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written by Margaret Royal

Love, Lies and Voldemort

The Lianca Recaps

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Episode summary: Bianca finds out that the letter she got was from dead, rich, apologetic Alexander Cambias; Erica and Jackson argue about whether he should advise Bianca on her pregnancy decision; Bianca tells Maggie and David that she knows what she needs to do.

Erica clicks up Jackson's hallway to where he and Greenlee are sharing a hug. She tells Jack she needs to speak to him and would like to do it "without an audience." "I was just leaving," Greens says, with no snark. "Erica, I know this sounds lame, but . . . if you could just tell Bianca how sorry I am—" Not in the mood, Erica cuts her off by telling her that she's never felt sorry for anyone but herself. "And, no, I certainly will not deliver any message from you to my daughter." Greens seems surprised.

At Erica's penthouse, Bianca is still freaking out about the letter she just got from Cambias Industries. "This isn't happening; this isn't real," she hyperventilates, as Maggie suddenly appears in the front door and wonders what's going on. Binks thrusts the letter at her: "It's from him, it's from Michael!" She thinks he's going to "come after [her]" and "find [her]." Maybe she should move out of the penthouse, which apparently has the most porous security team known to man. Good thing those people aren't responsible for Homeland Security, because then anybody who wanted to, I don't know, ship a container of uranium from Jakarta, for example, would have no problems! Ha ha! Hoooo! . . . Oh, wait. Commercials.

Maggie holds up a piece of paper and tells Bianca that it's a check made out to her. Binks knows it is; she thinks it's "blood money from Michael Cambias; he thinks he can buy [her] off and take [her] child." She freaks about "threats" and wonders how he would even know that she was pregnant, but Maggie informs her that the check is not, in fact, from Michael; it's from Daddy Cambias instead. Binks duhs that Alexander kicked it—what, "two days ago" or something? Anyway, he's dead. Mags tells her to sit, and she'll read it to her. Juice and cookies, too, Binky? So here's what the letter says: "Dear Ms. Montgomery: By the time you read this, I will no longer be living. I've come to the end of my life filled with shame due to the unspeakable things my son Michael has done. Worst of all, and most unforgivable, is what he did to you. I'm not foolish enough to believe that money will in any case ease your pain. This is the last act of a dying man given in hopes that you will use it to help heal your soul. I have sent a matching amount to a national crisis center that helps other young women learn to cope with what they and you have endured. Please accept my apologies for my son's inhumanity. With my dying breath, I'll pray you find the strength to face your future without fear. My God be with you, sincerely, Alexander Cambias." Maggie dumbs that Papa C was, it seems, a "half-decent man"; Binks takes the letter and repeats one of the last lines: ". . . find the strength to face your future without fear." Maggie dumbs again that that's exactly what Bianca is going to do. "Alexander Cambias was ashamed of his own son," Binks says, with tears in her eyes. Maggie duhs an agreement, but Binks repeats it. Maggie tells her not to "get into this now." Bianca stands and explains that Kendall was by earlier, that Erica wants her to "terminate" her pregnancy, and that Kendall overheard and "detonated." Props to whoever came up with that word choice. Maggie dumbs again that that's the "last thing" Bianca needs right now. God, she's a boring sidekick. "You should have seen them, Maggie," Binks says. "My mother was so desperate; it's like she's fighting for her own life; and Kendall was so angry, and the two of them, it's like they, they seem so tough, but in fact they carry around this shame constantly for their whole lives!" Maggie tries to protest, but Bianca continues, finally saying that she fears that that "shame" is the "curse" that Michael Cambias has put on all of them, and that they'll all carry it around for the rest of their lives.

Erica stalks into Jack's loft and says that she should have seen it coming. Ba-dow! Look what they did there! She calls Greenlee's concern for Bianca an "act," which Greens fiercely denies, but Erica thinks that Greens "live[s] for catastrophe" and will create one if there's not one already. Jack keeps trying to intervene, but they ignore him. Greens angrily wonders what the hell Erica is talking about, so Erica reminds her of how she made the NotWedding what it was. "Believe it or not, I cringe when I think about it," Greens says sourly, but Erica thinks she should, for "embarrass[ing] [her]self in front of the entire town." Hee, she flips her hair with her hand! La Kane feels threatened! Greenlee retorts that Erica's blackmail scheme to keep her in the dark was more embarrassing; Erica responds in suitable diva fashion by reminding Greens that she once blackmailed Bianca by threatening to out her (sadly, she doesn't say "Lesbianca" as she did back in June or whenever that was), and Greens responds amusedly but incomprehensibly, and the pitch gets higher as they shrill at each other, until Jack finally yells several times for them to stop. "Sorry . . . Daddy," Greens says reflexively. Erica can't believe that Jack lets her call him that, but he tells her again to stop. Greens grabs his elbow. "Pops and I have bonded in a major father-daughter way," she snarks, "and we plan on spending even more quality time getting to know each other." Erica watches them jealously for a moment and then rolls her eyes. Greens turns to Jackson and thanks him for "being the good guy deep down inside" she always knew he was. Jack nods. "Bye!" Greens snarks again, at Erica. Hee. Budig and Lucci, Greenlee vs. Erica: comedy gold.

Once she's gone, Jack rubs his ear, and Erica avers that this wasn't a good idea, because Jack clearly is too busy to deal with Bianca, now that "Greenlee has velcroed herself to [his] side." Hee! Jack is exasperated with Erica for making it into a "competition" with an "insecure young woman," and they go back and forth about what "destroyed" their wedding—Greenlee's display, Erica's lying, or Mary's 26-year-old secret. Jack gets in Erica's face and suggests that they "just not do this." Erica brushes a finger under her eye like a cat trying to pretend it didn't just fall off a piece of furniture. "Thank you," Jack says. He sits on a chair arm, wonders what's up with Binks, and also mentions a little self-consciously how he thought they had such a good time in the park. Erica explains that Binks went to see the doctor today about her "pregnancy options." Did she decide anything? No, not yet, she says, but she tried to get Binks to understand that she really only has one option, and time's running out on it. Jack listens sadly. "Bianca has to terminate this pregnancy," she says, "we have to make her see that." Commercials.

Erica is expositing to Jack about the Abortion Summit '03, which Kendall interrupted, when her cell phone rings. She thinks it must be Bianca, so she answers it, but it's Val instead. Evidently he informs her of Kendall's takeover, because she says, "she what?!" before explaining that she can't deal with it, because she has "much more pressing things to take care of." She asks him to handle it as best he can, ends the call, and informs Jack of the newest developments—the kicker, apparently, is that Kendall has "ordered that [Erica's] portrait be burned." Ribs Hotard caught this moment and observed that "Kendall is beginning a process of de-Stalinization." Funny Ribs! Jack suggests that they just forget about Kendall for a minute, and Erica agrees. She wants him to try to "get through to Bianca," because she listens to him. He gathers that Erica has advised Binks "to terminate her pregnancy"—again with the avoidance—and Erica confirms it, begging him to "back [her] up." Jack shakes his head and refuses.

Maggie suggests to Bianca that they get out of the penthouse, but Binks is distraught, pacing back and forth, letter in hand, talking about how her decision will affect everybody—Erica, Kendall, "a dead man." "When did this stop being my life?" she wonders. "When Michael Cambias raped me and I found out that I was carrying his child, that is his hold on me, that will be his hold on me, forever!" Maggie tries to tell her Michael won't ever hurt her again, but Binks doesn't think it's true: everyone keeps telling her that, but she knows that if he finds out she's pregnant, he'll come after her. She works herself into a lather and then, naturally, doubles over, clutching her abdominal area. Maggie runs to her side, and we fade to commercials as Binks cries in pain.

Back at BJ's, as a song that sounds suspiciously like (but is not) Ryan Adams's "In My Time of Need" (from his album heartbreaker, you know, the good one?) plays in the background, David opens his wallet, touches a picture of Leora, and smiles at it. His cell phone rings. Split-screen! It's Maggie, who's frantic on the other end about Bianca, and thinks whatever's wrong has to do with the baby. Binks is on the couch, under the yellow chenille blanket, crying spasmodically. David says he'll be over right away and hangs up. He drops some money on the bar and leaves.

Maggie strokes Bianca's hair, tells her David's on his way, and promises that everything will be all right. Binks slides her hand over to grip Maggie's, and Maggie kisses her on the forehead.

Erica is stunned by Jackson's response and wonders if he thinks Bianca should go to term with her pregnancy. No, he doesn't think so, and explains that a pregnancy takes a big physical and emotional toll on anyone, even without rape (thanks, Jack!), and fears that the pregnancy will trigger a relapse of Bianca's anorexia, so, yeah, he thinks she should "terminate," but he won't tell her that. "This decision is hers and hers alone to make, Erica," he says. Agreed. Erica claims that she knows that but still wishes Jack would talk to Binks. He says he'll support her no matter what, but he won't put any more pressure on her than she already feels. "Are you saying that I was wrong to counsel my daughter?" Erica asks shyly. Jack says that he thinks that is what he's saying.

Erica gathers that Jack thinks she has "no right to counsel [her] own daughter" but thinks she knows "first-hand" what Bianca is going through and how she'll suffer if she doesn't get an abortion. "Yes, but Erica, that is your pain," Jack replies. He reminds her that she and Bianca are not the same person, and Binks might deal with things differently. Erica agrees but sees no reason for Binks to suffer and so "can't allow it." Jack PSAs that Erica doesn't have the right to decide, and if Bianca feels too pressured, she'll do what she always does: "she's gonna shut down. She's gonna try to please everyone around her, take care of everyone around her, except herself. Ever since she was a child, Erica, she's never dealt with her feelings; she's never gotten to feel what she should feel. And then you know what happens: she quits eating. She quits nurturing herself; she becomes anorexic." Erica refuses to let that happen again, so Jack insists that they back off. "Trust me on this, okay? And trust your daughter."

At the penthouse, Bianca sits up as David puts away his stethoscope. He asks how she's feeling. She's better, with good vitals and no bleeding, so he asks how long it's been since she's eaten. Maggie confirms a little snittily that it was "hours ago" at the picnic. Mags is getting annoyinger and annoyinger. She be annoying these days. She agrees to fix Bianca some food and goes to the kitchen. David tells Binks he thinks the pain was probably from "nervous exhaustion and an empty stomach." "So I'm not gonna miscarry?" she says guardedly. No, she's not. David wonders how she feels about that. "Well, my mother wants me to terminate the pregnancy," she says, "and I can't make up my mind. And I thought, when the pain started . . ." She trails off, and David takes her hand: "You were hoping the decision had been made for you." Binks looks balefully back at him. Commercials.

Erica and Jack argue some more about Bianca, and Jack says that if she makes a decision they wouldn't, they'll stand by her and support her down the line. He insists again that Erica let Binks make the decision for herself, and Erica looks as though she's thinking it over.

Bianca gets up from the couch at Erica's. David spies the Daddy Cambias letter, picks it up, and asks what it is; Binks tells him and mentions the "face your future without fear" line. David thinks such advice is "really great" and that that's what they all want for her. "I don't need anymore advice," Binks replies. "What I need is . . ." Oh, look, here comes Maggie with a big tray of BAM BFF! Bianca stares hollowly at the vittles, then finally says, "I can't." Maggie thinks she's talking about food, but Binks is actually talking about the kid decision process. She needs to make a decision, she says, and although David tells her she has plenty of time, she allows how the longer she takes (what is it, Day Three of knowing?), the more scared and confused she gets, so she just needs to decide. She stands pensively for a moment, then raises her eyes again: "I know what I need to do."

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