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Yes, there no question that the return of Lisa Hartman was planned, but the issue is whether it had been originally planned for Abby to be behind Cathy's appearance (as was explained later in the season), or rather, whether, at the time the beginning of the season was written and filmed, it was supposed to be a coincidence.
Let's look at the evidence:
A) At the end of episode 7, just after Abby and Gary get married, they stay at at a luxury hotel. Abby is in the shower while Gary deals with room service (who turns out to be Cathy). He is somewhat distracted but then signs the bill and looks at her face with a stunned look...dun dun dun... cliffhanger!
B) Episode 8: Gary calls the hotel and then later goes to a temp agency to track down Cathy (he doesn't know her name yet). After a bribe, the temp agency guy gives him her name. Gary then goes to the restaurant where she works. He calls her Cathy and she says "how do you know my name?". He later follows her to a gym where she is doing some sexy 80s workout. She is clearly not pleased to see him and asks whether he is a PI, a cop or a nutcase. Gary tells her she reminds him of Ciji and shows her a picture. Her reaction: "Ray sent you, didn't he?" Gary is confused. They make a lunch date. The next day, Cathy stands him up at the lunch place and drives off.
C) Episode 9: Cathy shows up the ranch (with a confused Laura present), and gives her a tour. Next scene they are in the gym at the ranch. Cathy asks Gary whether his marriage is in trouble. She explains that she stood him up the day before because she thought he had been sent "by [her] ex. He has a habit of doing that, sending ambassadors of ill will wanting me to come home." She says that this happens from time to time and that she was happy Gary wasn't one of them. All she wants is a day of quiet without the worry. Gary tells her she can stay as long as she wants. Later, Laura asks Gary whether Cathy's appearance doesn't strike him as odd. He just shakes his head.
D) Episode 10: Cathy and Gary ride around the farm; she says she spent time on the rodeo circuit. Gary offers her a job on the ranch. She first refuses and then, a short while later, accepts the offer. Later that night, they are both working out at the gym. Cathy asks Gary whether his wife is ever at home and when will she meet her: "The suspense is killing me". She then finds a Ciji record, looks at the cover and her face almost melts. It's clear that it's only then that she realizes that they look the same. A moment later, Abby is walking in and her face is one of shock and confusion. She gives Gary a look of "what is going on here?". From the facial expressions, it's clear that Abby and Ciji have not met -- it's not one of those TV "we have met but pretend not to have met" moments. Cathy wants to leave but Gary persuades her to stay. Next day, Abby is moping around and is pissed at Gary. Abby says "doesn't it scare you? It scares me! She just looks like Ciji". Gary says he needs to do what he has to do. Abby points out that they just got married. They kiss. Later, Gary dresses and makes up Cathy to look like Ciji (it's all very Vertigo). At the ranch, she puts on a Ciji record (with the matching dress) and dances and pretend sings in front of the mirror. Gary has flashbacks of Ciji. Such a great scene!!! Laura walks in and is appalled.
E) Episode 11: Diana is shocked to see Cathy. Later, Cathy approaches Abby (with no one else around) and says "Mrs. Ewing, we need to talk." Abby brushes her off. Gary shows up and Abby walks off, giving them a dirty look. Later that day, Gary encourages Cathy to sing and she refuses "I am not Ciji". Then Chip dies when he sees Cathy... karma!
F) Episode 12: Cathy sees Diana who is super mean to her ("I don't want to be your friend... If I looked as someone as hateful as Ciji, I wouldn't go around flaunting it". Cathy wants to leave and packs her bags -- she just wants to get out of everything -- and drives off. Later, Gary finds her at some club where she is singing -- turns out she is a singer after all. Later in the episode, they have a heart to heart and kiss.
G) Episode 13: Abby is in her fancy office apartment and Cathy shows up. She wants her money from "Mrs. Ewing" and out of their deal: "No one was supposed to die because of me". Abby says that she won't get the money because Cathy's job is not done. She will also not get rid of Diana (as requested by Cathy) because she needs her as a witness. Cathy asks why Abby is doing this and Abby responds that Cathy's only business is to go back to the ranch and be a better Ciji than Ciji ever was.
H) Episode 14: Abby instructs Cathy to stay close to Gary and keep him happy ("except doing THAT"). Cathy asks why Abby is doing it and Abby responds that Cathy shouldn't worry about it. Later, Gary and Cathy go somewhere to buy horses and almost sleep together.
J) Episode 16: Gary is doing an audit of Gary Ewing Enterprises. It turns out that the ranch expenses show that Cathy receives $1000/week as opposed to the normal pay of $250. The auditor explains that the checks are signed by Abby. Later, Gary calls the auditor and says "This can't be right. Some of the checks are dated from before I ever met her". Gary suggests to Abby to fire Cathy but Abby says it would be good business sense to keep her (because he is happy with her). Next day, Gary asks Cathy what she was doing before she met him. She says that she moved to LA a year before from Wyoming and had temp jobs. Later, Gary sees a private investigator who tells him that Cathy's address for the past four years was a prison in Arkansas.
K) Episode 17: Gary asks Cathy whether she was from Arkansas, and she responds that she is from Wyoming. Gary is trying to get to the bottom of it. He later gets a phone call from another PI who tells him that Cathy had been prison for murder, in the second degree. Gary tells Abby that he has a bad feeling about Cathy and asks her to find out anything about her past. Abby then tells Cathy to leave town ("you are no longer an asset to me") but Cathy refuses. She likes being with Gary and her job. Abby threatens to call Ray and tell him where Cathy is, but Cathy responds that she would then tell Gary that Abby hired her to keep him occupied stealing him blind behind his back. Abby calls Ray. Next day, Abby tells Gary that she found out nothing about Cathy, other than she was born in Wyoming and worked in Chicago until 18 months ago.
L) Episode 18: Ray shows up at the ranch. He likes what he sees. He observes Cathy and Gary. Cathy tells Gary that she wants to stay at the ranch because it's been the best time of her life. Then: Ray comes to the ranch, Cathy tries to outride him but he finally catches her. They go back to his hotel. Ray says he missed her for four years and that he was surprised when she wasn't there when had wanted to pick her up from prison. And then he spent a whole year looking for her. "You are my wife, aren't you?" The next day, Cathy is packing up her stuff, getting ready to leave. She says it's Ray who is picking her up. She apologizes and leaves only for Ray to turn the car back around and tell her to stay so they can get some money out of Gary. Later that night, Ray confronts Abby. She asks what he is doing at the ranch and he responds that it was her who called him. It is implied that he knew that Cathy was at the ranch ("I have been real patient. .... I could have called at her any time but I didn't"). It is made clear that he had lied to Cathy when he said that he had been looking for her. Ray tells Abby that Cathy is going to stick around for a bit longer. Gary confronts Cathy (who has returned) and she confesses that she was in prison for murder.
M) Episode 19: Cathy comes clean to Gary about her prison time. She also tells Gary that she's been working for Abby since before they were married and that she was hired to keep him busy while she was doing whatever she was doing. Because she looked like Ciji, Abby wanted Gary to become obsessed with Cathy. Cathy says that she didn't know what she was getting into and that she didn't think anybody would be hurt. Later, Cathy and Ray talk and it becomes clear that Ray committed the crime for which Cathy went to prison. After Gary throws Abby out of the house, Ray comes to her office apartment and makes vague threats. "How long ago did we make our deal? I stayed in the background while you played your little game... never said a word.... I told you where and when to find Cathy and what you did after that was up to you...
N) Episode 20: Abby confronts Cathy in the gym at the ranch and asks her to go packing, referring to her deal.
After this episode, there are no more references to the backstory.
From this, the following is clear:
There is no reference to this in season 5.
This not correct. Abby did not see Cathy in the hotel room and Gary did not tell her about it (either on or offscreen). From episode 16, it was revealed that Abby had paid Cathy before Gary saw her at the hotel room.
They never talk about jail records. From what the show explains in the later episodes that season, it seems that Abby called Ray to find out where and when to find Cathy. But it never explains how Abby 1) would have seen the face of random woman from Arkansas who had been jailed for four years and 2) why she would take the risk to set up this somewhat outlandish charade. In other words, a central element of Abby's plan was never sufficiently explained.
Hence, my impression that this was something that was decided later in the season, i.e. after Cathy had appeared in the show. This is supported by the plot from the early episodes: if Abby had Cathy set up to be with Gary, then the following questions arise.
a) Why would Abby have to rely on Gary's sleuthing to find out who the unknown person delivering room service is. Remember, he had to call the hotel and a temp agency to get her name.
b) Why would Cathy be so resistant to Gary's inquiries/advances at first? Again, shouldn't she have let him come as close as possible? Why would she try to leave on several occasions only for Gary to persuade her to stay.
c) Why would Cathy have mentioned Ray at all when Gary initially approached her?
d) Why would Abby throw a fuss over Cathy after she initially met her? Of course, she could have pretended some sort of surprise to make the whole story more believable to Gary, but there was no need to go over the top (and her facial expression in the gym, when she first met Cathy, also shows genuine surprise.
To me, the change in story direction occurs between episodes 12 and 13, just about when a new writing team took over. Is this co-incidence? I understand that Richard Gollance (one of the writers) has said that it had been planned all along that Abby was behind Cathy's appearance, but on the face of it, it doesn't make sense.
Now, all of this comes with the caveat that I have not started watching season 6 yet -- so maybe there is more talk about it that I am now missing?
Looking forward to your thoughts!
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