August 28, 2025 • 61 mins
What happens when the pressure building beneath a seemingly calm surface finally erupts? In this episode, we dive deep into Knott's Landing Season 3, Episode 20 "Acts of Love" - an exploration of emotional breaking points and the decisions that change lives forever. The episode pulls us in multiple directions as we witness characters pushed to their limits. Richard's recovery in a psychiatric facility forces Laura to establish firm boundaries despite pressure from well-meaning friends. Meanwhile, Gary's obsession with his methanol business creates the perfect storm for disaster in his marriage to Valene. I share a personal story about witnessing an epic meltdown at Whataburger - when a fry cook named Ray reached his breaking point after 13 hours of staring into bubbling grease. His dramatic counter-leaping exit serves as the perfect metaphor for what happens when we ride the razor's edge too long. The heart of this episode explores a painful truth: sometimes people we love hold us emotionally hostage. Whether it's Richard's manipulation of Laura or Gary's neglect of Valene, we witness characters struggling to break free from these invisible chains. As Valene embarks on an impromptu road trip and meets Willie, a former boxer turned restaurant owner, she gains perspective on Gary's business ambitions - only to return home to a husband who's crossed an unforgivable line. What's your breaking point? When do you recognize it's time to step away before flinging hot grease everywhere? Join me for this analysis of one of primetime soap opera's most pivotal episodes as we examine the art of emotional emancipation and the consequences of riding the edge too long.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
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(00:22):
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(00:45):
Hello, gorgeous Welcome orwelcome back to another fun
filled edition of Soap Lore.
Welcome or welcome back toanother fun filled edition of
Soap Lure.
Friend, soap fiend, newbiesalike.
(01:07):
I hope you're having a stellarday, not just good over the top,
wonderful.
Anyway, I was ripping andrunning all morning long.
I'm back home, got my silk robeon, ready to kick back, relax
and just chill.
I like keeping a steady pace,but I've always been a homebody.
(01:27):
I love being home.
Even as a little kid it was myhappy place.
I enjoy this, don't get mewrong.
I like to go out and have agood time from time to time.
I remember in my twenties atsome point I decided that I was
doing this whole young, single,fun, flirty thing completely
wrong, did not feel like I wasliving up to my single potential
(01:48):
.
So I said to myself what's theuse of being young and vibrant
and having a big girl job with areal check and insurance if I
couldn't go out and beirresponsible and party like a
co-ed from time to time, heavyon the insurance lest I twist an
ankle or something from dancingon the table.
(02:09):
You know I would never,literally would never.
But I felt like I was doing itall wrong.
So I convinced my friends thatwe needed to seize the day, not
just the day, we needed to seizethe decade.
You're only going to be in yourtwenties once.
We need to live it up, we needto have a good time.
Let's run it up.
Let's go out every night forone week, seven days in a row.
(02:32):
Bam, bam, bam, bam bam.
My friends agree.
They're like yeah, you know,you're right, let's do this.
So we decided that we were goingto go ahead and do this.
We started out strong and westarted on a Tuesday because it
seemed like the most not gooutable day of the week.
It would have been too easy tostart on a Monday Plus.
That felt a little corny.
We didn't want it to sort ofcorrelate with the work week.
(02:53):
Tuesday seemed like a safe betbecause it wasn't the middle of
the week and obviously theweekend you were going to go out
anyway.
On Tuesday we go out to acountry bar, we line dance, have
a good old time, clink bottlesof Coors Light, have a good time
.
On Wednesday we found a Tejanobar Exemplary time.
We cumbia'd, we pop locked anddid all sorts of things because
(03:16):
they were playing hip hop andTejano Wonderful, wonderful time
.
Thursday was Thirsty Thursdayat the Amateur Ballpark Fine
time all around.
We met some people, we did alittle tailgating Wonderful time
.
So Friday rolls around and wedecide that out quote unquote
doesn't necessarily mean outsideso we decided to have a good
(03:39):
old fashioned kickback in myapartment Cheap food, a couple
people we met throughout theweek, cheap booze, just a really
good time.
Playing board games, justlaughing, having a wonderful
time in the house, goodold-fashioned kickback.
So when Saturday rolled around,we decided that was going to be
more of a half-day event.
(03:59):
We went shopping, we went andgot our nails done.
It was still somewhatreasonable at the time.
We bought a few snacks.
We got ready together, did alittle pre-gaming, decided who
the designated drivers were forthe evening we always had to
because safety first and then wewent out on the town and
partied like rock stars at theclub.
(04:21):
That night was a blast.
It was everything you'd want inyour 20s.
So much fun, maybe we had atime.
Now, as is tradition in thesacred rites of Texas nightlife,
once a club door swings shutand your body's gone from base
thumping sweat slick celebrationmode to a slow motion sway of
(04:43):
exhaustion, you're faced withtwo choices.
Do you go sit up in someone'sapartment and chug one last
drink?
Do you keep the night going, ordo you surrender to the
beautiful healing powers ofsomething fried and salty and
served under fluorescent lightswith rude waitstaff, if you can
help it?
That night we chose the latter.
(05:05):
That night we chose Whataburger.
So Whataburger at 2 30 am issort of hit or miss.
Not necessarily because there'sa bunch of unsavory people
inside, I mean, sometimes thereis, but after the club's empty
it's just packed.
Whataburger is one of the onlyrestaurants I've ever seen at
night where from 11 pm to up toprobably three in the morning,
(05:28):
it's packed Lines around thebuilding.
So it's always a bit of acrapshoot.
When my friends and I arrived,the thing that stood out to me
the most was how nothing stoodout.
It was so calm.
It was full but it wasn'tfrantic, and the atmosphere was.
It was chill.
It was full but it wasn'tfrantic, and the atmosphere was.
It was chill.
It was packed with people freshfrom the club.
(05:49):
You might expect you know morejovial crowd or the very least,
a rowdy crowd, but that was notthe case.
Everybody was chilling.
It was cool, it was.
It was sort of quiet.
Despite it being my idea ofgoing out seven days in a row,
it's never been my thing to beout at two in the morning.
Two in the morning to me meansI need to keep my head on a
(06:09):
swivel, even if I'm in the carby myself.
I don't do it anymore, but justnever been a keen of being out
super, super late like that.
But you know, there wassomething about the lobby of
Whataburger that just made mefeel I felt fine, I felt safe.
I sort of let my guard down,let my mind drift.
My head was not on a swivel.
I was waiting in line, probablyabout the third person back,
(06:33):
when suddenly this voice comesbooming from the back of the
kitchen I hate, effing fries, Ihate effing fries.
What this dude is screaming atthe top of his lungs.
I hate these mother fries,freaking the hell out.
(06:56):
Oh my God.
The guy at the fryer snatchesthe basket you know it's got the
long handle and you dip it inthe deep vat of grease.
He picks it up and he flings itjust kind of over his head
across the counter.
He throws it towards the front,where the counter is His
coworkers are there, everybody'skind of ducking and dodging out
of the way.
Throws it towards the hungry,half drunk crowd, piping hot
(07:20):
grease and fry dropletssplashing all over the place.
Then this fool begins tossingthese cartons of fries
haphazardly over his shoulder,one by one like one.
It was kind of beautiful,actually.
Just picture a McDonald's cartof fries.
But his Whataburger.
He grabs one, flings it, lefthand flings it.
(07:40):
Right hand flings it, left handflings it.
He is wiling, he is flippingout.
He starts to throw off hisapron and by this point the
manager is running.
Ray Ray, chill, chill, chill,calm down.
Ray, chill, chill.
His co-workers are scrambling,dodging French fries and sauce
and whatever the hell else.
(08:01):
He's knocking over All while heis stomping his way over to the
counter.
Now, by this point the crowdstarts to dissipate.
They start to.
The crowd starts to partbecause nobody knows what he's
going to do.
He jumps up, leaps on thecounter, still shouting
expletives kind of bull of this.
Been here for 13 hours I couldbe with my girl Flipping out.
(08:26):
So the crowd has completelyparted.
As good brother Ray stomps out,he jumps off the counter and he
stomps out.
Needless to say, the atmospherechanged.
People were concerned, peoplewere sobering up at a rapid rate
.
It was an incredible sight tosee.
(08:47):
But as I watched this man leapover the counter, still shouting
about what BS it was 13-hourhate fries it got me to thinking
two things in particular.
Number one how long had ourgood brother French Fry been
staring into that golden brown,bubbly vat of grease, watching
(09:10):
frozen fries turn to goldenfries?
Frozen fries turn to goldenfries.
Frozen golden scoop, stack,repeat.
Frozen golden scoop, stack,repeat.
Was it hour four that did himin?
Was it hour eight where hestarted to allow the invasive
thought he'd been thinking turninto fantasies.
(09:32):
By hour nine did it start tofeel like the walls were closing
in on him.
By hour 12, he was two frozen10-pound bags of Idaho's finest
potatoes away from one of themost epic meltdowns anyone who's
ever done a bright orangeWhataburger visor and black
slippers and shoes has ever had.
By hour 13, it was inevitable.
(09:56):
Now we may never know exactlywhy or which French fry broke
the cashier's back, but I knowfor sure that it was many, many,
many years before Ray theFrench fry guy could smell oil
without his eyes switched, and Ijust know that for a fact.
I don't have proof, but I knowit.
The second thing that was on mymind was how in the hell did he
(10:19):
manage to move so fast on aslick floor saturated in French
fry grease so fast on a slickfloor saturated in French fry
grease?
Ray showed out.
Ray made a complete and totalmess.
He stomped on grease, a slickfloor, slick French fries,
frozen fries and whatever else.
Sauce he knocked down and Imean he was stomping with
(10:40):
purpose.
He ran over all that greasy,slick food, hopped up on the
counter, still talking crazy,jumped down on the other side
and he stomped with purpose outthe door.
All I could think was well, acouple of things Dang, I bet my
order is going to be late.
And then I thought well, whatkind of rubber is in those shoes
?
He didn't slip or slide at all.
(11:01):
Was this the early phases of anervous breakdown for good
brother Ray?
Or was it the greatestslip-resistant Skechers
advertisement on planet Earth?
This episode of Knott's Landingwas a lot like the French Five
fiasco of the 2010s, not onlybecause there was a pretty
iconic scene in a diner, butbecause it explores a calm
(11:22):
before the storm.
Only, we all know there's nosuch thing as a calm before the
storm.
You see, storms just don'tappear out of nowhere.
There's a buildup.
There's always somethingsimmering just below the surface
.
What happens when you realizeyou're riding the razor's edge
for far too long?
Do you hold your breath andhope that by suffocating
(11:45):
yourself, you can hold on just alittle bit longer, or do you
leap off the deep end and letthe chips fall where they may?
How long can you be heldemotionally hostage before your
emotional emancipation?
So, queens, go ahead and pouryourself up something bubbly and
bright as we jump into seasonthree, episode 20 of Knott's
(12:09):
Landing Acts of Love.
If you're an OG.
You already know what thisepisode is about.
You already know OG.
You already know what thisepisode is about.
You already know what isrevealed.
(12:32):
This is a long time coming, butbefore we get to them we need to
talk about some of the bitplayers Now.
I believe when last we left,richard had just held his
pregnant, estranged wife hostagewith an empty pistola, but a
pistola nonetheless.
We're seeing what the pieces ofthe puzzle are after this.
So Richard was taken to ahospital.
He was held in the hospital fora few days before he was sent
(12:54):
over to a proper psych ward orsome sort of I hate to use the
word loony bin in this one.
It's funny.
On the other soap operas,because you don't actually see
the women in it.
You know what I mean.
They're not there from like aviolent or potentially violent
act he is.
I want to be more delicate, butthen I have to ask myself why
(13:14):
am I so hesitant to call himnuts?
I think because what we saw wasa slow decline of a man's
sanity.
I think because what we saw wasa slow decline of a man's
sanity, piece by piece, brick bybrick, board by board.
It's a lot less funny when it'sin front of you.
So, back in the old cul-de-sac,back in the neighborhood, karen
(13:37):
is still front and center.
That's her boy, that's herfriend.
She's on her way to go andvisit him.
When she sees him she ispleasantly surprised, because
the hospital or the facilitythat he's being held in is quite
comfortable looking.
He has several windows to lookout of, looks like he's got a
lot of space.
He looks good.
He looks like he's himselfagain.
(13:58):
He's cracking jokes, he'skeeping it nice and light.
But I feel like Karen's one ofthe few people he can really be
himself with all the time.
She already knows his dark side.
She already knows his lightside.
She's not judging him in a waywhere he needs to make amends
with her for anything.
She was just concerned with herboy.
I have to admit, though, Ithought about the last episode
(14:21):
and something just kept buggingme.
It wasn't the fact that thewomen in the neighborhood wanted
to see Richard be okay, but Ifeel like there was not enough
concern for Laura.
Yes, they were.
I mean, they cared about her.
I can already hear you guys, Iknow it.
They definitely cared about her.
They definitely were worriedabout her, but I think maybe the
(14:44):
focus was more on Richardbecause they didn't want some
sort of incident to happen.
They knew the kid was in thehouse.
Nobody wanted to see guns drawnand the trauma that that's
going to cause, and maybe theyjust feel like Laura's probably
strong enough to take it.
But I would feel a way if I hadto go through that ordeal.
I'm still having to take careof my child, I'm pregnant with
(15:04):
the other kid and I know that myfriends I don't know, I don't
know it just it seemed for alittle bit to me like they were
more concerned with Richard, butI, as I say it out loud and as
I think about it, it wasprobably a situation where they
just didn't want something worseto happen.
There was a lot of empathybehind doors for Richard and to
(15:28):
happen, there was a lot ofempathy behind doors for Richard
and there was, um, there was aconcern for Laura, but nobody
and I do mean nobody carriesthat, probably more than more.
So while Richard and Karen areconversating, they're having a
decent time.
She's seeing that he's good, adecent time.
She's saying that he's good.
He keeps saying well, laura hasnot come to see me, okay, okay,
(15:56):
no, she hasn't.
No, she hasn't.
Karen tells him Laura's doinggreat, jason's doing great.
It seems like he just wants tosee her, he wants to talk, he
wants to maybe let her see thathe's okay.
So Laura, on the other hand, isis doing well, she's doing as
well as she can.
She still has a child to raise.
She still has a child in utero.
Can't really be bothered withrichard in his, his current
(16:18):
state.
So one night laura is chillingover at kenny and gingers.
Oh my god, you ever meet, youever have a friend who gets
either like super religious allof a sudden, or maybe they're on
a health kick.
All they can do is tell youwell, you shouldn't be eating
that that has gmos, has blah,blah, blah.
(16:39):
You really should take thisinto consideration.
Blah, blah, blah.
That's all fine.
That's all fine, well and good.
You know it all comes from agood place.
But imagine some kitchen Carlawith a garden that's 14 days old
, telling like a master gardener, like Martha Stewart hey, yo,
martha, you don't want to usepesticides.
You just, you know, that's just.
That's not the old fashionedway.
(16:59):
You got to get in there withyour elbows, go, crack some
eggshells or something and putit in the soil.
That's how you got to do it,martha.
This is how I picture Kenny andGinger talking to a very
pregnant, very already motherlyLaura about what she should and
shouldn't do in her seven monthsof pregnancy, especially Kenny.
Kenny and Ginger are sitting onthe couch with Laura.
(17:22):
Well, when are you due?
Oh, I'm seven months, so, yeah,doing a couple months.
Ginger's like oh my gosh, haveyou started Lamaze class?
Laura's like nah, I ain'treally trying to do all that,
I'm tired, I feel fat Like I'mnot really trying to do all that
.
Kenny chimes in.
Oh, it was a wonderfulexperience, especially for me as
a father.
When I watched my wife, who Irepeatedly cheated on with the
(17:44):
Care Bear I can't even rememberher name when I watched her
squeeze out my child with twonames in a recliner with no
bottom, I really felt like a man.
I felt so at peace.
It was such a beautiful,cathartic experience.
We brought life into the worldGinger sitting in that
bottomless chair and me in thecorner sipping ginger ale
(18:07):
watching her through pain.
It was amazing.
Ginger looked high and shelooked like she might have a
spinal tap at that secondpumping her full of something.
Because here she comes with the.
Yes, it was one of the mostmagical experiences of my life.
Baby, you have one baby.
Laura's Lamaze class, laura'sspinal tap, laura's what is it
(18:29):
called?
Epidural is eight and a halfyears old and he's perfectly
fine.
Whatever chemicals flowedthrough his body, guess what?
He's fine.
He even managed to climb out ofa house where a man was
brandishing a weapon.
He climbed into the arms of theSWAT team on an aluminum ladder
, earned himself a badge.
Don't you talk to me aboutpainkillers.
(18:50):
Little girl, kenny and Jinderhad the audacity to tell this
twice pregnant mother.
Oh yeah, girl, we know bestSeven months.
You need to get yourself in aLamaze class, especially Kenny.
Have several seats, sir.
Thank God Karen shows up andthey're like hey, you want
anything?
She says oh, yeah, I'll take apiece of pie.
(19:12):
Like oh my God, I got to keepbetter desserts on hand in case
I have guests.
Well, karen sits to talk toLaura, says Laura, when I saw
Richard today, oh, that's cool.
How's Richard doing?
He's doing great, but he wantsto see you.
This is a tough ask, Friend ornot?
Look at this whole list, lookat this from all angles.
(19:36):
Karen's point of view is listen,richard is.
He was sick.
He needs to know you care abouthim.
He needs to know that he's kindof in limbo right now.
He didn't really know what tothink.
Laura's point is you know what?
I'm sorry you're asking a lot.
I don't think I should have todo that.
I can't really be worried abouthim right now.
(19:57):
I need to make a clean break.
Karen's like girl, why are youtripping?
Just go talk to him and go seehim.
Laura says why?
So he can hold me at gunpointagain, which extends my point a
little bit.
Hearing her say that, mixed withthe thoughts I was already
having, gives me the clarity Ineed to say this.
It's not that it's I'm picky.
(20:20):
I love Richard more or I loveLaura more.
When your friends are likeplease go help him, please go do
this.
It's hurtful, in my opinion,because you saw what Laura had
already gone through.
She did not come to the decisionto divorce and leave him
overnight.
That was a slow and steadyprogression.
(20:42):
Yes, he may be different.
Yes, you don't need to holdsomeone's past against him.
But think about this this womanwas on her way out the door and
what did he do in order to stopher from doing that?
I understand he was sick.
I understand he was goingthrough things, but it's really
unfair, as my best friend, toask me to put myself back in a
(21:04):
position not to say that he'sgoing to hurt her.
Maybe he will, maybe he won't,who knows?
A lot of crimes of passion areout of the blue.
But she tried to leave.
She did everything right.
She reached out to him when sheneeded to.
She set up times.
He disrespected that time andtime and time again.
If she's at home, he's ignoringher.
(21:26):
He doesn't want her to doanything.
He can't celebrate her successthe right way.
When she leaves him, he goesape-ish, brandishes a weapon,
keeps her and a kid locked inthe house.
Even if the cops had nevershown up she would have been
locked in that house all night.
And as far as I'm concerned, youcan love Richard, but it's time
(21:47):
to love him from a distance.
That's not fair to ask her todo that, but I mean she feels
the need to go see him, forwhatever reason.
Maybe it's for closure, maybeit's just to put eyes on him.
You can.
Two things can be true at once.
You can love someone and wantthe very best for them.
But things can be true at once.
(22:11):
You can love someone and wantthe very best for them, but also
know if I reach out to save you, you're going to drown me too.
You're going to take me underwith you.
So when she gets to thehospital he's cracking all the
dad jokes.
She seemed to be pretty relievedthat it's a nice institution.
It does not feel sterile.
There's life there, people arebusy, they're living a pretty
good day.
It's like a spa.
I hate to use that word, but itdoes feel more spa-ish than
(22:33):
hospital-ish.
It's not bad.
I mean, it's not where he wantsto be, but hey, there are worse
places.
They have sort of a lightbanter.
How's Jason?
Jason's fine.
What's the food like?
Oh, it's kind of bland, it'skind of plain.
I love the way.
I don't remember the actor'sname, but Richard is.
It's so good.
You can tell he is.
(22:55):
How's he coming off?
He seems tired, like he mightbe a little bit medicated, but
not in a loopy way.
He seems exhausted but reallyreally calm and you can tell
he's trying to be pleasant.
So he's cracking all thenecessary jokes, but there's
just something a little bit off.
He's not quite himself and hemay never be the same person
(23:15):
again.
I know, I just said.
There's no need to to mincewords or I can say one thing and
mean it, and another thing canalso be true.
Laura should not be put in aposition where she needs to
still keep an eye on him.
She doesn't need to be tailoredto him because he may or may
(23:36):
not have another episode.
That is a terrible way to live.
That is riding an impossibleedge.
That is, there's no way toensure that he is going to be on
his best behavior and even ifhe is, it's still feeding into
this hope that they can get backtogether and be that she does.
She should not be put in thatposition.
(23:57):
Also, I can understand thathe's trying.
I can understand that hedoesn't want to be the person
she saw the last time she sawhim.
So, as the banter continues,person she saw the last time she
saw him.
So as the banter continues,they get so, so close.
They get like a couplecentimeters away from really
discussing that night.
But he doesn't want to talkabout it.
He's like, oh yeah, that was.
(24:17):
Let's just put us behind us.
It's going to be different now.
Everything's going to beperfect, going forward.
It's going to be so good.
It's just like the scene whereLaura decided to leave him.
I keep going back to thatbecause she's so, she's not a
woman of a lot of words,especially when she's with
Richard.
They sort of slip back intotheir old roles, and maybe
(24:37):
that's why it feels a little bitfunny in this scene, because
he's still doing all the talkingbut he's not domineering, and
so the air feels a little bitdifferent with them domineering,
and so the air feels a littlebit different with them.
She's still receiving him thesame way.
She's still just as calm as acucumber, but you can just feel
that something's a little bitoff.
I didn't think about that untilnow.
(24:59):
It's because, in my opinion,he's not domineering.
He's trying to be this, thiscool, calm.
My mental health is perfectlyfine and, listen, we should look
forward to the future together.
It's going to be wonderful,it's going to be good.
It's a little sad.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
(25:22):
Laura's got a decision to make.
How can I co -parent with thisman without picking up the
responsibility of his emotionaland mental health?
It almost feels to me likeRichard is still holding her
emotionally hostage and he cando that indefinitely if she
doesn't put up that permanentboundary.
(25:42):
So I don't know what's going tohappen.
I don't know how all this isgoing to unfold, but she's got
to emancipate herself.
She has to free herself fromthis.
It's hostage.
It's emotional manipulation,even if he doesn't intend on
being manipulated.
That's enough about them.
That's a bit players for theweek.
Let's move on to the entree, themoment I have been waiting for.
(26:07):
It will be really, really easyto blame it just one person.
I'm not going to do that.
I will admit I started thisepisode while I was at work.
Let it play sort of in front ofme as I did my thing Terrible
idea.
I kept stopping like what, what?
I can't stand Gary.
I said I can't stand Gary noless than 25 times this episode
(26:30):
and I still feel that way.
However, I refuse to let myemotions get the best of me.
We're going to look at thisobjectively and we got to start
from the beginning.
So Gary's got the methanolbusiness going, or at least it's
trying to get going.
Requires a lot of attention,all while still being the vice
president of Knott's LandingMotor.
In all fairness, that's a lotof attention.
(26:52):
All while still being the vicepresident of Knott's Landing
Motor.
In all fairness, that's a loton anyone's plate, doesn't
matter who it is, he's doing thebest he can.
The other side of that coin isthat he's doing the best he can
with Abby to ensure that thebusiness is successful.
After all, she's part owner.
She has just as much to lose ashe does if this doesn't work
out.
So yeah, they're going to haveto partner together to work
(27:14):
together to get this thingrunning off the ground.
Side side note Abby is in fulldestruction mode.
She knows that the best way totear down something is to do it
little by little.
If you want to watch somethingcrumble, you just take a chunk
here, a chunk there.
Before you know it, it's goingto tilt and it's going to fall
(27:36):
one way or another.
Perhaps it'll fall in her favor.
So at the top of the episode wefind Valene out front picking
flowers.
But it's not like she's notreally picking flowers, she's
really in her poetry bag.
This whole writing thing hasreally gotten to her.
She's having to rewrite hersecond.
I guess this would be hersecond draft of her book.
(27:57):
So she's kind of playing withwords, rolling them over, and I
suppose, like the garden ishelping with that.
You know, sometimes you do amundane thing.
You ever just like go, take adrive and suddenly an answer to
a question.
You come see or watch this, youknow something mundane,
something sort of tactile.
Next thing you know you got it.
So this is happening.
She's having a moment.
(28:17):
Boom, oh, I know what I'm goingto say.
There, karen comes by to tellher that she's going to see
richard.
Val announces to karen and tothe audience that this is the
first night she and gary havehad alone in a long time.
She's going to do somethingromantic.
She's going to pull out all thestops.
It's going to be candles, it'sgoing to be sexy music.
She is so pumped to get tospend a little time with him.
(28:39):
So let's flip it over to Valene.
Valene has just written thisbook accidentally, but guess
what Turns out?
She's pretty talented.
She's in the second draft ofthe book Now.
I don't know if he knows thatright now.
I don't know if he still thinksthe book's not coming out.
He may not know this yet.
I just thought about that.
He may not be aware of that,but nonetheless, val has a very
(29:06):
difficult task in front of her Abook where she goes into great
detail.
Even if it's a little morefantastical than the reality,
there's still a whole lot oftruth in what she wrote.
She has to move just so anddeliver this news to Gary in a
way that isn't going to send himover the edge.
(29:26):
Perhaps dinner and all thissoft music, soft lighting in her
mind is going to help ease thethe blow.
Well well, you know, right aboutthis time Gary comes driving up
and Val's pumped oh my god,he's home early.
Karen's like all right, bye,girl.
Now Gary jumps out hey Val, heyKaren.
(29:46):
Karen's oh, I gotta go.
I'm gonna go see Richard.
Tell him how's he doing.
We'll find out.
Blah, blah, blah.
Val's thinking oh my gosh,you're home early.
Should have been a red flag, itwasn't for her.
He tells her honey, I'm sosorry.
I know you probably havesomething planned, but uh, max
from Bayshore Trucks, he hadn'tsigned all the truck contracts.
But I think we can get him onthe hook tonight.
(30:08):
I have to have dinner with him.
I have to go like right now, wehave to go early.
She's like are you serious,dude?
Again, that means no romanticdinner.
That means no canoodling.
That means no dancing in thedark afterwards.
That means he's gonna spend theevening with abby.
I will go ahead and defend abbya little bit.
This seems to be a legit meetingthis time, but it doesn't
(30:28):
matter.
Val's tired of being put on theback burner, gary's tired of
having to feel guilty aboutputting her on the back burner.
So of course, they have alittle couple spat.
I do think he's being a littlebit immature about this.
He's like what am I supposed tobe like?
Oh, max, I'm sorry I can't havea conversation with you about a
potentially thousands andthousands of dollars worth of
gas you're going to buy for mebecause my wife is uncomfortable
(30:52):
by it.
You would think she was askinghim to skin half of his arm off
or something.
Is it so weird that maybe yourwife would want to have dinner
with you?
Is that so strange?
She's like all I'm saying isyou give me a heads up, give me
something.
This is a bit much, gary.
Okay, I'll be a little bit morelenient to him.
I can understand.
(31:14):
It's going to, like I said, it'sgoing to take a lot of time, a
lot of energy to do this.
He doesn't really have thebacking, like.
This is just his money.
I got to make this happen, Igot to make this work and in his
mind, this is going to benefitus.
It's not just me, it's going tobenefit us.
Yes, it's my business, but wewill be the ones who get to
enjoy the fruits of this.
So he says I wish for once youwould just back me up.
(31:36):
You don't realize how close weare to this.
Me and her say at the same timeno, when, when?
Okay, what?
Since?
When does she not back you up?
Gary is here's the thing too.
There's a new little swing inhis hips or something.
He doesn't seem to be thatbothered.
Quite frankly, he's going tothis dinner period point blank.
So, mind you, val's been out inthe yard.
(31:57):
Karen came by to say hello,gary just got home from work
early.
He came home way earlier thanhe usually does.
They have this little, you know, communication spat, whatever
you want to call it, they haveit out in the yard.
He goes in the house rightafter he tells you know,
communication spat, whatever youwant to call it, they have it
out in the yard.
He goes in the house rightafter he tells her.
You know, you need to supportme.
Blah, blah, blah.
He goes up in the house.
She's still standing outside.
(32:19):
Next thing, you know, baby girl,comes across the street.
Olivia.
Olivia's like hey, girl, I'mhere, brian's over at Kevin's,
but I'm ready.
And Val's like ready for what?
I'm ready for you to babysit me, didn't Gary tell you?
So that means that Gary andAbby had a full on conversation
and made plans.
Yes, they're going to dinner.
Yes, they need to schmooze thisguy.
(32:40):
But you made plans and you toldsomebody else I would watch
their kid.
I'm not feeling that under anycircumstances you could have
called me from Knott's LandingMotors.
He didn't.
So Val goes upstairs.
She's like okay, olivia, sitdown here, play color, whatever
you need to do.
They get into another smalllittle spat upstairs.
She's like listen, I'm going tokeep it cute.
(33:03):
I'm going to pretend like I'mnot offended that you just
turned me into the babysitter'sclub as a full grown, 30 plus
year old woman.
I'm gonna let that ride.
But what I can understand isthat every time it comes down to
business or me, you pick thebusiness and you storm out of
the house.
Gary says well, don't make mechoose.
You were making it about youversus the business.
(33:23):
I'm simply just doing business.
He then challenges her Okay,cool, cool.
Maybe I storm out, but maybeyou're really pissed because I'm
doing the business with Abby.
That's what it is.
You don't want me giving Abbythis attention.
This is the perfect storm.
Actually, at the top of theepisode I said there's no such
(33:44):
thing as a calm before the storm.
It's not calm, it's just notsurface level.
There is so much pressurebuilding up underneath this you
just can't see it yet as a calmbefore the storm.
It's not calm, it's just notsurface level.
There's so much pressurebuilding up underneath this you
just can't see it yet.
So, boom, gary is putting hisfoot down.
All I'm doing is business.
I'm not going to make yourinsecurities my business.
(34:04):
She's like okay, all you do isbusiness.
And I'm not going to ignore theinsecurities.
I feel, because it's at thispoint.
80% of your time is somewhereelse.
Gary really ain't trying tohear that.
He walks over to the closet,pulls out two outfits and be
like okay, well, which one?
Like you really going to blowme off?
I wish he would have been.
Like you know what, gary,you're looking a little chubby.
Not that there's anything wrongwith having a little weight on
(34:31):
you, but you know he think he'sfine.
Fine, so let's go ahead and doa little psychological warfare.
Cool, I'm overreacting.
You looking a little thick.
Gary need to lay off the donutsor tell him he's too thin.
Either way, he'll think aboutthat the whole night.
He'll be seething, but she doesneither.
Val is so angry, she is sopissed off.
She comes to that moment whereshe's like I got to do something
and I got to do it.
(34:51):
Right now she goes downstairs,she says baby girl, come get in
this car.
We're going to take us a littleride.
Shout out to Olivia for sittingon the couch, absolutely not
doing her homework.
She brought over her littletrapper keeper and she's
definitely reading a magazine asto doing her homework, but you
what?
Oh well, deal with it.
(35:12):
I really, really enjoy thescenes with val and olivia.
I forgot how good of an actressthis kid is.
So val and she are just in thecar and you can tell that val's
distracted.
Olivia picks up on that.
She's like is everything cool,something going on with you?
And gary valine's like don'tyou worry, you're pretty little
mind about that.
Olivia at first thought that shewas mad, that Val was mad at
(35:32):
her.
Val's like no, sweetie, I'm notmad at you, it's just.
You know, I'm going throughsome things.
Where do you want to go?
Olivia's like hey, I've alwayswanted to go to Mount Palomar.
There's like this gianttelescope.
We can see things thousands oflight years away.
Valene's like you know what?
That sounds amazing.
That sounds like something Ineed to do.
My mind's all over the placeLooking through a telescope and
(35:56):
seeing stars might ground me.
You know what, girl?
Yeah, let's do it.
Olivia's like bet.
So Val says okay, well, which?
Do you know where it's at?
No, I don't know where it's at,but you know we're having a
girls trip.
This suddenly became fun.
They're doing their whole listwe're free, we're independent
(36:16):
women, we're Fettleman, louise,without the crash.
Val says well, is it north oris it south?
Is it closer to Canada orcloser to Mexico?
Olivia's like it's definitelycloser to Mexico.
Cool, we'll figure it out, godbless.
An impromptu road trip in 1982.
They pick up Nary, a map.
They ask for zero directions.
(36:39):
They drive until it's dark andthings start to feel
uncomfortable.
Right about that time Val'slike oh my God, maybe this
wasn't the best idea.
Olivia's kind of looking aroundscoping out the place and she's
like hey, are we lost?
Val has no shame.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, probablyshould have got a map.
(37:00):
We are lost, but, as luck wouldhave it, just like the
Whataburger sign flashing in thedarkness at 2 30 am.
They look over to their leftand there is a beacon of hope
seems to be a little diner thatthey can pull up in tons of cars
.
So it's not creepy, they're notout in the middle of nowhere,
god knows.
Valine does not need anotherghost episode.
(37:22):
She and olivia pull over andthey go on inside.
Funny thing is, although theplace is really lively, for
whatever reason, when Valenewalks in she immediately has an
attitude.
Meanwhile, back in Knott'sLanding, the Methanol Twins, as
Abby has coined them, are ontheir way to have dinner with
(37:45):
Max, who owns Bayside Truckingor something, or another Bay
Shores Trucking or another.
Max, who owns Bayside Truckingor something, or another
Bayshore Trucking or another,and they're going to lock this
deal down Hell or high water.
There's a little lightflirtation as Abby adjusts
Gary's tie.
He's waiting for her outsideand she can tell something's a
little bit off.
She's like she wants to makesure his head's in the game.
She goes.
(38:06):
Let me guess Val was upset thatwe're doing business again.
She's just so uncomfortable.
She's so jealous of me.
It's weird.
Couldn't be that y'all haddecided that she's going to
watch the kids while y'all go dowhatever you need to do.
But that's neither here northere, because when they get to
the restaurant, when I tell youI can't stand Gary, I can't
stand Gary.
(38:27):
So they get to the restaurant,they're chilling right before
Max arrives and Abby's makingsure that Gary knows a game plan
.
Gary just shut up, we're goingto go for this price.
And he says, well, we don'thave the manufacturers, we can't
get all that pumped out.
She says don't even worry aboutthat right now, let's get the
deal, we'll figure out the restlater.
She's sipping her wine and he'slooking at her all seductive,
(38:49):
like and she's like boo or seesomething you like.
He's like I like yourconfidence, anything else?
Yeah, super flirty, supersmoochy face, so much so that
when max walks in, heimmediately picks up that
there's, there's a littlesomething going on here.
Also, as luck would have it, theactor who's playing Max this
(39:11):
episode is also Avril Dawsonover on Dynasty.
What are the odds?
Well, I guess it's not thathard.
Seems like the soap opera worldis very, very small.
But what are the odds that Iwould meet, see him make his
debut on one show and then hisdebut on the other?
Anyways, abby is phenomenalduring dinner.
(39:34):
Max is on the fence.
Now, I don't know y'all.
This seems a little funny.
I don't know.
I did a little research and youwere mortgaged up to your
eyeballs.
Well, abby said.
Well, since you were doing somuch digging, then clearly you
know about Gary's family, theEwing's.
Well, this makes Max's earsperk up a little bit.
He's like the Ewings.
Huh, the Ewings are backingthis deal.
(39:55):
Abby plays coy.
I'm not saying they are.
I'm not saying they aren't.
I'm not saying a single thingabout it, heavily implying that
they are.
Gary's sitting there all goofy,like licking his lips because he
liked the way this sound.
Then he starts sipping hisliquor.
Is it me or is it me?
Doesn't Gary want to be on hisown, not attached to his family
(40:20):
name?
That's not important to him.
It ain't important to him.
Until it's important to him, hedidn't mind Abby using this as
a way to a sleight of hand, ifyou will.
Matter of fact, he likes it.
Max likes it too, because hesays you know what?
Let's go ahead and draw up thecontracts, let's get this thing
popping.
Gary and Abby celebrate, hootingand hollering inside of this
(40:45):
very classy establishment.
Gary's all like I can't believeyou said that.
I'm not saying the Ewing's arebacking.
I'm not saying they're not.
He thought it was wonderful.
Mixed signals, mixed signals.
Well, you know, it was not somuch of a mixed signal a
romantic walk on the beach, Isuppose in an effort to
celebrate their first contract,which I get.
(41:07):
I'm going to give you all that.
Gary and Abby made their wayover to the beach before you
know what they're making out.
Let's just go ahead and skip tothe good part.
It's excitement, just like theexcitement when they got the
rubbing alcohol to work down inMexico.
They're jumping, they're vibing.
All of a sudden Abby ends upback down on the sand.
(41:27):
Gary climbs on top of her andthey kiss, they, they smooch,
they make out.
They must make out for a verylong time because once it's all
said and done, they startleaving the beach.
Gary, mind you, he's got his armaround her.
He's like Abby, we can't dothis.
This is wrong.
We can't do this.
She said you know what?
I'm real, real, real sick ofthis song and dance.
Gary, don't tell me what we canand can't do.
(41:47):
When you were playing thisridiculous game with me every
day, what do you mean?
She uses the phrase razor'sedge, and I like that a lot.
She's like you.
Like going on the razor's edge,you like taunting me, you like
teasing me, you like that, Ilike you.
I'm getting tired of playingthat.
Gary.
You feeling froggy, you need tojump.
What you're not going to do isdo what we just do and then act
(42:08):
like it's all my fault.
Nothing's going to work.
I'm not just some side chick, Iam important.
Here's the thing that gets me,though.
I have been questioning for awhile after the kiss in Mexico.
Of course I was pissed, but I'mlike I don't know if they're
still doing something and it'sjust not on camera, or are they
not?
I thought up until then theywere not doing anything, but at
(42:32):
the beach she says, she saysover and over, we get ourselves
into these situations, and thenyou pull back and start
lecturing me.
So does that?
Does what does it mean?
Does that mean they made out alot?
I don't know.
I'm really confused by that.
I don't really know what shemeant.
I had it in my head.
(42:52):
They weren't, but it doesn'treally matter what I thought
then, because this is we'retalking about what I know right
now, which we'll talk about herein just a second.
I love that she called him out,though.
I love that she called him outLike, listen, you can't keep
playing these games.
You're flirting, you're havingyour fun, you're stringing me
along, you're enjoying theteasing back and forth, and then
, when push comes to shove, allof a sudden you want to be super
(43:14):
righteous and do the rightthing.
You don't get to have it bothways.
Plus, I have feelings for you,gary.
I think you have feelings forme.
I'm tired of being the onlyperson who admits it.
It would be very easy to saythis is her being schemey,
scammy and seductive.
I don't really know.
Maybe she has feelings.
I mean, she clearly does.
She clearly has some feelingsfor him because she has pursued
(43:36):
him.
She's going through a lot ofwork to obtain this man when she
really wouldn't have to.
You know what I'm saying.
If nothing else, she wants to.
She wants to roll with him acouple times.
Meanwhile, back at the diner,like I said, valine walks in
with an attitude when they walkin the bar, there's, there's
(43:57):
this yokelish kind of guy at thebar, really animated, telling
the story.
He's got people captivated, bigpersonality.
You know what I mean.
Well, the minute he spots val.
Oh my God, let me go holler atthis young lady over here.
Ma'am, ma'am, welcome to myrestaurant.
It's a lot.
He shadow boxes with Olivia.
(44:18):
Val's not in the mood.
She goes to sit down.
I think she's probably justuncomfortable because this is
not in the plan and they'resuper lost.
Well, once Willie withdraws,his name is Willie, he goes by
kid, but I like to call himWillie withdraws.
Here's Val, southern draw he'soh my God, we got something in
common.
I hear country in your voice.
(44:40):
He doesn't say I hear Tennessee, I hear Macon, georgia, I hear
Tuscaloosa.
I hear country in your voice.
We must have a whole lot incommon, val's.
Like the only thing we got incommon is that you serve food
and I'm hungry.
So he's still friendly.
Throughout the meal she andOlivia finish, he comes back
(45:00):
over for round two.
Val's just ready to go.
She's not really trying to haveno extra conversation.
He offers him dessert.
She don't want to do that.
She's flipping through her purseand she realized in her haste,
in her anger with Gary, shewalked out the house without a
(45:20):
pocket book.
She has no wallet.
She has no way to pay for thismeal.
Now she's got to eat crowbecause she was all slick mouth,
adam.
Now she's got to go up to thebar and be like hey kid, hey
willay, willay, willay.
Funny story.
I left the house in a huff andI forgot to grab my pocketbook.
(45:41):
Truth is he doesn't really careabout it.
He's like okay, well, I mean,you know, enjoy, I hope you had
a good time with the meal.
But Val's a proud woman.
She's very frustrated.
She's like listen, I can write,you write your check.
Let me just pay for the meal.
He said I don't take checks.
You know, I don't really knowpeople like that, which I don't
blame him, but she's gettingfrustrated.
Well, how am I gonna pay forthis?
I need to do this.
He's like man, would you stepaside?
Let me take money from mypaying customers.
(46:02):
All right about this time.
A waitress comes by, she grabsa pot of coffee.
Val's like hey, you may haveheard of me, I am a world-class
waitress.
Let me go ahead and work offour meal.
Well, the other waitress waslike absolutely So-and-so called
in, so I definitely need thehelp.
This man goes in the back andgets her a full uniform, tells
her to go call your man, tellhim you're going to be late
(46:23):
because you're working latetonight.
She's like a duck in water.
Valene, on the floor at arestaurant is a sight to behold.
She is spilling drinks, she'staking orders, she's solving
short-term problems, she'skeeping people from breaking
their diets, she's flipping andmoving around french fries.
(46:43):
She is killing it, as a matterof fact, she is so impressive.
The girl olivia, is standing inthe corner just watching her
and all like wow.
I'm telling you, she's gotabout eight tables.
She is handling it.
She is rejecting handsy men.
She's keeping her skirt downwhen they try to touch her.
She's making little jokes.
They got a little whip.
(47:03):
She's got a quip right back atthem.
Incredible sight.
And you know what?
It doesn't go unnoticed.
Kid aka willie withdrawals isimpressed.
Man, it was impressive.
Doesn't matter much, though,because by by the time the shift
is over, by the end of thenight, a sheriff comes in and he
alerts everybody in the bar hey, hey, hey.
Y'all be very, very carefulgoing home.
(47:25):
If you're heading back up north, it's going to be a little bit
of trouble.
Some tanker flipped over,there's fire and debris
everywhere.
Can't really get home tillmorning.
So now she's like oh, my God, Igot to sleep in this restaurant
.
Thankfully, willie, aka the kid,is not a pedo or a pervert in
any way.
He is sweet on Valene, theVidalia Onion Queen, though,
(47:49):
especially after she impressedhim with that world-class
waitressing.
I think he owns some sort oflike lodging, some sort of
cabins surrounding therestaurant.
Val insists on getting one ofthose rooms or one of those huts
or whatever, while Olivia issleeping on the table, like the
restaurant is empty.
No one is there, but she, thethree of them.
She's like listen, listen, Idon't care about your house
(48:10):
rules, I am going to write you acheck and you're going to give
me one of those cabins.
He's like I'm sorry, I don'thave cabins, they're all booked
up for the night.
I had no idea you were coming.
Also, I had no idea there wasgoing to be some hazardous
vehicle spill.
It's like I can't, I don't knowwhat to tell you.
So he is a little bit feely andshe's super pissed at this point
(48:31):
.
So she's like you know, I'm sosick of this happy-go-lucky, the
guilt.
You are a giant child and I'msick of this and I'm sick of
your giant playpen.
And just because you're thisovergrown school boy, you ain't
done it.
She got really let them have it.
She flips out.
She has that I hate freakingfries moment.
Sick of being a you being aschool boy, sick of this big
(48:54):
giant playpen.
Now, this hurts willie'sfeelings because at the end of
the day he's an honest man.
He's like listen, listen.
You can say what you want aboutwhatever you want, but please
don't make fun of my restaurant.
I work real hard to earn this.
Okay, now the offer's stillyours.
If I want to use the apartment,that's one thing, but you can't
come here with a chip on yourshoulder, with an attitude
barking to me about myestablishment.
(49:15):
I ain't been nothing but goodto you.
So then olivia starts sniffling.
She seems to be sick.
Val breaks down, they go to theapartment and she and willie
get to properly know each other.
So meanwhile, back at noncelanding, gary drives ab Abby to
her house, which is directlyacross the street.
(49:35):
I understand you, being agentleman, park at her house,
walk her to her door.
I don't care if she lives, youknow, ten feet away, it is what
it is.
Walk her to her door.
Well, he walks her to her doorand then he walks her to her
couch and right about then thephone rings.
Mind you, this point is dark.
It rings twice, it goes toalmost a voicemail.
(49:55):
It goes through the machine.
Abby presses play and is lilymay.
Lily may is letting val uh, abbyknow that olivia is not coming
home tonight.
She and val got caught up insomething.
But they're fine, they'rehealthy, they're happy,
nothing's wrong.
They'll be home in the morning,which leads me to believe.
Well, where is the other?
Where's the son?
Maybe he's upstairs asleep,maybe he's sleeping over at a
(50:17):
friend's.
But once oh, this makes me somad once gary and abby hear lily
may confirm that thou will notbe home that night, they
immediately embrace each other,go upstairs and sleep together
on a cheap pair of silk sheets,slipping and okay, I gotta stop.
(50:39):
Yeah, just like that didn'teven occur to gary that, wait a
minute.
My mother-in-law's still home,so if I'm super late or I don't
come in, she might notice hedoesn't give a damn, he don't
care at all.
Meanwhile, back at therestaurant, val and a very and I
forgot to mention of the kid ishandsome kid's quite handsome
(51:03):
and kind, a little bit goofy,but it turns out he used to be
like this golden fist boxer.
He knew his career wasn't gonnabe very, very long, so he
opened a restaurant.
He's very, very proud of it.
He's like a man.
You just not a man.
You have to have somethingthat's your own.
This restaurant is a legacythat's going to last 30 years.
I had maybe 10 years to box.
I'm going to have the rest ofmy life to build this legacy and
(51:26):
it's at that moment that Val'slike dang, I feel you, I feel
you, I understand.
By the way, willie, my name isVidalia Valvoline, the East
Tennessee Onion Queen.
I go by Val for short.
She said all that, but shedidn't have to introduce herself
(51:51):
.
William Lee McCoy is pleased tomake her acquaintance.
He wants her.
She doesn't seem to want him,but he's respectable enough.
He's trying to flex around hisyou know, his little wife beater
or whatever, but he's listeningto her and he can tell right
away that it's man trouble.
So, as they're talking in frontof the fire, she does tell him
hey, you know, I just wrote abook first time.
(52:13):
My novel will be coming out.
He's impressed.
He makes a joke about puttinghim in one of her books and she
says well, I can't do thatbecause I only write about what
I know.
I mean, hey, you want to get toknow me?
He tries to kiss her, but notin a creepy way, and she's like
you know what I can?
I'm very married, but Iappreciate you.
William McCoy, aka the Kid, akaWillie Withdrawals, he respects
(52:35):
her.
Next day, as she and Olivia getto the car, out comes Willie
Withdrawals with a littleenvelope.
He's put some money in that togive to her.
He's like well, here's yourpayment for your shift, thank
you so much.
And she's so I can't take this.
I mean it's like well, I mean,honey, you're strong and I love
that you're a good country woman.
So I have no doubt that youknow how to get back home.
(52:58):
But what you can't do is pushthis car all the way down.
You're going to need some gasmoney.
Thank God for Willie Cause Ididn't even think about that.
Like duh, she doesn't.
She can't use Apple pay oranything.
She's going to have to pay cashsomewhere.
They just sort of give eachother handshake at first and
then a warm embrace.
But she's really grateful tohim because she can understand.
She sees Gary for the firsttime.
She understands that himpouring so much into the
(53:20):
business is not about him being,you know, trying to sleep with
Abby.
Again, two things can be trueat once.
But she understands now what itmeans to have a business, to
have something of your own, tomake sure that it's successful.
It could be your joy, it couldbe your pride and joy.
(53:41):
And she's like dang I have beenso, so disrespectful to him.
I have not let him grow.
I've been on his back aboutspending time with me, when he's
just trying to.
He's just trying to havesomething for himself.
She fully gets it, fullyprepared to drive back to knots
landing and make amends.
Meanwhile this fool is rollingaround on chief satin's sheets
(54:04):
with abby.
So let's flash back a littlebit.
He stays the night, y'all.
He doesn't even get up and gohome.
He can't even be bothered topull up his baby blue shorts and
walk the 10, the, yeah, 50 orso yards across the street to
his house.
Even closer than that, probably20.
But it's three, four in themorning.
(54:24):
Lily may can't sleep because thehouse is too quiet.
It's like dang, where'severybody?
She's walking around drinking aglass of milk.
Luckily she's the neighborhoodlooky-loo.
She looks across the street andshe sees Gary's car parked
outside of Abby's house and allthe lights are turned off.
She knows good and well, ain'tno damn business meeting,
trifling, trifling.
(54:45):
So the next day Val gets homeand she's none the wiser that
Gary hadn't been there all night.
She's calling throughout thehouse Gary, gary, mama.
Gary comes down the stairs andwhat pisses me off is he don't
even look like there.
There's not really any remorse.
There is like a moment'shesitation where he can't tell
(55:08):
if she knows that he's been out.
There's a kind of a brief thing, but before he can say too much
, she goes in.
Gary, I'm so, so sorry Ihaven't been more supportive.
I understand now and Iunderstand that we can work out
our problems and our differences.
Gary, I love you, honey, I loveyou.
I understand about the business, gary.
(55:28):
I understand about Abby.
I'm so, so sorry.
I love you and that's all thatmatters.
This fool, I love you too.
Lily Mae's in the kitchen bythis point and the look on her
face is like I'm hurt, I'mdisgusted.
God, I want to say something sobad, but I can't.
Oh, it's so good.
Oh, you're trifling.
It was bound to happen.
(55:59):
I knew the moment abby said ifshe the, the moment she decided
she wanted him.
It was a matter of time.
It was a matter of time he wentfrom not being able to, not
even her.
She wasn't even on his radar itdidn't seem like, and for the
longest I didn't.
I'm like he's not reallyreciprocating any of this, but
he just likes it.
He like you know what it is.
Him and Stephen on Dynasty kindof remind me of each other in a
way, because I think they arewhatever the noun is for someone
(56:25):
who has wanderlust.
You just like to kind of movefrom space to space, even if
it's not physically.
You like to move from thing tothing.
They like excitement.
Now, stephen, I ain't seen thatin a long time, but when he was
chasing after Sammy Joe, andthen he's hooking up with
hookers, all these things,you're chasing something.
Gary too, with the God he seemsto have a way with women who
(56:47):
have things for cowboys.
It was like if I can be a heroin any way, he can help himself.
Abby doesn't have to see him asa man who's you know at any
minute could relapse orsomething.
She treats him like the boss.
If he says something goes, okay, you're the boss.
Doesn't argue with him.
That way she steps in to makehim look good.
(57:08):
She's building his business.
I mean that versus someone whoknows all of your deep, dark,
dirty secrets and is like, whyare you not keeping your
promises?
I mean, I get it.
I'm not justifying it, but Iget it so interesting though
we're going to see if I can'twait to see what's going to
(57:30):
happen.
Matter of fact, I'm gonna watchthat next, I cannot wait to see
what goes down.
We're closing in to the end ofthe season, so I don't know, I
can't really remember on the atthe end of the other knots
landing.
Was that the car accident?
The end of season two?
I guess it was.
I'm sure they won't disappointthey have yet to disappoint me
(57:50):
but decisions have to be made.
How long do you keep up?
The charade Seems like Gary andAbby decided we're going to
just leap off the edge and letthe chips fall where they may.
I hope Laura continues to standher ground.
She does not allow Richard tohold her hostage emotionally.
(58:10):
I hope he gets better andeventually lets this go.
I really don't think they needto get back together.
I really don't.
And good old Valene, the Vidaliaonion queen girl, I need to
figure out this whole booksituation.
Does he or does he not knowabout her book yet?
Either way, she's gonna have tomake a decision.
She's gonna have to woman upand be like, hey, I delivered
(58:34):
this book, I'm going to keepenjoying it.
Just like you're cultivating abusiness, I'm cultivating a
brand and that's going to bethat.
Val needs to have her real.
I hate these effing fries moment.
You know, after that week,after the epic blow up by good
(58:57):
brother French fry Ray, I had amoment of realization.
I actually had a moment ofrealization probably the Friday
before that.
I didn't really need to go outevery single night of the week.
That is not necessary to enjoyyour life or enjoy your single
life.
I was following a templateversus my own desires.
(59:17):
But that man snapping andflipping out and leaving he
couldn't fry another french fry.
It's a great way to look atyour life sometimes.
You got it.
You got to figure out how toleave the kitchen before you
sling in hot grease and frenchfries all over the place.
(59:39):
You got to know when to stepout.
You got to know when your soulis over it.
I don't know if Val ever will.
All right, guys, that's it.
That's all.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this.
I think very noteworthy, verysort of tide shifting episode of
not landing.
(01:00:00):
Join me next time as we jumpback into even more soap opera
debauchery.
Remember, you can reach me inthe show notes.
If you're listening on a mobiledevice, just look for the link
in the show notes.
If you're listening on a mobiledevice, just look for the link
in the show notes that says sendus a text.
If you'd rather ride a leather,feed me some tidbits, I'm game.
You can reach me at so floorpodcast at gmailcom.
(01:00:20):
That's S O A P L O R E P O D CA S T at gmailcom.
Matter of fact, need you guysto do me a favor this week?
What is your?
I need you guys to do me afavor this week.
What is your?
I hate these fried moments.
Are you stuck in a loop thatyou feel like you can't get out
of?
What is a thing that would makeyou leap over the counter?
(01:00:44):
For me, it's Gary Ewingwiggling his eyebrows one more
time.
Stay hydrated, stay moisturized, mind your own business and
keep all of your drama on TV.
Bye.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome or
welcome back to Self Lore, theofficial gathering place for
newbies, novices and OG diehardfans of the golden age of
primetime.
I'm your host, jed, viewing andreviewing the silkiest,
sudsiest primetime storylines of1982.
So, whether you're new to thisor true to this, sit back and
(00:22):
enjoy.
Tell the kids it's time to playoutside or, out of sight, tell
babe no questions, suggestionsor concerns for the next 25 to
35 minutes.
Everyone else in earshot.
You can be cool, you can bequiet, or you will be put out
Because we are watching ourstories.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys andgirls, this is Soap Lore.
(00:45):
Hello, gorgeous Welcome orwelcome back to another fun
filled edition of Soap Lore.
Welcome or welcome back toanother fun filled edition of
Soap Lure.
Friend, soap fiend, newbiesalike.
(01:07):
I hope you're having a stellarday, not just good over the top,
wonderful.
Anyway, I was ripping andrunning all morning long.
I'm back home, got my silk robeon, ready to kick back, relax
and just chill.
I like keeping a steady pace,but I've always been a homebody.
(01:27):
I love being home.
Even as a little kid it was myhappy place.
I enjoy this, don't get mewrong.
I like to go out and have agood time from time to time.
I remember in my twenties atsome point I decided that I was
doing this whole young, single,fun, flirty thing completely
wrong, did not feel like I wasliving up to my single potential
(01:48):
.
So I said to myself what's theuse of being young and vibrant
and having a big girl job with areal check and insurance if I
couldn't go out and beirresponsible and party like a
co-ed from time to time, heavyon the insurance lest I twist an
ankle or something from dancingon the table.
(02:09):
You know I would never,literally would never.
But I felt like I was doing itall wrong.
So I convinced my friends thatwe needed to seize the day, not
just the day, we needed to seizethe decade.
You're only going to be in yourtwenties once.
We need to live it up, we needto have a good time.
Let's run it up.
Let's go out every night forone week, seven days in a row.
(02:32):
Bam, bam, bam, bam bam.
My friends agree.
They're like yeah, you know,you're right, let's do this.
So we decided that we were goingto go ahead and do this.
We started out strong and westarted on a Tuesday because it
seemed like the most not gooutable day of the week.
It would have been too easy tostart on a Monday Plus.
That felt a little corny.
We didn't want it to sort ofcorrelate with the work week.
(02:53):
Tuesday seemed like a safe betbecause it wasn't the middle of
the week and obviously theweekend you were going to go out
anyway.
On Tuesday we go out to acountry bar, we line dance, have
a good old time, clink bottlesof Coors Light, have a good time
.
On Wednesday we found a Tejanobar Exemplary time.
We cumbia'd, we pop locked anddid all sorts of things because
(03:16):
they were playing hip hop andTejano Wonderful, wonderful time
.
Thursday was Thirsty Thursdayat the Amateur Ballpark Fine
time all around.
We met some people, we did alittle tailgating Wonderful time
.
So Friday rolls around and wedecide that out quote unquote
doesn't necessarily mean outsideso we decided to have a good
(03:39):
old fashioned kickback in myapartment Cheap food, a couple
people we met throughout theweek, cheap booze, just a really
good time.
Playing board games, justlaughing, having a wonderful
time in the house, goodold-fashioned kickback.
So when Saturday rolled around,we decided that was going to be
more of a half-day event.
(03:59):
We went shopping, we went andgot our nails done.
It was still somewhatreasonable at the time.
We bought a few snacks.
We got ready together, did alittle pre-gaming, decided who
the designated drivers were forthe evening we always had to
because safety first and then wewent out on the town and
partied like rock stars at theclub.
(04:21):
That night was a blast.
It was everything you'd want inyour 20s.
So much fun, maybe we had atime.
Now, as is tradition in thesacred rites of Texas nightlife,
once a club door swings shutand your body's gone from base
thumping sweat slick celebrationmode to a slow motion sway of
(04:43):
exhaustion, you're faced withtwo choices.
Do you go sit up in someone'sapartment and chug one last
drink?
Do you keep the night going, ordo you surrender to the
beautiful healing powers ofsomething fried and salty and
served under fluorescent lightswith rude waitstaff, if you can
help it?
That night we chose the latter.
(05:05):
That night we chose Whataburger.
So Whataburger at 2 30 am issort of hit or miss.
Not necessarily because there'sa bunch of unsavory people
inside, I mean, sometimes thereis, but after the club's empty
it's just packed.
Whataburger is one of the onlyrestaurants I've ever seen at
night where from 11 pm to up toprobably three in the morning,
(05:28):
it's packed Lines around thebuilding.
So it's always a bit of acrapshoot.
When my friends and I arrived,the thing that stood out to me
the most was how nothing stoodout.
It was so calm.
It was full but it wasn'tfrantic, and the atmosphere was.
It was chill.
It was full but it wasn'tfrantic, and the atmosphere was.
It was chill.
It was packed with people freshfrom the club.
(05:49):
You might expect you know morejovial crowd or the very least,
a rowdy crowd, but that was notthe case.
Everybody was chilling.
It was cool, it was.
It was sort of quiet.
Despite it being my idea ofgoing out seven days in a row,
it's never been my thing to beout at two in the morning.
Two in the morning to me meansI need to keep my head on a
(06:09):
swivel, even if I'm in the carby myself.
I don't do it anymore, but justnever been a keen of being out
super, super late like that.
But you know, there wassomething about the lobby of
Whataburger that just made mefeel I felt fine, I felt safe.
I sort of let my guard down,let my mind drift.
My head was not on a swivel.
I was waiting in line, probablyabout the third person back,
(06:33):
when suddenly this voice comesbooming from the back of the
kitchen I hate, effing fries, Ihate effing fries.
What this dude is screaming atthe top of his lungs.
I hate these mother fries,freaking the hell out.
(06:56):
Oh my God.
The guy at the fryer snatchesthe basket you know it's got the
long handle and you dip it inthe deep vat of grease.
He picks it up and he flings itjust kind of over his head
across the counter.
He throws it towards the front,where the counter is His
coworkers are there, everybody'skind of ducking and dodging out
of the way.
Throws it towards the hungry,half drunk crowd, piping hot
(07:20):
grease and fry dropletssplashing all over the place.
Then this fool begins tossingthese cartons of fries
haphazardly over his shoulder,one by one like one.
It was kind of beautiful,actually.
Just picture a McDonald's cartof fries.
But his Whataburger.
He grabs one, flings it, lefthand flings it.
(07:40):
Right hand flings it, left handflings it.
He is wiling, he is flippingout.
He starts to throw off hisapron and by this point the
manager is running.
Ray Ray, chill, chill, chill,calm down.
Ray, chill, chill.
His co-workers are scrambling,dodging French fries and sauce
and whatever the hell else.
(08:01):
He's knocking over All while heis stomping his way over to the
counter.
Now, by this point the crowdstarts to dissipate.
They start to.
The crowd starts to partbecause nobody knows what he's
going to do.
He jumps up, leaps on thecounter, still shouting
expletives kind of bull of this.
Been here for 13 hours I couldbe with my girl Flipping out.
(08:26):
So the crowd has completelyparted.
As good brother Ray stomps out,he jumps off the counter and he
stomps out.
Needless to say, the atmospherechanged.
People were concerned, peoplewere sobering up at a rapid rate
.
It was an incredible sight tosee.
(08:47):
But as I watched this man leapover the counter, still shouting
about what BS it was 13-hourhate fries it got me to thinking
two things in particular.
Number one how long had ourgood brother French Fry been
staring into that golden brown,bubbly vat of grease, watching
(09:10):
frozen fries turn to goldenfries?
Frozen fries turn to goldenfries.
Frozen golden scoop, stack,repeat.
Frozen golden scoop, stack,repeat.
Was it hour four that did himin?
Was it hour eight where hestarted to allow the invasive
thought he'd been thinking turninto fantasies.
(09:32):
By hour nine did it start tofeel like the walls were closing
in on him.
By hour 12, he was two frozen10-pound bags of Idaho's finest
potatoes away from one of themost epic meltdowns anyone who's
ever done a bright orangeWhataburger visor and black
slippers and shoes has ever had.
By hour 13, it was inevitable.
(09:56):
Now we may never know exactlywhy or which French fry broke
the cashier's back, but I knowfor sure that it was many, many,
many years before Ray theFrench fry guy could smell oil
without his eyes switched, and Ijust know that for a fact.
I don't have proof, but I knowit.
The second thing that was on mymind was how in the hell did he
(10:19):
manage to move so fast on aslick floor saturated in French
fry grease so fast on a slickfloor saturated in French fry
grease?
Ray showed out.
Ray made a complete and totalmess.
He stomped on grease, a slickfloor, slick French fries,
frozen fries and whatever else.
Sauce he knocked down and Imean he was stomping with
(10:40):
purpose.
He ran over all that greasy,slick food, hopped up on the
counter, still talking crazy,jumped down on the other side
and he stomped with purpose outthe door.
All I could think was well, acouple of things Dang, I bet my
order is going to be late.
And then I thought well, whatkind of rubber is in those shoes
?
He didn't slip or slide at all.
(11:01):
Was this the early phases of anervous breakdown for good
brother Ray?
Or was it the greatestslip-resistant Skechers
advertisement on planet Earth?
This episode of Knott's Landingwas a lot like the French Five
fiasco of the 2010s, not onlybecause there was a pretty
iconic scene in a diner, butbecause it explores a calm
(11:22):
before the storm.
Only, we all know there's nosuch thing as a calm before the
storm.
You see, storms just don'tappear out of nowhere.
There's a buildup.
There's always somethingsimmering just below the surface
.
What happens when you realizeyou're riding the razor's edge
for far too long?
Do you hold your breath andhope that by suffocating
(11:45):
yourself, you can hold on just alittle bit longer, or do you
leap off the deep end and letthe chips fall where they may?
How long can you be heldemotionally hostage before your
emotional emancipation?
So, queens, go ahead and pouryourself up something bubbly and
bright as we jump into seasonthree, episode 20 of Knott's
(12:09):
Landing Acts of Love.
If you're an OG.
You already know what thisepisode is about.
You already know OG.
You already know what thisepisode is about.
You already know what isrevealed.
(12:32):
This is a long time coming, butbefore we get to them we need to
talk about some of the bitplayers Now.
I believe when last we left,richard had just held his
pregnant, estranged wife hostagewith an empty pistola, but a
pistola nonetheless.
We're seeing what the pieces ofthe puzzle are after this.
So Richard was taken to ahospital.
He was held in the hospital fora few days before he was sent
(12:54):
over to a proper psych ward orsome sort of I hate to use the
word loony bin in this one.
It's funny.
On the other soap operas,because you don't actually see
the women in it.
You know what I mean.
They're not there from like aviolent or potentially violent
act he is.
I want to be more delicate, butthen I have to ask myself why
(13:14):
am I so hesitant to call himnuts?
I think because what we saw wasa slow decline of a man's
sanity.
I think because what we saw wasa slow decline of a man's
sanity, piece by piece, brick bybrick, board by board.
It's a lot less funny when it'sin front of you.
So, back in the old cul-de-sac,back in the neighborhood, karen
(13:37):
is still front and center.
That's her boy, that's herfriend.
She's on her way to go andvisit him.
When she sees him she ispleasantly surprised, because
the hospital or the facilitythat he's being held in is quite
comfortable looking.
He has several windows to lookout of, looks like he's got a
lot of space.
He looks good.
He looks like he's himselfagain.
(13:58):
He's cracking jokes, he'skeeping it nice and light.
But I feel like Karen's one ofthe few people he can really be
himself with all the time.
She already knows his dark side.
She already knows his lightside.
She's not judging him in a waywhere he needs to make amends
with her for anything.
She was just concerned with herboy.
I have to admit, though, Ithought about the last episode
(14:21):
and something just kept buggingme.
It wasn't the fact that thewomen in the neighborhood wanted
to see Richard be okay, but Ifeel like there was not enough
concern for Laura.
Yes, they were.
I mean, they cared about her.
I can already hear you guys, Iknow it.
They definitely cared about her.
They definitely were worriedabout her, but I think maybe the
(14:44):
focus was more on Richardbecause they didn't want some
sort of incident to happen.
They knew the kid was in thehouse.
Nobody wanted to see guns drawnand the trauma that that's
going to cause, and maybe theyjust feel like Laura's probably
strong enough to take it.
But I would feel a way if I hadto go through that ordeal.
I'm still having to take careof my child, I'm pregnant with
(15:04):
the other kid and I know that myfriends I don't know, I don't
know it just it seemed for alittle bit to me like they were
more concerned with Richard, butI, as I say it out loud and as
I think about it, it wasprobably a situation where they
just didn't want something worseto happen.
There was a lot of empathybehind doors for Richard and to
(15:28):
happen, there was a lot ofempathy behind doors for Richard
and there was, um, there was aconcern for Laura, but nobody
and I do mean nobody carriesthat, probably more than more.
So while Richard and Karen areconversating, they're having a
decent time.
She's seeing that he's good, adecent time.
She's saying that he's good.
He keeps saying well, laura hasnot come to see me, okay, okay,
(15:56):
no, she hasn't.
No, she hasn't.
Karen tells him Laura's doinggreat, jason's doing great.
It seems like he just wants tosee her, he wants to talk, he
wants to maybe let her see thathe's okay.
So Laura, on the other hand, isis doing well, she's doing as
well as she can.
She still has a child to raise.
She still has a child in utero.
Can't really be bothered withrichard in his, his current
(16:18):
state.
So one night laura is chillingover at kenny and gingers.
Oh my god, you ever meet, youever have a friend who gets
either like super religious allof a sudden, or maybe they're on
a health kick.
All they can do is tell youwell, you shouldn't be eating
that that has gmos, has blah,blah, blah.
(16:39):
You really should take thisinto consideration.
Blah, blah, blah.
That's all fine.
That's all fine, well and good.
You know it all comes from agood place.
But imagine some kitchen Carlawith a garden that's 14 days old
, telling like a master gardener, like Martha Stewart hey, yo,
martha, you don't want to usepesticides.
You just, you know, that's just.
That's not the old fashionedway.
(16:59):
You got to get in there withyour elbows, go, crack some
eggshells or something and putit in the soil.
That's how you got to do it,martha.
This is how I picture Kenny andGinger talking to a very
pregnant, very already motherlyLaura about what she should and
shouldn't do in her seven monthsof pregnancy, especially Kenny.
Kenny and Ginger are sitting onthe couch with Laura.
(17:22):
Well, when are you due?
Oh, I'm seven months, so, yeah,doing a couple months.
Ginger's like oh my gosh, haveyou started Lamaze class?
Laura's like nah, I ain'treally trying to do all that,
I'm tired, I feel fat Like I'mnot really trying to do all that
.
Kenny chimes in.
Oh, it was a wonderfulexperience, especially for me as
a father.
When I watched my wife, who Irepeatedly cheated on with the
(17:44):
Care Bear I can't even rememberher name when I watched her
squeeze out my child with twonames in a recliner with no
bottom, I really felt like a man.
I felt so at peace.
It was such a beautiful,cathartic experience.
We brought life into the worldGinger sitting in that
bottomless chair and me in thecorner sipping ginger ale
(18:07):
watching her through pain.
It was amazing.
Ginger looked high and shelooked like she might have a
spinal tap at that secondpumping her full of something.
Because here she comes with the.
Yes, it was one of the mostmagical experiences of my life.
Baby, you have one baby.
Laura's Lamaze class, laura'sspinal tap, laura's what is it
(18:29):
called?
Epidural is eight and a halfyears old and he's perfectly
fine.
Whatever chemicals flowedthrough his body, guess what?
He's fine.
He even managed to climb out ofa house where a man was
brandishing a weapon.
He climbed into the arms of theSWAT team on an aluminum ladder
, earned himself a badge.
Don't you talk to me aboutpainkillers.
(18:50):
Little girl, kenny and Jinderhad the audacity to tell this
twice pregnant mother.
Oh yeah, girl, we know bestSeven months.
You need to get yourself in aLamaze class, especially Kenny.
Have several seats, sir.
Thank God Karen shows up andthey're like hey, you want
anything?
She says oh, yeah, I'll take apiece of pie.
(19:12):
Like oh my God, I got to keepbetter desserts on hand in case
I have guests.
Well, karen sits to talk toLaura, says Laura, when I saw
Richard today, oh, that's cool.
How's Richard doing?
He's doing great, but he wantsto see you.
This is a tough ask, Friend ornot?
Look at this whole list, lookat this from all angles.
(19:36):
Karen's point of view is listen,richard is.
He was sick.
He needs to know you care abouthim.
He needs to know that he's kindof in limbo right now.
He didn't really know what tothink.
Laura's point is you know what?
I'm sorry you're asking a lot.
I don't think I should have todo that.
I can't really be worried abouthim right now.
(19:57):
I need to make a clean break.
Karen's like girl, why are youtripping?
Just go talk to him and go seehim.
Laura says why?
So he can hold me at gunpointagain, which extends my point a
little bit.
Hearing her say that, mixed withthe thoughts I was already
having, gives me the clarity Ineed to say this.
It's not that it's I'm picky.
(20:20):
I love Richard more or I loveLaura more.
When your friends are likeplease go help him, please go do
this.
It's hurtful, in my opinion,because you saw what Laura had
already gone through.
She did not come to the decisionto divorce and leave him
overnight.
That was a slow and steadyprogression.
(20:42):
Yes, he may be different.
Yes, you don't need to holdsomeone's past against him.
But think about this this womanwas on her way out the door and
what did he do in order to stopher from doing that?
I understand he was sick.
I understand he was goingthrough things, but it's really
unfair, as my best friend, toask me to put myself back in a
(21:04):
position not to say that he'sgoing to hurt her.
Maybe he will, maybe he won't,who knows?
A lot of crimes of passion areout of the blue.
But she tried to leave.
She did everything right.
She reached out to him when sheneeded to.
She set up times.
He disrespected that time andtime and time again.
If she's at home, he's ignoringher.
(21:26):
He doesn't want her to doanything.
He can't celebrate her successthe right way.
When she leaves him, he goesape-ish, brandishes a weapon,
keeps her and a kid locked inthe house.
Even if the cops had nevershown up she would have been
locked in that house all night.
And as far as I'm concerned, youcan love Richard, but it's time
(21:47):
to love him from a distance.
That's not fair to ask her todo that, but I mean she feels
the need to go see him, forwhatever reason.
Maybe it's for closure, maybeit's just to put eyes on him.
You can.
Two things can be true at once.
You can love someone and wantthe very best for them.
But things can be true at once.
(22:11):
You can love someone and wantthe very best for them, but also
know if I reach out to save you, you're going to drown me too.
You're going to take me underwith you.
So when she gets to thehospital he's cracking all the
dad jokes.
She seemed to be pretty relievedthat it's a nice institution.
It does not feel sterile.
There's life there, people arebusy, they're living a pretty
good day.
It's like a spa.
I hate to use that word, but itdoes feel more spa-ish than
(22:33):
hospital-ish.
It's not bad.
I mean, it's not where he wantsto be, but hey, there are worse
places.
They have sort of a lightbanter.
How's Jason?
Jason's fine.
What's the food like?
Oh, it's kind of bland, it'skind of plain.
I love the way.
I don't remember the actor'sname, but Richard is.
It's so good.
You can tell he is.
(22:55):
How's he coming off?
He seems tired, like he mightbe a little bit medicated, but
not in a loopy way.
He seems exhausted but reallyreally calm and you can tell
he's trying to be pleasant.
So he's cracking all thenecessary jokes, but there's
just something a little bit off.
He's not quite himself and hemay never be the same person
(23:15):
again.
I know, I just said.
There's no need to to mincewords or I can say one thing and
mean it, and another thing canalso be true.
Laura should not be put in aposition where she needs to
still keep an eye on him.
She doesn't need to be tailoredto him because he may or may
(23:36):
not have another episode.
That is a terrible way to live.
That is riding an impossibleedge.
That is, there's no way toensure that he is going to be on
his best behavior and even ifhe is, it's still feeding into
this hope that they can get backtogether and be that she does.
She should not be put in thatposition.
(23:57):
Also, I can understand thathe's trying.
I can understand that hedoesn't want to be the person
she saw the last time she sawhim.
So, as the banter continues,person she saw the last time she
saw him.
So as the banter continues,they get so, so close.
They get like a couplecentimeters away from really
discussing that night.
But he doesn't want to talkabout it.
He's like, oh yeah, that was.
(24:17):
Let's just put us behind us.
It's going to be different now.
Everything's going to beperfect, going forward.
It's going to be so good.
It's just like the scene whereLaura decided to leave him.
I keep going back to thatbecause she's so, she's not a
woman of a lot of words,especially when she's with
Richard.
They sort of slip back intotheir old roles, and maybe
(24:37):
that's why it feels a little bitfunny in this scene, because
he's still doing all the talkingbut he's not domineering, and
so the air feels a little bitdifferent with them domineering,
and so the air feels a littlebit different with them.
She's still receiving him thesame way.
She's still just as calm as acucumber, but you can just feel
that something's a little bitoff.
I didn't think about that untilnow.
(24:59):
It's because, in my opinion,he's not domineering.
He's trying to be this, thiscool, calm.
My mental health is perfectlyfine and, listen, we should look
forward to the future together.
It's going to be wonderful,it's going to be good.
It's a little sad.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
(25:22):
Laura's got a decision to make.
How can I co -parent with thisman without picking up the
responsibility of his emotionaland mental health?
It almost feels to me likeRichard is still holding her
emotionally hostage and he cando that indefinitely if she
doesn't put up that permanentboundary.
(25:42):
So I don't know what's going tohappen.
I don't know how all this isgoing to unfold, but she's got
to emancipate herself.
She has to free herself fromthis.
It's hostage.
It's emotional manipulation,even if he doesn't intend on
being manipulated.
That's enough about them.
That's a bit players for theweek.
Let's move on to the entree, themoment I have been waiting for.
(26:07):
It will be really, really easyto blame it just one person.
I'm not going to do that.
I will admit I started thisepisode while I was at work.
Let it play sort of in front ofme as I did my thing Terrible
idea.
I kept stopping like what, what?
I can't stand Gary.
I said I can't stand Gary noless than 25 times this episode
(26:30):
and I still feel that way.
However, I refuse to let myemotions get the best of me.
We're going to look at thisobjectively and we got to start
from the beginning.
So Gary's got the methanolbusiness going, or at least it's
trying to get going.
Requires a lot of attention,all while still being the vice
president of Knott's LandingMotor.
In all fairness, that's a lotof attention.
(26:52):
All while still being the vicepresident of Knott's Landing
Motor.
In all fairness, that's a loton anyone's plate, doesn't
matter who it is, he's doing thebest he can.
The other side of that coin isthat he's doing the best he can
with Abby to ensure that thebusiness is successful.
After all, she's part owner.
She has just as much to lose ashe does if this doesn't work
out.
So yeah, they're going to haveto partner together to work
(27:14):
together to get this thingrunning off the ground.
Side side note Abby is in fulldestruction mode.
She knows that the best way totear down something is to do it
little by little.
If you want to watch somethingcrumble, you just take a chunk
here, a chunk there.
Before you know it, it's goingto tilt and it's going to fall
(27:36):
one way or another.
Perhaps it'll fall in her favor.
So at the top of the episode wefind Valene out front picking
flowers.
But it's not like she's notreally picking flowers, she's
really in her poetry bag.
This whole writing thing hasreally gotten to her.
She's having to rewrite hersecond.
I guess this would be hersecond draft of her book.
(27:57):
So she's kind of playing withwords, rolling them over, and I
suppose, like the garden ishelping with that.
You know, sometimes you do amundane thing.
You ever just like go, take adrive and suddenly an answer to
a question.
You come see or watch this, youknow something mundane,
something sort of tactile.
Next thing you know you got it.
So this is happening.
She's having a moment.
(28:17):
Boom, oh, I know what I'm goingto say.
There, karen comes by to tellher that she's going to see
richard.
Val announces to karen and tothe audience that this is the
first night she and gary havehad alone in a long time.
She's going to do somethingromantic.
She's going to pull out all thestops.
It's going to be candles, it'sgoing to be sexy music.
She is so pumped to get tospend a little time with him.
(28:39):
So let's flip it over to Valene.
Valene has just written thisbook accidentally, but guess
what Turns out?
She's pretty talented.
She's in the second draft ofthe book Now.
I don't know if he knows thatright now.
I don't know if he still thinksthe book's not coming out.
He may not know this yet.
I just thought about that.
He may not be aware of that,but nonetheless, val has a very
(29:06):
difficult task in front of her Abook where she goes into great
detail.
Even if it's a little morefantastical than the reality,
there's still a whole lot oftruth in what she wrote.
She has to move just so anddeliver this news to Gary in a
way that isn't going to send himover the edge.
(29:26):
Perhaps dinner and all thissoft music, soft lighting in her
mind is going to help ease thethe blow.
Well well, you know, right aboutthis time Gary comes driving up
and Val's pumped oh my god,he's home early.
Karen's like all right, bye,girl.
Now Gary jumps out hey Val, heyKaren.
(29:46):
Karen's oh, I gotta go.
I'm gonna go see Richard.
Tell him how's he doing.
We'll find out.
Blah, blah, blah.
Val's thinking oh my gosh,you're home early.
Should have been a red flag, itwasn't for her.
He tells her honey, I'm sosorry.
I know you probably havesomething planned, but uh, max
from Bayshore Trucks, he hadn'tsigned all the truck contracts.
But I think we can get him onthe hook tonight.
(30:08):
I have to have dinner with him.
I have to go like right now, wehave to go early.
She's like are you serious,dude?
Again, that means no romanticdinner.
That means no canoodling.
That means no dancing in thedark afterwards.
That means he's gonna spend theevening with abby.
I will go ahead and defend abbya little bit.
This seems to be a legit meetingthis time, but it doesn't
(30:28):
matter.
Val's tired of being put on theback burner, gary's tired of
having to feel guilty aboutputting her on the back burner.
So of course, they have alittle couple spat.
I do think he's being a littlebit immature about this.
He's like what am I supposed tobe like?
Oh, max, I'm sorry I can't havea conversation with you about a
potentially thousands andthousands of dollars worth of
gas you're going to buy for mebecause my wife is uncomfortable
(30:52):
by it.
You would think she was askinghim to skin half of his arm off
or something.
Is it so weird that maybe yourwife would want to have dinner
with you?
Is that so strange?
She's like all I'm saying isyou give me a heads up, give me
something.
This is a bit much, gary.
Okay, I'll be a little bit morelenient to him.
I can understand.
(31:14):
It's going to, like I said, it'sgoing to take a lot of time, a
lot of energy to do this.
He doesn't really have thebacking, like.
This is just his money.
I got to make this happen, Igot to make this work and in his
mind, this is going to benefitus.
It's not just me, it's going tobenefit us.
Yes, it's my business, but wewill be the ones who get to
enjoy the fruits of this.
So he says I wish for once youwould just back me up.
(31:36):
You don't realize how close weare to this.
Me and her say at the same timeno, when, when?
Okay, what?
Since?
When does she not back you up?
Gary is here's the thing too.
There's a new little swing inhis hips or something.
He doesn't seem to be thatbothered.
Quite frankly, he's going tothis dinner period point blank.
So, mind you, val's been out inthe yard.
(31:57):
Karen came by to say hello,gary just got home from work
early.
He came home way earlier thanhe usually does.
They have this little, you know, communication spat, whatever
you want to call it, they haveit out in the yard.
He goes in the house rightafter he tells you know,
communication spat, whatever youwant to call it, they have it
out in the yard.
He goes in the house rightafter he tells her.
You know, you need to supportme.
Blah, blah, blah.
He goes up in the house.
She's still standing outside.
(32:19):
Next thing, you know, baby girl,comes across the street.
Olivia.
Olivia's like hey, girl, I'mhere, brian's over at Kevin's,
but I'm ready.
And Val's like ready for what?
I'm ready for you to babysit me, didn't Gary tell you?
So that means that Gary andAbby had a full on conversation
and made plans.
Yes, they're going to dinner.
Yes, they need to schmooze thisguy.
(32:40):
But you made plans and you toldsomebody else I would watch
their kid.
I'm not feeling that under anycircumstances you could have
called me from Knott's LandingMotors.
He didn't.
So Val goes upstairs.
She's like okay, olivia, sitdown here, play color, whatever
you need to do.
They get into another smalllittle spat upstairs.
She's like listen, I'm going tokeep it cute.
(33:03):
I'm going to pretend like I'mnot offended that you just
turned me into the babysitter'sclub as a full grown, 30 plus
year old woman.
I'm gonna let that ride.
But what I can understand isthat every time it comes down to
business or me, you pick thebusiness and you storm out of
the house.
Gary says well, don't make mechoose.
You were making it about youversus the business.
(33:23):
I'm simply just doing business.
He then challenges her Okay,cool, cool.
Maybe I storm out, but maybeyou're really pissed because I'm
doing the business with Abby.
That's what it is.
You don't want me giving Abbythis attention.
This is the perfect storm.
Actually, at the top of theepisode I said there's no such
(33:44):
thing as a calm before the storm.
It's not calm, it's just notsurface level.
There is so much pressurebuilding up underneath this you
just can't see it yet as a calmbefore the storm.
It's not calm, it's just notsurface level.
There's so much pressurebuilding up underneath this you
just can't see it yet.
So, boom, gary is putting hisfoot down.
All I'm doing is business.
I'm not going to make yourinsecurities my business.
(34:04):
She's like okay, all you do isbusiness.
And I'm not going to ignore theinsecurities.
I feel, because it's at thispoint.
80% of your time is somewhereelse.
Gary really ain't trying tohear that.
He walks over to the closet,pulls out two outfits and be
like okay, well, which one?
Like you really going to blowme off?
I wish he would have been.
Like you know what, gary,you're looking a little chubby.
Not that there's anything wrongwith having a little weight on
(34:31):
you, but you know he think he'sfine.
Fine, so let's go ahead and doa little psychological warfare.
Cool, I'm overreacting.
You looking a little thick.
Gary need to lay off the donutsor tell him he's too thin.
Either way, he'll think aboutthat the whole night.
He'll be seething, but she doesneither.
Val is so angry, she is sopissed off.
She comes to that moment whereshe's like I got to do something
and I got to do it.
(34:51):
Right now she goes downstairs,she says baby girl, come get in
this car.
We're going to take us a littleride.
Shout out to Olivia for sittingon the couch, absolutely not
doing her homework.
She brought over her littletrapper keeper and she's
definitely reading a magazine asto doing her homework, but you
what?
Oh well, deal with it.
(35:12):
I really, really enjoy thescenes with val and olivia.
I forgot how good of an actressthis kid is.
So val and she are just in thecar and you can tell that val's
distracted.
Olivia picks up on that.
She's like is everything cool,something going on with you?
And gary valine's like don'tyou worry, you're pretty little
mind about that.
Olivia at first thought that shewas mad, that Val was mad at
(35:32):
her.
Val's like no, sweetie, I'm notmad at you, it's just.
You know, I'm going throughsome things.
Where do you want to go?
Olivia's like hey, I've alwayswanted to go to Mount Palomar.
There's like this gianttelescope.
We can see things thousands oflight years away.
Valene's like you know what?
That sounds amazing.
That sounds like something Ineed to do.
My mind's all over the placeLooking through a telescope and
(35:56):
seeing stars might ground me.
You know what, girl?
Yeah, let's do it.
Olivia's like bet.
So Val says okay, well, which?
Do you know where it's at?
No, I don't know where it's at,but you know we're having a
girls trip.
This suddenly became fun.
They're doing their whole listwe're free, we're independent
(36:16):
women, we're Fettleman, louise,without the crash.
Val says well, is it north oris it south?
Is it closer to Canada orcloser to Mexico?
Olivia's like it's definitelycloser to Mexico.
Cool, we'll figure it out, godbless.
An impromptu road trip in 1982.
They pick up Nary, a map.
They ask for zero directions.
(36:39):
They drive until it's dark andthings start to feel
uncomfortable.
Right about that time Val'slike oh my God, maybe this
wasn't the best idea.
Olivia's kind of looking aroundscoping out the place and she's
like hey, are we lost?
Val has no shame.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, probablyshould have got a map.
(37:00):
We are lost, but, as luck wouldhave it, just like the
Whataburger sign flashing in thedarkness at 2 30 am.
They look over to their leftand there is a beacon of hope
seems to be a little diner thatthey can pull up in tons of cars
.
So it's not creepy, they're notout in the middle of nowhere,
god knows.
Valine does not need anotherghost episode.
(37:22):
She and olivia pull over andthey go on inside.
Funny thing is, although theplace is really lively, for
whatever reason, when Valenewalks in she immediately has an
attitude.
Meanwhile, back in Knott'sLanding, the Methanol Twins, as
Abby has coined them, are ontheir way to have dinner with
(37:45):
Max, who owns Bayside Truckingor something, or another Bay
Shores Trucking or another.
Max, who owns Bayside Truckingor something, or another
Bayshore Trucking or another,and they're going to lock this
deal down Hell or high water.
There's a little lightflirtation as Abby adjusts
Gary's tie.
He's waiting for her outsideand she can tell something's a
little bit off.
She's like she wants to makesure his head's in the game.
She goes.
(38:06):
Let me guess Val was upset thatwe're doing business again.
She's just so uncomfortable.
She's so jealous of me.
It's weird.
Couldn't be that y'all haddecided that she's going to
watch the kids while y'all go dowhatever you need to do.
But that's neither here northere, because when they get to
the restaurant, when I tell youI can't stand Gary, I can't
stand Gary.
(38:27):
So they get to the restaurant,they're chilling right before
Max arrives and Abby's makingsure that Gary knows a game plan
.
Gary just shut up, we're goingto go for this price.
And he says, well, we don'thave the manufacturers, we can't
get all that pumped out.
She says don't even worry aboutthat right now, let's get the
deal, we'll figure out the restlater.
She's sipping her wine and he'slooking at her all seductive,
(38:49):
like and she's like boo or seesomething you like.
He's like I like yourconfidence, anything else?
Yeah, super flirty, supersmoochy face, so much so that
when max walks in, heimmediately picks up that
there's, there's a littlesomething going on here.
Also, as luck would have it, theactor who's playing Max this
(39:11):
episode is also Avril Dawsonover on Dynasty.
What are the odds?
Well, I guess it's not thathard.
Seems like the soap opera worldis very, very small.
But what are the odds that Iwould meet, see him make his
debut on one show and then hisdebut on the other?
Anyways, abby is phenomenalduring dinner.
(39:34):
Max is on the fence.
Now, I don't know y'all.
This seems a little funny.
I don't know.
I did a little research and youwere mortgaged up to your
eyeballs.
Well, abby said.
Well, since you were doing somuch digging, then clearly you
know about Gary's family, theEwing's.
Well, this makes Max's earsperk up a little bit.
He's like the Ewings.
Huh, the Ewings are backingthis deal.
(39:55):
Abby plays coy.
I'm not saying they are.
I'm not saying they aren't.
I'm not saying a single thingabout it, heavily implying that
they are.
Gary's sitting there all goofy,like licking his lips because he
liked the way this sound.
Then he starts sipping hisliquor.
Is it me or is it me?
Doesn't Gary want to be on hisown, not attached to his family
(40:20):
name?
That's not important to him.
It ain't important to him.
Until it's important to him, hedidn't mind Abby using this as
a way to a sleight of hand, ifyou will.
Matter of fact, he likes it.
Max likes it too, because hesays you know what?
Let's go ahead and draw up thecontracts, let's get this thing
popping.
Gary and Abby celebrate, hootingand hollering inside of this
(40:45):
very classy establishment.
Gary's all like I can't believeyou said that.
I'm not saying the Ewing's arebacking.
I'm not saying they're not.
He thought it was wonderful.
Mixed signals, mixed signals.
Well, you know, it was not somuch of a mixed signal a
romantic walk on the beach, Isuppose in an effort to
celebrate their first contract,which I get.
(41:07):
I'm going to give you all that.
Gary and Abby made their wayover to the beach before you
know what they're making out.
Let's just go ahead and skip tothe good part.
It's excitement, just like theexcitement when they got the
rubbing alcohol to work down inMexico.
They're jumping, they're vibing.
All of a sudden Abby ends upback down on the sand.
(41:27):
Gary climbs on top of her andthey kiss, they, they smooch,
they make out.
They must make out for a verylong time because once it's all
said and done, they startleaving the beach.
Gary, mind you, he's got his armaround her.
He's like Abby, we can't dothis.
This is wrong.
We can't do this.
She said you know what?
I'm real, real, real sick ofthis song and dance.
Gary, don't tell me what we canand can't do.
(41:47):
When you were playing thisridiculous game with me every
day, what do you mean?
She uses the phrase razor'sedge, and I like that a lot.
She's like you.
Like going on the razor's edge,you like taunting me, you like
teasing me, you like that, Ilike you.
I'm getting tired of playingthat.
Gary.
You feeling froggy, you need tojump.
What you're not going to do isdo what we just do and then act
(42:08):
like it's all my fault.
Nothing's going to work.
I'm not just some side chick, Iam important.
Here's the thing that gets me,though.
I have been questioning for awhile after the kiss in Mexico.
Of course I was pissed, but I'mlike I don't know if they're
still doing something and it'sjust not on camera, or are they
not?
I thought up until then theywere not doing anything, but at
(42:32):
the beach she says, she saysover and over, we get ourselves
into these situations, and thenyou pull back and start
lecturing me.
So does that?
Does what does it mean?
Does that mean they made out alot?
I don't know.
I'm really confused by that.
I don't really know what shemeant.
I had it in my head.
(42:52):
They weren't, but it doesn'treally matter what I thought
then, because this is we'retalking about what I know right
now, which we'll talk about herein just a second.
I love that she called him out,though.
I love that she called him outLike, listen, you can't keep
playing these games.
You're flirting, you're havingyour fun, you're stringing me
along, you're enjoying theteasing back and forth, and then
, when push comes to shove, allof a sudden you want to be super
(43:14):
righteous and do the rightthing.
You don't get to have it bothways.
Plus, I have feelings for you,gary.
I think you have feelings forme.
I'm tired of being the onlyperson who admits it.
It would be very easy to saythis is her being schemey,
scammy and seductive.
I don't really know.
Maybe she has feelings.
I mean, she clearly does.
She clearly has some feelingsfor him because she has pursued
(43:36):
him.
She's going through a lot ofwork to obtain this man when she
really wouldn't have to.
You know what I'm saying.
If nothing else, she wants to.
She wants to roll with him acouple times.
Meanwhile, back at the diner,like I said, valine walks in
with an attitude when they walkin the bar, there's, there's
(43:57):
this yokelish kind of guy at thebar, really animated, telling
the story.
He's got people captivated, bigpersonality.
You know what I mean.
Well, the minute he spots val.
Oh my God, let me go holler atthis young lady over here.
Ma'am, ma'am, welcome to myrestaurant.
It's a lot.
He shadow boxes with Olivia.
(44:18):
Val's not in the mood.
She goes to sit down.
I think she's probably justuncomfortable because this is
not in the plan and they'resuper lost.
Well, once Willie withdraws,his name is Willie, he goes by
kid, but I like to call himWillie withdraws.
Here's Val, southern draw he'soh my God, we got something in
common.
I hear country in your voice.
(44:40):
He doesn't say I hear Tennessee, I hear Macon, georgia, I hear
Tuscaloosa.
I hear country in your voice.
We must have a whole lot incommon, val's.
Like the only thing we got incommon is that you serve food
and I'm hungry.
So he's still friendly.
Throughout the meal she andOlivia finish, he comes back
(45:00):
over for round two.
Val's just ready to go.
She's not really trying to haveno extra conversation.
He offers him dessert.
She don't want to do that.
She's flipping through her purseand she realized in her haste,
in her anger with Gary, shewalked out the house without a
(45:20):
pocket book.
She has no wallet.
She has no way to pay for thismeal.
Now she's got to eat crowbecause she was all slick mouth,
adam.
Now she's got to go up to thebar and be like hey kid, hey
willay, willay, willay.
Funny story.
I left the house in a huff andI forgot to grab my pocketbook.
(45:41):
Truth is he doesn't really careabout it.
He's like okay, well, I mean,you know, enjoy, I hope you had
a good time with the meal.
But Val's a proud woman.
She's very frustrated.
She's like listen, I can write,you write your check.
Let me just pay for the meal.
He said I don't take checks.
You know, I don't really knowpeople like that, which I don't
blame him, but she's gettingfrustrated.
Well, how am I gonna pay forthis?
I need to do this.
He's like man, would you stepaside?
Let me take money from mypaying customers.
(46:02):
All right about this time.
A waitress comes by, she grabsa pot of coffee.
Val's like hey, you may haveheard of me, I am a world-class
waitress.
Let me go ahead and work offour meal.
Well, the other waitress waslike absolutely So-and-so called
in, so I definitely need thehelp.
This man goes in the back andgets her a full uniform, tells
her to go call your man, tellhim you're going to be late
(46:23):
because you're working latetonight.
She's like a duck in water.
Valene, on the floor at arestaurant is a sight to behold.
She is spilling drinks, she'staking orders, she's solving
short-term problems, she'skeeping people from breaking
their diets, she's flipping andmoving around french fries.
(46:43):
She is killing it, as a matterof fact, she is so impressive.
The girl olivia, is standing inthe corner just watching her
and all like wow.
I'm telling you, she's gotabout eight tables.
She is handling it.
She is rejecting handsy men.
She's keeping her skirt downwhen they try to touch her.
She's making little jokes.
They got a little whip.
(47:03):
She's got a quip right back atthem.
Incredible sight.
And you know what?
It doesn't go unnoticed.
Kid aka willie withdrawals isimpressed.
Man, it was impressive.
Doesn't matter much, though,because by by the time the shift
is over, by the end of thenight, a sheriff comes in and he
alerts everybody in the bar hey, hey, hey.
Y'all be very, very carefulgoing home.
(47:25):
If you're heading back up north, it's going to be a little bit
of trouble.
Some tanker flipped over,there's fire and debris
everywhere.
Can't really get home tillmorning.
So now she's like oh, my God, Igot to sleep in this restaurant
.
Thankfully, willie, aka the kid,is not a pedo or a pervert in
any way.
He is sweet on Valene, theVidalia Onion Queen, though,
(47:49):
especially after she impressedhim with that world-class
waitressing.
I think he owns some sort oflike lodging, some sort of
cabins surrounding therestaurant.
Val insists on getting one ofthose rooms or one of those huts
or whatever, while Olivia issleeping on the table, like the
restaurant is empty.
No one is there, but she, thethree of them.
She's like listen, listen, Idon't care about your house
(48:10):
rules, I am going to write you acheck and you're going to give
me one of those cabins.
He's like I'm sorry, I don'thave cabins, they're all booked
up for the night.
I had no idea you were coming.
Also, I had no idea there wasgoing to be some hazardous
vehicle spill.
It's like I can't, I don't knowwhat to tell you.
So he is a little bit feely andshe's super pissed at this point
(48:31):
.
So she's like you know, I'm sosick of this happy-go-lucky, the
guilt.
You are a giant child and I'msick of this and I'm sick of
your giant playpen.
And just because you're thisovergrown school boy, you ain't
done it.
She got really let them have it.
She flips out.
She has that I hate freakingfries moment.
Sick of being a you being aschool boy, sick of this big
(48:54):
giant playpen.
Now, this hurts willie'sfeelings because at the end of
the day he's an honest man.
He's like listen, listen.
You can say what you want aboutwhatever you want, but please
don't make fun of my restaurant.
I work real hard to earn this.
Okay, now the offer's stillyours.
If I want to use the apartment,that's one thing, but you can't
come here with a chip on yourshoulder, with an attitude
barking to me about myestablishment.
(49:15):
I ain't been nothing but goodto you.
So then olivia starts sniffling.
She seems to be sick.
Val breaks down, they go to theapartment and she and willie
get to properly know each other.
So meanwhile, back at noncelanding, gary drives ab Abby to
her house, which is directlyacross the street.
(49:35):
I understand you, being agentleman, park at her house,
walk her to her door.
I don't care if she lives, youknow, ten feet away, it is what
it is.
Walk her to her door.
Well, he walks her to her doorand then he walks her to her
couch and right about then thephone rings.
Mind you, this point is dark.
It rings twice, it goes toalmost a voicemail.
(49:55):
It goes through the machine.
Abby presses play and is lilymay.
Lily may is letting val uh, abbyknow that olivia is not coming
home tonight.
She and val got caught up insomething.
But they're fine, they'rehealthy, they're happy,
nothing's wrong.
They'll be home in the morning,which leads me to believe.
Well, where is the other?
Where's the son?
Maybe he's upstairs asleep,maybe he's sleeping over at a
(50:17):
friend's.
But once oh, this makes me somad once gary and abby hear lily
may confirm that thou will notbe home that night, they
immediately embrace each other,go upstairs and sleep together
on a cheap pair of silk sheets,slipping and okay, I gotta stop.
(50:39):
Yeah, just like that didn'teven occur to gary that, wait a
minute.
My mother-in-law's still home,so if I'm super late or I don't
come in, she might notice hedoesn't give a damn, he don't
care at all.
Meanwhile, back at therestaurant, val and a very and I
forgot to mention of the kid ishandsome kid's quite handsome
(51:03):
and kind, a little bit goofy,but it turns out he used to be
like this golden fist boxer.
He knew his career wasn't gonnabe very, very long, so he
opened a restaurant.
He's very, very proud of it.
He's like a man.
You just not a man.
You have to have somethingthat's your own.
This restaurant is a legacythat's going to last 30 years.
I had maybe 10 years to box.
I'm going to have the rest ofmy life to build this legacy and
(51:26):
it's at that moment that Val'slike dang, I feel you, I feel
you, I understand.
By the way, willie, my name isVidalia Valvoline, the East
Tennessee Onion Queen.
I go by Val for short.
She said all that, but shedidn't have to introduce herself
(51:51):
.
William Lee McCoy is pleased tomake her acquaintance.
He wants her.
She doesn't seem to want him,but he's respectable enough.
He's trying to flex around hisyou know, his little wife beater
or whatever, but he's listeningto her and he can tell right
away that it's man trouble.
So, as they're talking in frontof the fire, she does tell him
hey, you know, I just wrote abook first time.
(52:13):
My novel will be coming out.
He's impressed.
He makes a joke about puttinghim in one of her books and she
says well, I can't do thatbecause I only write about what
I know.
I mean, hey, you want to get toknow me?
He tries to kiss her, but notin a creepy way, and she's like
you know what I can?
I'm very married, but Iappreciate you.
William McCoy, aka the Kid, akaWillie Withdrawals, he respects
(52:35):
her.
Next day, as she and Olivia getto the car, out comes Willie
Withdrawals with a littleenvelope.
He's put some money in that togive to her.
He's like well, here's yourpayment for your shift, thank
you so much.
And she's so I can't take this.
I mean it's like well, I mean,honey, you're strong and I love
that you're a good country woman.
So I have no doubt that youknow how to get back home.
(52:58):
But what you can't do is pushthis car all the way down.
You're going to need some gasmoney.
Thank God for Willie Cause Ididn't even think about that.
Like duh, she doesn't.
She can't use Apple pay oranything.
She's going to have to pay cashsomewhere.
They just sort of give eachother handshake at first and
then a warm embrace.
But she's really grateful tohim because she can understand.
She sees Gary for the firsttime.
She understands that himpouring so much into the
(53:20):
business is not about him being,you know, trying to sleep with
Abby.
Again, two things can be trueat once.
But she understands now what itmeans to have a business, to
have something of your own, tomake sure that it's successful.
It could be your joy, it couldbe your pride and joy.
(53:41):
And she's like dang I have beenso, so disrespectful to him.
I have not let him grow.
I've been on his back aboutspending time with me, when he's
just trying to.
He's just trying to havesomething for himself.
She fully gets it, fullyprepared to drive back to knots
landing and make amends.
Meanwhile this fool is rollingaround on chief satin's sheets
(54:04):
with abby.
So let's flash back a littlebit.
He stays the night, y'all.
He doesn't even get up and gohome.
He can't even be bothered topull up his baby blue shorts and
walk the 10, the, yeah, 50 orso yards across the street to
his house.
Even closer than that, probably20.
But it's three, four in themorning.
(54:24):
Lily may can't sleep because thehouse is too quiet.
It's like dang, where'severybody?
She's walking around drinking aglass of milk.
Luckily she's the neighborhoodlooky-loo.
She looks across the street andshe sees Gary's car parked
outside of Abby's house and allthe lights are turned off.
She knows good and well, ain'tno damn business meeting,
trifling, trifling.
(54:45):
So the next day Val gets homeand she's none the wiser that
Gary hadn't been there all night.
She's calling throughout thehouse Gary, gary, mama.
Gary comes down the stairs andwhat pisses me off is he don't
even look like there.
There's not really any remorse.
There is like a moment'shesitation where he can't tell
(55:08):
if she knows that he's been out.
There's a kind of a brief thing, but before he can say too much
, she goes in.
Gary, I'm so, so sorry Ihaven't been more supportive.
I understand now and Iunderstand that we can work out
our problems and our differences.
Gary, I love you, honey, I loveyou.
I understand about the business, gary.
(55:28):
I understand about Abby.
I'm so, so sorry.
I love you and that's all thatmatters.
This fool, I love you too.
Lily Mae's in the kitchen bythis point and the look on her
face is like I'm hurt, I'mdisgusted.
God, I want to say something sobad, but I can't.
Oh, it's so good.
Oh, you're trifling.
It was bound to happen.
(55:59):
I knew the moment abby said ifshe the, the moment she decided
she wanted him.
It was a matter of time.
It was a matter of time he wentfrom not being able to, not
even her.
She wasn't even on his radar itdidn't seem like, and for the
longest I didn't.
I'm like he's not reallyreciprocating any of this, but
he just likes it.
He like you know what it is.
Him and Stephen on Dynasty kindof remind me of each other in a
way, because I think they arewhatever the noun is for someone
(56:25):
who has wanderlust.
You just like to kind of movefrom space to space, even if
it's not physically.
You like to move from thing tothing.
They like excitement.
Now, stephen, I ain't seen thatin a long time, but when he was
chasing after Sammy Joe, andthen he's hooking up with
hookers, all these things,you're chasing something.
Gary too, with the God he seemsto have a way with women who
(56:47):
have things for cowboys.
It was like if I can be a heroin any way, he can help himself.
Abby doesn't have to see him asa man who's you know at any
minute could relapse orsomething.
She treats him like the boss.
If he says something goes, okay, you're the boss.
Doesn't argue with him.
That way she steps in to makehim look good.
(57:08):
She's building his business.
I mean that versus someone whoknows all of your deep, dark,
dirty secrets and is like, whyare you not keeping your
promises?
I mean, I get it.
I'm not justifying it, but Iget it so interesting though
we're going to see if I can'twait to see what's going to
(57:30):
happen.
Matter of fact, I'm gonna watchthat next, I cannot wait to see
what goes down.
We're closing in to the end ofthe season, so I don't know, I
can't really remember on the atthe end of the other knots
landing.
Was that the car accident?
The end of season two?
I guess it was.
I'm sure they won't disappointthey have yet to disappoint me
(57:50):
but decisions have to be made.
How long do you keep up?
The charade Seems like Gary andAbby decided we're going to
just leap off the edge and letthe chips fall where they may.
I hope Laura continues to standher ground.
She does not allow Richard tohold her hostage emotionally.
(58:10):
I hope he gets better andeventually lets this go.
I really don't think they needto get back together.
I really don't.
And good old Valene, the Vidaliaonion queen girl, I need to
figure out this whole booksituation.
Does he or does he not knowabout her book yet?
Either way, she's gonna have tomake a decision.
She's gonna have to woman upand be like, hey, I delivered
(58:34):
this book, I'm going to keepenjoying it.
Just like you're cultivating abusiness, I'm cultivating a
brand and that's going to bethat.
Val needs to have her real.
I hate these effing fries moment.
You know, after that week,after the epic blow up by good
(58:57):
brother French fry Ray, I had amoment of realization.
I actually had a moment ofrealization probably the Friday
before that.
I didn't really need to go outevery single night of the week.
That is not necessary to enjoyyour life or enjoy your single
life.
I was following a templateversus my own desires.
(59:17):
But that man snapping andflipping out and leaving he
couldn't fry another french fry.
It's a great way to look atyour life sometimes.
You got it.
You got to figure out how toleave the kitchen before you
sling in hot grease and frenchfries all over the place.
(59:39):
You got to know when to stepout.
You got to know when your soulis over it.
I don't know if Val ever will.
All right, guys, that's it.
That's all.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this.
I think very noteworthy, verysort of tide shifting episode of
not landing.
(01:00:00):
Join me next time as we jumpback into even more soap opera
debauchery.
Remember, you can reach me inthe show notes.
If you're listening on a mobiledevice, just look for the link
in the show notes.
If you're listening on a mobiledevice, just look for the link
in the show notes that says sendus a text.
If you'd rather ride a leather,feed me some tidbits, I'm game.
You can reach me at so floorpodcast at gmailcom.
(01:00:20):
That's S O A P L O R E P O D CA S T at gmailcom.
Matter of fact, need you guysto do me a favor this week?
What is your?
I need you guys to do me afavor this week.
What is your?
I hate these fried moments.
Are you stuck in a loop thatyou feel like you can't get out
of?
What is a thing that would makeyou leap over the counter?
(01:00:44):
For me, it's Gary Ewingwiggling his eyebrows one more
time.
Stay hydrated, stay moisturized, mind your own business and
keep all of your drama on TV.
Bye.
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