Season One Summaries

FIRST SEASON

Overall Plot Summary………. 3/24 Episode……..3/31 Episode

finale

My opinion of the show and its characters

Season Two

(The first paragraph was written by Andrea H. Mitchell {mitchell@tsd.itg.ti.com} for the Internet Movie Database. We have changed only spelling/grammar errors and typos.)

Based in Savannah, Georgia, it follows the lives of 3 best friends that have grown up together. Lane Mackenzie left Savannah after graduating from college to become a big journalist in New York. She returned for her best friend's, Reese Burton, wedding to Travis Peterson. Lane finds out that her apartment in New York is robbed and she tries to collect on an inheritance only to find out that Travis stole every last penny of it. Peyton, daughter of the Burton Mansion maid, had an affair with Travis. Reese finds out that Travis was having an affair with a "Bunny" and is devastated. Travis wound up dead. And through it all, the women remain friends.

This part is by Suzanne. Most of the above happened in the first episode. Here's my description of what's happened since:

While preparing for the wedding, Edward Burton (Reese's father) made friends with Tom (Massick, but he used another name at first), whom he thought was a businessman. Tom is really a con artist, working with Veronica, an ex-prostitute. Tom talks Edward into letting him play poker with his friends, fleeces him and takes his riverboat. We find out that years ago, Edward stole the riverboat from Tom's father; Tom also works on romancing Reese, Edward's daughter. Meanwhile, Veronica works on Edward, who has a thing for very young pretty women, it seems.

Peyton's mother Lucille is the one who poisoned Travis, for what he did to both Peyton and Reese. She admitted it, and confessed because the police had arrested Lane, who had similar medicine to the poison. Peyton, Lucille's daughter, thought SHE had killed him because she had hit him over the head with a bottle when he threatened to go to Reese to tell her that Peyton was Bunny. ( He also had a videotape of them, but she found it after his death and hid it from the police.) She put him in the trunk of her car, then he disappeared. His body was found in the river. Lucille had followed Peyton, and when she was stopped by the police, got him out of the car and into the river. Anyway, Peyton's mom is in jail. She told Peyton that Edward is really her father; years ago he promised to take care of them financially if she kept her mouth shut. Later, Peyton finds out that Edward cut her out of the will, though. He also cut out Reese, who annoyed her father by wanting to be more independent and get a job (she's "daddy's little girl"). She moved into the house he bought her for her wedding present (was her mom's house) and got a job as a waitress on the riverboat.

Edward hit his head after getting caught in a fire in his tool shed, and Peyton saw it and was deciding whether to let him die when Veronica rushed in and saved him. He was very grateful so he asked her to move in with him. Their relationship further strained his with Reese. He and Veronica were thinking marriage when one of his friends recognized her as a prostitute he'd once had in another state; so Edward broke it off with her. To try to prove she wasn't so bad, Veronica filled Edward in on the whole con that Tom set up, so he tried to block Tom getting the gambling equipment for the riverboat.

Tom's brother Vince came to town for some kind of score to settle, after serving time in prison. He and Tom are not the best of friends, but Tom gave him a job. Reese mortgaged her house to get cash for Tom to get the riverboat underway, so Tom made her a partner. Peyton conned Edward to get $50,000 from him so Tom could get the gaming machines in time for his grand opening. Peyton went to Edward and drugged his drink and set up him up in a compromising position so he'd think he slept with her (his illegitimate daughter) so that he would give her a bunch of money. This allowed her to get Tom's gambling equipment in time for the riverboat to open. In return, he made her a partner, too. He and Peyton, two of a kind, had passionate sex on the riverboat. Reese confronted him about lying about who he was, and he claimed to really love her, but she didn't believe him. Edward tried to get Tom's gambling license taken away because of his unruly past, but Reese went to the guy and convinced him to do it; since she will own part of the boat, too, and give the proceeds to charity.

Meanwhile, Vince told Reese that the reason Tom really hates Edward is that he holds him responsible for their dad's death. Seems Edward's wife (Reese's mom) was running off with Tom's father when they had an accident; the mother was killed and Tom's dad ended up committing suicide because he blamed himself (I think that's right). Reese's mom was leaving Edward because she found out he had a child with Lucille (not sure if she knew who it was). So Reese finds out Peyton is her sister, and Peyton feigns surprise. They force Edward to have a paternity test and he pays to have it doctored so it comes out that Peyton is not related to him. He claims never to have slept with Lucille, and she wouldn't say anything at first. But when she finds out he went back on their bargain and cut Peyton out of the will, she goes to court to sue him (see description below of last week's show).

Lane, the less-interesting of the three women, decided to stay on in Savannah because she couldn't get a job in NYC as a reporter, and because she has a thing for her high school sweetheart, Dean, a cop. Dean's wife Jeannie had left him almost a year ago, partly because he still pined for Lane. He helped her find out that Travis had stolen her money, but also had to help arrest her when she was accused of his murder. They had just slept together when Jeannie came back, ready to work things out. She was a bit pissed to find Lane there, but still wanted to stay. Dean had to agree, for his son's sake. But it turns out Jeannie is a little psycho and has her own secrets. She tells Lane she'll kill her if she goes after her husband again. And Lane sees her kissing a man in the airport, so she uses her reporter instinct to find out that she is leading a double life: she has a man she lives with, a "fiancee", in another town. Jeannie tells both men that she has a cosmetic sales job that keeps her on the road, to explain her absences. Lane tells Dean and he goes with her to confront the guy, but Jeannie finds out and covers her tracks, so Dean disregards the idea.

But then he finds out from his son that the whole time Jeannie was gone, he stayed with his grandma. Jeannie told her mom that Dean had a "drinking problem"; so Dean dumps his wife and is back with Lane. But he can't go too fast because Jeannie has poisoned his son against Lane. Meanwhile, Lane and Dean work together because now she is a local reporter working with and around the police.

Edward was talked into running for office (state senate?); Lane found out that Veronica was a prostitute, so there were ugly rumors about them. But Edward and Veronica set up this thing where he opened a halfway house for runaways and Veronica is operating it, so it looks like their whole relationship was innocent (they held a press conference explaining it). In the meantime they are back together again and also skimming profits from the place. He hopes to use his new-found political power to bring Tom down.

Description of 3/24 episode, as described by Donna Bridges, with a few changes by Suzanne:

Peyton got Brian, a lawyer who seems to be pretty sharp, to take her mother's case pro bono. They went to court for Lucille to enter her plea. Most were expecting a guilty plea because of her previous statement that she had killed him, but she pled not guilty & her attorney indicated that she was (earlier) protecting the individual who really did it. She revealed that Edward Burton had an unacknowledged daughter (her own) & that his new son-in-law (Travis) had discovered this & was blackmailing Edward. They called for a court-controlled blood test to prove or disprove paternity conclusively.

Tom offered his father's suicide note & affidavit that Reese's mother had told him that her husband (Edward) had fathered another daughter from an affair. Little brother Massick saw big brother skimming the gambling proceeds & confronted him, giving him a chance to make it okay. Tom said it would never happen again, but then he framed his little brother, the ex-con, for the robbery of a video camera.

Reese and Peyton were in conflict over being sisters, or not, believing Edward or believing Peyton's Mom, etc. Lane was trying not to get caught in the middle. Lane was also in conflict with boyfriend cop Dean over their relationship & their jobs. She printed something he told her about the coroner making mistakes because of personal stress he was under.

The Court ordered the blood tests to be made. Edward sent his ex-hooker lady friend (Veronica) to offer Lucille a deal - half a mil for Peyton to make a retraction. She said she will agree if Edward came in person. He did & she reneged. She just wanted a chance to blast him in person. He is apoplectic & can't believe she would turn down the money.

Good show! ~DonnaB

This week's episode, by Donna Bridges

Savannah Episode Originally Broadcast Sunday 3-31-96

Brian Alexander and Peyton are outside of the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at intermission. He says he has seen it already as he sees everything with his girlfriend Nancy who has season tickets to everything. They decide to go dancing instead of going back into the play.

At home, Lane gets an anonymous call from a man who says he'll meet her to give her more info for her story & that his life is at stake.

(Opening Credits, Commercial Break)

In a church, Lane goes into the confessional. Her source, the mystery man, says that one of the 3 vials of blood taken during the Travis Peterson autopsy is now missing. He mentions Dean Collins.

Edward Burton (and Veronica) are at a press conference where he is getting serious heckling. Brian at his office, trying to clear his calendar. He is very interested in Peyton. An event on the riverboat is one that he wants to keep. Lane goes to talk to Dean. They exchange apologies over her story.

Reese, who Vincent Massick has called, & Tom, go to see Vincent at jail. His bail has been denied since the authorities think he is a flight risk. He can't believe this is happening to him.

At lunch, Lane tells Dean about the missing vial of blood. Off the record Dean tells her that the ME mishandled things & broke one of the 3 vials without documenting it immediately, so it is just his word.

Edward & Veronica are at home, chowing down on sandwiches. He is very upset from the press conference. He says he is not Peyton's father but that Lucille was a good housekeeper & putting Peyton in his will was a good way to keep Lucille from dragging his good name through the press.

In court, the test results are that Edward is Peyton's father. Edward looks like he is going to choke on his tongue. Reese left very upset with her father trying to apologize to her. Peyton approaches to get a hug from her Daddy. No go.

(Commercial Break)

In the hall, Edward is angry at someone who was supposed to take care of these test results, maybe his attorney. Edward goes out telling the press that it is wonderful news that he now knows he has another daughter. The press runs to Peyton who has made a wonderful entrance & says, "No comment." & turns to hug a teary Reese.

Back at the confessional, Lane's source is angry she is late. She relates what she has found out about the broken vial. The source says Collins is a drinking buddy, sob story friend of the ME. She brings up the other items like the special cufflink. Source says to look at the police reports where it says both cufflinks, not just one.

An "old boy network" politico is upset with Edward about the inconsistency between the DNA reports and the chippie he is supposedly seen with everywhere. Veronica overhears Edward tell the politico that he will take care of her when the time comes.

Lane & Det. Wheeler go over the "qty. 1 - cufflinks" inconsistency in the report. Wheeler says Collins was just tired & automatically wrote the "s" on the end of the word. They look at the log for the checkouts of the evidence. That page is missing.

Scene with Brian and Peyton at his office when Nancy comes in to collect him to go to supper.

Veronica goes to see Tom on the riverboat about when he will be able to start paying her some of her share. He's shocked that she still expects a share since she baled out on him. She is appalled to find that he has new partners & who they are. She's starting to look desperate & heads to talk to Vincent in jail where she tells Vincent that it was Tom who set Vincent up for the 6 year drug sentence & proves it by showing him a photo of Tom with the Colombian who gave the evidence on him.

Lane & Church Throat are in the confessional again. She tries to talk to her source who says that Dean, in money trouble, took a bribe from Edward Burton to conceal the evidence of the real killer. He seems to have a cough & we see a ruby ring. He tells her to follow the money. She has already tried to get her editor to take her off this story, to no avail.

(Commercial Break)

On the riverboat, Brian and Nancy are at the Children of the World benefit that he has been looking forward to. Peyton's working. The politico turns out to be Senator Harley. Veronica's working the crowd. Peyton gets in a good dig about Edward Burton being a deadbeat dad as he is 22 years behind in child support payments.

Vincent intentionally gets his left wrist caught in the cell lock up so they are going to take him to the hospital. Lane calls to arrange to talk to Dean privately later.

Edward is trying to make up with Reese at the benefit. She tries to send him to Peyton when he says she is making a scene, so she really does make a scene! She gets everyone's attention to announce that her Daddy is going to buy her sister Peyton a car just like the convertible he bought her.

Lane goes to Dean's apartment, gets the hidden key & lets herself in. It seems empty. She is drawn to some mail & stuff, including his checkbook. There is one deposit of $10,000 that she is staring at when Dean comes in behind her. They discuss this. He says that the money was from when a friend paid him back a personal loan. He won't say who because he made a promise to that person to keep it confidential. They have an ethical dilemma with their personal & professional lives & she leaves with things unresolved between them.

(Commercial Break)

The Senator starts to work on Brian to have a backup in case Edward Burton doesn't pan out. Brian leaves with Nancy without dancing with Peyton.

At Bay General Hospital, Vincent's wrist is not broken but he will have to stay overnight. He gets them to cuff the bad hand, which is wrapped in an Ace bandage, to the bed rail. Although it is very painful, he gets out of the handcuff, steals his roommate's clothes & goes out the window.

At home Reese is trying to ease Lane's mind. She can't get satisfied with the article that she needs to turn in. Personally she doesn't know what to think & is troubled. Reese's words don't soothe her, as two men who seemed trustworthy, Travis and Tom, have lied to Reese.

Peyton seems to be alone on the riverboat near closing time. Brian comes in and says he forgot how to have fun & recently realized it when Nancy was ill & he took her to the play as his client. He tells her that he & Nancy do not live together. But, she already knew that. He's here to collect on a dance with Peyton. (We already knew that.) A kiss. A dance.

Morning at the Pavilion Hotel, a rundown place, where Vincent is checking into a room with a view of the SS Savannah.

Dean is at a pub & Jack comes in & sits with him. He tells Dean it's his own fault & thanks Dean for helping him get his life back on track, the secret loan for Rehab, etc. He has a cough & a ruby ring. He's Church Throat. (as I thought) He leaves a paper on the table. (and quietly calls Dean a "snitch" behind his back) There is a story on Detective Collins being suspected of wrongdoing on the front page.

Previews

Vincent breaking in & stealing money. Brian questioning Peyton about Edward saying he was going to kill Travis. Lane telling Dean that they were set up by his ex-partner.

Finale, First Season

Lane, Peyton and Reese go to the courtroom. Brian tries to make it look like Edward killed Travis. Reese testifies that Edward threatened to kill Travis 3 times. Later, Brian is worried about the outcome; he explains "reasonable doubt" to Peyton. Dr. Ramsey, a doctor from a nearby town, comes to Brian's office with crucial information. He testifies that Travis got drugs from him under an assumed identity. Peyton flashes back to Travis dumping her. Brian theorizes to the jury that Travis may have overdosed on his own. Brian gives an impassioned closing argument at the trial, saying that a murder may not have occurred-Travis could have committed suicide or accidentally OD'ed. Lucille is set free. Mostly she has no comment for the press, but answers that she will not waste time being bitter at Edward.

Lane notices a man coughing and wearing ring like her source. She follows him but loses him. She asks Det. Michael Wheeler about her source-he fills her in on the history between Jack Buchanan and Dean. Lane goes to Dean and tells him what she knows about Jack setting them up. They visit Maria, Jack's wife, and find out that she threw him out, he never went to detox, and he hates Dean. Dean and Michael visit the evidence room cop, a friend of Jack's, who is hostile to Dean. They ask him if he left Jack alone with the evidence book when he came for lunch with the cop. He says he let Jack "reminisce" by looking at the book, and didn't watch him closely.

Lane and Reese wonder who really killed Travis. Dean comes in and tells them he's in the clear. Lane and Dean kiss; Reese makes herself scarce. In his room, Jack eats ice cream and watches t.v. When he finds out Dean has been exonerated, he throws his bowl at the t.v.

Peyton settles her mom in a luxurious hotel room. Lucille regrets she can't go back to the Burton Estate. She rejects Peyton's invitations to stay with the girls, or to go to dinner. She tells her she just wants to relax on her own. She hugs Peyton and thanks her for all her help. She then calls to get Dr. Ramsey's address.

Peyton visits Brian and thanks him personally with a plaque saying "World's Greatest Dancer" and undresses for him. Later, Brian and Peyton meet his mom for dinner. Things are a little awkward, especially when Peyton has to admit she didn't go to college, but they seem to go fine.

Lucille visits Ramsey's office and finds him moving across country to a new job doing research at Castor Industries. She then goes to see Edward. She thanks him for helping her get off-she knows he sits on the board of Castor Industries. He denies any involvement and says anything he did was to help himself. She thinks he's being modest, so she points out that he helped her because of what they once shared-he would have married her if his parents hadn't disapproved. He laughs and says his parents wanted him to marry her, but he wasn't ready to settle down. He never loved her.

Lucille gets very drunk at the same restaurant where Peyton is having dinner with Brian and his mom. She wobbles in, embarrassing Peyton. She thanks Brian for helping her, even though she did murder Travis. She asks him how she's supposed to live with that. Peyton gets her mother a cab and yells at her for humiliating her in front of "the first man who may actually love me". Lucille whines about not having a job, home, or "self-respect", and Edward doesn't love her. Peyton says, "Shame on you!". Inside, she tries to apologize to Brian's mom, who says, "I knew you were trash before your mother showed up" and tells Peyton her son will dump her after he's sowed his "wild oats". Lucille whines to the cab driver, who doesn't know who she is. She has him stop at a gun shop.

Dean drops his son off while Jack watches from his car, drinking liquor from a paper bag. Dean calls Lane and asks her to pick Jason up from school because he and Michael have to go out of town. She reluctantly agrees. He tells her he'll meet her later at Rockin' Robin's. She picks up Jason, who mostly ignores her, while Jack watches and follows. Lane gets Jason to laugh by looking silly as she eats the cheese on the pizza. They go to the care to get his markers, and he chases a paper that blows away. Jack stops the blowing paper and grabs the kid, but Lane kicks him so the boy runs away. So he grabs Lane instead and drives away.

Vincent calls Tom and asks him to meet him at a homeless shelter. The police converge on the shelter as Vincent watches from across the street. Vincent breaks into Tom's office on the Savannah, steals his money from a strong box and leaves him a note saying, "Bye Bro!", which Tom later finds; he gets very angry. Veronica calls Tom and tells him Edward dumped her; she is having a key delivered to Tom that fits a bus locker. Inside are some photos of Edward and someone else. She wants him to use them to smear Edward's campaign. Reese comes in and asks Tom a work question. Tom gets the key and Reese asks him if he's going to use it-she heard part of his phone call. She asks him to give it to her so she can "destroy the photos". She says if he loves her, he'll give it to her; so he does. Veronica visits Vincent and gives him a phony I.D., planet ticket and new clothes. They discuss setting up Tom: the bus locker contains a ½ kilo of methamphetamine. Reese is arrested after she opens the locker. Veronica tells Vince she doesn't want to know where he'll be.

Edward awakens to Lucille's gun pointing at his face; she tells him, "You forgot to change the locks". Peyton is about to go inside Reese's house when she sees someone in the shadows. "We have a lot to talk about", Travis says, walking toward her, as she screams his name.

Opinion by Suzanne

Character: The neat thing about the show is all the twists and turns; interesting stuff happens every episode. And the characters are very complex and interesting.

Peyton is fun to watch because she enjoys playing everyone off each other. She's bad, but not evil. She is filled with hatred for the Burtons because she had to live as the maid's daughter all those years; now that she knows she is related she is even more annoyed that she was treated so badly. Edward is also an interesting character; he seemed like a good guy the first episode but since then we've found out he's a real cad. He does love his daughter, but very selfishly. Reese and Lane are goody-goody, but Reese is getting less wimpy every episode and seems to be getting more like her father, at least a little, as she fights him. She has been wronged by so many men now, she is getting a backbone. It will be fun to see what happens when she finds out all of Peyton's shenanigans. Tom seems very cool on the outside but he has a shady past and is filled with revenge and hatred for Edward.

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