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written by Margaret Royal

Love, Lies and Voldemort

The Lianca Recaps

Monday, July 30th

Maggie's dorm room. Picking up from yesterday's ep, where Maggie wanted to call Jackson and get Michael chucked in the slammer, Bianca angrily says she thought she could trust Maggie; Maggie tells her she can. Bianca says that "nobody can know, ever" about the rape. Maggie disagrees; Michael "deserves to be punished for the rest of his life" for what he's done to Binks. She still wants to call Jack, but Bianca is adamant about sparing Erica the knowledge of her daughter's rape.

Bianca tells Maggie again that Erica can't know about the rape. Maggie says that Erica will notice something's wrong with Bianca (yeah, already happened, Mags). Binks isn't getting through to Maggie: Erica is getting married today—"this is way too important to her." "So are you," Maggie counters. But Bianca says that Maggie doesn't understand. The wedding to Jackson—finally!—is a huge deal. "I can do this, Maggie; I can make this day perfect for her." Maggie is wavering now. "If you can give her this day," she says, "that will make you happy and that will make you feel better?" Bianca says yes. Maggie says okay. Binks thanks her. "I mean, one more day, what's the difference," Maggie off-hands. Binks is all, "do what now?" Maggie says that as soon as the wedding happens, they'll go to the precinct and . . . but Bianca cuts her off. It's not gonna happen, ever.

Bianca is sitting down now, and Maggie paces. Once again, Maggie wears the fugly, fugly Orgo Shandah '03 cargo capris of doom. She thinks Bianca should talk to Erica, who "would die for [Binks]." Binks agrees, and this kind of confidence "would kill her." Erica's been dealing with "this" since she was 14, Bianca says; "she was just a little girl when she was . . ." She can't finish the sentence, but says that Erica is "finally putting it behind her." Maggie points out that Erica and Bianca are adults, and Bianca "[has] the power to do something about this." Bianca says that Erica always wanted better for her and didn't want her to know "what it was like," and now that she does, she simply can't tell her mother. Maggie tries another tack: what if Michael strikes again—Bianca or somebody else?

Bianca believes it won't happen, because Jack has promised her that Michael is "going to go to jail for a long, long time" for other crimes—"so who cares if it's for insider trading and not f . . . for what he did to me?" Maggie calls her on it this time: "You can't even say it!" Binks rationalizes that Erica didn't "say it for years." Maggie tries to make Bianca look at how that affected Erica's relationships, not being able to love or trust anybody—and wasn't Bianca the one who told Maggie about that? This would be the perfect time to bring up Lena, or for Maggie to have a "duh" moment in which she realizes that Voldemort is probably the reason she witnessed a Lianca breakup yesterday in the Valley Inn lobby, but since this is AMC, it doesn't happen. Seriously, is this not the right time? "Hey, Bianca, aren't you worried that not dealing with this will screw things up for you and Lena? Is this whole thing why I saw you give her the smackdown yesterday when she showed up with those remarkably tasteful rings?" How hard is that? Anyway, Poor Binks looks as though this line of conversation has, in fact, struck a chord, before she says that things are different now that Erica has Jack; she's made up with Kendall; "things are perfect," so Bianca wants to just "forget about it." Is Binks going to "forget" by drinking the way she did last night, Maggie wonders? Maggie can see that Bianca is "drowning." She asks Binks to stop thinking about everybody else. Bianca's always been one to speak out, she says, and she shouldn't let Michael Cambias take that away. She pleads with Bianca to "save [her]self." Bianca thinks.

Now Bianca paces. She says she can't report what happened; she doesn't want to go to the precinct; she doesn't want a trial; she doesn't want to "tell a room full of people what he did to [her]." Maggie tells Binks that there's nothing to be ashamed of and that she'll "be there every step of the way." Binks makes sure that Maggie really wants to help her, and then makes her promise not to tell anyone about the rape. Maggie can't do it. Then Binks pulls out the big gun: "on our love for your sister, promise me." Oh, Binky. Manipulation in action, and a BAMer bone. Maggie sighs. Word, Mags. "I promise," she says. "I promise on Frankie that I will never say anything to anyone." "Thank you," Binks all but whispers. She gathers her stuff again and says she has to get back. Maggie stops her and says she has to do something for Maggie. Bianca agrees. Maggie wants to take her to a doctor—how bout David?—to get checked out. "You don't know what Michael Cambias might have," she urges. Bianca smacks down this suggestion and bustles out, saying, "I'm late." Fuck you and your stupid anvils, McT.

Huh? Kendall and Erica are both suddenly in bathrobes now. Erica gives Kendall a box to open. There's cheesy piano music playing over all of this, by the way. The box contains some pretty pearls. Kendall is touched. Erica says they were Mona's. She thinks Mona would be "very proud of how far [Erica and Kendall] have come." Kendall agrees. But what about Bianca? Erica tells her the pearls were to stay in the family, per Mona's wishes, and that Kendall should wear them with pride. Kendall would be honored. Bathrobe hugs! Bianca comes in in a rush. Erica's all, "what in the world happened to you?" Doh.

Still at the penthouse. Bianca: "Well, gee, thanks Mom, what are you saying, I'm not up to being your maid of honor today?" "Of course not!" Erica laughs nervously. "You do look a little rough around the edges," Kendall big-sisters. Bianca explains that she and Maggie stayed up late talking and lost track of time. Kendall says they should get ready, as the hour is nigh. She suggests some Fusion stuff for Bianca's dark circles, and Erica suggests Enchantment stuff for the "puffiness." Binks is pretty gracious about it. They get into a tizzy and flit off to get ready.

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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.