Peyton Place How I'd do a "Peyton Place" reboot/remake

[Ked]

More extra notes: I can't believe I forget yet another scene for an earlier episode, though I haven't quite figured out yet where I want it to be. Definitely before Episode 7, at least.

It's actually a combination of two scenes from the original book: once where Mike and Connie go swimming, and another where Mike and Reverend Fitzgerald have a conversation. Both are important to lay the foundation for future events. So let's see...

One afternoon, Dr. Rossi comes into the book shop, and notices that Allison is also there, reading a book. He asks Connie how her day has been, and she admits it's been a slow day... and he whispers, "Why don't we go for a swim?"

At first, Connie is scandalized and whispers if he's crazy or not, she can't leave in the middle of the day, but Mike interrupts her, suggesting that she put Allison in charge of the store for a while; she's done it before, hasn't she? Connie is about to argue some more... except she finds she can't. Or rather, she doesn't want to. What she actually wants... is to go swimming - and with Mike Rossi, no less.

She makes one last attempt: "I don't have a bathing suit."

"Go buy one, then," Mike answers. And that, is that. Connie instructs Allison to take care of the store for the rest of the day, and Allison, without taking her nose out of her book, acquiesces, and Connie whispers to Mike to pick her up at the house in an hour. A little more than an hour later, Connie MacKenzie and Mike Rossi are at the beach, swimming together and playfully splashing and dunking one another.

Connie's new swimsuit and bathing cap looks like this:

It's important that she wear a bathing cap, not just because that's what women commonly wore in those days, but also because it fits in with the symbolism of her hair this season: she doesn't let her hair down until she's ready to have sex with Mike.

However, at some point, the two go back to shore where they lie down on the beach blanket - and guess who happens to be walking by? Reverend Fitzgerald.

Connie acts like a child caught being naughty, while Mike cheerfully and casually greets the reverend, who's shocked and uncomfortable... at seeing two people in bathing suits. Mike inquires what the reverend is doing on the beach, and Fitzgerald explains he was merely going for a nature walk, and remarks that this section of the beach is usually empty (thanks to it being near the Carson house). Noticing that Connie is bashfully putting on her bathrobe, Mike tries to alleviate the situation by announcing that the three of them should go up to his beach house and share a drink.

"I don't drink," says Fitzgerald.

"What? An Irishman who doesn't drink? Never heard of one!"

Connie acts scandalized at Mike's remark, though Fitzgerald laughs - albeit uncomfortably (but that has more to do with the fact that his own wife HATES it whenever he's referred to as Irish), and he says, "All right. I'll have one. Just a little one, though."

So the trio end up back at the Carson beach house, with Connie not liking being there, yet feeling as if she has no choice. She bundles herself up in her bathrobe as much as she can, while Mike makes no effort to cover up as he prepares drinks for everyone. Connie is simultaneously annoyed and aroused by the sight of Mike walking around in his swimsuit.

Fitzgerald remarks that he didn't see Mike in church last Sunday, and the doctor admits that he overslept, thanks to his busy schedule, and the reverend goes on talking for a bit about how the protestants are at a disadvantage at getting people to church, unlike the Catholics, who hold a whip over their members. Mike states that he doesn't think much of a religion that holds a whip, to the shock of Fitzgerald, and this sparks a mild disagreement between the two men. They both remain civil, but when Mike brings up Father O'Brien, the catholic priest, Fitzgerald goes white in the face, abruptly gets up and leaves the house, to the shock of Mike and Connie.

After a moment of silence, Mike remarks that there's something radically wrong with the reverend. Connie doesn't think so, calling Fitzgerald a good man, conscientious and faithful. But Mike talks about the short time that he boarded with the Fitzgeralds when he first came to town, about how in that short time, he managed to discover that Mrs. Fitzgerald hated her husband both for being Irish and for being sympathetic towards Catholics, and how, in the weeks since, he's noticed that Fitzgerald himself seemed wildly confused, pulled in several different directions between his protestant and catholic leanings. Mike rather pities the man.

This unsettles Connie, and the two get into a conversation about how people create "shells" around themselves, and Connie begins to suspect that Mike is more talking about her instead of Fitzgerald. She argues that sometimes, people need shells in order to be protected. Mike concedes, but he points out that sometimes, shells can smother people. Connie doesn't like this talk, and asks Mike to take her home - provided that he get dressed, first. He does so.

 

[Ked]

Even MORE extra notes: Argh, just when I thought I could move onto the finale, I remembered yet ANOTHER detail for earlier in the season. But at least I know for what episode I'd like this to be.

In Episode 7, Catherine summons Dr. Rossi and tells him that since he saved her life, she would like him to be her personal physician from now on - especially since "that quack" Dr. Morton was "no longer with us." Mike is surprised to hear Catherine talk that way about Dr. Morton, especially since she so desperately wanted him to look her over that night, but Catherine explains, "He knew there was something wrong with me all these years, yet he only gave me pills and bills, while stuffing his greedy face at my table!"

Mike disagrees with her assessment, pointing out that even the most experienced doctors can make mistakes, and that he had been treating not just Catherine, but the whole Harrington family, very well for years now. But Mrs. Harrington is not hearing it, and pretty much tells him that he's going to be her new personal doctor. Mike can tell this is an order, not a request. He points out that there are other doctors in the hospital who are more familiar with her medical history, but Catherine is adamant. She wants Dr. Rossi.

So, he agrees, but he warns her that he can be a blunt fellow: "Just ask Marion Partridge and Margaret Fitzgerald!" to which Catherine replies, "Those two answer to me. Not I to them."


Remember how in the opening season of the pilot episode, how the narration stated that Dr. Michael Rossi coming to town would change all of their lives? As a doctor, he's already going to cross paths with nearly everyone in town; but now he's romantically involved with Connie MacKenzie (and now connected adjacently to Allison), best friends with Matt Swain, and the personal doctor to the Harrington family, particularly the matriarch. Good ol' Mike is going to be embroiled in a LOT of the town's drama, thereby getting what he wanted: to make stronger connections with people.

 

[Ked]

ALRIGHT! IT'S THE SEASON FINALE, B*TCHES!!! LET'S DO THIS!!!


Episode 8: "Last Day of Childhood"

INTRO:

Allison has Selena over for a sleepover, since it's been so long since they've had one. Selena admits she feels guilty for staying over, because that means it falls to Joey to make sure their mother gets to bed alright; otherwise, Nellie starts wandering around the woods at night. Allison makes a veiled remark, recalling how Nellie said that that was how she found out about Allison and Norman.

Meanwhile, things come to a head for George Anderson: his shaky new business, his paranoia about his wife and Leslie Harrington, his daughter's marriage to Rodney Harrington, his untreated PTSD... it all becomes too much when the money-collector comes to him when on Friday, August 18th. George manages to get the guy to agree to come back the next morning... and proceeds to barricade himself inside his office, pulls out a revolver and starts guzzling from his secret stash of alcohol.


ACT ONE:


Saturday, August 19th, 1961

Connie makes breakfast for Allison and Selena before leaving for work. As the girls eat their eggs and toast, Selena begins dreamily talking about her future with Ted, and how she'd love to have a house like the MacKenzies. Allison announces she's going to move away to New York as soon as she graduates high school. Meanwhile, Nellie comes over to start housekeeping, and begins by washing the dishes. Things are a bit tense between Allison and Nellie, which Selena can't help but note... and things take a downward spiral when Nellie ends up spilling the beans to Selena about Allison and Norman.

Selena does not approve of Allison running around with her ex-boyfriend's brother, even if Allison insists that the two of them are just friends. She is also furious at Nellie for blabbing her secret, and in a fit, begins deriding Nellie for being a crazy old woman who thinks she's better than others. Selena is enraged and tells off Allison, who is ashamed at herself... yet unable to back down. Suffice it to say, the two girls end up in a bit of a screaming match, before Selena makes a grand exit, proclaiming, "I'm certainly glad that I found out what you think of me before it was too late! Good-bye!"

Allison bursts into tears, and wrongfully blames Nellie, and declares she's still going to see Norman. Nellie, who's been weirdly silent throughout the whole fight, remarks that Norman, once he sees how red-eyed and disheveled Allison looks, he'll go running back to his mother... "And the minute Catherine sees him comin', she'll start right unbuttonin' her dress."

Nellie then starts cackling. "You can bet your life on on that, honey! Catherine don't need no more than to see that snot-nose kid of hers comin' near but what she gets ready to feed him!" For further emphasis, Nellie grabs at one of her own boobs, jiggling it grotesquely.

Side note: the above detail of Nellie jiggling her boob wasn't in the original book, but a random detail I thought up... and frankly, given how she's written in the book, it seems perfectly in-character for her. ^^

Hysterical, Allison tells Nellie that she hates, loathes and despises her, that she didn't blame Lucas for leaving her, that she's going to tell her mother not to let her come over anymore, and that she hopes Nellie ends up in a padded cell. And with that, Allison runs up to her room where she forces herself to calm down, before going into the bathroom and fix herself up as best as she can, before heading out into the woods to meet up with Norman.

Meanwhile, Nellie Cross ends up sitting on the kitchen floor in a dazed slump. She sits there for a long, long time, lost in her dizzying thoughts...

...until she suddenly hears her name being called.

Believing it to be Lucas, Nellie goes upstairs, and wanders into Allison's bedroom. She goes to the window... and there, she sees Lucas Cross. He tells her that he's an angel... and that he's here to be with "his woman," saying how lonesome he is for a pretty girl like her. Nellie giggles coyly and tells him go on, but Lucas tells her to look at herself in the mirror. So Nellie goes over to Allison's closet, opens it to reveal the mirror fastened to the inside of one of the doors.

In the reflection, Nellie Cross is no longer old, flabby and dirty, but young, slim and pretty, wearing a clean white dress. Also in the reflection, Lucas appears behind the pretty girl, blowing on the back of her neck, whispering seductively about how cold his bed gets without her.

"All right, Lucas. You go on outside while I get dressed now. It won't take me a minute." As she speaks, Nellie fingers the strong silk cord of Allison's bathrobe hanging a hook just inside the closet door. She then drags the chair from the writing desk over, and ties the cord to the beam which the closet is constructed to hide, before tying the other end around her neck... and then kicking the chair over.

Thus, we get our 8th and final Character Death for the season: Nellie Cross.


ACT TWO


The money-collector arrives at George Anderson's office, only to discover that the door won't open... and George opens fire. The man isn't hurt (naturally; this episode's death quota has been met, haha), and he calls the police. As you can expect, news of what's going on circulates through Peyton Place like wildfire, and it's not long until we have nearly the entire main cast, along with several other background characters, anxiously waiting outside George's office.

The only characters who aren't there are Allison MacKenzie and Norman Harrington, who are blissfully unaware of the proceedings as they have a lovely picnic out in the woods. They swim and eat and read, and Norman even combs Allison's long hair, burying his face into it and saying that it's like silk ("Like corn silk in August"). The two teens end up deciding to stay out there until it was dark; after all, they both had lights on their bikes. It would be alright.

Allison also ends up admitting to being beastly to Nellie Cross, and vows that she'll make it up to her on Monday. She even says that she'll clean Nellie's house for her, "Won't she be surprised! I'm sure she'll love that!"

The two then get back to their play, unaware of Nellie's death, unaware of the scare going on in town with George... and unaware that this was going to be the last day of their childhood.

Back in town, there's a whole big to do with police trying to get inside at George, but he's got plenty of spare bullets. Julie and Betty desperately try to speak with him, but he doesn't seem to recognize them. Finally, Matt Swain steps forward, insisting that he thinks he knows how to reach George. Mike refuses to let Matt go in alone, so the two of them go in, with Connie helplessly watching.

Thankfully, George recognizes Matt as a fellow war veteran, and Matt introduces Mike as a war doctor. George allows them in, and after some careful timing and maneuvering, the two men ambush him, managing to disarm and pin him down. The police come in take George into custody. Connie, on the verge of tears, desperately hugs both Matt and Mike, almost hysterical that she almost lost both of them. Julie, however, is a bit dead-eyed as she realizes just how far gone her husband is, while Betty freely weeps.

Leslie Harrington, however, takes full advantage of things. He ends up taking Betty aside, and promising that he'll get George all the help he needs: the best care, the best doctors, the best accommodations, the best EVERYTHING... but only - only - if Betty gives Rodney an annulment.

Betty agrees, her love for her father winning out over her personal greed.


ACT THREE


With the issue of George Anderson settled, the residents of Peyton Place go back to their daily routines. Selena Cross can't help but note this with some mild disgust, though Ted Carter argues that there's really nothing else for them all to be doing. Life must go on, after all. They should at least be grateful nobody died.

Selena then takes note of how Allison was nowhere to be seen during all this, and bemoans the fact that she instinctively wants to tell Allison everything, but she can't, thanks to being so angry at her for what happened that morning. Ted asks for details, and Selena ends up revealing Allison's secret relationship with Norman Harrington, causing Ted to nearly double over with laughter. Selena shushes him, and tells him not to repeat what she just said; she may be mad at Allison, but she wasn't about to start snitching.

After filling out all the necessary reports and whatnot, Connie brings Mike and Matt to her house, as she doesn't want either of them out of her sight at the moment. She ends up rather miffed when she sees that not a single bit of housework has been done, and derides Nellie Cross for being lazy and incompetent, though Matt points out that Nellie has kept Connie's house clean for several weeks now. Maybe something is wrong... except Connie isn't interested. She just wants the house to be cleaned, and sets about doing it all herself, though Mike and Matt end up insisting on helping.

Meanwhile, Selena and Ted continue spending their day together, with Selena getting over her previous disgust and deciding that she's going to enjoy life too... and she does so by goading Ted into skinny dipping with her. During their whole courtship, Ted insisting on waiting until their wedding night for sex, but Selena points out that swimming naked isn't sex. It's more like... a preview.

Ted gives into his carnal desires, or at least somewhat, and strips down and joins Selena. The two have themselves a glorious watery romp in the nude...

...and are spotted by Marion Partridge.


Back at the MacKenzie house, between Connie, Mike and Matt, the house ends up sparkling and perfect, and they all settle down to a nice dinner... except Allison isn't home. Connie becomes worried. Her nerves are already still on edge from the day's earlier events. She just wants the reassurance that her family is safe at home, why can't she have that?

Mike suggests calling the Crosses, but they don't have a phone (again, showing how poverty-stricken the family is). Connie figures she might try her luck with the Carters... which is where Ted and Selena are... as well as Marion Partridge.

Marion has accused the teenagers of the misdeed of swimming naked... except Ted vehemently denies that it was them, and Selena goes along with it. Ted, who wants to become a lawyer someday, asks Marion if she's sure that she saw the faces of the two teenagers she saw, and manages to get Marion to doubt herself.

Ted also does something really mean in order to get himself and Selena out of trouble: he lays the blame on Allison MacKenzie and Norman Harrington.

Selena is horrified by her boyfriend's words, but Marion Partridge and Roberta Carter become like ravenous wolves at the thought of Catherine Harrington's son carrying on with the Widow MacKenzie's daughter. The two gossipy women quickly forget about the notion of Ted and Selena... just in time for Connie herself to make the phone call.

Roberta and Marion gleefully and self-righteously tell off Connie for bringing up such a wayward daughter, before they slam the phone down in wicked triumph. Roberta then picks up the phone again to make more calls, while Marion scuttles back to her own house to make some calls herself. Meanwhile, Selena is furious and hurt and betrayed, but Ted insists that it's better that Allison and Norman take the blame; after all, he wanted his relationship with Selena to be above board and respectable, and for his parents not to be able to say one bad word about her. Why should their future be ruined, especially since they have a much brighter future than Allison or Norman?

Selena is still angry... but can't bring herself to tell the truth.

Back with Connie, she is shocked, infuriated and scandalized by the news that her daughter was swimming naked with Norman Harrington. Matt and Mike don't believe it, but Connie wastes no time in calling up the Harrington house, demanding to speak to Catherine.

Even though Roberta had more time to call Catherine herself, Mrs. Harrington was not interested when the maid, Christine Pratte, told her that Mrs. Carter was calling. She told Christine to give an excuse and to hang up immediately, which she did. Thus, Connie had enough time to get in before Roberta could try again. Catherine found the fact that Mrs. MacKenzie was calling to be far more intriguing, mostly because it was an absolute mystery to her why she would be.

Connie, not bothering to sound pleasant, demands to know if Norman is home yet. Catherine immediately becomes angry herself, and demands to know why that's any of her business. Connie reveals that Norman and Allison are off alone somewhere... though she does not mention the nude swimming, mostly because she's too angry to talk about it.

Side note: this is meant to create an interesting contrast between Connie and Catherine. While Connie is given a legit reason for freaking out (heck, what parent wouldn't when they hear their daughter has been skinny dipping with a boy?), Catherine freaks out at the mere thought of her son simply being alone with a girl.

Mike and Matt do their best to calm Connie down, but she won't have it. She argues and yells and hysterically carries on...

...until Catherine Harrington herself, having driven all by herself (normally she has a chauffeur), bursts into the house thanks to the front door not being locked. She immediately demands to know where Norman is, and Connie begins shouting at her for not raising her son properly. Catherine, however, insists that it is Allison who "took" Norman, though Connie scoffs and says, "He's a male, isn't he?"

Basically, both mothers blame the others' child, as well as the other mother. Catherine even brings Mike into the fight, telling him he should never have taken up with such a slut.

Connie's reaction:

(Complete with a "You bitch!" from Connie, and Catherine losing an earring )

Mike and Matt immediately get between the two women, with Mike pointing out that Catherine still hasn't recovered from her surgery, and she shouldn't be doing any of this. After some initial struggling, Connie and Catherine settle down... until in walks Allison.

Catherine immediately demands to know where Norman is. Caught off guard, Allison says she passed him when walking home. Catherine goes to the front door and starts SCREAMING her son's name, and refuses to be silenced until Norman comes running, fearfully. The two women once again start up with the accusations and yelling, with Mike and Matt fruitlessly trying to defuse the situation.

At some point, Connie declares that she's going to have Dr. Rossi look Allison over, and if she "isn't the way she should be," she'll have Norman arrested for rape. Mike, aghast, tells Connie that he'll do no such thing, and SHE will do no such thing, and for Mrs. Harrington to take her son home. Catherine gladly agrees, telling Norman to come along out of this "house of harlots," causing Connie to shriek at them to get out of her house. Catherine gives a disdainful sniff and leads Norman out by his shoulder.

Almost as soon as the Harringtons leave, Allison turns on her mother, saying that she has never been so embarrassed in her whole life-

-and Connie SLAPS Allison so hard that she falls onto the couch, with her mother standing over her, roaring "YOU BASTARD! You bastard daughter of the biggest bastard of all!"

Connie continues into a frenzied mad tirade, spilling out 17 years worth of frustration and worry and resentment against the illegitimate child she's so desperately tried to hide and protect while sacrificing her own life for... and Connie would have said more...

...if not for the interruption by Matt Swain, who SLAPS Connie so hard that she too falls over.

Nobody moves.

Nobody speaks.

Nobody breathes.

Until: "You're lying."

Allison stares at her mother, and repeats what she just said, "You're lying."

Connie starts to weep, and that causes Allison to scream, "YOU. ARE. LYING!" before leaping off the couch, grabbing the photograph of Angus MacKenzie and racing upstairs to her room.

I always imagine this song playing during the following scene:

Connie continues to lie there on the floor in disgrace while Matt, the cousin who always thought the two of them shared in the loss of a loved one, and Mike, the man who just saw a side to her he never would have asked to see, watch her.

Suddenly, they hear a screech from upstairs. At first, it seems like Allison is just upset over the revelation of her birth... except she screams a second time, and it finally sinks in that those aren't screams of pain, but of terror.

Mike, Matt and eventually Connie run up the stairs and find Allison standing with her back up against the wall, the shattered portrait of Angus MacKenzie lying at her feet. They come in and catch her when she's about to faint, and only then do they all look up...

...to see Nellie Cross' corpse hanging blue-faced in the closet.

The camera lingers on the dead body for an uncomfortably long time, before it trails back out into the hallway to gaze downstairs to catch 10-year-old Joey Cross wander in through the front door, calling out, "Mrs. MacKenzie? Is Ma here? She didn't come home. ...Mrs. MacKenzie?"



Annnnnnnnnnnnd there!

Season 1 is completed (so far, anyway)! What did you all think?

 

[Ked]

I decided to share my ideas for the costume wardrobes of the female characters:

Constance MacKenzie

The three gray outfits on the left are what I consider to be Connie's "everyday wear." This was inspired by the '57 movie where Connie's first scene had her in gray with her hair up in a bun. Because she's trying to pass herself off as a grieving and respectable widow who shuns all romantic/sexual gestures, Connie wears modest gray dresses, covering up her true self... which is exemplified by the more colorful outfits on the right. These are what she wears when she goes on her dates with Mike, signifying she's more honest with him.


Allison MacKenzie

Allison's wardrobe is meant to convey a plain, modest, boring, sheltered, virginal little girl. She wears her long brown hair either like Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy Gale or Pollyanna.


Selena Cross

In order to drive home just how poverty-stricken the Cross family is, Selena would have only two "regular" outfits during this 8 episode run, and both are noticeably more "50s" in style, thanks to them being hand-me-downs from charity causes. Her white dress is the first new/modern thing she's ever owned. Fun fact: I decided I would have Selena behold this dress the same way how Mrs. Harris does:

Nellie Cross

The same principle is used for Nellie. Interestingly, she also gets a clean white dress when she hallucinates right before her death. This is meant to make her look like an angel, symbolizing that Nellie went to Heaven after a lifetime of pure, utter misery on earth.


Betty Anderson

The dress on the far left is what I imagine her to wear at school and during any other somber scene. But the yellow halter top and green shorts are taken right from a description from the original book; it's what she wears when she goes out on the date with Rodney that gets her pregnant. And of course, I included the red dress that Barbara Parkins wore in the original TV series; there was no way I wasn't going to include that sexy little number. And of course, there's the slightly more formal red dress for Prom Night. The next two outfits are what she wears when she decides to embrace the identity of Mrs. Rodney Harrington.


Julie Anderson

I decided to go for a "sexy secretary" look for Julie, since in this version, she's a bit more wayward than her original TV counterpart. However, I didn't want to go overboard, since again, this Julie only a bit more wayward. Her outfits are nice, but also kinda understated.


Catherine Harrington

As the richest lady in Peyton Place, Catherine Harrington gets not only the nicest outfits, she also gets the biggest wardrobe. Everything about her is meant to scream wealth and class. You know she's the Queen Bee around here. Of course, all this beauty and finery is meant to contrast very sharply with the ugliness of her character. She may be the richest woman in town, yet she shares an uncomfortable amount in common with Lucas Cross, the poorest man in town.


Marion Partridge

Much like Catherine, Marion has a wardrobe that's meant to scream "LOOK HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE." However, unlike Catherine, she lacks her class and style. Despite being a brown-haired woman of medium build and mediocre mind, Mrs. Partridge is a total showoff with her successful husband's money, wearing the most ostentatious clothes and jewels. Marion shows signs of being a narcissist, convinced of her own greatness and importance... and anyone who refuses to acknowledge her as such (such as Matt Swain or Mike Rossi), she cracks.


Roberta Carter

Like Catherine and Marion, Roberta wears outfits that are meant to signify her wealth, but because she's desperate to come off as respectable, her wardrobe is a bit more understated and classy.


Margaret Fitzgerald

As the wife of a poor reverend, Mrs. Fitzgerald's wardrobe isn't quite as up-to-date as some of the other ladies, yet I decided to still give her some reasonably nice outfits.

 

[Ked]

Elsie Thorton

Elsie Thorton isn't supposed to be a pretty or glamorous woman, as she takes more pride in being a good educator. Plus, she's one of the few female characters I could see wearing pants.

Laura Brooks and Claire Morton

Not much to say about these two, except these were the kind of outfits I could see either of them wearing.


Alma Miles

Even though Alma Miles isn't technically a main character yet, she still appears in small scenes and as a background character. And she's designated to become Connie's best friend down the line, so I figured she was important enough to get her own wardrobe lineup. Since her husband in a neurosurgeon, I decided Alma could afford to be a bit of a fashionista. I picked outfits based on how well I figured they'd look on a black woman.


Joanne Walker and Lisa Yoowing

Just like Alma, neither Joanne or Lisa are important characters yet, but they'd still be noticeable, in that they're the only black and Asian female students (respectively) at Allison's school. So I decided to pick out a few outfits I could see either of them in. As you can see, I gave them the least amount of thought, lol.

 

[Ked]

@Mel O'Drama Hey, thanks for all the likes and whatnot! Appreciate it! Though I can't help but be curious for any feedback you might have? So far, you've been my most consistent audience member. X)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I can't help but be curious for any feedback you might have? So far, you've been my most consistent audience member.

Ha ha. Thanks.

I know there are a few Peyton Place fans around these parts so I'm sure you'll have plenty of comments soon enough.

It's many a year since I've indulged in PP in any form (probably the last time was thirteen or fourteen years ago when the first volumes of the TV series came out). Many of the characters, events and scenes have blurred into fuzzy, fragmented memories, so I feel like I'm in exactly the right place to enjoy your new vision of the series because I'm not overly attached to any particular version, and your update takes the best of the book, film and series and combines them. It's been a nice refresher for me.

The one thing that I felt I wanted to airbrush slightly was Nellie's suicide. I've just dipped into the book and was surprised at how graphic it was (which I'm sure you know since you've incorporated it all in). I was also surprised to discover that the vision of Lucas and young Nellie in the white dress was present in the book. The way I remembered it, the suicide was never seen or described, so it had more impact for me when Allison found her body, which was tastefully hidden in the shadows (less is more). Am I right in thinking that the film omitted the actual suicide scene and the "white dress" fantasy, and simply showed Nellie contemplating reflectively and then Allison's discovery of her shadowed body?

Dipping into the book also reminded me of a detail I'd forgotten: there's a lot of concern from Nellie about the puss she says is flowing through her veins and causing pressure in her brain and leaking from her. "The clap" is even mentioned at some point. I think it's implied that that Nellie's nastier extremes come from either syphilis-related insanity or even from a brain tumour. At best, she seems to have some kind of mental health issue which makes her think one of these two is true. I think this might have been an interesting angle to include, even in passing, in order to flesh Nellie out even more to the viewer. It could add another layer to the show for the audience to at least be left questioning the root of her erratic behaviour even if (as in the book) there are no definitive answers. It would also add to the Cross family tragedy, since it's unlikely that her illness would be recognised by any of the other characters, so they would remain as unsympathetic and judgemental as ever towards her.


It's been a great journey, Ked. I've found myself lapping up every word and I really appreciate the level of detail you've supplied with descriptions, backgrounds, soundtrack and even the women's' wardrobes. I'm looking forward to Season Two in due course.

 

[Ked]

Ha ha. Thanks.

You're welcome! X3

I know there are a few Peyton Place fans around these parts so I'm sure you'll have plenty of comments soon enough.

Thanks for the encouragement, and yeah, I hope so!

It's many a year since I've indulged in PP in any form (probably the last time was thirteen or fourteen years ago when the first volumes of the TV series came out). Many of the characters, events and scenes have blurred into fuzzy, fragmented memories, so I feel like I'm in exactly the right place to enjoy your new vision of the series because I'm not overly attached to any particular version, and your update takes the best of the book, film and series and combines them. It's been a nice refresher for me.

That's certainly a relief, not to mention a big boost to my ego!

The one thing that I felt I wanted to airbrush slightly was Nellie's suicide. I've just dipped into the book and was surprised at how graphic it was (which I'm sure you know since you've incorporated it all in). I was also surprised to discover that the vision of Lucas and young Nellie in the white dress was present in the book. The way I remembered it, the suicide was never seen or described, so it had more impact for me when Allison found her body, which was tastefully hidden in the shadows (less is more). Am I right in thinking that the film omitted the actual suicide scene and the "white dress" fantasy, and simply showed Nellie contemplating reflectively and then Allison's discovery of her shadowed body?

No, you're correct:

In the 1957 film, Nellie came over to the MacKenzie's during the town's Labor Day celebration, even though it was her day off. She kept on rambling about how much she's been struggling and how Lucas "kept on starin' and starin'" at Selena, though Connie, struggling with her own boredom and sexual frustration, shrugs her housekeeper off and leaves the house.

That's the last we see of Nellie until several scenes later: after Connie reveals to Allison that she's illegitimate, the latter runs up to her room while the former remains downstairs to knock the photo of Allison's father off the mantelpiece - only to hear from up above, "NELLIE!"

Connie runs upstairs, sees Allison looking at something in shock and horror - only to behold the shadowed body Nellie Cross, hanging in the closet.


I can understand your reasoning for wanting Nellie's death to play out like how the movie did it, because you're right, sometimes less IS more. I for one, however, have my own reasons for wanting the scene to play out like the book:

-That kind of scene has the freedom to be shown on film these days, unlike back in the 50s;

-I found the scene fascinatingly eerie, and therefore a great acting opportunity for the actress who'd play Nellie;

-it would be a proper send off to such an important character;

-the detail of Nellie's reflection showing her as a young, pretty girl in a white dress is, again, meant to symbolize that she goes to Heaven after such a hellish life (this actually becomes an important detail in a later season... minor spoiler: Nellie's death is meant to be a foil to Lucas' death);

-I'm also employing Alfred Hitchcock's rule of suspense. You may be familiar with the comparison he made between a scene where a group of friends are having dinner, when all of a sudden, a bomb goes off under the table - to the same scene, but this time, the audience knows ahead of time that there's a bomb under the table, so they're all forced to sit there and watch as the group of friends are blissfully unaware of their impending doom. I liked how the book used that same method, how it showed you this horrifying suicide scene, only to have the rest of the cast remain ignorant of it for several scenes, keeping the readers tense and waiting for inevitable "explosion."

Though I suppose we could keep Nellie's corpse in the shadows. I personally don't have a problem with her being completely visible, and that's because of how the suicide of Lane Pryce on MAD MEN was played out (from what I read, the actor was given the most realistic-looking makeup of a strangled person). But you may have a point that in Nellie's case, keeping in shadows would be the better choice. Since her body isn't found until nighttime, it would be justified: when Allison goes into her room, she doesn't turn on the main light, but does switch on her desk-lamp... only to knock it over in shock when she sees Nellie, thus the room takes on some artistic lighting to hide the face.

Dipping into the book also reminded me of a detail I'd forgotten: there's a lot of concern from Nellie about the pus she says is flowing through her veins and causing pressure in her brain and leaking from her. "The clap" is even mentioned at some point. I think it's implied that that Nellie's nastier extremes come from either syphilis-related insanity or even from a brain tumour. At best, she seems to have some kind of mental health issue which makes her think one of these two is true. I think this might have been an interesting angle to include, even in passing, in order to flesh Nellie out even more to the viewer. It could add another layer to the show for the audience to at least be left questioning the root of her erratic behaviour even if (as in the book) there are no definitive answers. It would also add to the Cross family tragedy, since it's unlikely that her illness would be recognised by any of the other characters, so they would remain as unsympathetic and judgemental as ever towards her.

Ahhh, yes! Yet another detail I forgot to include, haha! I actually did want to include Nellie's ramblings about her pus and catching the clap from Lucas. Nellie in the book is such a vulgar, disgusting yet nuanced and tragic character, I'd like to see her in all her cackling, grotesque glory onscreen! And you're right about the other characters not recognizing the signs that there's something medically wrong with her... though I like to think that Dr. Rossi would probably start asking the right questions, but then again, he's not supposed to have very many scenes with Nellie anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

It's been a great journey, Ked. I've found myself lapping up every word and I really appreciate the level of detail you've supplied with descriptions, backgrounds, soundtrack and even the women's' wardrobes. I'm looking forward to Season Two in due course.

Again, thank you so much for your support! It's greatly appreciated!

 

[Ked]

I'm looking forward to Season Two in due course.

Oh you are, are you?

SEASON 2

Episode 1: "Allison Cuts Her Hair"

Side note: the title is also a reference to the short story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair."


INTRO:


For the longest time, I've imagined the opening shot of this season is of Allison MacKenzie cutting her hair. It would be filmed basically like this:

Allison is looking directly into the camera, her eyes filled with all the trauma she's experienced from the last episode... and then she raises her arms to start cutting away at her long hair, giving herself an impromptu pixie cut. Depending on how long it takes the actress, the shot can be long and uncut (no pun intended), or it can be spliced into several different quick shots.

On youtube, there's an interview of Ruth Warrick (Hannah Cord), who talks about the infamous haircut that Mia Farrow gave herself. The way how Warrick described it (referencing how French girls who became prostitutes for the Nazis had their hair cut off) inspired me for how I'd like Allison to be portrayed while chopping off her hair.

ACT ONE


Friday, August 25th, 1961

We see Allison being visited by Dr. Rossi. Her hair has been neatly trimmed, and she gives credit to the hairdresser that Connie called in. Allison, still looking a bit dead-eyed, asks Dr. Rossi if he likes it, to which he gives a blunt but soft, "No." Allison doesn't mind, however: "Well, I do, and that's all that matters." Mike agrees.

Allison then slowly breaks down into tears, taking the blame for Nellie's death, calling herself out for all the awful things she said to her, saying how horrible of a person she is, etc. Mike patiently and sympathetically allows Allison to let it all out, before he starts to comfort and reassure her that, while it's true that she wronged Nellie and did act terribly, that Nellie's death was in no way her fault. Mike further reveals that Nellie had cancer.

We then get a flashback to the evening of Saturday, August 19th, when Nellie's body was found.

In the living room, we have Allison lying unconscious on the couch with Matt sitting by her head and Connie sitting at her feet; Selena and Joey are sitting in separate chairs; Mike is answering the door to let in the first responders who go upstairs to fetch Nellie. Sergeants Goddard and Walker are there as well, making a report of what's happened. Goddard asks Mike if he knows why Mrs. Cross would take her own life.

Mike looks across the room into Selena's eyes, before he announces to the whole room that Nellie had cancer. Selena gets a look on her face that says she knows that Mike is lying - and she doesn't mind in the slightest.

Back in the present day, Allison is shocked to hear about Nellie's "cancer," and still bemoans how cruel she was to her. Mike continues to comfort Allison, admitting to the hard truth that sometimes, we are unable to make things up to our friends after fights. He does, however, insist that he believes that Nellie would have forgiven Allison anyway, and that she must learn to forgive herself as well.

For the rest of the episode, we continue to get flashbacks of what's happened in the last several days, with Mike narrating to Allison in order to catch her up on things.

Oh boy howdy, a LOT of things have happened:

First of all, the very Sunday after Nellie died, Father O'Brien of the Catholic church where Nellie attended and was baptized, refused to bury her in their graveyard, citing the reason that suicide was regarded as a sin amongst Catholics. "Certainly not!" he says directly to Selena's face. She doesn't really act surprised by the refusal, although she's obviously disappointed. She simply puts her arm around Joey and the two Cross children leave the church amidst the onlookers.

When Selena and Joey appear at the Congregationalist Church, the people there begin to whisper among themselves, smirking as they say things like, "What kind of man of God would refuse the bury the dead? Protestants are certainly more Christian-minded than that! Reverend Fitzgerald would never refuse a decent burial to anyone, not even a Catholic!"

So what does Reverend Fitzgerald say when Selena asks him to bury her mother?

"Certainly not!"

Well, that causes a blow out.

When the reverend retires for the day into the parsonage, his wife, Margaret, seething with hate and outrage, calls him the vilest of traitors, a bastard of a black Irishman, a Pope-lover and a weakling - only to be shut up when the reverend SLAPS his wife across the face, calls her a "perverse, rebellious woman," spits on her face, and throws her outside.

Side note: Fitzgerald never did that to his wife in the book... but I sure wish he had. So this is a bit of self-fanservice, haha. Plus, I feel justified, since at this point in his character, he suddenly grew both a backbone and a temper after being a nervous wreck, so I decided, why not have him use it on somebody who deserved it?

For a moment, Margaret Fitzgerald stands outside the parsonage, her mind unable to comprehend what just happened to her, when all of a sudden, she looks up and sees a whole crowd of people marching up. It's comprised of the more influential Congregational members, with Roberta and Harmon Carter (surprisingly) at the forefront. Margaret steps down to meet them, although she's in shock, and begins rambling about how her husband is overworked, tired, weary, exhausted, ill... "I don't know what ails him... I just don't know what got into him..." She keeps on repeating this over and over to nobody in particular.

Reverend Fitzgerald himself appears outside with a ready-for-a-fight demeanor and demands to know what the crowd wants. They all begin shouting at him to bury Nellie Cross, citing every reason, both moral, Biblical and practical, until finally, they all finish.

Fitzgerald, who remained silent, suddenly shouts, "Has everyone had his say?!"

The crowd is surprised, and say nothing.

Fitzgerald continues, saying how he's has his say too, going on about how suicide is a sin and how he will not bury Nellie... and all but confesses to being Catholic himself. The crowd begins shouting and screaming again, but Fitzgerald disappears inside. Roberta Carter gets in front of the crowd and manages to get everyone to listen to her, announcing that they'll get in touch with the proper authorities and have "this man" dismissed and replaced.

Meanwhile, Matt Swain and Mike Rossi have been witnessing all of this from across the street, looking sickened by what they are witnessing... and then suddenly, from out of the crowd, comes Margaret Fitzgerald. The woman still has that strange, vague look on her face as she continues to ramble and mutter about how she has no idea what's wrong with her husband today... and she seems to be zeroing in on Mike Rossi, as if blaming him for what's happened with her husband...

...and suddenly she collapses, with Mike running forward to catch her. The doctor then realizes that something is seriously wrong with Mrs. Fitzgerald, and he tells Matt to telephone an ambulance while he tries to keep Margaret's heart beating...

...but it's too late. Margaret Fitzgerald dies from shock, unable to handle the upheaval her life just took.

Side note: in the novel, she didn't die... but I sure wish she had. Originally, she packed her bags and left her husband to go and live in White River with a self-righteous quote, but I personally think that's too good for her. Besides, I already planned on having a character die in each episode, so why not her?


ACT TWO


In the present, Allison asks about who the new reverend will be, and Mike tells her about how 27-year-old Jerry Bedford stepped up to the plate - not only as the new (albeit possibly temporary) reverend, but also as the one to bury Nellie Cross... as well as the former reverend's wife. We get a quick scene depicting the double funeral of Nellie Cross and Margaret Fitzgerald: on Monday, August 21st, pretty much everyone at the Protestant church attended, though most were there in protest of ex-Reverend Fitzgerald rather than a desire to see either woman comfortably buried.

Mike also talks about how Fitzgerald was seen coming out of the rectory at the Catholic church, later handed in his resignation at the Protestant church, and left Peyton Place. He and Allison momentarily discuss and speculate about what was going on with Fitzgerald, before Mike gives her another update on what's happened:

Flashback: Tuesday, August 22nd, Connie MacKenzie is at her house, arguing with Matt Swain.

Matt demands that Connie "tell him about it," to which she insists that there's nothing to tell aside from what was already revealed: she, Connie, has never been married, Allison is illegitimate, and Connie has worked these past 17 years keeping it a secret.

"Even from me," Matt says bitterly, "when I would have understood."

Connie admits she's felt guilty all this time for making her cousin believe that they shared the same thing in common, that they both lost somebody they were terribly in love with, only for Connie to admit her "great love" was only ever a weekend fling. But she continues to insist that it was all to protect Allison - only for Matt to say that it's all crap, that Connie lied to protect herself, and that while he is angry over being deceived, he is far more upset over how cruel Connie was to Allison during the revelation.

"What the hell did you expect me to do?!" cries Connie. "Let her run wild? Let her go into the woods and screw every boy she meets up with?"

"Let her go and do what you did?" Matt says savagely. "Don't you try to deflect here. You have no way of knowing what Marion Partridge said about Allison and Norman was true. You know how much of a liar that woman is!"

"Like hell I don't know that Allison and Norman were swimming naked and doing God knows what else! She is just like her father. Sex. That's all he ever thought of, and his bastard daughter is the same way!"

"You're the one who thinks about sex, Constance. You don't see her father when you look at Allison, you see yourself, and that horrifies you. Allison may be the bastard, but you're the whore."

Connie looks at Matt like he just slapped her again. She opens her mouth, but can't find any words.

Matt then declares that he's going to have Allison come and live with him, not just because he wants her away from Connie, but also because Allison won't want to enter her bedroom after seeing Nellie's corpse in it.

Once again, Connie can't seem to find any words, when suddenly-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

-a series of frantic poundings erupt from the front door. The two adults go to answer, only to find the panting pair of Selena and Joey Cross. After calming down and being given some water, the siblings explain that they were out by the sheep pen when they saw a long black car with the state seal on its door pull up in front of their shack, and out came a woman in a suit, carrying a briefcase. Selena says that she was suspicious at once, and when the woman just walked inside the unlocked front door, Selena took Joey by the hand and they ran all the way here.

Matt figures that the woman was a social worker from the welfare department. He further speculates that they had been notified by the Carters, probably in a desperate attempt to separate their son and Selena, for the social worker could take the Cross children away to live in foster homes... and separately, too.

Selena and Joey are distraught; they've already lost both of their parents, as well as their eldest brother, Paul (who, in the previous season, had been said to have run off when he got sick and tired of Lucas stealing his wages for more booze). Why should they lose each other?

That's when Connie springs into action, declaring that nobody is taking Selena and Joey away, because they're going to live right here, with her. The two Cross children look as though they can't believe their ears, before Joey practically jumps on Connie to give her the most grateful hug of his young life. Selena, however, has a strange look on her face, like she's happy... but also guilty...

Matt, however, brings up an important detail, one that the social worker herself will no doubt bring up: is it appropriate for the Cross children to take up residence in the very house where their mother committed suicide? Connie gets a look of realization, while Joey looks to Selena, who continues to be silent with that strange look on her face. Connie, thinking she may have made a very stupid offer, thinks quickly and says that she can always buy a new house. This remark gets Selena to come out of her stupor, and she says, "Oh, don't do that! I..." she then asks to speak privately with Connie.

The two women go into the kitchen where Selena ends up confessing to Connie the truth about the skinny dipping story, that it was she and Ted who did it, and that Ted put the blame on Allison and Norman just to get himself and Selena out of trouble. Selena says she couldn't accept Connie's generous offer without telling the truth, though now she figures Mrs. MacKenzie will want nothing to do with her anymore.

As Selena waits anxiously, Connie's brain slowly begins to process what she's just learned: that she had been wrong in believing Marion, that her daughter had been innocent all along... meaning Connie revealed part of the horrible truth and behaved cruelly for absolutely no reason...

Connie nearly breaks down in tears as she fiercely hugs Selena, who doesn't quite understand, yet hugs back. After some sobbing and sniffling, Connie ends up doing some confessing of her own, revealing how she had treated Allison (though she doesn't reveal the "bastard" part). She also says that her offer to take in the Cross children still stands - but she further admits that she's doing this for selfish reasons: because she failed as a mother to Allison, she's going to try and make it up by taking care of Selena and Joey.

Selena accepts, and the two go back into the living room where Matt and Joey are waiting. Joey happily goes along with his big sister's decision, and Selena explains to Matt that for as long as she can remember, the MacKenzie house has been a sort of haven for her, and she won't allow her mother's suicide there tarnish it. Besides, neither of them ever saw Nellie's body that night, thanks to Mike keeping them from going upstairs, so they won't have the memory of her hanging in the closet. Joey even points out that being in this house will help them feel closer to Nellie's spirit.

Matt concedes, and says he'll call Charlie Partridge, the town's leading attorney, and get things settled.


ACT THREE


Back in present day, Allison confirms that she's going to be living with "Uncle Matt" from now on, and asks if Mike disapproves. He doesn't. He concedes that being in her old bedroom might be too difficult for her right now, and she should only go back when she's good and ready. Though he does encourage her to not hold onto any negative feelings regarding her mother, though Allison doesn't want to hear that at the moment. She then bluntly asks him about his relationship with Connie, what his feelings for her are.

Mike ends up admitting that at the moment, he and Connie have more or less broken up.

We get yet another flashback, this one happening on Wednesday, August 23rd, the day after Connie decided to adopt the Cross children. Connie had come to the hospital to check up again on Allison, and she and Mike end up speaking together out in the hall. Their conversation is less savage than the one she had with Matt, though there's still some bitterness. Mike ends up bringing up again how much he hates liars, prompting Connie to believe that he hates her now.

Mike explains that he does still love her, yet that doesn't negate his hatred of liars. "I can't stand to look at you and know that you lie every time you find the truth too disagreeable to be faced."

"I suppose you've never lied?"

"Only when the truth would have done more harm than good-"

"And that's what I did with Allison!"

"-and I have seldom gone so far as to lie to myself."

Connie shrivels up a bit at this one, knowing he has a point about her.

"Moreover, Connie, I have never lied to you. There can be neither beauty, nor trust, nor security between a man and a woman if there is no truth."

Connie stares at Mike with large, watering eyes, before she announces that they need to stop seeing each other, much to his shock. Mike tries to protest, saying that what he wanted was to work through this, not to end it. But Connie is firm: "I can't be honest with you. I just can't. And you deserve to be with a woman who can. ...Good-bye, Mike."

Connie gets up and leaves, with Mike watching her go with broken-hearted eyes.

Spoiler alert: does this mean that I'm going to follow the original TV series' gimmick of having Dr. Rossi remain single as he hops from one hopeless romance to another? Nope. This break up is only temporary. Connie and Mike get back together later on, and eventually marry. But I figured at this point, with the way how both the story and how Connie is, they have to endure a little time apart.


Back to the present, Allison seems genuinely sorry for Mike, though she admits she's not entirely sure how to feel about the whole situation. For weeks, she suspected that there had been something going on between her mother and Dr. Rossi, and all that time, she hated it, feeling like Connie was betraying the memory of her father... but now with the knowledge that her parents had never been married, Allison isn't so sure.

Mike admits that it's been hard, but he's been doing his best not to let it affect his work. Allison notes that she's amazed, astounded, at how much has changed in the past week: Nellie is dead, Mrs. Fitzgerald is dead, Rev Fitzgerald is gone, there's a new reverend, Selena and Joey are going to be living with Connie, she herself is going to be living with Matt, and Connie and Mike have broken up.

"Is there anything else that's been going on, doc?" Allison says with a half-laugh.

Mike then reveals two final updates: Laura Brooks ended up quitting as his secretary (not sure what the reasons are yet), so he needed a new secretary... and he ended up hiring Julie Anderson, who needed a job now that her husband, George, was institutionalized.

Not only that, but Betty herself ended up getting a job as well:

Flashback to Thursday, August 24th, where Betty comes into Dr. Rossi's office to take her mother to lunch, only to find that Julie had already stepped out to run a quick errand. She and Mike make polite chitchat before a mother comes in with her hysterically crying daughter, who fell and hurt her arm. Betty springs into action, taking the little girl into her own arms and laying her down on the table for Dr. Rossi to look over. Betty helps distract the child by asking her name, and pretending to get it wrong by making up a string of silly names. The little girl ends up calming down and laughing, which impresses Dr. Rossi.

Betty helps Mike out as best as she can, and when it's time for mother and child to go, the girl is smiling and waving good-bye to Betty, who waves back.

Mike offers his praises, though Betty downplays her actions. "I was never bothered by kids. Sure, they can be loud and annoying, but really, they aren't so bad. I guess that's why I wasn't so worried when... well... no use going down that road again."

Feeling sorry for Betty, especially after she ends up voicing her worries about finding a job, he ends up suggesting that she takes up a job at the hospital. Betty roars with laughter and thanks the doc for the great joke, but Mike insists that he's serious. Judging by the way how Betty behaved, she could become a nurse's assistant. He even points out that such a respectable job would help keep people from talking badly about her. This last part intrigues Betty, and after she finds out what the job pays, she figures, why not, she'll give it a shot.

Present day: Allison is stunned to hear that Betty Anderson is now working at the hospital, though Mike says he had to help pull a few strings, and that it helped he had Dr. Claire Morton on his side.


That's when Connie enters, and Mike takes his leave so Mother and Daughter can talk.

Things are tense, and Connie shows her daughter the flowers she brought her, and makes further awkward small talk. Allison asks her mother if she likes her haircut. Connie hesitates before saying she prefers long hair. Allison responds dryly, "Long hair is for little girls."

Connie doesn't know how to respond to that, and so remains silent. Then:

"Did you love my father?"

Connie is silent, before she answers, "I don't think so."

"I see."

"..."

"Are you sure he was my father?"

"...Yes. I'm sure."

"..."

"I shan't make excuses for myself, but what happened between your father and me could happen to anyone. I was lonely. I needed someone and he was there."

"Was he married?"

"Yes. He was married."

"I see."

"...Is there... anything else... you'd like to know?"

"...Was he really a war hero?"

"...Yes. He was in the war. He was decorated. I didn't lie about that."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm going to live with Uncle Matt."

"...All right."

"And then, as soon as I graduate high school, I'm going to leave Peyton Place. And I'm never going to return."

"...You can't mean that."

"I mean it. I'm going to go to New York."

"Please, Allison. I was only trying to protect you."

"I was an accident that you hated."

"I didn't hate you! I don't hate you now!"

"What a strange way of showing it."

"I was angry, upset! Matthew and Michael had almost been shot earlier that day, and then that terrible phone call from Marion Partridge - I know now that she said wasn't the truth - please, Allison..."

"Now I know why Grandmother hated me. She knew, didn't she? I always felt like she hated me, and now I know why."

"Oh, Allison..."

"..."

"...Well, how will you live? What will you do for money?"

"Uncle Matt said he'd help. He said he'd send me a check every month until I find a job."

"...Suppose you can't find a job?"

"...Then I'll live off some man the way you did."

Connie stares at her daughter before standing up and leaving the room. Allison bows her head, having gotten no enjoyment out of that. Connie walks down the hall, tears flowing down her cheeks.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In the 1957 film, Nellie came over to the MacKenzie's during the town's Labor Day celebration, even though it was her day off. She kept on rambling about how much she's been struggling and how Lucas "kept on starin' and starin'" at Selena, though Connie, struggling with her own boredom and sexual frustration, shrugs her housekeeper off and leaves the house.

That's the last we see of Nellie until several scenes later: after Connie reveals to Allison that she's illegitimate, the latter runs up to her room while the former remains downstairs to knock the photo of Allison's father off the mantelpiece - only to hear from up above, "NELLIE!"

Connie runs upstairs, sees Allison looking at something in shock and horror - only to behold the shadowed body Nellie Cross, hanging in the closet.

Thanks for clarifying that. This is exactly how I remember those scenes so I suppose the film version did have far more impact on me than the graphic original novel version which I've read many times but had forgotten (perhaps wilfully).

I for one, however, have my own reasons for wanting the scene to play out like the book:

And it's always fascinating to read about the reasons behind your choices for leaning more towards one version over the other.

-the detail of Nellie's reflection showing her as a young, pretty girl in a white dress is, again, meant to symbolize that she goes to Heaven after such a hellish life (this actually becomes an important detail in a later season... minor spoiler: Nellie's death is meant to be a foil to Lucas' death)

Great points.

It took me by surprise because I'd forgotten all about it and even reading it in your version didn't jog my memory. Until I re-read that bit in the book I actually thought this was a scene you'd added.

I agree it's an important scene for Nellie and definitely needs to be included. And I'm looking forward to seeing the foreshadowing pay off in a later season.

-I'm also employing Alfred Hitchcock's rule of suspense. You may be familiar with the comparison he made between a scene where a group of friends are having dinner, when all of a sudden, a bomb goes off under the table - to the same scene, but this time, the audience knows ahead of time that there's a bomb under the table, so they're all forced to sit there and watch as the group of friends are blissfully unaware of their impending doom. I liked how the book used that same method, how it showed you this horrifying suicide scene, only to have the rest of the cast remain ignorant of it for several scenes, keeping the readers tense and waiting for inevitable "explosion."

I really like that reasoning, but on top of the "when will she be found" element, I suppose I'd really like to leave it more oblique and add suspense about what Nellie is planning to do or if she goes through with it.

I think my preference would be to cut away around the time she looks into the closet at the dressing gown cord. This would still leave the viewer wondering, but it would also give the discovery of her body more impact. I think the reason the film version had such an impact on me was because I'd almost forgotten about Nellie*, so the first time round I was almost as confused about Allison's scream as Connie and Michael were, and it was a genuine shock to see the body hanging there. So cutting away just a bit earlier would give both suspense and surprise. But that's just my head canon.



* Incidentally, I recently watched an episode of Upstairs Downstairs which had a similar scene to the PP film which may well be influencing my view. Again, we didn't know quite what had happened until her body was discovered.

I personally don't have a problem with her being completely visible, and that's because of how the suicide of Lane Pryce on MAD MEN was played out (from what I read, the actor was given the most realistic-looking makeup of a strangled person).

I know mileage is going to vary between viewers, but I'm just rather squeamish about graphic/violent depictions of suicide. I'm not saying it should never be done or shown, but I know I've made mental notes to avoid certain series if I know they have these kinds of scenes. I can't remember the name of the series now, but I read about a teen series that opened with someone graphically cutting their wrists and I knew I just wouldn't be able to even watch that. I get that it's meant to be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I suppose that's just my line in the sand.

For me, how much detail is "shown" can depend on the medium. A book needs to do more to fire the reader's imagination than a film or TV series does with its viewer. It's similar with Jaws: The book describes the body of a shark attack victim found on the beach in graphic detail, while the film holds back. Both are very effective in their own way, and are probably the best choices for their medium. Ironically, the film employs the same tactic as the book by later describing the body in great detail while keeping it mostly offscreen, so that the audience's imagination starts filling in the gaps, which is often a lot more powerful.

Anyway, I'm digressing, so back to Peyton Place...

But you may have a point that in Nellie's case, keeping in shadows would be the better choice. Since her body isn't found until nighttime, it would be justified: when Allison goes into her room, she doesn't turn on the main light, but does switch on her desk-lamp... only to knock it over in shock when she sees Nellie, thus the room takes on some artistic lighting to hide the face.

This gets the O'Drama seal of approval.

Ahhh, yes! Yet another detail I forgot to include, haha! I actually did want to include Nellie's ramblings about her pus and catching the clap from Lucas.

I know you've included an awful lot of detail, but I'm sure that when this gets picked up by a network there'll still be room for the occasional line here and there to refer to this.

And you're right about the other characters not recognizing the signs that there's something medically wrong with her...

This is one of the things I love about period drama when it's done well. It can be a fascinating cultural study and I love seeing characters respond in ways that would be considered unacceptable today, from the language used to just plain ignorance around certain topics we're a little more enlightened about today. I really enjoy when period dramas don't hold back on this. And I enjoy older series and films for the same reason.

Again, thank you so much for your support! It's greatly appreciated!

It's my pleasure. I'm just glad it's happening.

I haven't yet started Season Two, but I'll be checking out the first instalment in the next couple of days!!

 

[Ked]

Thanks for clarifying that. This is exactly how I remember those scenes so I suppose the film version did have far more impact on me than the graphic original novel version which I've read many times but had forgotten (perhaps wilfully).

You're welcome! Also, I don't know if you know this already, but the whole movie of Peyton Place is on youtube for free!

And it's always fascinating to read about the reasons behind your choices for leaning more towards one version over the other.

Great points.

Glad you think so, and thanks again!

I agree it's an important scene for Nellie and definitely needs to be included. And I'm looking forward to seeing the foreshadowing pay off in a later season.

I really like that reasoning, but on top of the "when will she be found" element, I suppose I'd really like to leave it more oblique and add suspense about what Nellie is planning to do or if she goes through with it.

I think my preference would be to cut away around the time she looks into the closet at the dressing gown cord. This would still leave the viewer wondering, but it would also give the discovery of her body more impact. I think the reason the film version had such an impact on me was because I'd almost forgotten about Nellie*, so the first time round I was almost as confused about Allison's scream as Connie and Michael were, and it was a genuine shock to see the body hanging there. So cutting away just a bit earlier would give both suspense and surprise. But that's just my head canon.

* Incidentally, I recently watched an episode of Upstairs Downstairs which had a similar scene to the PP film which may well be influencing my view. Again, we didn't know quite what had happened until her body was discovered.

I know mileage is going to vary between viewers, but I'm just rather squeamish about graphic/violent depictions of suicide. I'm not saying it should never be done or shown, but I know I've made mental notes to avoid certain series if I know they have these kinds of scenes. I can't remember the name of the series now, but I read about a teen series that opened with someone graphically cutting their wrists and I knew I just wouldn't be able to even watch that. I get that it's meant to be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I suppose that's just my line in the sand.

For me, how much detail is "shown" can depend on the medium. A book needs to do more to fire the reader's imagination than a film or TV series does with its viewer. It's similar with Jaws: The book describes the body of a shark attack victim found on the beach in graphic detail, while the film holds back. Both are very effective in their own way, and are probably the best choices for their medium. Ironically, the film employs the same tactic as the book by later describing the body in great detail while keeping it mostly offscreen, so that the audience's imagination starts filling in the gaps, which is often a lot more powerful.

You actually inspired me for how the scene goes, so thanks for that!!!

I'm now imagining the scene playing out where Nellie goes to the closet, opens the doors and sees herself in the mirror, young and beautiful again, while Lucas stands behind the reflection with his arms around her, blowing at her neck... and then the reflection's arm reaches up and begins stroking at the cord for Allison's bathrobe. The camera would slowly pan in on her fingers stroking the cord, before fading to black, leaving it ambiguous what Nellie is going to do until we get confirmation later.

In fact, the shot of the reflection would be the last image we see of Nellie Cross alive, which could further symbolize how that's how she now looks in Heaven. In fact, a bit of a side note: I think I would cast a young, slim, pretty actress to play Nellie, but she'd wear a body suit, a wig and have all the right makeup to make her look hideous; the idea being that her reflection shows Nellie's "true" self.

This gets the O'Drama seal of approval.

Glad it does!!!

Additional detail: later on when Allison runs into her room, the chair is notably missing from her desk... and it can be spotted near the closet, knocked over.

I know you've included an awful lot of detail, but I'm sure that when this gets picked up by a network there'll still be room for the occasional line here and there to refer to this.

It's so flattering that you use "when" instead of "if." First I'd need to figure out the best person to send this all to.

This is one of the things I love about period drama when it's done well. It can be a fascinating cultural study and I love seeing characters respond in ways that would be considered unacceptable today, from the language used to just plain ignorance around certain topics we're a little more enlightened about today. I really enjoy when period dramas don't hold back on this. And I enjoy older series and films for the same reason.

Definitely great points! I enjoy older stuff too, although one thing I've been fascinated by is how sometimes, old movies/shows/etc can be even more modern (or at least, healthier) than what we have today. For instance, this "how to be attractive" tutorial from the 1960s:

You don't have to watch the whole thing, but the very first line is, "The most important part of beauty comes from within." Which, yes, is true. In fact, fun fact: I'd love to somehow incorporate a scene in Season 1 where Selena, determined to escape her poverty-stricken life, watches this video via a projector or something like that (though the actual video wouldn't be shown, since it's clearly filmed in the later 60s, while Season 1 takes place in 1961).

It's my pleasure. I'm just glad it's happening.

Well, it's happening as an idea on an online thread, at least. Though yes, I would love it if this dream became a reality - provided that it be done *well*, of course!

I haven't yet started Season Two, but I'll be checking out the first instalment in the next couple of days!!

In that case, I'll hold off on posting any more episodes until you've had a chance to catch up! I may as well admit, I'm rather proud of the first episode of Season 2.

 

[Ked]

Also, here's a calendar from 1961 that I used to figure out the timeline:



Believe me, it was completely unintentional on my part that most of Season 1 takes place on a Saturday. XD Season 2, however, mixes things up bit.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I don't know if you know this already, but the whole movie of Peyton Place is on youtube for free!

I didn't know this. I already have it on DVD, but it's great that it's there to hopefully find a new (or returning) audience.

You actually inspired me for how the scene goes, so thanks for that!!!

I'm now imagining the scene playing out where Nellie goes to the closet, opens the doors and sees herself in the mirror, young and beautiful again, while Lucas stands behind the reflection with his arms around her, blowing at her neck... and then the reflection's arm reaches up and begins stroking at the cord for Allison's bathrobe. The camera would slowly pan in on her fingers stroking the cord, before fading to black, leaving it ambiguous what Nellie is going to do until we get confirmation later.

In fact, the shot of the reflection would be the last image we see of Nellie Cross alive, which could further symbolize how that's how she now looks in Heaven. In fact, a bit of a side note: I think I would cast a young, slim, pretty actress to play Nellie, but she'd wear a body suit, a wig and have all the right makeup to make her look hideous; the idea being that her reflection shows Nellie's "true" self.

Oh my. Well, I was going to say there's absolutely no need to change your vision at all over my preferences, but now I see what you've come up with I'm quite blown away. What a great way to lead up to the final scenes of the season!

I'd love to somehow incorporate a scene in Season 1 where Selena, determined to escape her poverty-stricken life, watches this video via a projector or something like that (though the actual video wouldn't be shown, since it's clearly filmed in the later 60s, while Season 1 takes place in 1961).

That would be great, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are even similar videos from even earlier in the Sixties.

Well, it's happening as an idea on an online thread, at least. Though yes, I would love it if this dream became a reality - provided that it be done *well*, of course!

You'll have to make sure you're Executive Producer, Ked.

Honestly, though, even if this goes no further I'm a very happy camper. The detail you've included has brought it all to life for me. It's jogged my memory and reminded me of everything that's great about PP in all its forms.

In that case, I'll hold off on posting any more episodes until you've had a chance to catch up!

Thanks, but don't worry about holding off on my account. I can easily scroll back and catch up, and I'm quite happy to read a couple at a time when I get a spare 15 minutes.

I may as well admit, I'm rather proud of the first episode of Season 2.

Oh great. I'm looking forward to it.

Also, here's a calendar from 1961 that I used to figure out the timeline

Very interesting. It looks as though Season Two initially takes place over a more condensed timeframe, so I'm curious to see if this affects the feel of the episodes.

 

[Ked]

I didn't know this. I already have it on DVD, but it's great that it's there to hopefully find a new (or returning) audience.

Agreed! I do know that there are at least "returning" fans, judging by the comment section.

Oh my. Well, I was going to say there's absolutely no need to change your vision at all over my preferences, but now I see what you've come up with I'm quite blown away. What a great way to lead up to the final scenes of the season!

Heehee, thank you very much!

You'll have to make sure you're Executive Producer, Ked.

Honestly, though, even if this goes no further I'm a very happy camper. The detail you've included has brought it all to life for me. It's jogged my memory and reminded me of everything that's great about PP in all its forms.

ROFL! I wish! But yes, I'm glad about that. It's been fun getting this all out of my head and onto a screen for others to see.

But it is interesting how addictive the world of Peyton Place can be... but then again, that's true for just about any story/franchise that's told well enough and/or creative enough.

Thanks, but don't worry about holding off on my account. I can easily scroll back and catch up, and I'm quite happy to read a couple at a time when I get a spare 15 minutes.

Very well! Though I'm glad I did end up waiting this time around, because I ended up re-thinking how I'd do Episode 2, and came up with something much better!

Oh great. I'm looking forward to it.

You better. But seriously, I hope you enjoy it!

Very interesting. It looks as though Season Two initially takes place over a more condensed timeframe, so I'm curious to see if this affects the feel of the episodes.

Oh no, what you see for Season Two in that calendar is what happens in the first episode, not the whole season. Here's a minor spoiler:

While Season 1 takes place during the summer of 1961, Season 2 picks up right where the previous season left off, and goes all the way to June, 1962, thus covering approximately 10 months.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I do know that there are at least "returning" fans, judging by the comment section.

That's good. It certainly deserves to be enjoyed.

it is interesting how addictive the world of Peyton Place can be... but then again, that's true for just about any story/franchise that's told well enough and/or creative enough.

What really gets my mind racing with it is that there are all these different versions of the Peytonverse (as I suppose it would be called today ): There's the book; the film; the second book; the film sequel (with different actors to the original); the TV series; the daytime series; the books based on the later series; the reunion movies...

Each of them changes the lore in some way and has its own continuity, but there's also an overlap which makes it almost possible to tie them together and make one big whole.

I'm glad I did end up waiting this time around, because I ended up re-thinking how I'd do Episode 2, and came up with something much better!

That's great!!

Oh no, what you see for Season Two in that calendar is what happens in the first episode, not the whole season. Here's a minor spoiler:

While Season 1 takes place during the summer of 1961, Season 2 picks up right where the previous season left off, and goes all the way to June, 1962, thus covering approximately 10 months.

Very intriguing ideed.

 

[Ked]

What really gets my mind racing with it is that there are all these different versions of the Peytonverse (as I suppose it would be called today ): There's the book; the film; the second book; the film sequel (with different actors to the original); the TV series; the daytime series; the books based on the later series; the reunion movies...

Each of them changes the lore in some way and has its own continuity, but there's also an overlap which makes it almost possible to tie them together and make one big whole.

There's even the unaired TV pilot which actually included the Cross family!

Minette King as Nellie, Gyl Roland as Selena, and James Anderson as Lucas.


Weirdly enough, they seemed to have replaced Joey Cross' character with another another daughter (played by Stephanie Lynn). I don't know the reasoning behind that. ^^ Still, it's interesting that the Cross family almost made it to the little screen; what would it have been like if Mia Farrow's Allison had a female friend her own age to confide in?

 

[Ked]

Episode 2: "Angel Baby"

The previous episode took place in August of 1961. This episode, however, fast forwards into March of 1962...

...although first, we get a flashback to 1951.

Here we get the second Character Death of this season in the form of Liz Standish, the mother of Constance MacKenzie. In the book, Elizabeth Standish was so overwrought with worry that people would discover that her granddaughter was illegitimate, that it drove her to an early grave. I plan on employing the same thing for this version, except for one important detail: Liz ends up dying after Connie reveals who Allison's true father is... though in this episode, she doesn't say who yet. All the audience knows by this time that is that whoever it was, it was enough to make Liz collapse and eventually die.

Connie awakens from her guilt-ridden dream, and one of the first things the audience would notice about her is that she has a different hairstyle. For all of Season 1, Connie wears her blonde hair in a bun, like this:
Only now, she has a hairstyle like this:

Side note: in the previous episode, Connie's hair was out of it's bun (once again symbolizing that she's being honest), though it wasn't really styled. This new style is meant to symbolize Connie not only slowly coming free from her own secrets, but also coming more into her own as a person. This will be further symbolized by her wardrobe, but we'll get into that later.

As Connie sits up in bed, calming herself down after reliving her mother's death, she hears the door to Joey's room (previously the guest room) open.


As she listens to him tiptoe down the stairs, she gets a wry smile on her face; she's assuming he's sneaking out of bed for a midnight snack... and she decides to join him. So she slips on her bathrobe and tiptoes downstairs as well... only to find that the lights in the kitchen are still off... but the door to the basement is open...



After hesitating a moment, Connie sneaks her way down to the basement, which, over the past seven months, had been converted (thanks in no small part to Matt Swain's own fortune) into a rumpus room, a billiard room, and a bedroom for Selena:


The bedroom door is partially open, and Connie can hear the soft crying of Selena and Joey. She hurries in, distraught. These past seven months, Connie has striven to rid the Cross children of any woe they might have: she's bought them entirely new wardrobes, given them 3 filling meals a day, spoiled them with luxuries such as going to the movies, getting them their own personal radios, a bike and various sporting equipment for Joey, telling Selena she can have Ted and any other friends over for parties, and offered up as many hugs as they wanted. Not only that, but thanks to Matt Swain's connections (his father had been the governor of New Hampshire), the adoption process was soon to be complete, and Selena and Joey would be protected from the welfare/foster system.

And here they were, crying? What was wrong? What had she not done to make them happy? Whatever it was, she'll fix it!

However, Selena and Joey end up confessing that they feel tremendously guilty: they've been loving it here with Connie. She's treated them like a princess and prince, showered them with luxuries far beyond their poverty-stricken lives could fathom. And they're not just talking about the material goods; they're also talking about how tender and kind and patient and gentle Connie has been with them this whole time, something they rarely got with Nellie, and NEVER got with Lucas.

And how did the two siblings get all of this? ...Because their mother died. Their mother... who, after a lifetime of back-breaking labor and abuse, killed herself... and here her own children were, living it up. Selena and Joey are starting to believe that they don't deserve any of this, that they're horrible, rotten children for being happy when their mother was so miserable and destitute.

Connie's eyes fill with tears and she gives the two of them the fiercest hug she can possibly muster, telling Selena and Joey that they are two of the NICEST kids she's ever met, and that OF COURSE they deserve all this! After all, if they really were as horrible and rotten as they fear they are, they wouldn't feel at all sorry that their mother died.

Not only that, but Connie reveals a little secret: back in Season 1, Connie and Nellie had a brief conversation where the latter ended up confessing that she had long ago given up hope for herself, but she still had hope that the lives of her children would turn out much better than hers'.

So therefore, Selena and Joey were living the lives that their mother wanted them to, and they had nothing to feel guilty about.

Furthermore, Connie reminds them of her admittance back in August: that she was adopting them for her own selfish reasons, as she believed she had failed miserably as a mother to Allison, and therefore was trying to make things up by pampering Selena and Joey. Connie affirms that having the Cross children living here with her has been a huge help to her, and she's grown to care for them as if they really were her own... "And soon, it will be official!"

The three of them cry some more, but it's now tears of relief, happiness and gratitude.


Sadly, we go from a good mother to a bad one:

We get another flashback, this time back to August of 1961, where it shows what Catherine Harrington did to Norman after she took him home from the MacKenzies'. She rushed him back to the Harrington mansion where she barricaded the two of them in his bedroom, and began interrogating the hell out of him, trying to get him to admit that he had sex with Allison. Norman ended up confessing that he kissed Allison a few times, resulting in Catherine weeping and her face turning very red. Yet that didn't stop her from continuing on, trying to get him to say he had gone further with Allison.

In the end, Catherine ended up whipping Norman (which he does not mind), and forced him to promise never to see Allison again (which he did mind, yet was unable to disobey).

This comes into play at school, where Norman avoids Allison like the plague, ignoring her any time she calls out to him, or just outright walking or running away from her. Allison had been frustrated and heartbroken at this abandonment, though after she complained to Uncle Matt (with whom she's still living with) about it, he pointed out that it was likely Catherine's doing why Norman wasn't speaking to her. Allison, remembering what Norman had said about his mother's jealousy, decided to forgive her friend, but she still found the whole thing wildly unfair, as the two of them never did anything wrong. Matt gives his sympathy, but can't really offer a solution, especially since he believes Norman isn't strong enough to fight his mother.


Meanwhile, Leslie Harrington had both his personal lawyer, Ted Dowell, and Charlie Partridge (the town's leading attorney), pull several strings to get the annulment for Rodney and Betty's marriage. Finally, Betty is summoned to the courthouse where Leslie, Rodney, the lawyers and some other officials are waiting. They go through the proceedings (the fact that the two teens never consummated the marriage helps a lot), and the annulment officially goes through. Rodney and Betty are no longer married.

While Betty glumly goes on her way, Rodney walks out with a spring in his step: he's finally free!

And in order to celebrate this newfound freedom... Rodney tracks down Allison, who had long become a symbol of freedom to him. The two end up rekindling their romance, although it's more done out of spite on Allison's part (spite against her mother, against Mrs. Harrington, and against Norman for not being able to stand up to his own mother). Matt isn't at pleased with this new development, and asks Allison to reconsider: "He broke your heart once, he'll do it again!"

But Allison declares it won't be like last time; she's only with Rodney for the fun of it. She won't allow herself to fall in love again. Matt still thinks it's not a good idea, but decides to let his niece/cousin make her own choices.


Meanwhile, 19-year-old Betty is still working at the hospital as a nurse's assistant, and is still struggling with her job. Not necessarily because the work is hard (even though it is), but because the Head Nurse, Esther Choate, keeps picking on her and making passive aggressive comments. Betty would like to tell her where she can go, but keeps biting her tongue, knowing that Choate has power over whether Betty has a job or not. Thankfully, Betty has Dr. Mike Rossi, Dr. Claire Morton and Laura Brooks (who quit being Dr. Rossi's secretary to become Claire's) as allies. They encourage Betty while telling Choate to lighten up.

However, Betty receives another curveball when a young couple come in to the hospital. The couple is Lew and Kathy Welles (nee Ellsworth), who were in Betty's grade. The two of them got married immediately after graduating, and now, ten months later, are having their first child.

Side note: in the original TV series, this young couple had different names, but I decided to rename them after characters in the book. Kathy Ellsworth was Allison's best friend after she stopped hanging out with Selena, but here, Kathy was chums with Betty instead.

Betty is embarrassed to be waiting on a former classmate like this, yet handles the situation as professionally as she can. Kathy and Lew also try to make the situation less awkward, though they also have other things on their minds as well.

After that's all over, Betty goes home, emotionally exhausted, and crosses paths with the new reverend, 28-year-old Jerry Bedford. The two strike up a conversation, and they end up sitting on one of the white benches in the town square. There's almost an instant chemistry with them: Jerry is non-judgmental of Betty's past, and thinks that her becoming a nurse's assistant is wonderful. If anything, he finds her past tragic, and her present admirable and respectable. Betty isn't used to men treating her like this, yet quickly decides that she likes it, especially when it's clear that Jerry isn't trying to seduce her, nor is he trying to forcibly convert her. He's just treating her like a person.

Unfortunately, the two are spotted by the gossipy Marion Partridge, who scurries off to make some important phone calls.

The next day, Reverend Jerry Bedford is invited over to the big Harrington house to have tea with the Lady's Aid Society. To his surprise, when he arrives, there is only Catherine Harrington, Marion Partridge and Roberta Carter. The three of them explain that the didn't invite any of the other members, because they decided to give the new reverend "a chance."

When Jerry asks them to elaborate, the three (ahem) witches explain - and basically threaten - that he shouldn't be consorting with Betty Anderson, as that could have serious consequences...

...except Jerry proves that he's no Norman Harrington. He, in a rather calm, classy manner, stands up to the dreaded trio, defying them to their faces, calling them out on all their own hypocrisies: "Mrs. Harrington, are you aware that everyone in town knows that Norman was born only seven months after you and Mr. Harrington were wed? And that nobody believes that he was premature? Or how about you, Mrs. Partridge? Everyone knows you to be a malicious gossip who stores up treasures in this world rather than the next, which is exactly what our Lord's word expressly forbids! And Mrs. Carter... do I even need to say it?"

Reverend Bedford proceeds to wish them all a good day with a "May God bless you" before walking out, leaving the three "witches" fuming and hissing.


Meanwhile, at the Harrington Mill, Gus Chernak gets fired from his job by Leslie Harrington. I'm not sure what the reasons are, yet; maybe incompetence, or his drinking has been getting way out of hand. Either way, ol' Gus is out the door... just in time for his daughter's return home!

28-year-old Stella Chernak is recently graduated from her PhD program in biochemistry (she earned a partial scholarship and entered college at 18, working part-time for the next 4 years, and then spent 5 years on her PhD), and has returned to Peyton Place for a bit of a break before tracking down whatever kind of job her skills afford her. Unfortunately, the home-trip isn't what she was hoping it would be: her father still has a bit of a drinking problem and is now unemployed; her 23-year-old brother, Joe, is also unemployed and generally causing trouble; and her poor mother is supporting both men while working as a maid.

(Here's how I imagined Stella's wardrobe to be:

I decided Stella's clothes needed to be "dark" and kinda on the "sexy" side, while also "earthy" and "professional", given both her humble roots and her aspirational career. I also added in an Asian pant suit, since I recall Lee Grant wore such an outfit in one episode. )

At some point, while taking a nostalgic stroll around town, Stella ends up crossing paths with her old classmate, Jerry Bedford. The two of them reconnect and happily chat, reminiscing about their past as Peyton Place Teens. They even mention their other old classmates: Steven Cord, Paul Hanley and Lee Webber.

Stella ends up confiding in Jerry her frustrations with how things are with her family; she feels obligated to help them, yet she worries they'll end up dragging her down. Jerry sympathizes with her, yet still encourages her to be charitable. He also suggests getting a job at the hospital, as they might have a need for a biochemist. Figuring she has nothing to lose, Stella goes there, and ends up meeting Dr. Mike Rossi, who thinks she'll be perfect for a medical project he's working on.


There are even more people coming to Peyton Place: the Schuster family.

Unlike in the original version, they're not there to replace the Harringtons as the millowners (especially since the mill belongs to Leslie's side of the family, not Catherine's). Instead, David Schuster is the new president of the town's bank. His wife, Doris, ends up buying the dress shop (thus paying tribute to how in the book, Connie ran the town's dress shop instead of the book shop; this wasn't my original idea, though; I got it from somebody else around here, but I've long forgotten who it was).

Here's how I imagined Doris' wardrobe:

Yup. As you can see, I imagined Doris wearing nothing but beige. XD I don't know why, it just seemed so weirdly appropriate for her character. Plus, I liked the irony that her own color palette is so limited, yet she proves to have quite an eye for fashion that makes her shop very popular, to the point that most of the women of Peyton Place buy exclusively from her.

While Doris is excited for the opportunities that she and husband have with their new jobs, the Schusters' daughter, 10-year-old deaf/mute Kim, is in a state of depression. The poor girl was forced to leave behind her friends and peers in her deaf classes back in New York, and is so averse to Peyton Place that she refuses to communicate with her parents via sign language.

Side note: I always thought it was very weird that Kim didn't use sign language in the original show, but I guess that can be chalked up to the show-makers not caring enough to learn about it. But for this version, Kim can both lip-read and sign, and her parents are more concerned that she won't sign anymore. There's no more talk about Kim... well, talking. Mostly because I hated how the original Kim sounded whenever she spoke (she was so creepy). Plus, I thought it was so annoying how Kim was always running away, even if it was for plot reasons. So this Kim will be doing that a lot less, as you'll see.

David and Doris end up having an argument in their new house (which is on Chestnut Street, the "best" street in Peyton Place) one evening, and Kim, peeking around the corner, sees Doris' lips talk about sending Kim away. Of course, Doris is being sarcastic, but her daughter doesn't realize that. So the girl panics and runs outside, wandering up and down Chestnut Street, and any other street.

When David goes upstairs to check on Kim, he realizes that she's gone. Within minutes, a search party is gathered, with cops and citizens looking all over for a little lost deaf girl, while Doris remains at home, helplessly wringing her hands...

...and somehow, this is where Norman Harrington enters Doris Schuster's life, much like the original show (Ep 75). In fact, it was this shot that inspired me:


Even though the relationship between Norman and Doris never became sexual or even romantic, there was nonetheless something about this shot that seemed somehow suggestive. Especially since both of them were in such vulnerable positions at the moment.

Either way, in this version, Doris Schuster (30 at the youngest) and Norman Harrington (18) end up having an emotional affair.

Meanwhile, Rodney and Allison, who were out on a date, end up crossing paths with Kim, and, after some serious coaxing, bring her back home, much to her parent's relief. Of note, David ends up giving Allison a second look, something that Doris notices (it's one of the first things that pushes her after Norman).


Finally, we get the Grand Opening of Doris' dress shop, complete with a fashion show. Said fashion show is a simple affair: several chairs are set up in the main square, and some women that Doris talked into working for free model the clothes. The big white gazebo in the square is integrated into the show, with the models taking turns walking up the stairs for the audience to get a better look at the outfits.



The women that Doris managed to get to model are:

Constance MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie
Selena MacKenzie (so named now that she's been adopted by Connie)
Julie Anderson
Betty Anderson
Alma Miles
Joanne Walker
Lisa Yoowing
Stella Chernak
Laura Brooks

This is basically an unabashed opportunity to dress the actresses up in costumes that their characters wouldn't normally get to wear. Plus, as each woman gets to strut her stuff, we get a close up of whoever is interested in them: when Julie appears, Leslie looks enthralled (and Catherine looks murderously jealous); when both Connie and Stella appear, Mike reacts particularly strong to both of them; when Laura appears, Claire looks very appreciative; when Allison appears, David Schuster (with Kim by his side) looks enchanted.

I got the idea for the fashion show thanks again to "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris":

(Fun fact: the girl in this clip who wears the sparkly red "Temptation" dress, Alba Baptista, is who I would have cast as Allison; although when it comes to the teenaged characters, ideally I'd like to cast 18/19-year-olds for the sake of authenticity.)


Afterwards, the shop is practically overrun with eager customers, with Catherine, Marion and Roberta being the most demanding. Doris quickly becomes overwhelmed, but Selena steps in and helps her out, explaining that she's helped out in Connie's bookstore before, so she knows how to work the register. This is what gets Doris to hire Selena as her manager, much to the girl's delight.

Meanwhile, David, after seeing Kim run up to Allison, hires the teenager on as his daughter's babysitter.

Later, Selena happily announces to Ted that she has a new job, but Ted tells her that he has bad news... he wants to postpone their engagement. Selena is thunderstruck and asks him what he means. Ted explains that he still wants to marry Selena, but unlike before, where they planned to do so immediately after graduating, he would like to wait until he's "established" himself. He further explains that he wants this because, now that Selena is an heiress (being adopted by Connie means that she's entitled to Matt Swain's fortune - which is either equal to or greater than Leslie Harrington's), he doesn't want it to look like he's marrying her for the money.

Selena is irritated and points out that she was poor when the two of them promised each other, but Ted says that nobody else will see it that way, and he wants their relationship to remain "untarnished." He insists that he'll marry her once he's become a lawyer making his own money. Selena is still irritated, but she also understands where Ted is coming from, and ends up agreeing.

Ted smiles, kisses her on the cheek... before leaving to take his mother home... leaving a disappointed-looking Selena behind...

 

[Ked]

Episode 3: [currently untitled]

This episode still takes place in March 1962.

Principal Abner Firth of the Peyton Place High School goes into the Peyton Place Hospital one morning, complaining of certain symptoms... and dies. In the book, Principal Firth died of a heart attack while shoveling snow, but since we've already had Dr. Brooks die of a heart attack, AND since the previous two episodes had "death by shock," I'd rather go a bit of a different route. Only I'm not sure what at the moment.

This scene was inspired by one from the original series, where Betty is sadly recounting how a man came into the hospital during her shift and died. I decided to have this nameless man be somebody Betty knew.

Not only that, but before Principal Firth dies, he gets to tell Betty that he's proud of the way she's turned her life around from "bad girl" to nurse's assistant. It's the last thing he ever says to her, and Betty finds herself distraught over his death. So much so, that she finds herself going to Reverend Jerry Bedford for comfort. Nothing romantic or sexual happens between them; it's just a random citizen going to a reverend for solace after the death of somebody important to them. Perfectly respectable... although this does become yet another stepping stone to Betty falling for Jerry.

Side note: even though there's only a 9 year age difference between them, I want to avoid Jerry coming off as predatory as much as possible, especially since Betty is 19 (although one might argue that since Betty has already been married, annulled, had a miscarriage, not to mention has had several "boyfriends", that she's way more experienced than Jerry is). Just like how when Cary Grant starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in "Charade" and asked for Hepburn's character to chase him instead, I plan on implementing that by having it be Betty who chases Jerry.

The two are spotted talking by Roberta Carter, who scurries off to dish about this at the next Bridge Party.

Doris Schuster, thanks to being a) the wife of the town's new bank president, b) the owner of the fanciful new dress shop, and c) a former New York socialite, has been inducted into the Ladies Aid Society, and is now a member of the Bridge Club.

She sits with Roberta Carter, Marion Partridge and Catherine Harrington at the "best" table at these meetings, with Roberta giving her report on Betty Anderson's "secret meeting" with Reverend Bedford. Doris is uncomfortable with such gossip - especially since she noticed her own husband get the wandering eye around Allison MacKenzie - yet she's unable to really say anything against the matter.

Catherine Harrington is especially worked up about the whole thing: how dare Reverend Bedford defy her when she practically ordered him to stay away from the likes of Betty Anderson? The very idea that a "wharf-rat tramp" might possibly become the new reverend's wife (despite there being no concrete proof that Betty and Jerry are lovers) just sends her to pieces. Especially since Betty has also committed the sin of being the daughter of Julie Anderson, the woman who had an affair with Catherine's own husband (another thing Catherine never had any proof on, yet still suspected).

Marion Partridge suggests to Catherine that, since she's on the hospital board, she could terminate Betty's job. Catherine, however, states that that would only make Betty "helpless in the good sense," meaning that Betty would have the justification of going to Rev. Bedford for "help." No, Catherine will just have to wait and bide her time until they can get rid of the Anderson girl.

Roberta Carter then butts in with her own bit of bragging: her son, Ted, is involved with Selena MacKenzie, who, thanks to her adoption by Connie, is set to inherit part of Matt Swain's fortune. Mrs. Carter practically gushes about Selena now, smugly going on about what a "smart match" her son and his girlfriend make, much to the chagrin of the other women.

Meanwhile, Selena has been very much enjoying herself working part-time in the dress shop. She's always loved pretty things growing up, as they've always seemed like far away treasures thanks to her impoverished childhood. Now she gets to be surrounded by the finery that Doris Schuster's store offers, and she finds herself a natural salesgirl. Granted, she does have her share of difficult clients, but mostly she gets along with whoever comes in.

Side note: in the book, Connie's dress shop started off as just that, a dress shop. But thanks to all the women in town buying exclusively from her, she expanded her business to include men's clothing too. I'm thinking about having that be the same with Doris' shop, so that male characters come in to flirt with Selena, though she turns them all down, remaining faithful to Ted.

Sometime after Principal Firth's funeral, Selena, Allison and Ted Carter all exit the school building, curiously discussing as to who the new principal is going to be. Allison immediately declares that it should be Miss Elsie Thorton, as she's been at the school the longest, and is a brilliant woman besides. Rodney Harrington pulls up in his car to give the other three rides to their respective part-time jobs (Selena to the dress shop, Ted to Hanley's corner drug store, Allison to the Schuster's house to babysit Kim).

They include Rodney in on their conversation, and he expresses his doubts on Miss Thorton becoming principal, revealing that he overheard his father say that she is too old, too close to retiring, and that being a principal is no job for a woman.

Allison bristles at this, and goes on a bit of rant about how nobody deserves that position more than Miss Thorton. She even asks Rodney is he agrees with his father's assessment about how women can't be principals, even pointing out that there have already been several female principals, and that Leslie Harrington should "get with the times." Rodney realizes that he's now on thin ice with his girlfriend, and does his best to mollify her (with Selena and Ted as half-amused witnesses). He even ends up agreeing with Allison, although he still doubts there's anything they can do about it...

...until Allison asks Rodney to talk to his father about it, at least. He isn't sure about that; after all, while he may have always gotten what he wanted from his father, he had only ever asked for toys and candy and money and cars and other such material goods that a child or teen would want. Asking to give some old teacher the position of principal was well outside that ballpark. Nevertheless, Allison begs and encourages Rodney to do it, and he finally agrees.

Side note: at some point, Ted Carter mentions how a storm is expected this evening, so he urges everyone, especially Selena, to be safe.

After dropping the other three off at their respective locations, Rodney goes down to the mills just in time to witness Gus Chernak beg Leslie for his job back, only to be turned away. Once Gus leaves, Rodney asks Leslie to give the position of principal to Elsie Thorton. Leslie is surprised; as far as he knew, his son and Miss Thorton hated each other. Why would Rodney suddenly want something like this for her?

Feeling a bit too embarrassed to admit that his girlfriend got him to do this, Rodney makes something up; perhaps something like how Miss Thorton gave Rodney the education that he needed or something. Impressed, Leslie grants his son's request.

Thus, Miss Elsie Thorton finally gets the position that was denied her in both the book and the movie.

Rodney proudly telephones the Schusters to boast to Allison about his accomplishment, but he gets the maid, Anna Chernak, instead, who explains that Allison, Kim and Mrs. Schuster are attending a puppet show, and she doesn't know when they'll be back. Rodney figures he can just catch Allison the next morning on her way to school.

After the puppet show is over, Allison and Doris take Kim backstage where they meet Lisa Yoowing and congratulate her and the other Drama Club members on their performance, before going down to the wharf for ice cream. Allison is reluctant to go, thanks to the oncoming storm, but Doris, who already promised Kim, insists that they'll have time.

As the storm sets in, Constance MacKenzie hurries from her closed book shop to the bank for a quick errand or two, and she ends up crossing paths with David Schuster, who pulls her into a conversation about Allison. He talks about how much he admires Allison, calling her a "unique, gifted young woman," and "extraordinary." Connie is immediately suspicious, yet remains calm. She asks a few probing questions, yet David only gives evasive or innocent/respective answers, focusing on how well Kim has been doing under Allison's wing.

"But you must already know all about that. I'm sure Allison has told you all about Kim."

Connie is painfully reminded of the fact that her biological daughter has not been living with her for the past 8 months, and after some hesitation, she admits that she and Allison haven't been speaking much lately. David apologizes, and Connie reveals to him what happened back in August with Nellie Cross and Marion Partridge's lie (not mentioning the bastard issue), and talks about how trauma can change a person. Connie takes her leave, although not before she lets David know that she still loves Allison very, very much, and that she won't allow anyone to hurt her again... while giving him a meaningful look.

At the ice cream parlor, Kim rejects Doris' offer to sit on her lap, preferring to lean against Allison. Barely able to cover up her heartbreak, Doris tries to distract her self by talking about all the tornados and thunderstorms that plagued her farm life growing up, and how Kim was born and raised in New York, and how the city is "so removed from nature" that any storm that occurs there "just doesn't seem the same."

Allison, who still aspires to go to New York herself, asks Doris for more stories about the place. Doris tells her, "It's the only place in the world to be young!" She encourages Allison to go, to not just dream about it, "you'll have that all your life and nobody will ever be able to take that away from you!" and "You don't have lots of time, you just think you do." Doris also tearfully mentions how Kim has "better luck with strangers" than she does with her own parents.

Right about that time, David, who already knew ahead of time where the girls were, arrives to pick them up. He insists on driving Allison all the way home.


Meanwhile, Gus Chernak returns home where his wife, Anna, is preparing dinner. Gus grumbles and rants about Leslie Harrington for a bit before Stella Chernak and Dr. Mike Rossi arrive; Stella had invited Mike over dinner, if her folks don't mind? Anna cheerfully invites Mike, while Gus puts on a better disposition. However, things turn sour again when Stella's younger brother, Joe, comes in. We learn the family dynamics of the Chernak family: Gus is struggling with alcohol and with finding a job, Joe is a delinquent, jobless dropout, while Anna is something of a Stepford Smiler who supports the two men in her life by working as a maid (currently for the Schusters). Stella is still new to the hospital, so she hasn't received her monthly check yet, and therefore hasn't been able contribute to the household bills yet... though she is loath to help out, because she can't help but see it as all of her hard-earned money going down the drain that is her family.

The rest of the Chernaks suspect that there's something going on between Stella and Mike. While it's true that there is an attraction, they've kept things professional so far. Although Stella can't help but keep giving Mike a smile that gives away that she's smitten with him.

Gus and Joe end up getting into an argument that results in the son storming out of the house, leaving behind a weeping Anna. Joe goes stomping around the town in the rain, and guess who he happens to cross paths with? Norman Harrington, who had been stranded at the library thanks to the storm but decided to just run home, knowing that his mother would have a fit about him coming home so late - and on such a night, too!

Recognizing Norman as the son of the man who fired Joe's father, he decides to get revenge on Leslie through Norman...

...by tying him to the pillory in the town square. While it's still raining and thundering.

Unable to free himself, Norman just hangs there helplessly...

...until the Schusters and Allison pull up in the car. David and Allison run up to Norman and try to untie him, but the knots are too tight. David puts his coat over Norman, runs to the car, and asks Doris for her spare key to her dress shop so he can use the phone inside. She immediately hands it over, and while David makes the call, she tells Allison to get into the car with Kim; she'll stay with Norman. Allison notices how her former friend won't even look at her, not even when he's in this position, so she sadly obeys.

Doris holds Norman closely as they wait in the rain for the cops to show up. Something David can't help but notice.

The police arrive and cut Norman free, and bring both him and David to the hospital - they bring David for questioning (Doris drives Allison and Kim home), and the Harringtons are telephoned. Catherine, just like in the Season 1 Finale, arrives on the scene to the sound of screeching tires.

At first, Norman refuses to say who did this to him, but of course, we all know he won't stay mute with his mother: she asks him why he hates her so much, why he loves the person who assaulted him, how can he not know how selfish he's being, doesn't he realize what he's doing to his mother - who will be dead soon, no less! Finally, Norman cracks and lets it slip that it was Joe Chernak who did it.

Catherine quietly takes her son into her arms and strokes his wet hair... and says nothing. Which terrifies Norman far more than anything she's ever done.

The very next day, after the storm has ceased, Catherine Harrington tracks down Joe Chernak... and offers him cash.

Why? Because she has a job for him.

At first, Joe isn't interested (after all, it's a job), until Catherine tells him that she wants him to make trouble for Betty Anderson and Reverend Bedford.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Any kind you'd like to bestow. And keep in mind, boy, that the more trouble you cause for them... the more money I'll give you."

"Rich lady... you got yourself a deal."

 

[Ked]

Extra scenes I thought up for this episode:

-Allison takes Kim to the park, where she meets Joey Cross; the two end up having a bit of a "puppy love" relationship. She also befriends two other little girls, one of whom has a deaf older brother, and so therefore can also speak sign language - and has also been teaching the second little girl, so all three of them have an easier time communicating than how Kim did in the original:

I thought this was a needlessly cruel and boring scene. I guess it was meant to emphasize how alone Kim felt, but it still felt badly written.

[Also, fun fact, one of the other little girls is Gretel from "Sound of Music"... a movie which Mia Farrow auditioned for!]


-Selena and Allison have a bit of a confrontation where the former asks the latter about how she can keep on hurting her mother by refusing to come back home. Allison is angry at Selena for that, but also guilty, and admits that she still can't go back into her old bedroom, thanks to the memory of Nellie's body hanging in the closet. She even points out that Selena never saw her mother like that, she was spared the gory details. So therefore, it's easier for her to disassociate the MacKenzie house from Nellie's death.

Selena admits that's true, but it's still unfair of Allison to be avoiding Connie like she has been. Selena can tell how much it's been hurting Connie, and even ruthlessly points out that Allison is taking for granted that her own mother is still alive while Selena's mother isn't. Allison bursts into tears, saying that Selena has no right to speak like that to her: "I feel guilty enough about Nellie's death! Besides, after what my mother did to me, I don't know if I can even really call her that anymore!"

Selena concedes that Connie slapping Allison and believing Marion Partridge's lies was wrong, but hasn't Allison heard of a thing called for forgiveness? Is what Connie did really that bad?

Only that's when Allison spits out what Connie neglected to tell: that her mother had also revealed that night that Allison was illegitimate, a bastard, "the bastard daughter of the biggest bastard of all."

Selena, who knows full well how much Allison had always worshipped the memory of her dead father, finally understands the gravity of the situation. She does her best to comfort and reassure Allison, although she can't help but think back to when she herself had an unwanted pregnancy. Selena still encourages Allison to forgive her mother, but this time, she says for Allison to do it when she's good and ready.


-Later on, Selena goes on her lunch break from the dress shop, and goes down the street to Connie's book shop, where she reveals to her adoptive mother what Allison had said. Connie doesn't deny any of it, and even expects her adoptive daughter to become disillusioned by her... except Selena says that she holds Connie in higher regard than ever. As far as she's concerned, Connie is brave and tragic. Besides, as Selena herself admits, she has no call to judge her adoptive mother for her past deeds, especially with a past like her own.

Connie is deeply concerned with what Selena could mean by that, but Selena, not ready to ever reveal her past abortion, reassures Connie that there's nothing to worry about. When pressed, Selena, nervously looking for a way out, reminds Connie of the skinny dipping incident. Somewhat mollified, adoptive mother and daughter have themselves a tender moment of camaraderie.


-Finally, I decided there should be a scene at the hospital between Dr. Mike Rossi and Stella Chernak working together. Mike finds Stella to be a very intelligent young woman, and the two are quite hitting it off. During their lunch break, Stella talks about the passing of Principal Firth, mentioning how he encouraged her studying and told her that she was going to go far. When she came back to Peyton Place, Stella made certain to visit Firth at the high school to let him know that she was now officially a biochemist. He told her he was proud of her, and knew she could do it.

Stella gets emotional talking about all this, and confesses she received more praise and support from Principal Firth than she ever had from her family. And now the former was dead, and it looked like the latter was ready to suck up all the money Stella was going to make.

Mike does his best to comfort her, and the conversation turns towards younger brothers, with Mike mentioning that he also has a younger (half-)brother named Joe. From the descriptions Stella has given of her own brother, it sounds like the two Joe's have a lot in common: both in and out of juvenile hall, and now in and out of jail, guilty of stealing cars and carousing with loose women. Mike confesses that he's bailed his little brother out several times, but it's getting to the point that he's seriously thinking about cutting him out of his life for good. Stella admits she'd like to do the same, but her conscience wouldn't allow it.

 

[tommie]

I keep reading these and all I'll say is that I'm amazed at the details you've thought up! It really makes me want to read the book(s) and movies to get further reference points. Good work!