From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1996

                     LOST IN SPRINGFIELD


Written by Roger Newman and directed by Bruce S. Barry

Highlights:
* Matt's lost in his grief & wants no help from Zach or Michelle.
* Alan endangers himself when he thinks he's lost Phillip.
* Annie feels like she's losing her connection to Josh.
* Josh & Reva are lost in their thoughts of each other.
* Quint is losing it over Nola.

Morning in Springfield, USA...

BOARDINGHOUSE PORCH: Michelle approaches the door hesitantly. J comes 
out to get the newspaper & glares at her, "Bridget's inside." Michelle 
says she came to see him. J invites her in & offers her coffee. Michelle 
wants to know what's going on. Why did J kiss her last night & then walk 
away. J reminds her that she kissed him first. "And I think we both know 
why. To make Zachary jealous." Zach hears this through the screen door. 
Michelle turns around & sees Zach standing there.

CEDARS: Alan can't quite believe that Phillip & AM have come to visit. 
Phillip says they had to. Alan tells Amanda she was wrong about his sons 
turning their backs on him. Amanda suggests they're just there to gloat.

REVA/BUZZ'S: Reva's lying in bed on her side, staring morosely out into 
space. Buzz wakes up & says sweet things to her, & kisses her shoulder. 
She smiles. She's the woman of his "fantastic dreams." He says he's 
going to show her his dream. When he can't see her face, Reva looks 
depressed again.

LEWIS HOUSE: Josh & Annie wake up. Annie says it feels great to be back 
home, in their bed. She starts to nuzzle his neck & Josh immediately 
gets out of bed. "You don't even want to touch me?" asks Annie.

REVA/BUZZ'S: Reva rolls toward Buzz & starts returning his kisses. Just 
then, the kids run in & jump onto the bed. Marah needs to know the 
capital of New Jersey. Reva tells them it's Trenton. Marah asks about 
Vermont & Buzz starts making jokes about pancakes & maple syrup. Reva 
sends the kids off to get dressed for school & Buzz comments on their 
poor timing. Reva can't believe how much energy they have in the 
morning. Buzz can believe it, because he's got the same energy & plans 
to prove it to Reva as soon as the kids are on the schoolbus. He gets 
out of bed & Reva looks sad.

LEWIS HOUSE: Josh tells Annie she's imagining things & Annie apologizes 
for jumping to conclusions. But it's so weird being home. When they went 
to bed last night, she felt like they were strangers, & it still feels 
that way. Something bad happened, & now she feels like all the good 
things in their past don't count. "Why does it feel like we've never 
laughed together?" she asks. "Or talked about each other's dreams? Or 
made love?" Josh says they've been through a lot & they can't just go on 
like it never happened. He doesn't want to pressure her or put demands 
on her. Annie says he's not doing that; it's all coming from her. 

She tells him it was hell up at the cabin. Not a pretty sight. Phillip 
did everything he could to help her. Josh feels he should have been 
there with her. Annie says no, she would have hated for him to see her 
like that. She tells him how horrible she felt & how all she wanted was 
her pills. "I never felt hurt like that before." She thought she was 
going to die. But then she thought about her family & kids & she held 
onto that for dear life. Josh swallows. "I'm sorry," he says, & takes 
her hand. Annie gets out of bed & grabs her robe. Josh asks if she's OK. 
She says she's fine & just needs to be alone for a little while. She 
leaves the room. Josh looks around & asks God to help him know how to do 
the right thing. Out in the hall, Annie looks distressed.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Michelle goes out on the porch & accuses Zach of eaves-
dropping. He denies it & says he was just about to knock. Michelle says 
she doesn't want to talk to him & he should go. Zach says he came to see 
Nola. Michelle says Nola isn't there. Zach wants to know why Michelle 
kissed J "for my benefit." J interrupts & says Zach already knows why. 
Besides, he & Michelle were having a private conversation.

Matt arrives (the porch is getting quite crowded) & Zach wants to talk 
to him. But Matt doesn't want to talk to Zach, & goes inside. "You're 
right, Michelle," says Zach. "You have your life & I have mine." Zach 
leaves & Michelle looks devastated. 

CEDARS: Amanda says Alan can't possibly think his sons are there to wish 
him well. AM asks her to let them speak for themselves. Alan would also 
like Amanda to shut up so he can hear what his sons have to say. They 
say they're not there to say that they hate him. Amanda starts to leave, 
but Phil & AM want her to stay. They say they have come because of Alex. 
Alan says he knows he has treated both his sons very badly. 

Alex breezes in, pleased to hear what sounds like a fresh start. Alan 
continues to admit that he betrayed Phillip horribly. Alex agrees. 
Phillip says he's not there to mend fences. "That's not what this is 
about at all."

QUINT'S TENT: Quint is examining a piece of pottery when Nola arrives. 
He apologizes for making such a mess of things this morning & is glad 
she stopped by, because there's something he wants to show her. Nola has 
something of her own to show Quint. She ushers in 2 women, one with 
short dark hair, a square face & glasses, and another, younger, with 
long blonde curls.

CEDARS: Phillip says he can't forgive & forget everything. He has come 
by to announce that he's leaving town for New York. He just came by to 
say good-bye. Alex tries to stop him from leaving. Phil says he came 
back to find out who was A. Spaulding. He also came back to see if he 
had any family left. Alex says he certainly does. Phil disagrees. What 
he discovered is that they don't have a family, they never did & they 
probably never will. Alex says now Phil & AM have a chance to be 
together now. "He never should have thought I set him up in the first 
place," pipes up AM. That's exactly the point, says Phillip. 

As sorry as Phil is for blaming AM, he never should have suspected him. 
"We have no trust in this family & we don't have the 1st idea how to 
begin to love each other." Alex says they never will if they don't all 
stick around & try. Phil says he can't, because Spauldings manage people 
by finding their weaknesses. "Somewhere along the line, it stops being 
about business & it turns into something ugly. And you know what, Dad? 
It starts from the top. We all learn it from you." Phillip turns to go 
as the doctor arrives with Alan's test results.

REVA/BUZZ'S: Reva brushes Marah's hair & says it's beautiful, just like 
Sarah's. Marah asks if they can call Josh & Annie. Reva dials, but 
there's no answer. She suspects they got an early start. Marah is glad 
that Annie is all better & everything is the way it's supposed to be. 
Marah wonders how long they will stay with Reva. Reva wonders if they 
want to leave already. No, they like it with her, insist the kids, but 
Shayne misses his room & his toys a little. Marah says he shouldn't be a 
baby. Reva says it's OK for Shayne to miss his stuff, but they have to 
give Annie some time to rest to make sure she's completely better. Like 
when you go out in the rain too soon after a cold & get sick again. "Are 
you saying that me & Shayne made Annie sick?" asks Marah. Reva assures 
them that they couldn't make anyone sick & Annie really loves them & is 
really happy to have them. And everything will be fine. 

"How come," asks Shayne, "We love Mommy & Daddy & they love us & they 
love you..." Reva tries to swallow this. "And Buzz is really nice, so 
why can't we all live together?" Marah agrees. "Uhhh..." says Reva.

CAROUSEL: Annie looks at the horses & cries. Josh comes in & says he 
doesn't want her to think he's following her. Annie says she's just 
having delayed emotional withdrawal symptoms. She's a mess. Josh says 
she's beautiful & strong enough to handle anything. She remembers that 
the last time she was there, she thought all her wishes, hopes & dreams 
were gone, but Josh stayed by her. Josh says he's going to keep sticking 
by her. Annie remembers when she first found the carousel & it was such 
a mess, but love restored it & made it perfect. Josh agrees. Annie 
climbs onto a horse & crowns herself Queen of Wishes, Hopes & Dreams & 
says she will grant Josh whatever he wants most in the world. "All you 
have to do is tell me what it is."

Josh just wants Annie to be well & happy. She deserves it. Annie wants 
them back to the way they were. Josh says Annie has a long process to go 
through still. Annie knows this. Josh thinks a good step would be for 
Annie to go to one of her meetings & talk to people. Annie says she'll 
go every day if she has to. Josh says he knows it's hard. "No you 
don't," replies Annie. Josh realizes she's right. They hug. Annie says 
she can make an AA meeting at the hospital if she leaves now. She says 
she'll cook dinner tonight. Josh says she doesn't have to. "I want to," 
she says. "I want to make you happy."

REVA/BUZZ'S: Buzz enters with the pancakes & the kids beg for whipped 
cream on top. Reva gives in & Buzz piles it on. The kids chow down & 
start talking about the pictures in their rooms. Shayne has lots of 
basketball stars. Marah has movie posters. She likes Tom Cruise & Brad 
Pitt. Buzz asks if they have any non-movie people. They mention their 
grandma & both grandfathers & Bill & some friends from school. Buzz asks 
how they'd like it if all those people moved in, since they like them 
all so much. The kids think it would be cool. Buzz says Marah & Shayne 
would have to share a room, to make room for everyone else. We learn 
that the house has 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. Buzz says there would be 
lines for everything. Buzz points out that just because a whole group of 
people love each other, doesn't mean they all have to live together.

BOARDINGHOUSE: J thinks Zach's not all that, considering how he treated 
Michelle. Michelle is more concerned about Matt. He's in trouble.

In the kitchen, Zach badgers Matt, who just wants to work on the 
plumbing. Zach thinks Matt should slow down & take care of himself. Matt 
doesn't want to be anyone's pet project. He complains about Nola & 
accuses Zach of being in cahoots with her. Zach says he's just concerned 
& Nola means well. "She has the tact of a bulldozer," says Matt. 
Michelle enters & tells Zach to leave Matt alone.

Michelle says Matt is sick & tired of everyone's nagging. "People have 
to be allowed to deal with the death of someone they love in their own 
time," she says, speaking from experience. "I thought you knew something 
about that." Zach just wants to talk to Matt & suggests that she go 
outside with her "friend." She doesn't want him to tell her what to do. 
He gets exasperated with her & she asks him what's really going on.

DIG SITE: Nola explains that both women are graduate students who 
graduated summa cum laude. Heather, the blonde, types 120 wpm & is a 
professional rock climber. "Strong legs," comments Nola. An added bonus, 
because you never know when you might be stuck in the field for days and 
days... "I've been stuck in worse places," says Heather. "I'm sure you 
have," replies Nola. Then she touts Millicent's attributes: she's a 
computer genius & a triathlete. And she speaks Spanish. Heather pipes up 
that she speaks French. Quint responds pleasantly in French, then takes 
Nola aside. 

He says they are amazing & is so glad Nola brought them by. "I know that 
you need someone who can give you what I can't," says Nola. Quint 
agrees. Nola asks which one he picks. Quint says they're both so 
perfect, it's hard to make a choice. "Thank goodness, I don't have to." 
He goes over to the women & apologizes, saying he's already picked 
someone for the position. "You could have called; you could have told 
me," complains Nola. He shakes hands with Millicent & Heather & they 
walk off. Nola asks Quint who he chose. Quint says it's someone very 
strong, able, capable, with lots of endurance, who fits him to a T. The 
person's name is Kim. "Short for Kimberly?" asks Nola. Quint calls to 
Kim, and a young man with long hair & Asian features comes out carrying 
a box. Nola walks over to greet him, takes the box from his hands, & 
flings it at Quint, who ducks to save himself.

CEDARS: The doctor says Alan's condition is a result of damage caused 
when he was injured in the building collapse. But if he stays off his 
feet, his condition should gradually improve. He needs complete bed rest 
for a minimum of 6 weeks. Alan is aghast & refuses. Dr. Margolis says if 
Alan does anything to cause further damage, the result could be 
permanent paralysis. Alex says they will do whatever is necessary to 
make sure Alan gets well. The doctor leaves and Phil says he has a plane 
to catch. Alan asks Alex to talk Phil out of it. Phil won't listen to 
anyone & starts out the door, prompting Alan to lurch out of bed & over 
to the door. "I can't let you leave like this!" he calls after Phillip, 
then collapses in pain. Phillip runs to Alan.

The whole family gathers around Alan on the hallway floor. Alex says 
Alan would rather lose his ability to walk than see Phillip leave. Phil 
calls for a doctor & a bunch of people in white coats come running.

QUINT'S TENT: Nola asks Kim if the thing she threw at Quint was very 
costly. Kim says it was a very expensive piece of equipment. Quint comes 
rushing into the tent, saying Nola won't believe it. She's got the magic 
touch. The box landed in an area where Quint hadn't yet explored. And he 
found another piece of pottery. A big find. [Frankly, he sounds like 
he's really overdoing it. I don't believe him; why should Nola?] "You've 
got to work with me," begs Quint. Nola says she'll give him as much time 
as she can. Quint says he needs more. He needs her. She has great 
instincts, she speaks the language, he works better when she's around. 
"It's fate. Do it for both of us. If not for me, do it for science." 
Nola gives in to the moment. "Yes," she sighs. Then she recovers & says 
she has too many other obligations. She leaves. 

"What do you think? Did she buy it?" Quint asks Kim. Kim's not sure. 
Nola is no pushover. Quint says he's really going to need Kim's help 
with this. He leaves the tent & leans on the pole. "I'm going to win you 
back, Nola," he vows. "And it's going to be so much fun."

BUZZ/REVA'S: Reva finds Buzz laying on the bed, his green guinea tee 
seductively hanging off one shoulder. He pats the bed beside him. [No 
gagging on the updater, please!] Reva says he was wonderful with the 
kids. Buzz says he missed  lot of Frank at their age, and all of Harley. 
Reva says he's a great father now & has to stop living in the past. Buzz 
thinks the present's going to be darn good & starts to pull up Reva's 
sweater. Just then, the phone rings. Reva answers. It's Josh. 

CAROUSEL: Josh says he needs to talk to her. 

BOARDINGHOUSE: Zach just wants to talk to Matt. Matt asks why Zach won't 
listen to Michelle & leave. Michelle can't even imagine what Matt's 
going through. She knows how much he loved "her." Matt, angry, says her 
name is Vanessa & he still loves her & always will. Zach tries to inter-
fere & Matt punches him out, then storms out. Michelle drops to Zach's 
side to see if he's OK. He says he is & jumps up to run after Matt. "I 
have to make this better," he says. J & Michelle exchange glances.

CEDARS: Dr. Margolis wants to run tests to determine the extent of the 
damage. Nurses & orderlies wheel Alan away. Alex tells Phillip he can't 
leave now. "Please, please, please." Phillip shakes his head.

Annie enters the meeting room & is greeted by someone she knows. The 
woman says they've missed her & asks if she's been going to meetings 
across town. Annie says she's been away. "Where have I heard that 
before?" says the woman. "What?" asks Annie angrily. "Those old, 
reliable excuses," comments the woman. "What am I doing here?" Annie 
asks herself.

CAROUSEL: Over the phone, Josh asks Reva how the kids are. She says 
they're fine & already off to school. Josh says he was just thinking 
about her, he means hoping the kids weren't too much of a handful. Not 
at all, she says. "Reva..." What? she asks. "Never mind," Josh replies, 
then says good-bye.

Buzz comes after Reva again, but she thinks they should get to the diner 
& help out Eleni. Buzz goes to get dressed & Reva looks lost. Fade in 
Josh beside her, looking equally lost, as the screen fades to black. 

--Marni (marni@panix.com)



