I got six more episodes of Season 14 in the can last night. I'm trying to get KNOTS wrapped up as soon as I can, that way I can get back to FALCON CREST.
Mary Robeson is dead and Mack has been arrested for her murder. Of course, we all know Mack didn't do it, but he's been set-up as a red herring. He did go to Mary's apartment and threaten her. Mack and gotten $500,000 from Claudia via the Sumner Group --- well, Mack asked for $1,000,000, but Claudia only gave him half, claiming that's all she could get her hands on in such a short notice. What the audience learns (and now the characters pretty much know as well), is that Claudia actually got all the money, but used the other half to give her bed toy Nick the Italian restaurant he wanted. Either way, Mack's currently in jail, has fired his lawyer, insisting to represent himself, and Karen is torn to pieces because he refuses to see her. Oh, and Paige is in the mix, too, naturally.
Greg and Anne have fallen into a marriage of convenience --- Greg's convenience, that is. I was actually shocked that Anne was honest with Greg about not being pregnant and lying about a miscarriage. As expected, Greg doesn't show too much emotion about it all, at least not outwardly. He agrees to stay married to Anne so he doesn't have to be too committed to Paige, and Anne seems fine with all of this as long as she gets to keep the "Sumner" name and spend Greg's money. They've just made a pact that they will not discuss Paige. On the flipside, however, Greg does seem quite disappointed that Anne isn't going to have a baby. Despite his tough guy exterior, Greg is a softy when it comes to kids. He wants to be a dad, but nothing works out for him. Moments like that really make Greg seem quite real.
Paige had a little side fling with former baseball player Bill Nolan, who tries to get the Sumner Group to start some rec department or something for these under-privileged kids living out in the boonies somewhere. The relationship goes belly-up, however, when Bill is offered $3,000,000 a year to go play baseball in Japan. Paige can't ask him to stay, so he bails after like three or four episodes. We learn Greg set the whole thing up, too. Anne is baffled, which, I'm like why? She knows Greg has always had the "hots" for Paige, so it shouldn't shock her. Greg naturally tries to sweet talk himself out of the situation.... or does he? I can never really tell with him. Either way, Paige doesn't have Bill around anymore.
Detective Tom Ryan has found his way back into Knots Landing via the investigation of Mary Robeson's murder. Tom and Mack have never gotten along, so Tom is pretty much decided that Mack killed Mary, or at least that's the way he's going to ride it out. I hate that, too. I've always liked Tom and I really wish he'd straighten himself out and patch things up with Paige. Tom's already tried to coming on to Paige again, but she's sent him on his way. I'd personally rather Paige patch things up with Tom than ending up with Greg again. But I know Tom's just a distraction because Paige and Greg shall be together before it's all over.
Claudia's still playing around with Nick. She's taken the other $500,000 she stole from the Sumner Group and given Nick his own restaurant. I haven't completely figured out why Claudia is so determined to keep Nick around. Does she just want to keep him away from Anne? Does she really just want someone in her bed? It might be a little of both, but I'm willing to bet the Nick/Claudia relationship is going to fade away as Nick will weasel his way back into Anne's life now that the Sumner marriage is "open". In the meantime, Claudia's blamed Mack for stealing the $1,000,000 from the Sumner Group, and she's told Tom that. All that did is give Tom more ammo to nail Mack. And, of course, Claudia doesn't care.
Now we'll get on to some of the stories I really wish weren't going on:
Kate's falling in love with Gary, which I already knew was coming. What I don't like is Gary is letting her. If he really loved Valene, he'd be respectful this soon after her death and put a stop to it. I don't technically anything too serious has happened yet, but Gary won't talk about it, while Kate is bragging to Paige that she'd bed Gary if he wanted to. I really wish they weren't going this route, but, hey, I guess Kate and Gary's got to have some story to carry this final season. I would just like it to be something else.
Then there's the side story of Mary Robeson's old attorney, Toni Fields, falling in love with Cliff Templeton, the other ex-baseball player that came to Knots Landing with Bill Nolan. I'm, like, what? Why is still being shown. Cliff isn't that important and neither is Toni. But, will they become important? Will Toni be tangled up in Mary's murder some how? I also know this relationship is giving the writers story to help push the episodes along while some of the main stars are written out due to budget restraints.
The most useless character we've got is Vanessa Hunt. I honestly cannot stand this character. She doesn't have any ties with Kate anymore, but she's still hanging around town. Claudia got her a TV job, but that hasn't gone too well because nobody watched it. Vanessa then tried to get Anne's "Tell Me About" job, but got turned down. As luck would have it, though, Vanessa finds Anne's fertility pills and tries to blackmail her. But that all stops when Anne tells Greg the truth. So, why, dear writers, is Vanessa still here? Is she just someone to write for as filler for when the big-wigs are MIA? If that's the case, someone else could've been brought in.
I'm still enjoying Season 14. I'm looking forward to the Mary Robeson murder arc.
Happy viewing!
