Thu, Jan 7, 1988
Greg phones Mack from home whilst pretending to be in New York. Mack and Karen suffer sleepless nights with Meg crying. A devious Irishman named Johnny Rourke heads to Knots Landing to see his former girlfriend Paige. Paige delivers Greg's painting and questions why he isn't in New York like he told Mack and Karen. He replies "I am in New York." Val tells Gary they should just be ex-husband and wife. Jill tells Gary that she told Val that he's a free man and that Val must not want him any more if she doesn't want to see him. Charles' wife phones and he decides he has to go back home and leave Abby. A woman named Patricia Williams and her 12-year-old daughter Julie move into Laura's old house. Greg phones Karen to say he has been held up in New York. Johnny buys a gun in a bar. Charles returns to Abby and tells her he loves her.
Thu, Jan 14, 1988
Johnny asks Paige for $20,000 to keep her secrets but she tells him she no longer has any secrets from her family and tells him to clear off. Johnny introduces himself to Mack as Paige's old boyfriend, and Mack invites him to stay. Charles introduces his wife Judith to Abby when she unexpectedly arrives. Meg starts having convulsions but Patricia quickly diagnoses the problem and helps get them to hospital in time. Mack wonders how she knew what to do, but she says the same thing happened to her own daughter. Paige gets hold of Greg when Mack can't and Greg joins Mack at the hospital. Johnny lands a job as musician at the local bar. Judith tells Abby that Charles will always come back to her. Meg's convulsions were caused by an ear infection and she recovers. Greg overhears Mack and Karen noticing Meg's first word is "Mack." Charles asks Abby to marry him.
Thu, Jan 21, 1988
Meg returns home with Greg. Abby tells Charles that it isn't legal to have two wives at once and tells him to come back when he's told Judith he's divorcing her. Val and Gary argue about the twins. Johnny notices someone, whom he recognises from the bar, acting strangely and breaks into his cabin at Lotus Point and finds a fridge full of money. He takes some and escapes out the back door. He later returns the money and asks the man for a job. Jill tells Gary that he doesn't have to see the twins on Val's terms as she is a lawyer and can help him. Charles tells Judith that he intends to marry Abby and Abby accepts his proposal. Greg brings Meg back to stay with Karen and Mack after Mack told Karen they would not look after her again. Mack is very pleased to have her back much to Karen's surprise.
Thu, Jan 28, 1988
Karen invites the Williamses (now including Pat's husband Frank) to dinner. Judith suggests Charles postpone their divorce until after their joint business successfully concludes. Abby conspires with Greg disrupt their venture. Val refuses Gary's request to legally acknowledge him as the twins' father. Frank is alarmed to learn Mack is an investigator, and Mack assumes Frank is a cop. Judith secretly records Abby and Greg discussing their scheme and threatens to report them to FCC for insider trading, but Charles ends up giving the tape to Abby. A paranoid Frank destroys his couch when it is delivered a day late. Michael tells Jody he doesn't love her.
Thu, Feb 4, 1988
Olivia is upset when she learns Charles is married and accuses Abby of breaking up his marriage. Frank and Pat scold Julie for allowing herself to be photographed for school pictures. Frank later breaks into the school, steals Julie's pictures, and burns them. Jill and Gary summon Karen for a deposition. Val asks Karen to lie and say she has no knowledge of the twins' biological father. Johnny is attacked after he carries out a mission for his employer. The man Johnny's working for later kills a young woman who mistakenly entered Johnny's room and saw the man with a gun and stacks of money. Paige has a drunken rendezvous with Johnny after Greg shows no interest in her. Karen reveals in the deposition that Gary is the twins' biological father.
Thu, Feb 11, 1988
Karen becomes suspicious of the Williamses when Pat is at first reluctant to be interviewed by the local newspaper and then later learns that although Pat and Frank consented to the interview, they refused to have their picture taken. Val stubbornly refuses to recant her deposition testimony and acknowledge Gary is the twins' father. She later changes her mind. Charles suggests to Abby that Lotus Point expand the marina and even offers to provide the investment capital for the project. Abby is shocked to learn later that Charles drafted plans for the marina expansion five months earlier. A man named Manny Vasquez and his nephew Harold are both pleased that Charles is making progress on their "plan" for Lotus Point. Charles convinces Olivia that Abby did not break up his marriage. Abby hires a PI to investigate Charles' business dealings and finances. Mack and Karen observe Pat leaving late at night with a woman.
Thu, Feb 18, 1988
When Mack casually asks Frank about Pat's whereabouts, Frank berates him for spying. Abby's PI can't find a reason for Charles' interest in Lotus Point. Manny wants the marina completed sooner than Charles has intended. Frank continues to be jumpy and suspicious. Charles offers to give Abby the $2 million needed to complete the marina rather than loan it. Greg has no comment when Paige questions his lack of interest in Meg. Abby and Charles are married in Vegas. Pat returns home and discusses her discomfort at testifying. It is revealed that the family is in the Witness Security Program (WSP). Frank loses his job and explodes at Pat, blaming her impending testimony for destroying their lives. When Frank's suspicions about Mack has the WPP ready to move the family again, Pat refuses. Abby has her marriage to Charles annulled. Manny tells Charles to accept Abby's terms in the annulment. Harold tells Johnny's employer "we're in business."
Thu, Feb 25, 1988
Olivia berates Abby for breaking up with Charles. Abby moves forward with the marina expansion, offering to loan Lotus Point the $2 million needed. Barbara, Meg's nanny, tells Greg that she is resigning because with Meg at the MacKenzies, she has nothing to do. Greg goes to the MacKenzies and takes Meg back, prompting Mack to criticize his lack of concern for his daughter. Val's lawyer assures her Gary's case will be dismissed. Karen tells Gary she thinks he should be able to see his children. Val accuses Jill of putting Gary up to his custody case in a desperate attempt to keep him. While Johnny pushes for more "quality time" with Paige, she is insistent that it remain casual. Val apologizes to Gary and allows him access to the twins after she hears Mack's fear that his access to Meg will always be dependent on Greg's whims. Karen asks Greg to leave Meg with her and Mack. Greg eventually consents, saying that he's doing it for Laura and for Meg.
Thu, Mar 3, 1988
Gary becomes a silent partner in Lotus Point. Harold meets Olivia and takes her out for pizza, to Manny's delight. Harold is surprised to learn Olivia is Abby's daughter. Abby refuses to allow Olivia to continue seeing Harold until she has met him. Manny accompanies Harold to meet with Abby and Olivia and tells Abby he rents yachts. Abby later introduces him to Karen, saying that she believes he can do business with Lotus Point. Mack is surprised that Karen went to Greg and asked him to let them keep Meg. Val apologizes to Karen for her behavior during the conflict with Gary. When Paige is mistaken for Greg's date, he makes it clear that she's too young to be his date. Later, Paige ensures that Greg sees her and Johnny kissing. Jill's plans for a romantic rendezvous with Gary are interrupted by Val and the twins. Separately, Paige and Johnny inquire about "mercurial" Greg from Mack, Karen, and Michael. Johnny shows up to Greg's and ends up getting thrown off one of Greg's horses. Jill uses alcohol to keep her company while Gary spends more time with the twins. After Greg hires Paige to acquire art for him, she pulls away from Johnny.
Thu, Mar 10, 1988
In front of the neighbors and kids, Frank pistol whips a construction worker who accidentally breaks their window. Mack reports Frank to the police, but the police decline to act once a "friend" of the family (the WSP contact) shows up. Abby expresses concern that Harold is too old for Olivia and that she does not know enough about him. Harold takes a bracelet from one of Manny's debtors and later gives the bracelet to Olivia. Olivia admits to Harold that she had a drug problem. Frank overhears Julie blaming him for Val changing her mind about letting her babysit. With the twins sleeping over, Gary tells Jill that they should not sleep in the same bed since they are unmarried. Pat leaves to give her final testimony. Her testimony reveals that she is a neurologist who has accused an older colleague of dealing drugs. She tearfully explains the effect her decision to testify has had on her life. She is later stabbed while entering an elevator. Mack theorizes that Frank is a witness under police protection. Pat returns home with her arm in a sling. After watching a news report of a witness being stabbed in D.C., Mack and Karen realize Pat is the witness. Greg has Paige arrange dates for him. Val receives a letter from Ben.
Thu, Mar 24, 1988
Val is elated at the prospect of Ben coming home. Mack fears something may have happened between the time of the letter's mailing in Guatemala and its delivery. Pat thinks Val is not very realistic. Pat and Karen suggest Karen buy a mini skirt, and she shows up for a meeting with Abby and Manny wearing it. Olivia says she will not go to college and will be a traditional stay-at-home woman, the kind Harold wants. Abby expresses concern that Harold and Olivia's relationship is moving too fast. Karen advises Abby to be so overly kind to Harold, Olivia will tire of him. Harold proposes to Olivia. Abby forbids Olivia to see Harold anymore and makes it clear to Manny that his contract with Lotus Point is contingent on him keeping Harold away from Olivia. Paige tells Greg that she's available if he needs dates. Jill continues to drink in response to Gary's newfound preoccupation with being a father to the twins. Gary expresses concern about how Ben's supposed return may affect his access to the twins. Karen is disappointed when Mack shows no concern that Manny flirted with her. Jill negotiates a plea deal for an elderly forger. Later, she forges another letter, this one for Jill and signed by "Ben." Harold and Olivia announce they are eloping.
Thu, Mar 31, 1988
Abby and Manny try to locate Harold and Olivia. Gary thinks Jill is becoming dependent on alcohol. Harold insists to Johnnythat he will marry Olivia no matter the consequence to him. Manny sends a henchmen to stop Harold and Olivia from marrying. Harold reluctantly tells Olivia he doesn't want to marry her. After a breakfast meeting where Karen shares her life story with Manny, he kisses her. Jill pays a stranger flying to Honduras to mail a letter there that is addressed to Val. Harold tells Olivia that Manny is behind his decision not to marry her. Olivia implores Abby to talk to Manny on their behalf. Abby gives Manny an ultimatum: send Harold away or he will have no deal with Lotus Point. Paige learns about an archaeological dig in Santa Tecla, Mexico that could unearth expensive pre-Columbian art. She convinces Greg to provide funds so that the dig may continue. Paige catches Johnny in bed with another woman in Santa Tecla. Johnny and Paige make up. Karen admits to Pat that Manny kissed her. Jill and Val arrive at a truce. Olivia overhears Manny tell Harold that Abby is the one who wants Harold sent away.
Thu, Apr 7, 1988
Harold leaves town and leaves Olivia depressed. Manny assures Abby that Olivia is unaware that they are responsible for Harold's departure, but Karen later tells her that Olivia does know. Gary sees late night activity at the Lotus Point marina and alerts Mack. Mack questions whether Manny's business is legit, but Karen thinks he's just jealous. Frank and Pat argue about his reluctance to apply for another job. Mack offers him a job tailing Manny. Abby agrees to help Greg engineer a hostile takeover of a company. Val receives a second fake letter from Ben. Jill manipulates old news footage of Ben to leave a voice message from Ben on Val's answering machine. Olivia leaves prized possessions with Brian and Gary and asks Manny to give Harold a letter from her. Manny then gives Abby the letter, which reads like a suicide note.
Thu, Apr 14, 1988
Manny alerts Harold to Olivia's suicide note and questions whether she is with him. Karen learns Mack hired Frank to spy on Manny. Frank suspects Manny is dealing cocaine. Val puts the answering machine tape aside and labels it "Ben's Tape." Paige realizes her attempt to slow down the highway construction in Santa Tecla has been thwarted. Manny instructs Johnny to return to Santa Tecla and ensure that the highway construction moves forward full speed. Paige accompanies Johnny, secretly taking with her a pre-Columbian artifact she has acquired for Greg. She hatches a plan to bury the artifact so that the archaeological dig will discover it. Olivia is discovered unconscious, having overdosed on sleeping pills. When she awakens, she rejects Abby. Jill covertly steals a spare key in Val's house and has a copy made. When Gary questions the authenticity of "Ben's Tape," Jill swipes it from Val's house. Abby backs out of her deal with Greg. Chava, one of the archaeological workers, spots Paige and Johnny planting the artifact.
Thu, Apr 28, 1988
Paige tries to pay for Chava's silence, but he says he supports her attempt to stop the highway construction and won't expose what she did. Manny tells Johnny to "get rid of" Paige once the artifact's discovery threatens to delay the highway, but questions Johnny's connection to her. Mack tells Karen that Manny is using Lotus Point to run drugs. Gary worries about Val's mental state when "Ben's Tape" is blank. Meanwhile, Jill destroys the actual tape. Gary offers to keep the twins for a few days. Jill calls Val and plays another "Ben" message for her. Abby realizes Charles is the one who brought Manny to Lotus Point. When Abby, Karen, Gary, and Mack go to the authorities, they are asked to pretend as if everything is fine while Manny is investigated. They are later told Manny is working for the government. Greg applauds Paige for her initiative. After Michael confesses he considered suicide after Paige rejected him, Olivia decides to cooperate with her counseling and is able to leave the hospital. Michael accompanies Paige to help with the archaeological dig in Santa Tecla. A reporter arrives in Santa Tecla to inquire about the artifact. In Jill's presence, Val mentions she has not filled a prescription for sleeping pills. Jill takes the prescription and has it filled.
Thu, May 5, 1988
Karen, Abby, Gary, and Mack are warned that Manny will make it look as if they are behind the drug ring at Lotus Point. In Santa Tecla, Manny's goons attempt several methods to scare off the archaeological dig, ultimately succeeding. Mack asks Greg to use his federal contacts to learn why Manny is useful to the government. Greg learns that Manny is not running drugs but weapons. Jill departs for a conference in San Francisco - with a gun. In a wig and using a fake name, she buys a used car and hides the gun under the car's back seat, parking the car at the airport. On her flight, she discusses with a fellow passenger the fact that she has learned a lot about murders in her work as a lawyer. Once in San Francisco, Jill flirts with an efficiency expert at her conference and unbeknownst to him, she slips a mickey in his drink. He later passes out in her hotel room. She then leaves a message on Gary's answering machine that is billed to her hotel room and asks the hotel operator for a wake-up call. Donning a different wig and glasses, she heads to the airport. She encounters several difficulties returning to Los Angeles, but ultimately ends up at Val's. Meanwhile, Val has agreed to join Frank and Pat for a movie while Julie babysits the twins. In Santa Tecla, Johnny keeps Paige from getting into a car with the reporter only seconds before his car explodes.
Thu, Oct 27, 1988
Mack goes to Mexico to search for Michael and Paige. Frank finds an unconscious Val on her bedroom floor. Gary rushes to the hospital and pays for Val's medical care. He calls Jill and notifies her of Val's suicide attempt. When Jill arrives and learns that Val will live, she excuses herself to vomit. Jill later muses to herself that Val is in a psych ward and no one will believe her when she regains consciousness. Fearing Manny may hurt her or Mack, Karen leaves Meg with an unhappy Greg. Harold, Manny, and his goon imprison Mack. They call Karen and force Mack to tell her to allow Manny's shipment to be unloaded. Mack plays on Harold's guilt about Olivia to shake his faith in Manny's promise to release Mack, Michael, and Paige. Later, Mack and Chava attempt to overtake Manny and his goon. Chava and the goon are killed. Harold is forced to kill Manny to save Mack. He tells Mack he doesn't know where Paige and Michael are.
Thu, Nov 3, 1988
Johnny engineers Paige and Michael's escape. Mack and Harold team up to find them, too. Val regains consciousness and screams that Jill tried to kill her. Karen refuses to call the police until she has heard news about her family. Mack later calls and tells her Manny is dead. Gary thinks Val's story is a hallucination. Pat doesn't think the pills Val took would make her hallucinate. Frank calls the police. Val tells her story to a police officer, who then goes to Jill and tells her off the record that she believes Jill is disturbed. Greg hires Ted Melcher to work on improving his image with the public. Johnny, Paige, and Michael realize they must exit Mexico under cover, as Manny's people are in cahoots with the government. They link up with a small group of Mexican nationals attempting to illegally immigrate. Val sends the twins to stay with Lillie Mae and Al. Thieves leave Paige, Johnny, Michael and the other nationals locked in an unventilated truck.
Thu, Nov 10, 1988
Val leaves the hospital and goes to Karen's because she is afraid to go home alone. Paige, Johnny, and Michael remain trapped in the deserted truck with the other Mexican nationals, one of whom dies. Johnny reveals that he is not Irish and his accent is fake. Mack continues to search for them and eventually frees them. Mack returns with Paige, Johnny, Michael, and Harold to Knots Landing. Harold apologizes to Olivia for leaving her, to Abby's chagrin. Val avoids everyone but eventually pronounces that she did not try to kill herself. She goes home and terrified, stays up all night watching her front door armed with a knife. Greg hires Ted Melcher to reform his public image. Drugs are found in the Lotus Point marina. The police later question Karen and Abby but Mack sends them away. A car pulls into the cul-de-sac at night and parks.
Thu, Nov 24, 1988
The man in the car observes Frank and Val talking. Val refuses to leave her house. Frank tells Pat he believes Val and asks her to check Jill's account for the past three months. Julie participates in a spelling bee. Frank expresses concern about her being photographed, unaware that the man who has been observing him in the cul-de-sac is now video recording him and Pat. The man (using the name Ned Donnelly) later visits Pat at the bank to open a new account. Pat and Frank ask Julie to lose the spelling bee to avoid the public recognition. Business at Lotus Point drops off dramatically amid the newspaper report of drugs found on the property. Ted suggests Greg get chummy with the environmentalists. Harold and Johnny discuss potential job prospects. Mack is disillusioned with being middle-aged. Val tells Gary not to come around her anymore so that Jill will leave her alone. Paige skinny dips in Greg's pool.
Thu, Dec 1, 1988
Paige and Greg make love -- repeatedly. Jill calls Val, asking for Gary. Ned blackmails Frank and Pat with his knowledge of their real identities. He tells Pat to transfer $100,000 from one account into hers and make out the amount in a cashier's check to him. Pat is able to contact Mack without Ned's knowledge. Mack follows him and learns he is an actor. He and Frank devise a ruse to uncover how he knows about the Williamses' real identities. He later reveals he was an orderly at the hospital where Pat was a doctor. While Mack and Frank are working to get to the bottom of things, Karen asks Gary to shelter Pat and Julie. Abby tries to hire Ted to clean up Lotus Point's image. Paige moves some of her things into Greg's place, to his discomfort. Val tries to hire a private investigator, but he refuses to take her money when he disbelieves her story.
Thu, Dec 8, 1988
Paige assures Greg she has not told Mack that they are sleeping together. Later, Ted tells Greg that being with Paige will not be good for his public image. Harold asks Mack for advice about handling Olivia. Mack suggests he talk to Abby, who tells him to give her time to think about allowing him and Olivia to date again. Gary, Karen, and Val go to San Francisco to check on Jill's alibi. Val finds it suspicious that everyone they ask remembers Jill. One man remembers that Jill was not seen after 8 p.m. Val points out that this fact opens the possibility that what she has been saying about Jill is true. When Gary asks Jill about it later, she admits that she was with a man after 8 p.m. that night. Mack arranges for Pat and Julie's dental records (under their real names) to be matched with a mother and daughter who died in a tragic accident. He says they are now free of the Witness Security Program.
Thu, Dec 15, 1988
Karen, Gary, and Abby put Lotus Point up for sale and consider offers. Greg phones Abby expressing interest in buying Lotus Point. Karen learns Greg made the offer to Abby but she never told them about it. Secretly, Abby has plans to buy Lotus Point and drill for oil. She also scares off a potential buyer before her offer (through her dummy company, Murakame) is presented to Karen and Gary. Abby offers Harold a job and appears to have turned over a new leaf where he is concerned. Later, though, she plants drugs in his locker at work and he is arrested. Ted comes on to Paige, but she says he is a year too late. Val disbelieves Jill's story about a one-night stand in San Francisco and asks Gary to get the man's name (David). She later tracks him down and he denies sleeping with Jill. Jill meets with David and (with Gary eavesdropping) he confesses to lying to Val because he's married. Lotus Point is sold to Murakame. Abby celebrates.
Thu, Dec 29, 1988
Paige wants to tell Mack and Karen about them, but he says it is a bad idea. Paige and Greg play strip croquet. Paige and Greg both say "the L word" to each other. Mack asks Greg if he knows who Paige is seeing. Greg takes down the painting he bought for Laura, replacing it with a painting Paige bought him. Greg buys a ring and contemplates marriage, but Ted says that he and Paige would be "political suicide." He later proposes to Abby. Ted thinks the L.A. mayor will resign and suggests Greg is the right candidate for a potential special election. Gary is distant with Jill. Jill threatens Val with a slander suit if she continues to make accusations against her. Gary tells Jill that he no longer wants to be with her but agrees to let her stay until she finds an apartment. Ted tries to schmooze both Paige and Abby. Abby hires a lawyer for Harold but secretly works with the lawyer to undermine his case. Jill privately announces her engagement to Gary. Paige's grandfather dies and she must go to New York.