits. If you live in my town, said credits include a scroll at the bottom of your screen warning you about Tropical Storm Bill and hiding characters' signatures. But I digress: Maggie and Henry are opposite each other, as are WaitressHair!Smiling!Lena and Regular!Joni. I love how the credits are already out of date as soon as they go up. Except I don't. Binks still has her regular, cute ingenue picture. I'm glad they kept it to remind us of everything Megan McTavish likes to ruin. Seriously, I am glad—righteous anger and all that.

Le Garage. Mia and Shirtless!Sweaty!Aidan slide out side by side from under the Mustang they were working on. This is not appealing to Kendall, who asks if she's interrupting their "lube job." I love Kendall. Mia claims she was just helping out Aidan, who is embarrassed and excuses himself to go get some "pins." As soon as he leaves the room, Kendall hisses, "I'd like to knock you off of yours." YES!!! Barely 30 seconds in and we've got HoYay! Kendall looks like she'd be ready for some HateSex right about now, but much to our chagrin, the writers torture us with another Women of Fusion conversation along the lines of "I saw him first!" vs. "You're not the boss of me!" This conversation also reminds us that the WoF also have a "Personal Sexiest Man" contest going that will keep us bored shitless for at least another two weeks.

Jackson's loft. He invites Greenlee in and re-exposits what we just saw in the "previouslies." Greenlee snarks on Erica ("a woman almost as famous in life as she is in her own mind") while simultaneously belittling her mother for thinking she has a shot at Jackson through her. Greenlee says Erica is convinced there's a threat to her happiness with Jackson, but Greenlee emphasizes that she's not it.

Myrtle's, aka Fargate House, aka Former Smyrtle Paradise Now House of Rape. Binks and Erica are still having their "how do you get over being raped"/"I want you to tell me if something's wrong" conversation (by the way, Lucci's voice is still hoarse and it's been doing her performance favors), and Bianca turns away from Erica looking as though she's about to cry. Erica asks what's wrong and gets a reluctant "I'm tired" brush-off. Erica tells Bianca that she knows they've had some problems lately, but Bianca must know that "nothing could change [Erica's] love for [Bianca]." Binks knows, but she remarks how her mother has "put up with so much"—her anorexia and her sexuality, e.g. Erica says that, to the contrary, she admires Bianca, who has come through a lot of shit and "managed to find out who [she] [is]." It's interesting here that Erica doesn't just talk about her "acceptance" of Binks, but goes a little further and basically says she's proud of her for being proud. Bianca seems exhausted by this display of support and lets out a sighing "ugh"-type noise before saying she doesn't know why. Erica tells her it's because she's a "good and strong person." At this, Binks gets an interesting look on her face. It's sort of like, "I don't believe what I'm hearing." It's a good choice by Eden Riegel for getting at all the irony going on in this scene. Anyway, Binks has also turned her back. Erica wants Bianca to tell her whatever is bothering her, and she'll understand, and maybe it'll make Bianca feel better. At this, she reaches up to stroke Binks's hair from behind, but Bianca freaks out. She flashes back to a Voldemort scene we haven't seen before, with her almost up against the window and Michael grabbing her from behind as lightning flashes. Bianca groans and has to sit down. We go to commercial with Erica asking her to please tell her what's happened.

Anna's office at the police station. She's doing paperwork but stops it to look at a picture of Leora she has on her desk. "I miss you," she tells it. She tries to keep working, but David arrives. He'd been by the house and seen she wasn't there. Anna guilts that she needed to catch up on work; David off-hands that he knew where to find her. (Nicely played by both of them—Finola Hughes gets it across that Anna feels as though she should be at home but doesn't want to be there; Vincent Irizarry throws that last line out as a pardon with a little bit of an indictment in it.) He's also picked her up some Chinese food, but although she says "that was nice," she's already eaten. David has no appetite. He suggests doing something when she finishes work, like getting a drink at SOS, but neither of them really wants to. David asks if "this" is going to work. They both protest that they're trying. When David says that concentrating on anything is almost impossible, Anna non-sequiturs that she's looking for a lead on Michael, who's disappeared. He has? Are the writers trying to keep us in suspense about whether he might be dead or something, or are they just lazy? Anna suggests they do something next weekend. They're both pretty noncommittal.

Back at Myrtle's, Binks is sobbing. Seriously sobbing. Poor B. Erica hugs her and tells her she can't help her unless Bianca tells her what's wrong. Witness Eden Riegel in this scene: the wheels are really turning in Binks's head throughout; she wants very much to be comforted, but can't bring herself to do it—and she's uncomfortable with Erica's closeness—so she searches for the right explanation that will throw her mom off the scent. Binks says she doesn't want to worry her. She pushes Erica's hands away, tries to control her sobs, and says that she's been thinking a lot lately. What about? "I don't know, life…and everything…" Erica is eager to empathize and draw Bianca out, but she can't help but make it into All About Me again: she says she's been thinking a lot too and that it's a "very special time," what with the wedding coming up and Lianca "starting a new relationship." She moms that that is exciting, but it can also be terrifying because of the uncertainty. Bianca is nodding a lot at this point, but it seems to me as though she's nodding as if to tell Erica that she knows that's a scary thing, but it's not really what's bothering her. Erica wants her to know that no matter what, they'll still be a tight mother-daughter duo. Binks knows and thanks her mom. Eden is totally heartbreaking. It's all over Bianca's face that Erica isn't getting it and that Bianca really wants to go it alone at this point. Erica cups Binks's chin and turns her face toward her (and in the middle of the speech that follows, Bianca takes Erica's hand away and puts it in her lap—another perfect touch by Eden). She tells her she's about to have the life she's always dreamed of and that Bianca is a huge part of it. Bianca knows. Poor B. Erica wonders if Bianca is planning to go continent-hopping with Lena; maybe she's stressing about telling Erica she won't be maid of honor at the wedding? Bianca grabs some water and tells Erica that's not what it is. It's a bad mood she needs to shake, she says, and she's just dwelling on the negatives, "everything that's been keeping [them] from being happy all this time." This is exactly what Erica wants to hear, and Bianca knows it. Erica says that "all [their] dreams are going to come true." She's "never felt so light," now that she's dealt with the shame of her rape and pregnancy, and the future looks bright. While Lucci is talking, Eden gives her the most heartbreaking, sad, loving smile. Damn you, Riegel! Damn you!!! Anyway, Bianca says she's happy for Erica; Erica says she's happy for both of them. She clasps Binks to her, and Binks looks stricken. Erica faces her again and forswears all the criticisms of Binks in the past and of her "choice of partners." Erica wants her to know she's "100% in [her] corner." Bianca asks her mom to stop, and tells her she loves her. Erica wants Bianca to believe in her—Binks says she does—enough to tell her what's going on.

Jeenlee still at the loft. Jack is still confused, and Greenlee brings up how her mom is virtually stalking him. Jack says that he has noticed that she was "very kind" when he was in l'hopital. I love Jack. Greenlee stresses again that while Jackson may not think anything is different between them, Mary's got her sights set on him. Jack says he doesn't want another daughter but is always looking for another friend. Maybe Greenlee needs a friend? Awwwwww.

Kendall and Mia in the Garage of HoYay!…Except Not, Dammit. OK, wait—Mia is gesturing with an oil can when we get this exchange:

Kendall: Where do you get off?
Mia: Where do you get off?

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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.