From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, JAN 11, 1996

                  TALK, TALK, TALK ABOUT IT
                               -or-
        NOT-MUCH-ACTION-BUT-LOTS-OF-GOOD-CONVERSATION DAY

Highlights:
* Van is sick to her stomach over Bridget & Hart.
* Matt convinces Nola to redirect her nose.
* Dinah reveals some Hart.
* Reva & Josh butt heads yet again.
* A little pitcher has big ears.

A winter's day in Springfield USA...

BOARDINGHOUSE KITCHEN: Nola tells Bridget that Peter has gone to sleep & 
sings the praises of tomato soup & crackers. The phone rings & Jet races 
to answer it. She's disgusted when it's a salesperson. Nola divines that 
Jet is waiting to hear from Hart.

PENTHOUSE: Hart knocks on the door & Dinah answers. He hates to impose 
on their new sort-of friendship, but he's there to claim what's 
rightfully his. He asks Dinah to let him in so he can explain.

LEWIS HOUSE: Marah moons around the house while Annie runs ofF at the 
mouth about the joys of half-days. Marah asks if Annie is going to leave 
her. Annie sits beside Marah & promises that she's not going anywhere & 
everything will be fine. "And if you don't believe me, I want you to 
believe your daddy, because he's taking care of that right now."

COURTHOUSE: Reva protests as the bailiff prepares to handcuff her. She 
claims that she didn't commit any crime; Josh did. She asks Josh to tell 
them not to do this, but Josh says she started it. She demands to know 
what she is being charged with. Answer: Fraud--an accessory to bigamy 
before the fact. "You're going to jail, Mrs. Lewis," says ADA O'Rourke.

Reva asks Josh what lies he told the DA. Ross says Reva is responsible 
for everything that's happened. The DA wants to ask Reva a few questions 
before they take her away, but says she can have a lawyer present. She 
doesn't want "a bloodsucker like Ross Marler" & tells him to ask away. 
Did she arrive in Springfield in October, about 1 1/2 months before Josh 
married Annie? And had she regained her memory at that time? Yes to 
both. And did she purposely avoid contact with everyone who knew her? 
Yes, but she had her reasons. Did she actually attend the wedding 
rehearsal? She admits she was outside. O'Rourke says if not for Reva's 
own actions & inactions, Josh would never have committed bigamy, & it's 
possible she set it up. Reva says he's out of his ever-lovin' mind. 

"Everything I did, I did for my children, but Joshua is too stiff-necked 
to admit it." Josh says it has nothing to do with the kids; if she cared 
about them, she & Josh wouldn't be in the courthouse right now. What's 
she supposed to do when he keeps turning her away from the kids? It's 
been 5 years & no one will keep her away from them. Alan shows up just 
in time. "Obviously Josh feels he hasn't hurt you enough," he opines.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Nola thinks both Jet & Hart had a really good time New 
Year's Eve & wonders if they'll go out again & if they kissed. Jet says 
they're just friends. Oh, & he's also her son's father. Nola says that 
makes them more than passing acquaintances, which causes Jet to recount 
her sordid role in Petey's conception & tell Nola to get off her case.

Vanessa & Matt arrive, looking for Peter. They want to take him out for 
chili dogs. "He's asleep," says Nola. Van bridles, "I was asking 
Bridget." She wonders if he's just taking a nap. Nola insists that he's 
down for the count. Van asks Jet what's going on. Jet apologizes, saying 
she should have called. "You can't see him today. He's going to spend 
the day with his father. I'm expecting Hart any minute."

PENTHOUSE: Dinah lets Hart in, but says nothing inside has his name on 
it. Isn't it odd that Rog doesn't have any photos of Hart around? Hart 
doesn't care. Dinah says Van has loads of pictures of Bill & Peter, but 
when she came home, Van had to scramble to find one photo of her to put 
on the wall. Hart empathizes, but she shrugs it off. What does he want? 
Hart asks if Rog has called from NY. Yes, while she was in the shower, 
so she has to call him back. Hart asks if she'll mention his visit. It 
depends--she still doesn't know why he's here. "Don't you?" asks Hart.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Van asks what's up between Jet & Hart. Nola butts in that 
it's not Van's concern. Matt disagrees--it's he & Nola who aren't con-
cerned. He drags his aunt upstairs. Jet says Hart just wants to spend 
some time with Peter & it's no big deal. Van says it is, because she 
loves Peter as much as Jet & she was looking forward to spending time 
with him. "But this isn't about you," says Jet. Van feels shut out & 
ignored. "If my son wants a chance to get to know his father, he 
deserves that chance," says Jet. Van flinches at the "my son" reference 
& Jet amends it to "our son." Van thinks Jet isn't telling her every-
thing. Maybe Jet's interested in Hart as a man, not just as Peter's dad.

In the stairwell, Matt asks what's up with Nola. It makes her angry the 
way Van tries to run Jet's life. Matt likes sitting in the stairwell & 
reminisces about hiding out there as a kid while the grown-ups did their 
thing in the kitchen. He used to love to visit the boardinghouse to see 
his Aunt Nola, who was so different, so fun, such a free spirit. They 
used to talk about his future & she took all his dreams seriously. "I 
love you for that," he admits. He wanted to live there when he was 
little, & he wanted his family to be just like hers. "What happened?" 
asks Matt. "When did my wonderful Aunt Nola stop being this loving, 
caring person who accepted everyone & everything & start being this 
judgmental, vindictive busybody who takes care of everybody's business 
but her own?" "When Quint left me," she answers.

LEWIS HOUSE: Annie hugs Marah & asks if she feels better now. "Sure, my 
mom is back from the dead, but no one will let me see her & this gape-
mawed chick in a white uniform wants me to call her Mommy even though I 
already have a Mama, but other than that, everything's copacetic," says 
Marah. Not. Actually, she just lays her head on Annie's lap & says, "I 
love you Mommy." They decide on the afternoon's activities: sewing new 
dresses for Annie's doll. Marah runs off to get the patterns & fabric.

Blake rings the bell & Annie invites her in. Blake came by because Ross 
asked her to meet him there. Annie explains that they're about to sew 
doll clothes. Blake worries that she won't be as good a mom as Annie. 
Annie says she feels very lucky, but she doesn't want to lose it. Blake 
tells her not to worry about what's going on in court, because Ross is a 
great lawyer. Marah overhears them talking about the annulment.

COURTHOUSE: Josh wants Alan to leave, but Reva wants him to stay. She 
explains the situation & Alan thinks it sounds like a set-up. The ADA 
says you can't commit bigamy if you don't know you're still married. But 
Reva knew Josh was about to get married & should have taken action to 
prevent it. Alan says the Spaulding lawyers will take care of it. Reva's 
psyched for it to be in all the headlines. Ross thinks that's not a 
great idea, but Reva disagrees. "If Joshua hates me this much, that's 
fine. Let him be the one to explain to the children why he not only 
humiliated me, but had me sent to jail." She tells the bailiff to take 
her away, but Josh intervenes. He wants a few minutes alone with Reva.

Alan doesn't like the idea, but Reva says she'll be fine. Everyone else 
leaves the room. Josh asks how they got to this place. Reva says they've 
been down this road many, many, many, many, many times before. [I wonder 
if Kim ad-libbed a few of those manys, to show how sick she is of 
repeating the same dialogue over & over & over & over & over again.] 
Josh wants to know what went on between Reva & Annie at the hospital. 
Reva suggests he get the details from his ever-truthful flower of 
perfection. Reva says Annie told her all about what they did when they 
got home from the ball. Josh can't quite believe this. 

Reva repeats some of Muttonchop's dialogue: "Came together body & 
soul... did it til you dropped." Josh doesn't believe Annie would say 
that. But she did, as graphically as she could, in the hallway of the 
hospital, says Reva. "She all but told me the gory details. How do you 
think that made me feel? I may have been declared legally dead, but I am 
still alive & kicking. And I am still a woman & I am still your wife. 
And I'll tell you, it hurt like bloody hell." Josh stands there quietly, 
listening & narrowing his eyes.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Nola asks if Matt knows what it feels like when the 
person you love most decides he doesn't love you anymore. Quint & the 
kids were her whole life. She remembers the fun of it, traveling all 
over the world. Quint was her fantasy, her hero, her dream. "Well, 
that's what I thought." Matt is sorry. Nola says her hero decided to get 
lucky with a 20-something. She should have seen it coming, but she 
didn't want to. He hadn't paid attention to her for months. Matt is 
right--she has turned into an awful busybody. Her kids would agree. They 
accuse her of being a control freak. She thinks the idea of her as a 
disciplinarian is a joke, but since Quint wanted to be the good guy, she 
got put in the role of mean mom. She caught AJ with a beer once & Quint 
just said boys will be boys. Matt thinks that's not right.

Nola says Matt knew her in the old days when she was fun & exciting. Her 
kids wouldn't recognize her. She just tried to be a good mom. "And now 
you're trying to be Bridget's mom." Nola says Jet is alone needs 
somebody, but Matt says she's a grown woman & a mother too. "I know," 
says Nola. "Am I doing it wrong? Is that what you're trying to say?"

In the kitchen, Van plays with the knives while Jet insists that nothing 
is going on with Hart. Van just doesn't trust him. Jet thinks he 
deserves a chance to get to know his son.

PENTHOUSE: Dinah can't guess why Hart is there. He wants the keys to the 
farm, or what's left of it. He wonders if she's ever seen it. She 
doesn't mention that they did the wild thing there after the 5th Street 
Ball. Instead, she says she thought it belonged to Rog. Hart says Rog 
stole it from his grandfather & it killed the poor old man. Rog is no 
better than a murderer. Dinah thinks he's being a bit excessive. Hart 
just wants the keys. Dinah suggests that Hart ask Rog to give the farm 
back to him. "I'd rather chew gravel," says Hart. He just wants to look 
around & make sure it's still standing. Dinah gives him the keys & 
agrees not to mention it to Rog. Hart offers her a ride out to see the 
place. She agrees, having nothing better to do. She walks out the door 
ahead of him & he dons a sh*t-eating grin.

LEWIS HOUSE: Blake says Annie shouldn't worry because Josh is crazy 
about her. That's why he's getting the marriage annulled. They head to 
the kitchen to make cocoa. Marah pulls out her dictionary & looks up 
"annul." She reads the definition & sighs. "I'm sorry you've been hurt," 
says Josh in the...

COURTHOUSE: Reva doesn't believe it. Josh can't apologize for loving 
Annie. Reva just wants him to understand her feelings, especially about 
her kids. She has flaws, just like anyone, but she wants her kids to 
know her. Josh says he never intended to cut Reva off from them, but she 
needs to let Marah work out some stuff in therapy first. If she does 
that, he'll meet her halfway. Reva wants specifics. Josh laughs & says 
their kids deserve parents who get along. Reva says she'll try. She'd 
also like to meet with the therapist. Josh agrees to arrange it. Reva 
notes that this is the first conversation they've had that didn't 
involve yelling. Josh sees the humor in this & promises to let her know 
when she can see the kids. 

She thanks him with a small smile & starts to leave. He reminds her with 
a smile that she's still under arrest. She says she's going to drop all 
the charges against him. Since he's being fair, she can too. She's not 
as selfish as everyone thinks. "No, not at all," agrees Josh. She leaves 
& he looks very confused. 

Alan enters, looking for Reva. Josh says she went to talk to the ADA. 
All charges are being dropped on both sides. Alan is a bit surprised & 
wonders what Reva said about him. Josh informs the self-centered jerk 
that his name never came up. Alan smiles knowingly & goes to find Reva. 
Josh wants to know what Reva didn't tell him. Alan is not surprised that 
she didn't tell him--after all, it's a bit tacky to tell your husband 
about your new lover. "Excuse me?" says Josh. Alan explains that he & 
Reva are together in every sense of the word. Josh smiles strangely.

FARM: Hart is delighted with the snow-covered farm. Dinah thinks it 
looks broken-down, but Hart remembers it as it was. He points out the 
stables, where he kept his horses, & the orchard, & the fence where he 
broke his collarbone trying to jump with an unbroken horse. And the 
chestnut tree, under which he buried his grandpa. It was where they used 
to read stories. Hart looks sad. Dinah asks about the pond--it's where 
they used to go skating. He used to cut holes in the ice so the birds 
could fish & runs over to do it again. Dinah worries that the pond 
doesn't look completely frozen over, but Hart's already on his way, 
insisting that he knows his farm. Just then, we hear the ice crack & 
Hart's yell of surprise. Dinah runs to him.

Since a frozen pond set wasn't in the budget, Dinah returns to the porch 
with the shivering Hart. She's concerned about him, & rightly so, since 
he promptly collapses. She shakes him & tries to revive him. "Oh great," 
she says.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Jet says it's not Hart's fault that he's Roger's son. Van 
is worried about Jet, who thinks Van is treating her like a little kid. 
Jet knows Hart's not perfect, but he's not as bad as some guys she's 
dated, & he's not a threat. "At least, not to me." That's exactly Van's 
point. He is a threat to Van. Jet tells her not to worry, but Van knows 
she's right to worry. She is afraid she will be left out of Peter's 
future. Jet refuses to stand in the way of father-and-son bonding.

In the stairwell, Nola says she cares so much about Jet because Jet 
reminds her of herself. "She had so many dreams, like I had." She talks 
about all the fantasies she used to have, about great adventures. You 
had them, too, says Matt. But they didn't last, says Nola. "And now, I'm 
right back where I started." Matt thinks she did pretty well, raising 2 
kids & traveling around the world. She misses them so much, she says, 
teary-eyed. Matt suggests she call them. She's tried, but they won't 
return her calls. Matt says if she only tried once, she's not a real 
Reardon. Nola says she always hated being a Reardon. Maybe she never 
really knew how. Matt will help remind her. Nola says she'll give it a 
shot. Matt says Jet has her own dreams & Nola can't get hers back 
through Jet. Nola sobs on Matt's shoulder & he comforts her.

COURTHOUSE: Josh isn't interested in Alan & Reva's love life. Alan says 
comparisons would be "odious." He implies that Reva is quite satisfied & 
vows not to lose her again. Reva returns to tell Josh that everything's 
taken care of. She's legally alive & Josh won't be charged with bigamy. 
Josh says he has to talk to Ross & Reva tries to get his assurance that 
he'll let her know as soon as she can see the kids. Josh says he'll talk 
to the therapist & turns to leave. Reva stops him, wondering why he's 
now acting like she has a contagious disease after being so human 
earlier. Josh just says he wants to go home to his wife. Reva wants to 
know what happened. Josh says she ought to be able to figure it out. 
Alan tells her to let it go--it's not worth it. She says she should have 
realized that years ago--maybe that's why it took 5 years to get her 
memory back. Ross arrives & asks if everyone is OK. "I couldn't be 
happier," says Reva, in a peevish voice that is anything but happy.

Reva dons her coat & throws Josh's to him less than gently. She says 
Josh can have his divorce. Josh looks startled, but then Reva adds that 
she'll give him a divorce on the same day that she gets custody of her 
kids. She then strides out as Josh watches in disbelief.

LEWIS HOUSE: Annie is disappointed that Blake & Ross can't come to 
dinner. Blake says good-bye & leaves. Marah plays disconsolately with 
some fabric. Annie says they need to clean up. She asks if Marah has 
seen her 4-leaf clover pin. Marah shakes her head. Annie goes upstairs 
to look for it. Marah opens her hand, revealing the pin.

BOARDINGHOUSE: In the kitchen, Jet tells Nola that Van seems concerned 
about Hart. She wonders if she should call Hart. Nola says she's decided 
to keep her nose out of everyone else's business. She announces that 
she's going to call her kids.

Jet dreams that Hart has arrived & is thrilled to see Peter. Petey gives 
Hart five, then Hart greets Jet with a big hug, calling her his "best 
girl." He tells her that they're going to get a hotel tonight & leave 
Peter with a babysitter. Jet likes this idea.

She awakens with a start when Nola complains that people are never 
around when you want them. Jet says she's not going to wait around & 
runs upstairs angrily. 

FARM: Dinah manages to drag Hart into a bedroom. She bemoans not having 
her cell phone. Hart falls over on the bed & she sits him up & tells him 
he has to stay awake. She starts to remove his wet shirt & the frame 
freezes on Hart's partially bare chest as the screen fades to black.


--Marni (marni@panix.com)



