KNOTS LANDING: MARITAL PRIVILEGE (TV)
Summary
One in this night-time drama serial, spun off from the series "Dallas," about the residents of the small southern California community of Knots Landing. In this episode, Diana returns home and her brothers greet her happily, but Karen and Mack are worried about her possible knowledge about Ciji’s murder. When asked, she states firmly that she intends to stay married to Chip and does not want an annulment. At the police station, Janet and her partner interrogate Chip, aka Tony Finece, and describe their convincing theory about how he killed Ciji, but he continues to deny everything. Elsewhere, James and Abby talk, realizing that Gary stands to inherit a large fortune from the Ewing oil company and will soon be divorced, and they scheme to make Abby the next Mrs. Gary Ewing. Later, they meet with him, and he informs them that he has hired Laura as a consultant, which displeases Abby. At home, Val heads out for a meeting with Gary and their divorce lawyers, and her mother encourages her to get what she can from the settlement, but Val says she merely wants the process to be finished quickly. Diana is then questioned by the police and she continues to defend Chip, claiming he was with her on the night of the murder. When her parents arrive, she asks that they hire him the best possible lawyer.
Val and Gary’s lawyers argue heatedly over the settlement, and Val finally interrupts to say that she wants only the house and the car, nothing more. Gary tells her that she “earned” a monetary payout, but she explains that taking his money would make her feel dependent on him, and she wants to make it on her own after relying on him for so long during their marriage. He agrees, and they share a friendly moment before parting. Abby visits senate candidate Greg Sumner’s campaign office and gives him a large “donation,” but he immediately sees that she is bribing him for reasons relating to the oil company and he tears up the check. At the office, Abby talks with Laura and asks her to look into purchasing some land in South Dakota as an investment, praising her earlier choice of the ranch, and Laura seems suspicious. Diana asks to borrow Karen and Mack’s car to visit Chip in prison, and Karen resists, but Mack gives her a ride. At the jail, Diana assures Chip that she did not talk and will stand by him, and he declares his love for her. When she returns home, Karen tries to tell her that she is “confused” about Chip, but Diana continues to demand a lawyer for him and as they argue, she finally blurts out that Chip “did it for her,” and Karen realizes that Chip confessed to her about the murder.
Karen goes to Janet and explains what Diana said, but Janet explains that Diana cannot testify against Chip because they are married, and that she needs to speak to the police herself to aid the investigation. Abby and Gary have dinner and Abby offers to cut James out, if Gary so desires, and when he tells her about his surprisingly pleasant meeting with Val, she speeds things along and seduces him. She says that they have previously been “like vagabonds,” but can now settle down together and forget their pasts. Val’s mother is dismayed to learn that she did not ask for alimony, but says that she is at least glad that Chip has been captured. Janet tries to question Diana again and reveals what Karen told her, and Diana denies everything, declaring that her mother lied and that she never wants to speak to her again. As Val runs on the beach, she encounters Ben and asks why he did not tell her that he was a journalist, and he explains that he wanted her to know him as a person first. He promises that he will not exploit her for stories, and they agree to try being friends. Greg encounters Mack at the gym and Mack frets about work, saying that “the little guy” pays the price for the crimes of the rich, and Greg muses that he wants Mack “on his team” in some capacity. At the same time, Lilimae surprises Chip in jail and tries to appeal to his conscience, but he demands to know who sent her to manipulate him, still vowing not to confess anything, and she leaves, upset. Karen tells Mack what happened with Diana, and Abby calls Karen from the ranch, saying that Diana is safe there with them, but refuses to let Karen speak to her daughter. Gary and Laura go for a ride on horseback, and Laura attempts to find out why Abby has so much power in their business, but Gary merely says that she has power of attorney. Mack arrives at the ranch to fetch Diana, but she refuses to go with him, and he angrily yells that she unfairly blames her mother for everything before finally accepting defeat and leaving. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: October 20, 1983 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:27057
- GENRE: Drama, night-time serial
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, night-time serial
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1979-1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Filerman … Executive Producer
- David Jacobs … Executive Producer, Created by
- Peter Dunne … Producer
- Mary Catherine Harold … Associate Producer
- Richard Gollance … Writer
- Larry Elikann … Director
- Ron Grant … Music by
- Jerrold Immel … Theme Music by
- William Devane … Cast, Gregory Sumner
- Kevin Dobson … Cast, M. 'Mack' Patrick MacKenzie
- Julie Harris … Cast, Lilimae Clements
- Michele Lee … Cast, Karen MacKenzie
- Claudia Lonow … Cast, Diana Fairgate
- Constance McCashin … Cast, Laura Avery
- Donna Mills … Cast, Abby Cunningham
- Ted Shackelford … Cast, Gary Ewing
- Douglas Sheehan … Cast, Ben Gibson
- Joan Van Ark … Cast, Valene Ewing
- Michael Sabatino … Cast, Chip Roberts
- Lisa Hartman … Cast, Ciji
- Joanna Pettet … Cast, Janet Baines
- Steve Kahan … Cast, Morrison
- Clayton Landey … Cast, Jim Westmont
- Peter Brandon … Cast, Gary's Lawyer
- Steve Shaw … Cast, Eric Fairgate
- Pat Petersen … Cast, Michael Fairgate
- Donegan Smith … Cast, Val's Lawyer
- Gigi Vorgan … Cast, Carol
- Ron Recasner … Cast, Diana's Lawyer
- Tony Martinelli … Cast, Attendant
- Jack Wagner … Cast, Aide
- Cynthia Janos … Cast, Abby's Secretary