Daily Updates

Port Charles Update for Friday, 5-Sep-2003

September 5, 2003



[Open inside the Elixir, where we see Jamal, Jack [a/k/a Bull] and Imani]

Jamal checks out his newspaper-clipping article as he looks at Imani – he folds it and returns it to his pocket as she walks by going to the bar with her tray.

Bull, behind the bar, is on the phone, he tells her that the call is for her and gives her the phone. She moves away from him and speaks into the phone “Grandmother – what is it? What’s wrong? Are you sick? You’re not supposed to call me here, unless it is an emergency!”

Jamal is watching her as she continues to speak “Who’s been asking questions about me? … OK – listen to me – do not talk to anyone about me – and do not call here again! I know – I love you, too. ….. Soon. Soon.

[Cut to Hell [really] where Rafe is lying back against a rock screaming for the Devil voice to show his face. He remembers (aloud, of course) that Alison [who is becoming bigger, blonder, and more Dot-ish with every recap I type] tried to get down there to be with him – but ooooh noooo – for some reason, she couldn’t [Um. Heaven won’t have her, and Hell is afraid she’ll take over? ]

Rafe laughs: so guess what? You lose! Ha ha ha ha ha!

Devil Voice: Think again, Slayer! She may be safe for the moment, but you’re stuck here –so who’s the loser?! Bwa ha ha ha ha [Devil voice wins for most evil laugh]

[We cut to [The Loser?] Caleb, who is outside the barn, again. [I wish he’d make up his mind] and [of course he is having a flashback] of Livvie stealing his ring. We [again] get Alison telling him that she’s figured out that the ring he is wearing is not the real one.

Caleb goes back in the barn, followed by Alison, who demands that he answer her. She tells him that she was touching his ring when she wished for Rafe to [get a “Get Out of Hell” free card (This is the PC version of Monopoly, I’m thinking) and] come back from Hell and that should have made her wish come true ….

Caleb ‘edgewise’s a few words: “that is something you should not have done, Alison …”

But she just goes on: “why didn’t it work?! Because THAT is not your ring, Caleb! [Does she think he didn’t know that?] My God! That’s a phony! That means that Rafe isn’t coming back! So where is it!? Caleb, where is your REAL ring!?


[Meanwhile, back at the real ring – Livvie is outside the Elixir, holding the thing up in the moonlight to admire it. She muses that once she gets everything set up for this night, she can finally make her wish and it will be perfect. She tosses the ring around a little bit, and then goes into the Elixir.]

[Jamal is studying the inside of his bottle of beer [check your tape – he is] as Livvie walks past him to the bar.]

Imani, now behind the bar, but looking at the floor [is it as interesting as the inside of a bottle of beer, I wonder?] Asks Livvie [without looking at her] if she can get her something: Livvie tells her that she wants something special - - but when Imani sees who it is – [“You!?” She exclaims] she gets Bull to take the order for her.

Bull notes that Livvie makes friends wherever she goes, and Livvie tells him that he should be glad he’s giving him her business, while she studies the menu – then she orders two large lobster tails, Caesar salads [though in her case they might be “Seize her” salads] and rice and veggies to go.

Bull notes that it must be a big occasion, and she tells him that he has no idea. He wonders who the victim is. She says he doesn’t know her anymore at all. He counters that he knows her well enough to know that she is up to something – and it’s written all over her face [which is cutely funny as we fade from her to the credits and there are things kind of, sort of written on her face for a moment]


[Credits]


Livvie repeats Bull’s question [what is she up to] and tells him that – if he must know – Caleb and she are going to have a very romantic evening. [so there] and maybe he should be kissing her feet for being such a good customer as she could be going somewhere else – but noooo – she adds – he, being he, likes to attack his best customers.


Bull tells her ”whoa” and to slow down – he’s not attacking her – just calling it like he sees it.

L: Oh, right – Bull the truth-teller!

Bull. Yeah – truth-teller. Would you like some dessert for your lovely evening? Maybe some cheesecake [maybe some blood pudding? Haggis?] Maybe you can rub it all over yourself and have Caleb lick it off? After your intellectual conversation …

L: you’re still trying to convince yourself you still don’t have a thing for me, huh?

B: how come every time I bust your chops you accuse me of having a thing for you!? [Maybe because you can’t resist the urge to bust her chops?]

L: it’s SO exhausting hating you!

B: Every guy needs a reason to get up in the morning – Hating you happens to be mine – I’ll be back – [he throws his towel down and leaves]

Livvie, looking VERY pouty, pulls out the ring, and thinks aloud – maybe it doesn’t HAVE to be that way….


[But, since the real ring is back, we are going to go back to discuss the phony one with Caleb and the broken record that Alison has been for this (and the preceding day’s) show.]

Alison wants to know: where is Caleb’s real ring!? She tells him he HAS to get it, and he tells her that ordering him around will get her nowhere. [You can lead a vampire to a carotid artery, but you can’t make him drink]

Alison slobbers apologies all over him, but then ruins it by saying that if she “lets him leave, Rafe might never come back!”

Caleb points out that she can’t keep him there, either – and he goes outside again – leaving the door open [again. Where was he raised, in a barn?! Or is he just visiting and when in Rome …….]

Alison trots along behind him and says that all she is asking is that he not disappear again –but it's NOT all she asks as she then just about orders him to look at her. She tells him that she doesn’t know what to say to him [but that doesn’t seem to stop her mouth from working as she adds] that she doesn’t have any more promises to make to him – and all that she is left with is her love for Rafe [and that motor at her jaw?] and she hopes that is enough.

Caleb tells her that he might actually being enjoying this [that makes ONE of us] if it wasn’t such a bittersweet pill to swallow: he has been betrayed by the woman he loves and the woman who swore to him that she was his friend.

Alie – who just SECONDs past swore she had no more promises to give him, now promises not to do it again and then she promises that she will keep this promise. But [Bing! – light dawns as her ears catch up with her mouth and pass it for a stretch]

A: wait a minute! Did you just say that the woman you loved betrayed you?! [Caleb just looks at her – he is strong enough NOT to actually say, “Duh”, which I would have done] OMG! Livvie has your REAL ring!

[Caleb simply looks away as we cut to Hell, where, in addition to the red filter over the camera, we have added campfire flames at the front of the screen. Rafe, who has managed to get to his feet, now comes close to the flames [?!] and yells this question: “Why don’t you show me your face?!” ] [My question: Why does he want to see it?]

Rafe remarks that ‘they’ said it would be a ‘fair fight.’ But the Devil Voice says that there is no fight there, at all. He wins, Rafe loses and that’s the price he pays for his arrogance. [So there.]

Rafe echoes that last word: Arrogance?! I didn’t choose to be a Slayer! That was my destiny! The only thing I want is to end the curse of this ring!

Devil voice [laughs evilly [how else?]] It’s only those who have never should have wished on the ring that are cursed – and those, like you, who have come seeking it! In the hands of it’s rightful owner, the ring is a dutiful servant.

This does not sound funny to me, but Rafe laughs.

R: ha ha ha ! You are unbelievable! You’re talking about this thing like it’s almost human! Like it has a will of it’s own!

DV: you really think humans have wills of their own?

R: yes! Yes we do! That is how we have survived so long! Because we have the will to choose good over evil!

DV: not always! Just look at your world, and all the wishes your friends have made.

R: All right – well, maybe I can’t change the past, but I can change the future!

Dv: You already have [ominous]

Rafe: what? What do you mean?

DV: You violated the code! Making the choice to come here was the defining moment of your life. Your fate is sealed. And even if you could get the ring back now – it won’t matter!

Rafe yells back that the voice is wrong – it’s just what the voice wants to make them believe – he makes them doubt their selves – doubt each other – but Rafe is there to tell him that nothing is ever sealed!

DV tells him that he lets himself believe it, but Rafe counters that he has seen it – over and over again [these scenes DO repeat themselves, even Rafe has noticed] he adds that humankind has risen above the greatest tragedy – and the voice now says that Rafe is responsible for everything that happens now [?!?! -] because he set all the stuff that is going to happen into motion. Rafe scoffs [scoff! Scoff!] He says he has fought consequences before and will do it again [and are we now, with all this ‘truth/consequences stuff, to figure that Bob Barker is the Devil Voice!? Rafe Kovich! Come On Down! It all is starting to make sense to me now]


DV asks Rafe – what about Alison? Rafe laughs – wonders if that is the last card the DV (and Caleb) can ever play. He [I am not making this up] tells the DV to go for it.

He hollers that: “She is smart! She is strong! And she loves me! And together; we will survive!”

Devil Voice promises that Rafe will live to regret his journey to Hell [I do] and it’s just begun …bwa ha ha !

Speaking of journeys to Hell, now we fade to the close up of the bottom of someone’s foot, but it’s not Livvie’s toes getting ready to get kissed by Bull [as hinted at, previously, it’s a commercial break]


[BTW, the Keebler Elves are shown during this commercial break, another part of TIIC wrapping up the loose ends of PC, showing the elves back making cookies full time.* The bad news: PC has been cancelled. The good news: there will now be more chocolate in every bite of Chips Deluxe.


[*reminder: we [Snarkettes] ‘figured out’ that the Keebler Elves live in a tree that stands between the East and West sides of the City of Port Charles. It has been their [thankless] task to keep what’s happening on GH from spilling over on to PC and vice-versa.]


[Back in the Elixir, Jamal finger-fumbles and drops his newspaper clipping on the floor – coincidently – right in front of Imani – who grabs it before he can get to it, though he has dropped to his knees to do so.

He points out that he knows it looks bad, but he didn’t [as she thought] take it from her stuff, he investigated her on his own. This doesn’t please her – she doesn’t like being lied to - no matter how many lies she tells. She is now looking down on him both literally and figuratively.

She tells him she had a good reason for not spilling her guts – he says he tried to respect her privacy and we BOTH can’t believe he said that. She points out that he’s done all this stuff to find out about her – and it’s things she does not want to share – she turns and walks away, but he follows her.

He tells her that it is not just ‘things’, it’s murder and it’s freaking him out. And he wants some answers.



[Meanwhile, Bull has prepared Livvie’s ‘to go;’ order, he’s returned and he gives it to her with a cheerful ‘try not to choke on it’ comment. She tells him that it does not have to be like this between them, they were polite to each other once, and they should be able to manage it.

[Bull tells her that it never lasts – and she says it’s because they always bring up the past [which is enough to bring up lunch, unless the Pepto Bismal is really handy] and Bull – wanting to get that last comment in, remarks that it’s about all the stupid stuff she did to him over and over again … then he leaves again]

[Livvie takes her bag full of dinner, and leaves the bar. She takes the ring out and muses that she has mad e few mistakes [a few? And the ratings have been a tad lower than ABC likes, too, because of them] She then wishes that Bull didn’t hate her anymore [which could mean that he would not hate her any less, but I don’t think it will play out that way, do you?]

[She looks into the window and l\then walks away, as Bull enters our view through the window and looks out.]

[Back at the Barn, Alison, who had nothing further to say and promise, is saying and promising it]

She says that Caleb should go get his real ring and wish Rafe back and the war between them is harmful and yadda yadda yadda …..

C: and STILL, she babbles on …. [LMAO – Caleb has had enough, too!]

Alison babbles on that she has to babble on otherwise there wouldn’t be a point to any of this at all… [I got news for her – even with the babbling, I don’t’ see the point of this [especially when we could have used the time on something that hadn’t already been played out before us so many times before]]

She adds that she will continue to fight for Rafe just like he will continue to fight for Livvie – no matter how much pain they are in [and how much pain WE are in?]

Caleb tells her that she doesn‘t know anything about his pain – but she HAS to contradict him and tell him [to listen to her – just for a “*second”] how she does and how he talked about being betrayed blah blah and everything else ALREADY talked about – and how it touched her and she thinks he liked that and I am SO really aware of why I tuned out large portions of the BigBLondeDotted PC TV…


[*Alison’s definition of a “second”: 19 minutes]

Caleb tries to tell her that this is pointless, but NOTHING stops the Energizer Bunny of Babble.

She KNOWs he has other powers and can get to the Dark Place where Rafe is [in front of the TV, watching this?] and she KNOWs he can free Rafe and she KNOWs he can stop the curse. And she KNOWs.

Caleb finally gets to speak and he tells her that it is out of his hands and Rafe is on his own.

[Down below, Rafe’s Spot O’ Hell is even smokier and more fiery than before]


[he now screaming for Alison and saying he wants to talk to her about anything [I am NOT making this up] [and she is more than willing to talk about ANYTHING or NOTHING, I conclude] He begs that she LISTEN to him [good luck, pal – she’s not even LISTENING to the guy she is actually with] and he moans that he may never be able to talk to her again! He wonders if that is his fate – his Hell is never talking to Alison again? He laughs [ha ha ha ha ha] and taunts the Devil Voice: Is THAT the best you can do?

R: Well, you’ve got nothing! OK? You’ve got nothing! You’ve got - - - Alison! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done this! I was wrong! I was wrong! I was sent back to Earth to be with you – not to fight vampires! Not to find a way to beat Caleb – but to be with you! That’s what they said: to be with her – Caleb was just a distraction! [He gets on his knees and begins praying] Caleb was a test, and I swear that if I get another chance, I will live my life as it was intended to be lived [as the head of the Church of Alisonology [formerly: Church of Lambertology]] [and I am not stretching this very far as he continues to pray to Alison] I promise you – I promise you - I promise to be with you – just you – and only you – if I get another chance – if it’s not too late - -

Devil Voice: you live in a world filled with empty promises, Slayer [he’s right – just read some of the old ABC spoilers for PC.] All good intentions in that world won’t change your fate! You’ve picked your path! Now, it’s time to see where it takes you! [LOL, the old saying: ‘he road to Hell is paved with good intentions’ is being used literally for poor Rafe, eh?]

Rafe: well, what do you mean?

DV: For reasons that will soon become clear, I’ve decided to set you free. [The costs of the fires are eating into the miniscule budget that ABC gave TIIC to wrap up PC with?]


DV: [continues in an even more ominous tone] it’s time to meet your future!

[Zap! Rafe disappears and we cut to a little girl on the stairs wearing a tutu and fins. Oops! That’s a commercial – not Rafe’s future]


[After the commercials, we return to the Elixir where Bull buys a red rose from a flower lady and tosses the keys to the bar to Jeff [working behind the bar] with order for Jeff to close up – Bull is taking the night off! He leaves, and we pan to see Jamal and Imani, deep in conversation, still.]

Imani tells Jamal that the murdered man was her English composition instructor [hint: she’s composing a story right now] and how he was a nice man and the time was the last anything was normal in her life. Jamal wants to know if she killed the English Teacher – she tells him that she did not – but Jamal may have just killed her!

[Cut to desk. We see a man’s hands, a coffee cup [just like Johnny Carson’s old one - -but either the picture of Johnny [on the side of the cup] is not facing the camera, or this is not Johnny’s cup] and a holster with gun. The man opens a folder, in which we see a big picture of Imani]

[We now cut to shirtless Rafe arriving [zap!] home. He runs about yelling and looking for her. He yells that he is home and it’s over, but [of course] no one is there. He decides that she is not home, but he will just wait for her, right there. He’s all happy and doing a bit of babbling himself – going on about how he has decided no more Caleb and how they are going to live happily ever after [more or less]

[Cut to the Alison clinging to the oh-so-sweet! Initials carved into the wooden beam at the barn, and Alison is [still] talking, now crying, too and wondering how she is supposed to live without Rafe ….]

[Caleb tells her that she will figure out a way, and says [in case we missed it when Rafe said it] that she is smart, and they ALL figure out a way, eventually. Caleb starts to leave the barn [again], but stops. Alison asks: what?]

Caleb tells her that he felt a shift – Rafe is back – she runs to him and hugs him, thanking him and crying that she knew he would do it – she knew he would find a way to bring Rafe back! She KNEW he had the power!

[Now we got to Livvie and The Ring, she is now in front of a fire [kind of opposite to Rafe being behind one for most of the show. She holds the Ting up and says that she knows ‘this’ is going to be SO amazing ….


…… Back at the barn, Caleb [has pulled away from Alison to] tell her that it was not he that brought Rafe back. She says she doesn’t believe him – that he must have know – but it doesn’t matter now – and all that matters is that Rafe is back and she swears that they are going to “do it right this time” and she thanks Caleb [again] and hugs him [again] while Caleb rolls his eyes [me too] ……


… And Livvie makes her wish: “I wish for this to be the most romantic evening Caleb has ever known.”

….. we see Caleb and Alison [still embracing] and hear more of ‘the wish’ “I wish for him to feel the kind of passion he’s only dreamed of …” [and the look Caleb is giving to Alison’s head shifts and [ME really is great here] suddenly he looks very different – he draws back and looks into Alison’s face – she is also looking at him in a new way ….


[Livvie’s voice continues as we look at the couple in the barn: “I want this a night of intense love that he will never forget and I want him to always know that I am the one who made it happen…”

Caleb [though with Alison, answers] “Don’t worry, I know.”

Livvie’s voice: “and out of this intense passion – I will get my greatest wish of all –a t the end of the night – I wish that …….” [The rest is unspoken]

Caleb and Alison kiss – Alison turns from him – touches her lips. Caleb shuts the door, comes up behind Alison, she turns to him – they kiss …

[Song: while Caleb lifts Alison onto a convenient cart of straw, and they begin to make out and the camera pans to the oh!-so-sweet! Initials on the beam [in case we forgot in the last 5 minutes where they were] ]

I have faltered, I have fallen
The road to you is such a long one -
Love has no name
Love has no shame

[Fade to black and the show is over]