The Star Witness
Updated 2008-10-23 09:10:12
Previously: Ellen died accidentally, but Tripp and Patrick covered it up anyway. Jeremy hooked up with Nola, the attorney on his mom's murder trial. Karen fell for Simon Elder, but he was manipulating her. Nick took Letitia's case and was named the head of Darling Enterprises. Lisa told Nick she hopes he'll choose the family over the Darlings someday.
Patrick's giving a campaign speech -- using the memory of his wife, who the public believes died in a fire, to hold a press conference about fire safety. He pretends he's using his sorrow as motivation to protect other people from a similar fate. The public eats it up, but Patrick's not loving the lying. In fact, he tells Nick he can't do it anymore and he wants to come clean -- telling the cops that Ellen tried to kill him, but they panicked and then Clark torched the place. Nice, Patrick: Blame it on Clark because he's loyal enough to do the dirty deed for your family. Nick thinks it's a little late to come clean, but tells Patrick he'll see what he can do. And then he immediately calls and tattles to Tripp. Just like a good head of Darling Enterprises should do.
Nola and Jeremy are listening to the Weepies as she gets ready to prosecute his mother at work. He wants to take Nola to a Weepies concert, but she reminds him there will be no public sightings in their future. She leaves for work. Nick arrives at his office and Daisy tells him the prosecution's witness list hasn't shown up yet, so he wants to call the judge and tell her Nola violated her first court order. In walks Nola with the witness list, which she is delivering herself because his mother's on it. In fact, she's Nola's star witness. Nick's not happy and thinks anything his mother says will be irrelevant, since she left Nick and Dutch 30 years ago. But Nola points out two pertinent facts: 1. Nick's mom was the last person to talk to Dutch the day he died. And 2. She's been receiving money -- lots of it -- from Letitia for the past 30 years. Nick's speechless for a change.
Brian and Brian Jr. are having the world's cutest webcam conversation, in which Brian totally yells at "Shrimp" about everything, but it's all done out of love. For example, Brian Jr. tells his dad to hang on a second while he goes to get his dinner and Brian's like, "Hey! We're talking!" Because he loves the little guy so much he can't stand to have him walk away when they're webcamming. So cute. Then Brian finds out Brian Jr.'s home alone and he goes all angry-protective father, saying he's coming down there and to tell his absentee mother her Brazilian Carnival is over! Brian Jr. shuts the computer while Brian's yelling, which is really what makes this so good. Because he knows he can do this, which means he's totally not fooled by his dad's tough-guy thing. We all know Brian's just a big puddle of goo inside when it comes to his son, and that we know that (and that Brian Jr. knows it, too) is why Brian's one of the best characters on this show. He is layered, when he could so easily be a one-note, screaming, annoying cliché.
Nick walks in as Letitia's "butchering Chopin" on the piano (her words, not mine; I'd never make fun of someone who can play piano at all, since I cannot). Nick's not cracking a smile, so Letitia wants to know what's wrong. He tells her he knows that she's been sending money to the village in France where his mother (who we learn is named Clare) lives. He wants to know why she paid to send his mother away, and she swears his mother wanted to leave. She was unhappy long before Dutch and Letitia's affair, and she wanted to leave because she was bi-polar or something else that was not good for a 6-year-old to be around. Letitia tells Nick to ask Clare himself, since he is not buying it. And then he's in his office calling his mom. When he brings up the witness list she asks him not to call her again and hangs up. After commercial, we find out Daisy was listening in on his call (and he is okay with this why, exactly?) She's booked him on a flight to Paris already (that was some quick booking, since we're to presume he just got off the phone), because apparently Daisy knows what Nick needs before he needs it. Brian comes in and asks for Nick's legal advice, but he'd like to talk while walking outside; not in the office. Apparently he doesn't want Daisy spying on him. Smart guy, that Brian. Someone should tell Tripp he'd make a good head of Darling Enterprises. Oh, right.
As they're walking, Nick says Andrea's partying doesn't mean Brian can bring his son back, because Andrea has full custody. Brian's indignant: "And whose fault is that?" Nick's like, "Yours," because you bribed the arbitrator . Brian gets pissed and starts saying Nick's just trying to take the company anyway, so he'll let him get back to that. And then this fast "Brian's angry" music plays, which is heavy on drums and sort of makes me think they want us to think Brian's endearing craziness is somehow scarier than it is. It just... isn't. Because he's Brian Darling, once and future softie. Brian tells Nick he's going to Brazil, and for Nick to let his "benefactor" know. He then calls Nick "boss." I know Brian's hurt that he didn't get to run the company, but I don't believe he's actually angry at Nick. He just has no idea how to handle human emotions, such as being heartbroken that your child is on another continent. Or feeling like you were passed over for something that meant a lot to you. Or not wanting to admit you'd like to be closer to your brother. Tacked onto the end of this scene is Nick apologizing to an older lady in a neck brace, whom Brian stole a cab from. Get it? He's even mean to the old and injured. That bastard! (Oops... "bastard" probably hits a little close to home.)
Patrick's talking to Tripp, and can't believe Nick ratted him out. Tripp tries to convince Patrick that lying is the best thing for everyone -- even Carmelita, because the truth would draw the tabloids' attention to her. I don't think Patrick has to tell people what the fight was about in details as specific as his affair with Carmelita in order to come clean about the fight, does he? Well, maybe he does, actually if he wants to convince people that Ellen tried to kill him. I don't know. This is why I'm not a politician or political adviser. The only reason. Anyway, Patrick says he's coming clean at "the debate."
At Nick and Lisa's, Kiki (she exists!) is asking Nick all about his mom, as he's packing up to pay her a visit in France. He tells Kiki she's lived in France for 33 years, which is how long ago she left him and Dutch.. He explains he tried to visit once after high school, because he was starting to forget her face. He went to Paris to meet her and she never showed up. He never tried again. Kiki says she'll be happy to meet him, because he's "like, famous now. Because of the Darlings." Out of the mouths of babes. Lisa storms off in a huff. Nick follows, and she explains that she's tried to get him to reconnect with his mother for years. And, apparently, instead of seeing him finally doing what she wants as a good thing, she's mad that it's one more thing he'll do for the Darlings that he wouldn't do for her. I really don't like what a whining harpy they are turning Lisa into. I used to think she was the voice of reason, and kept Nick grounded. But if she keeps acting like this, I'm not going to be at all disappointed when (that's right: I'm saying "when," not "if" -- it feels inevitable) they split up.
Brian is in bright Brazil (Carnival, remember?), in a really awesome pink button-up shirt with a darker pink tie. But neither pink is, like, pastel pink. They are both deeper and darker and the shirt is perfectly fitted. I love it. I don't think I have a crush on Brian or anything, but maybe the fitted-shirt-noticing should indicate to me that I might. I should probably know if I have a crush; I'll try to become more aware. Anyway, he knocks on Andrea's door and claims he just popped in -- to BRAZIL! -- to see Brian Jr. Which actually isn't that shocking; he is (sort of) a Darling. He starts making hints about knowing she's been gone at night, and she gets annoyed and tells him to come back when Brian Jr.'s home from school at 4. She shuts the door in his face and he turns around and says, "What are you looking at?" I rewound and watched this scene several times to see who he was talking to here, because it confused me, but we actually never see who it is. Which is odd, and makes me think Glenn Fitzgerald ad-libbed that or something. It just doesn't feel like a line that would have been written in.
Back in New York, Karen and Simon are eating, as she's recapping Tripp's announcement that Nick would be taking over the company. He feels like he was there already, though, because that's all she talks about. Karen asks if she's boring him. I scream: "YES! You both are!" But they don't stop. He lectures her about Nick. I fight hard to keep from nodding off. He sends her to talk to Nick, because he loves her (or is manipulating her, obviously) and wants her to know that Nick doesn't respect her.
Shepherd Book (!) approaches Nola in the hall of the courthouse to give her a heads-up that Nick went to France. She says he's talking to her star witness, most likely, but because of the small fact said witness happens to be his mother, she can't do anything about it. She tells the shepherd not to worry, because she has a plan: to win the case and then steal Shepherd Book's job. I'm not sure why she hates him, because this is the first time we've seen him on the show, so that bitchiness made no sense at all. In fact, that scene had no purpose in the episode, as far as I can tell. Except to give Ron Glass work, which I guess I'm okay with. She storms away to sexy, sassy lady music and arrives in her office to find Jeremy. Could he be any more predictable? I really don't think he could. But she is surprised (because she's dense) and appalled he'd show up in her office, because it could cost her her job. He has tickets to the Weepies. She gives him ten seconds to leave or she won't see him again, and she tears up the Weepies tickets. Come on, Nola! He (or you) could have taken someone else. That's just mean. And wasteful.
Karen takes Simon's advice and shows up at Nick's place, but is greeted by Lisa instead; "greeted" might imply something more friendly than the icy looks and exchange the ladies share. Karen barely says hi and then asks for Nick. She says she can wait, but Lisa says he's in France, so it would be a long wait. She tells Karen that Nick's visiting his mother, who had to move 4,000 miles away to escape Karen's "criminally insane family." Okay, Lisa, you might just win me over again if you keep being this tough instead of whining about everything. Karen says, "Whoa. Someone's a bitch." And Lisa replies, "Yeah, someone is!" (Go, Lisa!) Karen's really bitchy, which somehow convinces Lisa to confide in her that Nick didn't consult with her before taking over the company or deciding to represent Letitia. And that she misses him being home with her, even though the Nick she fell in love with doesn't exist anyway. She says all of this in the guise of giving Karen a message since she sees Nick more than Lisa does. Lisa admits she thought she'd lose Nick to Karen, but it turns out they're both losing him to Tripp. Karen looks devastated. The first time I watched this scene, I really, truly hated it. And while I still don't think that Karen would go to the house to find Nick (I think she'd go to the office, and Daisy would be the one to tell her he's in France) or that Lisa would reveal this many personal details about a bad relationship to a woman she feels threatened by, upon watching it again I can see the weight of this scene on both women's faces. They really do both have a lot to lose in the form of Nick, and both of them are heartbroken to realize he might already be gone. It's important for Karen to realize this, though, so that Simon can continue to pull the puppet strings and also because Nick is MARRIED. Karen issues a very sincere "I'm sorry," and Lisa tearfully says she is, too. Wait a second! Did they just become BFFs?
Nick shows up at a rustic French villa to find his mother (a.k.a. CeCe van der Woodsen ), who recognizes him immediately (he must look just like Dutch, or like he did when he was six, or maybe she showed up and spied on him when he tried to meet her after high school), and is shocked to see him. He claims to just want to talk about the case, but she says she has nothing to say. She lies that she last spoke to Dutch "a lifetime ago," and hasn't been part of the Darlings' world in decades, any more than she's been part of Nick's. She won't explain why she's accepted $11 million from Letitia over the past 33 years. He says he's not leaving until he gets some answers, but her husband comes up just then, stopping the honesty. Thankfully, he invites Nick to dinner, though, which he gladly accepts.
At dinner, Nick's stepfather says he and Clare were not meant to have children, so he has no one to leave his many, many boats to. This leads him to ask if Nick has kids, and he says he has one 10-year-old daughter. Clare's face falls, and don't think Nick doesn't notice that. She won't look at him, but he offers the picture of Kiki to her anyway. It's really sad. And then his stepfather asks him about his father (dead) and his mother. Peter Krause plays this so naturally, breathing a deep sigh while he thinks about what to say, and then choosing to be honest without ratting out Clare, saying his mother left him a long time ago. When his stepfather asks if that's been difficult for him, he says he wouldn't know because it's all he's known. Clare is trying hard to not burst into tears, so she says she'll clear the dishes. But her husband says she should stay and talk business; he'll take care of it. She starts sobbing as soon as he leaves, and Nick asks if she's ready to talk now.
Patrick's at a debate versus incumbent Danielle Root (poor man's Ellen Burstyn), hosted by Dan Rather (who, since he retired, is also poor man's Dan Rather). Rather's first question, addressed to Patrick, is about his character, particularly related to honesty. Man, how does Rather do it?! He knows exactly what to ask for what Patrick wants to say. He is a good debate moderator! Patrick says he'd like to set the record straight about something, and brings up Ellen's death. He's really going to go through with it... but just then, Tripp walks into the back of the room with Carmelita. Patrick's visceral emotional reaction gave me chills both times I watched this scene. It would have been so easy to make this relationship completely trashy and stupid, but this show has never lowered itself to that, which is awesome and unprecedented. Patrick clearly knows this is a bribe on Tripp's part (does this mean Tripp's the one who had Carmelita sent away? Or that he helped Ellen do so?), so Patrick pretends the straightening of the record he wanted to take care of was that the story about Ellen being a heavy smoker was wrong. After that build-up, no one will buy that, Patrick. You should have said you were confessing she had been a smoker, so that it would at least seem like you confessed something. Tripp nods approvingly, though, and Rather appreciates the clarification.
Back in Brazil, our two Brians are bonding amid the bright nightlife. Brian Jr. wants Brian to move here, but Brian needs to live near Darling Enterprises. Brian's taking Brian Jr. to a car, pretending he's taking him home. But Brian Jr. knows his dad too well and won't get into the car until Brian tells him where they're going. Brian admits he's taking him to New York and gives a really touching speech about how Brian Jr. needs to be somewhere where he'll be taken care of 24-7 instead of in between "street dances" or "vision quests" or whatever it is Andrea does at night. Brian Jr. tells him that his mom's actually been working at night, and he points across the street to where she's waiting tables. Brian thinks this is stupid because he sends her money, but Brian Jr. says she wants to make it without his help. Okay, fine, but Brian Jr.'s in school until 4, so why couldn't she get a job that would allow her to be at work while he's in school and home with him at night?
Clare's giving Nick the story of how she met Dutch, when she was 20. He was already a lawyer, part of the Darling dynasty, so he was clearly quite a bit older than her. She tells Nick how much she loved Dutch, but how she couldn't survive in New York and started to disconnect from Dutch and from Nick, so she decided to leave. Nick chokes up (and I do, too) as he asks why she didn't take him with her. She looks at him, shocked (at the emotion?) and he looks away with tears in his eyes, trying to pretend he's not capable of being hurt like this by someone who hasn't been part of his life for more than three decades. It is so sad, and it makes me ache for that little Nick we saw in the very first episode of this series, and for this Nick -- all grown-up, but with that little boy buried somewhere deep inside him. She says he flourished without her: "Just look at you." And Nick moves on from the hurt little boy to the angry adolescent, scolding her for acting like abandoning him was somehow a productive decision. She says she wasn't able to take care of him, and asks what she was supposed to do. He gives the speech every abandoned child wants to someday give: "Maybe you could have just looked at me, and seen me, and thought it was worth it to try. To make an effort to be a mother." He's not stopping yet. He tells her she's the one who had a kid; he didn't choose this. But when it got hard she took off with the Darling's money. She doesn't know what to say, and he tells her to try "sorry." She yells she's sorry, and it sounds angry and sarcastic, but she really, really is. The tears and frustration make that abundantly clear. He sarcastically tells her thanks; it's all better now. She's very upset, so he says he knows she spoke to Dutch the day he died, and he wants to know what was said and what she'll say if she testifies. Man, if Nick was faking all of that emotion to guilt her into talking, he is as good an actor as Peter Krause (and much better than Simon Freaking Elder and his totally obvious machinations with Karen, but I digress). Before we can see if she'd spill out of guilt, in walks the stepfather, who makes Nick leave because of all of the screaming and the tears.
In Brazil, Brian first lectures Andrea for working, saying it's not about her pride; it's about Brian Jr., who shouldn't be left home at night. Which is true. He looks like he feels sympathy and maybe even a little love for Andrea. She says she was convinced when he arrived that Brian would try to kidnap Brian Jr. He's like, "Who, me?" No, really. He totally pretends that was never his intent. He tells her he knows Brian Jr.'s in good hands. And this is such a surprising and wonderful character development for Brian, because after all of the fighting and the anger and the trial, he's finally admitting Andrea's a good mom. Neither of them realizes it, but Brian Jr. has snuck into the room and is watching and listening. Andrea tells Brian that his son's going to miss him, and Brian says he'll miss Brian Jr. like hell.
Patrick approaches Tripp after the debate and asks where Carmelita is. Tripp ignores him and compliments Patrick's debate performance. Patrick asks again, and Tripp says she's "okay" and "near." Oh, thanks, Tripp. Very helpful. He then explains that he had a friend of a friend in Homeland Security track her down. What? Homeland Security? Really? Because Carmelita was on a watch list or something? Or just because the Patriot Act makes it possible to track any one of us down at any time, ever? Probably the latter. Then Tripp reiterates that Ellen sent her away, and adds that Carmelita chose to stay in hiding out of concern for Patrick's political future. (Or is this the lie Tripp is paying her/bribing her to spin, as he's the one who kept her away, somehow? Sorry, but I can't not suspect him now that he's evil incarnate) Tripp continues his bribing, saying Patrick needs to share Carmelita's concern. Patrick says he'll play along if it means he gets to see her. Tripp gives him a card with Carmelita's location. Tripp tells Patrick again that he did well in the debate, saying he looked "presidential" (ooh! Foreshadowing! If only the show can stick around enough seasons for Patrick to make it that far). Tripp walks away.
Nick's putting his bags in the trunk of a car in Paris when Clare walks up. He asks why she's there, and she gives a sincere apology. She says she knows it doesn't matter, and that he'll probably always hate her (he says he doesn't), and that he should. He says he feels sorry for her, because he didn't have a mother, but she also didn't have a son. She tells him she's going to testify that Letitia killed Dutch. She says her evidence is that Dutch called her the day his plane went down. He was a mess; had just found out about Brian being his son, and that Letitia had been lying all those years. He was going to walk away and leave the Darlings (I'm hoping not Brian, at least). He wanted Clare to know he was sorry, and that he was going to come and visit her for a fresh start. She told him she still cared for him, but they couldn't start over; too much time had passed. She said he was drunk, and hung up. Clare got scared that he'd suddenly show up in France, so she called Letitia and told her everything. Letitia said, "Don't worry, Clare. I will take care of everything. Trust me." Clare's convinced now that this meant Letitia killed him, although she didn't know what it meant when Letitia said it. Nick tells her with absolute certainty that Letitia did not kill Dutch, and that Clare cannot testify, because that story will put her in jail forever for a murder she didn't commit. Clare doesn't believe Letitia's innocent, but he finally asks her to trust her son, who's never asked her for anything. He is tearful as he asks her to stay here and live her life in peace, to do it for him. He kisses her cheek as he says this, and I don't think it's possible for her to do anything but what he asks after that heartfelt, loving speech. But I don't get why Nick is so certain about Letitia's innocence. Is it just because Brian is certain, and Brian's certainty about Tripp -- because of Brian's fierce loyalty -- convinced Nick? Or is there something more? Or did I miss something? Or is he just being the best lawyer ever, and totally manipulating his mother?
Simon's on the phone with the mystery person he talks to about Project Manipulate Karen . And I am totally puzzled as to who it would be. He says, "It's all coming together," and that the time and effort will pay off soon. Then he sees Karen coming on some sort of computer surveillance system. He gets off the phone and shuts the computer. She comes in and tells him about her visit with Lisa instead of Nick. He thinks this means she's not over Nick yet, but she tells him that she actually is. She says she was upset Nick took over the company, because she thought he'd only get to do that if he married her. But now that she talked to Lisa, she knows the Nick she used to love is gone, but Simon isn't gone. And she doesn't want to lose him. He says he's there as long as she wants. And then HE PROPOSES. Okay, he doesn't actually propose. He tells her that when she finally completely lets go of the past, she might open herself up to other possibilities, "like marrying me." She is stunned. Because, see, even though it's not a proposal, she felt like it was, too, and I think she thought it was as crazy and stupid as I think it is. Or at least I would hope she felt that way, if I cared at all about either of these characters.
Nick's back in New York. Nola pulls up in her state-prosecutor convertible and designer clothes (they match her state-prosecutor apartment in the fictional land of uber-rich state prosecutors), to ask Nick what in the hell he did to her witness. He plays dumb, so she tells him Clare George called and said she won't testify. He's like, "You should send her a subpoena. Oh, right! She's a French citizen living abroad. You can't." She wants him arrested for witness tampering, but he says she can't touch him for talking to his mother. Then he asks if she's done. She's really not. She's totally a cast member now, so I think she means it.
Nick walks in as Letitia is ordering a maid to get rid of a flower arrangement that she wishes would die. Nick comes in, and she says she won't put up with him yelling at her again. But he's there to apologize, because everything she said about Clare was true. She tells him she takes no pleasure in that, and goes on to tell him that she tried to be his mother. She wishes he could have seen himself at 6, wandering around their house without a mother, pushing his little briefcase on wheels (how cute that Nick was a little 6-year-old version of his current self, briefcase and all!), "so full of need." She tells him she loved him then and still does. Then she hugs him and he reluctantly embraces her back. It's really sweet, but I would like to make it clear that this does not make up for those awesome moments and that powerful, loving bond (like when Tripp told Nick he'd run the company someday ) we had last season between Tripp and Nick. I will not just forget about that simply because the show gets me all teary-eyed over Nick and his mom and then Nick and Letitia.
Nola's returning home after her terrible star-witness-losing day, to find Jeremy (surprise! he's predictable!) waiting outside her apartment. He asks why she had a bad day, but knowing she can't talk about the case, asks to just give him "the heart stuff; big picture." She tells him she doesn't have a husband or kids, so her work is the most important thing in her life. He's like, "You have a secret boyfriend." She says, yeah, just that and work. So when work doesn't go well, her life isn't good. He asks if she wants to see the Weepies, and then brings her inside her apartment, where the members of the Weepies are all set up ready to play. Jeremy had them all sign confidentiality agreements so they can't say a word. They dance as the Weepies sing "Somebody Loved" . I don't know if it's the song or Jeremy's adorably goofy hat, or the fact that he would actually do this for someone instead of just being a crazy stalker (I know he's being a crazy stalker with Nola, too, but he's not just being that) like he was with Lisa , but I really am starting to like them as a couple. On the other hand, how could anyone -- even Jeremy -- be dating the person who's trying to get their mother convicted of murder without some ulterior motives? That's just impossible to believe.
The Weepies continue as Patrick shows up to see Carmelita. They hug like two people who have missed each other like mad. And then they kiss and close the door. Brian's sitting on a private jet, all alone -- sad at having left Brian Jr. behind, but matured, somehow, in his decision to do so. The camera pans back to a cupboard in the back of the plane; the cupboard door pops open and Brian Jr.'s head pops out. When he sees they're not close to New York yet, he goes back into the cupboard and closes the door, staying hidden from Brian. Oh, man. This is not going to go well. Then Nick arrives at home and goes into Kiki's room, because this whole thing with his mom and Letitia made him realize what matters, I hope: his family. He tells Kiki he saw his mom, and she smiles, then tells her to go back to sleep. He walks in and gazes at a sleeping Lisa as the Weepies hit that final chorus: "You turned me into ... somebody loved." I hope that means something here, and that Nick's sticking with his family, but I'm still a skeptic. We are dealing with a soap here after all. But, man, that ending was not at all soapy, but just totally emotionally resonant in every way.
Next week: I'm guessing the reunion with Carmelita is short-lived, because Patrick yells at Tripp to stay the hell out of his life. Nick looks concerned. The polls are closing. The New York senator is announced. Ellen's brother (presumably) tells Patrick he knows he killed Ellen. And Tripp collapses. Gasp!
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DeAnn is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com .