13x12 - And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

[bunniefuu]

[theme music]

[Mack] What's the matter, Meg?

I don't like my oatmeal.

Well, honey, you loved it last week.

That's why I made it again.

It was different last week.

Oatmeal is oatmeal.

You know. I never liked it.

You're some help.

Why don't you try it, sweetie?

I don't want to try it.

It's not the same without the swirly part.

Jason used to make it swirly with syrup.

Don't you remember?

Swirly. Here's the swirly.

-How's that? -A little more over there.

[Mack] Oh yeah, that's right.

I can see where I missed that.

Ooh.

How long until Jason comes home?

May I come in?

Would that I could keep you out?

I want you to take a look at something here.

What's this?

That's what I was just trying to figure out.

Somebody from someplace in Iowa sent it to me,

and if I'm not mistaken,

the only thing I can think of

is we closed a meatpacking plant in Iowa.

You think they're poisoned?

Nah, poison.

Here, you want one?

No, thank you.

Why don't you take a look at something?

Massachusetts Oceanographic Institute.

Was this something that...

your foundation supports?

Our foundation. Yes.

They are looking for a new young director.

Can you think of anybody?

-Claudia. -Joseph would be perfect.

Do you really have it in for him?

In for this? This is a chance of a lifetime.

Why would you want to send him back east,

away from Kate? Tell me why.

I mean, he had Tidal Energy.

If he took the job, I thought you'd be pleased.

Tell me why.

Because you're good to her.

I don't want her involved with anyone

who's working against you, against us.

It's her life. He's not a bad kid.

I tried to buy him and I couldn't.

No. You see.

You don't understand these professors the way I do.

The money they're not interested in.

It's the prestige. It's the power.

He will take the Massachusetts job

if you can get them to offer it to him.

Which you can.

Blueberry muffins are my favorite.

You think they're homemade?

Gregory.

If Joseph took the job,

it would mean the end of Tidal Energy.

I thought she'd be pleased.

Yeah, well, I'm not sure he's ready to bite.

The timing's not right.

Listen.

You sure you wouldn't want one of these?

[chuckles] Cute.

[Greg chuckles]

Good morning.

Been going over the money. It's a mess.

I'm not sure what the cost overruns

and Gary using his own money--

Yeah, he never should have done that.

I tried not to wake you last night

when I came back in.

Who said you could come back at all?

No one.

I'm not a big believer in second chances.

I don't deserve one. You've gotta be tired

of hearing me apologize. But the way things have been

just hearing Sumner's name--

I am tired of hearing you apologize.

Hey, I got something for you guys.

-The bank came through? -Yeah, the bank came through.

In case you don't realize it, this takes care of us.

It's spent already.

-What do you mean it's-- -Read this.

He laid out his own money. The company owes him.

If we use the loan to pay him back,

the company has nothing left for operating expenses.

-We're out of business. -You told me

your business partners back east win for 20% more.

It's figured in, the bottom line is still the same.

Yeah, well, you don't have to do it.

You don't have to put up the bank's money.

Tidal Energy goes under.

-If he doesn't. -Then it goes under.

How much time... does it buy us

if the company doesn't pay me back?

Gary, don't.

You could lose your home.

It's his decision.

How much time?

Six months.

The check's inside.

Joseph has six months to work a miracle.

Mack, this is Miss Broyard.

Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.

Yeah, well, you said you wanted to talk to me about Paige.

Oh, this is private, right?

Don't mind me, I'm used to it.

Mr. MacKenzie, I don't think you understand

the nature of what I have to tell you.

Oh, well, you know.

There isn't much Peggy doesn't hear,

so I hope what you have to say is as important

as you say it is. Okay?

If you don't mind,

maybe check the mail or something.

-I already did. -Thank you.

And what about Paige?

I know something about the man she's with.

Something Paige ought to know, but she won't listen to me.

[intense music]

Let me tell you something.

You know I don't generally get involved in Paige's--

-No, you don't understand-- -Then why don't you just

come out and tell me what it is you're trying to say?

She could be in danger.

The last girl Pierce loved, the way he loved your daughter

ended up dead.

[intense music]

Mack, she's crazy. She's capable of saying or doing anything.

Okay. Okay. You know.

I just can't figure out why she came to me with it.

I'm just checking out her story.

I know her story.

Pierce got this girl pregnant,

took her out on his boat during a terrible storm,

k*lled her, and then sank the boat

to make it look like an accident.

All lies?

Pierce was in love with her.

It was a terrible accident that she died.

Well, if that's all there is, why didn't he just tell you

instead of running off the way he did?

Because he was so ashamed.

He'd been drinking on the boat, they both had.

And when the boat went down, he couldn't save her.

He's always blamed himself for her death

And the death of their baby.

He never said she was pregnant.

Victoria gave me the number of the girl's gynecologist

back in Maryland. Now do you check it out or do I?

[intense music]

-Am I embarrassing you? -No, you're not embarrassing me.

I'm not embarrassed. It's just that...

It's been a long time since I've had a conversation

about the birds and the bees.

Greg.

I'm really sick of everybody treating me

like I'm five years old.

Well, I can understand that.

What? You and the professor are having a problem.

Yes.

When I'm in bed with him.

Isn't this a conversation you should be having

with your mother?

I don't want to have this conversation

with my mother. I want to have it with you.

[sighs]

Because I feel like this whole thing is is my fault.

You know, sometimes, uh...

when I rub my hand down his chest--

He's probably got a lot on his mind.

I'm embarrassing you.

No, you're not embarrassing me. Absolutely not.

I'm not embarrassed.

What do you like from women?

I... I...

You sleep with so many women,

there must be certain things that you really like.

I... I don't remember.

Do you like women to touch you?

And nobody ever touches me.

Everybody likes wom-- Everybody likes to be touched.

Kissing. What about kissing?

-Well, what about it? -What about kissing?

Do you like to be kissed?

Everybody likes to be kissed.

I mean, kissing's great.

What do you say we just kind of clean up the dishes?

You're not telling me anything.

-I'm not. -No?

Let me tell ya.

This is my first time.

And I hear all these things about how wonderful it is,

how wonderful people think it is.

And I don't think that it's wonderful.

I think think that it's very confusing.

All I can tell you, Kate, is that...

it's not about you. It's not your fault. It's...

In the beginning,

everybody thinks that it's their every...

It's very confusing.

I know.

Let's go feed the horses. Come on.

[intense music]

Claudia Whittaker.

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

You don't remember me?

You know, I kept asking myself,

will she remember me or won't she?

Rosa Barth had a nephew.

-Alex. -Alex Barth all grown up?

Yeah.

Aren't you going to invite me and sit down?

Oh please.

Come in.

[music continues]

Rosa gave me all these names before she died.

You know, people I should look up

if I ever went here or there.

Europe, New England, you know,

all the places she had worked in.

And you know, I never looked even one of them up until now.

Uh, you...

You have a lovely home.

Oh, thank you, you know, I didn't even know

that your aunt had died, but somebody...

sent me an obituary from the paper.

-That was me. -I thought so.

Well, you were good to her for years, you know.

You took care of her.

I only wish I could have done more.

That's what she said.

That you would do more.

That if there was anything I needed,

I should turn to you.

-May I ask-- -What I need?

I haven't figured it out yet.

What you do, Alex. Do you work?

-I'm between things. -Where you going?

Not sure what I'm doing, where I'm going

or what I need.

something though.

But when I do figure it out,

can I count on you, Claudia?

Alex, listen to me.

I'm listening.

My relationship to your aunt was very special.

She nursed your mother.

When your mother was dying.

See. She told me.

What else did she tell you?

I mean, I'm tired.

-Alex. -And hungry. You know.

You know, I'm tired and hungry for traveling.

Take care of me, please.

Aunt Rosa said you would.

[tense music]

[children imitating a siren wailing]

Too much noise. Calm down.

There's fire, dad. Fire's everywhere.

-And we have to put them out. -Yeah.

Guys, guys, guys, come here.

Look, I think there's some fires blazing up outside, okay?

-Okay, let's go put it out. -Whoo!

But not too far, lunch is almost ready.

I've made a decision you're not going to agree with.

The mortgage money that was supposed to dig us out of the hole.

-Yeah. -It's going back into the company.

-All of it? -[Gary] Yes.

Well then, what do we live on?

I thought that the company owes us that money.

If the company pays us back, there'll be nothing left.

We might as well throw in the towel on the whole project.

Is that what you want me to do?

You want me to throw in the towel?

-Now listen to me-- -No, Gary, I won't listen.

I can't anymore 'cause you're gonna tell me

to stand behind you.

Well, I am behind you, Gary.

And I will be till the day I die.

But now you've gone too far.

You're destroying yourself and you're going to destroy us.

-It's not happening. -Gary. It is happening.

Now you're just too far out of touch

-to even know it. -"Out of touch"?

What does that mean, "out of touch"?

I'm not giving up on this.

I know you're not,

and that's what's just so crazy.

You don't know what's right anymore.

This whole thing is...

[sighs] The stress of it it's...

I'm afraid for you, Gary.

I am afraid that you--

Say it Val.

I know that this whole project is very important to you.

But there is something that you've always said to me

that was more important.

You said that it was the most important thing

in the whole world.

When was the last time that you went to a meeting?

-A meeting? -Yes, a meeting.

I'm not drinking.

I'm not going to drink.

Booze isn't the problem.

Money's the problem,

the setbacks on the prototype.

The problems,

the problem.

-Not me. -I knew it, Gary.

No. You know nothing.

You know nothing about how I feel.

-Um, I tried to ring-- -We are talking here, Kate.

Can't you see that we're talking?

Hey, hey, hey. Where's the fire?

I-- I thought you were Jason.

-Who's Jason? -He's my brother.

He's in Sweden.

Oh, well, I'm Alex Barth.

I'm a friend of Claudia's.

Very pleased to meet you.

Do you live with Claudia?

[Karen laughs] She likes to keep up with the neighborhood news.

I'm Karen MacKenzie. This is my daughter, Meg.

Hi.

Well, shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Oh, well, I knew it would happen sooner or later.

Meg, I think you have an admirer.

Um, your groceries are melting. Let me get them for you.

Oh, well, that's not necessary.

Well,

what do you think of that?

Joseph. Man, I was really worried about you.

I expected you three hours ago.

Well, I was out at the site.

So what you couldn't call.

We're in the middle of something that was...

pretty...

"Pretty" what?

Well some of the data that we've been getting...

-It's bad. -How bad?

What does Gary know?

I'm not sure that it concerns Gary.

Joseph, of course it concerns Gary.

I mean, Gary and Val got everything locked up in this.

You do know that they've mortgaged the ranch.

No one asked them to do that.

No one asked them to put up their money

in the first place.

You can't just say that.

You can't just ignore how much they've got writing on you.

I'm a scientist, okay?

I'm not a businessman.

In science,

sometimes you get results quickly

and sometimes they take longer.

Months, years.

Years?

Can you can you talk to me?

This is important.

Kate, this is an important call.

You don't seem to understand that they're depending on you,

and if this thing is not gonna work, then you've got to tell them.

I never asked them to mortgage their ranch.

And my ideas will work.

I know they will, it's just that they can't be made to work

because somebody needs them to, because they put up money or--

Hello. Hello, Professor Truwald.

Yes, this is Joseph Barringer.

Yes.

Yes. Yeah. Well...

I heard you were in town delivering a paper

and I was hoping that we could get you for dinner.

Well, I've been working on something

that I'd-- I'd love to get your opinion on.

[dramatic music]

Karen, she's not up there.

Meg.

-[Karen] Meg. -Karen.

[Karen] Meg.

-Meg. Meg. -[Karen] Meg.

Where did you see her last? Where did you leave her?

I told you, don't leave her alone.

-Where are you going? -I'm going to find her.

Mack. Mack.

She was just here a second ago. I don't know what happened.

-She forgot her lunch. -Well, I do.

She just didn't walk down the street alone.

-Somebody took her. -Where are you going?

Call the police.

Don't leave,

-Mack. -We better get her back.

[engine revving]

Mack.

[dramatic music]

Meg.

Meg, where are you?

[Carlos] Mr. Sumner.

Where is she?

There are a lot of women in my life, Mack. Which one are you talking about?

Where's Meg?

Meg?

Meg isn't here. Why would Meg be here?

Listen to me Sumner, if you want her back, I'll see you in court.

You telling me you don't know where Meg is?

Carlos, call the police.

We already did that.

Call the police.

Alex.

Alex.

Meg, what are you doing here?

I followed you.

You never even noticed me.

Look, your parents are going to be worried to death.

Following people isn't usually a very good idea, little flower.

Are you mad at me?

No, but that's not the point.

Promise me you won't do it again.

-Okay. -Promise?

-I promise. -Good.

Let's run back to your house. Okay?

Well, come on.

Okay.

Meg's description is out to every unit, Mrs. MacKenzie.

You say she's never wandered off before.

No, never passed the corner, but she's been upset lately.

My son left for Europe last weekend.

She really misses him.

Well, we've been extra foot patrols in the park,

-which is one place kids hit-- -Here she is.

Alex is with her.

[Karen sighs]

Meg. Meg, where were you?

She followed me over to the golf course. Mrs. Mackenzie,

I had no idea she was behind me.

Oh, thank you,

Officer, this is my neighbor.

We're all right now. Thank you so much for your help.

Glad it worked out. See you all.

[indistinct chatter on police handy]

Meg, we were so worried about you.

Alex made me promise

never to follow anyone like that again.

We'll go in the house now, that is, if you're okay, Karen.

Thank you both.

-[Karen] Say goodbye. -Goodbye, Alex.

[engine rumbling]

[tires squeaking]

-What happened? -Meg took a little walk

over to the golf course, but she's fine now.

Don't you do that again.

-Hi, Uncle Greg. -[Karen] Come on, honey.

-Come on. -[Greg] Hey, sweetheart.

Let's go inside.

I made a fool of myself.

Well, at least the kid doesn't know.

[indistinct chatter]

[Gary] Thank you very much.

-Mrs. Broyard? -Yes.

Hi. Gary Ewing. I'm sorry I'm late.

You're not. I'm early.

[chuckles] Well, I was delighted to get your phone call.

Tidal Energy is always interested

in meeting new investors.

Except I'm not interested in Tidal Energy.

-Um, you said over the phone-- -Please forgive me.

But I had to make certain that you'd come.

Mr. Ewing, I've heard some disturbing rumors

about Tidal Energy.

About how some solid citizens have gone out on a limb for it.

Well...

Well, like most rumors, that one's totally wrong.

Tidal energy is rock solid.

Not if it's founded on Pierce Lawton, it isn't

No, thank you.

Maybe you better explain yourself.

If you're talking about the Daedalus,

I know all about that.

No one knows all about the Daedalus

except Pierce.

But that isn't what I came to tell you about.

It's something else.

Mmh.

I swear I can live on martinis forever.

I like men who don't drink.

It allows me to hope they save their strength for other vices.

Mrs. Broyard,

what's the real purpose of this meeting?

To warn you that the fair haired Pierce

isn't all that he seems to be.

Why do you care?

-Does that matter? -Yeah.

It helped me believe you if I knew what your reasons were.

They're personal.

But you must have guessed that.

I did.

Excuse me.

Mr. Ewing.

Gary.

That doesn't mean what I say about him isn't true.

You're aware of his previous business ventures?

Yeah, he owned a shirt company in North Carolina.

Have you spoken to the people he sold it?

I saw the documents of sale.

But have you talked to them?

And there was a newspaper, too, in Detroit.

He sold it to the employees when he left.

Call them Mr. Ewing.

And then if you feel like it...

call me.

[dramatic tense music]

[man 1] So you want to hear about Pierce Lawton,

is that right?

Yes, I'm calling from California.

I'd like to talk to you about it.

[man 1] Well, Mr., you better turn down the volume

on your walkie-talkie just a minute there.

Because you're gonna get an earful.

I'm sorry to say it, but that's the truth about him.

I'm sorry to hear it, but thanks for your honesty.

[Mueller] I put my trust in that boy.

He took the newspaper my family had run

for 80 years.

And very nearly destroyed it.

I appreciate you talking to me, Mrs. Mueller. Thank you.

God help you, Mr. Ewing.

I'm so sorry, Gary.

[dramatic music]

[sighs]

Guess he fooled a lot of people.

I got nobody to blame but myself.

Neither do I.

-Karen, hi. -Hi.

I can only stay for a second.

Oh, yes, please come in.

I wanted to thank Alex again for taking care of Meg.

Oh, but he's not here right now.

Oh.

-Seems to be very nice. -Yes.

He said his name was Alex Barth.

Yes, that's right.

Is he related to that woman you were telling me about?

That... That nurse that took care of your mother?

Rosa Barth? Yes, Yes, he's her nephew.

She was so dear to us.

Well, it just seems right that I should do

what I can for him now.

I guess it must be very nice having him here.

Mmh.

How long is he going to stay?

You know, he hasn't quite decided that yet.

Should I make us some tea or coffee?

Oh, tea. Thank you.

How about some more coffee, Professor Truwald?

Yes, yes to anything you say, my dear.

-Joseph. She's beautiful. -Thank you.

If you collate from these graphs that I made,

it should give you some idea of what I think the problem is.

I already have an idea.

You're right.

There is a problem.

Well, this data...

I think that there's a flaw in the way that energy is measured.

You said so yourself.

The problem is not with the data,

that's just arithmetic.

The problem is fundamental, conceptual.

Put a blank sheet before you.

Hm. Think again from the start.

-From the start. -Yes, you're brilliant.

You will find your way.

From the start and that's impossible.

You see, what you don't realize

is that a plant has been built and rebuilt.

The expenses to the investors,

-it's tremendous-- -Expenses. Investors.

I can't speak of these things.

But the science. I can tell you about that.

You have made a mistake.

We make mistakes in science, Joseph.

That's how we proceed.

Well, you're right, of course.

I'm sorry.

Would you like some more coffee?

Kate, could you get him some more coffee?

Hello, this is Professor Truwald.

Yes, yes, we have had our dinner.

What do I think?

I think you're quite correct.

Mm-hm.

Young Professor Barringer is...

quite shaken by his recent findings.

I think he'd be very happy to be...

back in the university,

where no one could see that...

all his great ideas have...

come to nothing.

I think the time is right.

[tense music]

Dad.

[indistinct]

Had a bad dream.

What was it about?

I don't remember, but it was scary.

Welcome to the club.

-Joseph. -Pierce.

I was looking for you down at the site.

Sometimes I find it's easier to think right here.

Yeah, well, you got lots to think about.

Sure, we all do.

Like what you and Sumner might get up to next.

Me and Sumner? What are you talking about?

You had dinner at his house.

Kate and I had dinner at Sumner's house?

Yes. At Kate's uncle's house.

Yeah. That's great.

This whole venture of ours is caving it around us.

You're having dinner with the enemy.

-The enemy? -[Pierce] Yeah, the enemy.

He tried to buy you out once before.

How much information you give him about Tidal Energy?

I'm not listening.

What is this?

-You don't know what this is? -No, I don't.

We risked our necks because we trusted you.

-Now we're sinking. -We're not sunk yet.

We're this close.

You don't come up with a breakthrough soon.

-I mean, now. -It's not like--

Don't you people understand?

You try things. You make your best guess.

What? Guesses?

That's what everything here is riding on your best guess?

I'm leaving.

Not till you tell me what you're up to with Sumner.

[shouting] Don't say that again.

Do not accuse me of betraying this company

with anyone, With Sumner, or anyone else.

That's exactly what I'm accusing you of.

Huh? When did he buy you off?

Yesterday? Two months ago? Huh?

-Pierce! -In the very beginning? Huh?

Get off him. Get off him.

-[Joseph] He's crazy. -What is the matter with you?

You don't have any idea what he's been up to.

He had dinner with Sumner.

Don't bother defending yourself.

You make me sick.

Joseph.

Joseph.

-Hey, how you doing? -Hi.

[sighs]

-Hey, Gary. -Mikey.

-Hey, how you doing? -Pretty good.

Great.

Hey, today's my 5th birthday.

Ah. Congratulations.

I guess I've missed a few meetings.

Not me.

Keep coming back. That's the only way I can do it.

And I got to remind myself so I don't forget.

Yeah, well, that's why I'm here.

Well, then, congratulations to you.

-[chuckles] Alright! -Happy birthday!

-Mikey, happy birthday. -Thanks. Thanks a lot.

[applause]

[cheering]

[door closes]

[footsteps]

You're back early.

I thought you'd be at the site all day.

I didn't go to the site.

Well then where were...

[chuckles] Sorry, I'm just. I'm all nerves.

No, it's okay.

I have to meet with some people today.

Investors?

No.

These people I saw today meet every day at lunch.

In the basement of a church.

[splashing]

[emotional music]

[sobs]

-Thank you. -Hey, hey, hey.

[sighs]

[music continues]

Hi, Doctor Glenning.

Hi, my name is Anne Lombard.

I'm Margaret's sister.

That's right. She drowned about ten years ago.

I need some information.

Kate, come on. We're going to miss the show.

-What time does it start? -Seven o'clock

I'll be there in just a minute.

[dramatic tense music]

[dramatic tense music intensifies]

Ready.

Oh, mail.

Anything good?

No.

All right. Shall we?

-Where were you? -Where was I?

-Did you go out? -No, I didn't go out.

When do I go out?

Oh, I thought you were downstairs,

but I couldn't find you, so I assumed.

I was in Meg's room with Meg.

At this hour? She's six years old.

She needs her sleep.

I didn't say she was awake. I said I was with her.

If you really need to know, I was just...

sitting in the dark looking at her.

You can see in the dark?

-Want to know what I saw? -Tell me.

I saw the future,

the present and the past.

-I'm listening. -All right.

I'll start with the past, if you don't mind.

I don't mind.

-In the past, we made a promise. -Uh-huh.

What? You know what I'm going to say?

We made a promise to Laura

to raise her child.

-Yeah, that's right. -Hers and Sumner's.

Now let me tell the rest of it. Well, yeah.

I was the one who was sitting in the dark.

Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

-All right. -Unless you want me to tell you

how I feel about the promise we made,

I want you to listen.

I'm listening.

We made a promise to Meg.

To raise her, to love her and adopt her as our own.

-We weren't adopting a child-- -Exactly.

-Exactly what? -Exactly.

We weren't adopting a child whose parent

was a thousand miles away.

Whom she'd never see or know.

Greg Sumner is here in Knots Landing.

He's in our lives.

I didn't see you sitting in the dark.

I was thinking the same thing right here. Now.

About the present.

-Today. -Today?

Today I made a fool of myself bursting in on Sumner.

We both made fools of ourselves,

Worrying that Greg will take her away

or tell her that he's her father.

He's not going to do that.

He just wants to be part of her life.

And he ought to be.

We just have to trust him to do the right thing.

-You know how hard that is? -I know how hard that is.

That leaves the future.

The question being...

Do we tell her that she's adopted?

-The answer is yes. -Yes.

But when?

When?

Not now. She's only six.

Well, some people think this is the right age.

If we were going to tell her now,

it'd only be because we're afraid

that she'd be told by someone.

I'm not saying Sumner would tell him, but someone.

I think we wait.

I think we wait too.

[mellow music]

That little girl's real lucky to have you as a daddy.

[chuckles]

She's lucky to have you.

We're lucky to have her.

[intense music]

[gasps]

You're beautiful when you sleep.

do you know that?

Beautiful. Yes.

I've been watching you. For a while.

Please go away.

Go back to sleep. Let me watch.

Get out.

[breathing shakily]

[intense music]

[theme music]