Friday, December 1, 2006
Lily made frantic phone calls about Meg's wedding as Faith came looking for an AWOL Holden. When Jade added her two cents about Holden's whereabouts, things looked suspicious. Oh, wait, you want suspicious? That would be Holden cooing "that was pretty amazing," at his blond galpal. Faith eavesdropped as Jade mentioned Holden lurking at the Lakeview. Of course, that made Lily even more paranoid. Lucinda burst in, mentioning "poor Rose" and "now Meg" as Paul's hapless brides. Lily asked if Holden saw other women while she was comatose and Lucinda cracked up. Not laughing was Holden, who ducked out of Katie's sight with his lady friend. Back at Chez Snyder, Lucinda quit laughing when she realized Lily thought Holden didn't love her anymore because she "gained a few pounds." Lucinda gave Lil' a good talking-to. Later, Lily and Faith looked at clothes and talked about Lily and Holden's classic love story. Holden finally arrived home and assured Lily, "I think you look great." He scoffed at her weight concerns, just happy to have her alive. "We're okay. I love you," he sighed, before kissing her.

At Memorial, Paul made excuses to Meg about why he and Em were lurking outside Craig's room. Fortunately, Craig's monitors went off, pulling Meg inside. Paul wondered what Craig promised Emily in exchange for her help. As she fidgeted, he concluded, "Me? He promised you me?" Emily subtly nodded (yes, she can be subtle) and he saw Craig holding Meg's hand. "That's how," she whispered. Nurse Meg, meanwhile, tried to convince Craig to take his meds and get some rest. They flirted a little and laughed. Outside, Em refused to protect Paul, so he whipped out the Puppy Face (see yesterday) again. "You'll always be special to me," he sighed, talking about their dead child. It worked! Emily backed off after making him promise he wouldn't hurt Craig again. When Meg emerged, he tested Emily. Of course, she covered for him! Meg noted how "chummy" Paul and Em seemed. After Meg left, Paul planted a cherry kiss atop his Emily Manipulation Sundae (just on the cheek, "Peg" fans). Back in Craig's room, Emily recounted the bullet-blank switch for Craig, leaving out Paul's part in things. Of course, Craig caught on anyway. "Dusty shot you!" Emily sputtered, doing some fancy footwork. Outside, Paul made sure his bases were covered with Meg and they twinkled over their upcoming nuptials. Paul was suddenly rarin' to elope.

Carly, meanwhile, told Katie to butt out about where Simon got her bling. "Why are you so upset?" Katie wondered, before accusing Simon of stealing it. At the Lakeview, Simon tried to track down who sent his cryptic note. Carly changed the subject to Katie's relationship with Mike, wondering if this was Katie's way to win him back. "You got your licks in, why can't that be enough?" Carly sighed. She tried explaining to Katie that Simon has changed and told her that Katie hasn't: She's still childish and selfish. Simon walked up and asked Katie to leave Carly out of this. They were a regular tag team, but Katie wasn't cowed. Once Katie was gone, Simon showed Carly the mystery note. Later, he tried to steer Katie towards getting back Mike, pleading, "Can you please let this go?" She flat out asked if he stole the diamonds, he lied and she didn't believe him. Carly ran into Jessica, who told her a horror story about a client in prison (LOL!). Carly asked about her probationary period, which twigged Jessica into mentioning Oakdale Confidential. Did Carly have something to hide? Outside the bookstore, Katie lashed out at Simon. "I'm sick and tired of believing in you," she cried. "If you're not guilty, what do you have to worry about?" she demanded. Simon gaped at his ex and then gaped at his other ex...Vienna!

Thursday, November 30, 2006
At Java, Gwen couldn't shake her Iris angst and thanked Will for supporting her. Will 'fessed up that Jade called him to the studio. Speaking of Jade, she and Adam got busy on the studio floor. "Why can't you see through her?" Gwen asked Will of Jade, comparing the girl to Iris. Will reassured his wife and she decided to return to the studio. There, Jade and Adam got dressed and Jade made to flee. "This is SO not ever happening again!" she cried. But it did...two seconds later. Naturally, Gwen walked in. She lashed out at the canoodling duo and Adam jumped to Jade's defense. Gwen pitched a diva fit and told Adam and Jade to "be together, copulate, procreate, sing a song while you're at it," and stormed out. Minutes later, she burst into Java and passionately pounced Will, saying, "Take me home." When Adam wondered if Jade would take him home, they wryly noted the Snyder and Hughes homes were full. (Well, kids, there's always the floor.)

Simon and Carly got dressed and decided to go Christmas shopping for her kids. Katie met up with Jack to tell him about the Simon/Carly diamond heist. She showed him highlighted passages in her book, saying that a freaked Simon's face was a "dead giveaway." Jack told Katie to come to him when she had real evidence, but then he mulled over the Spiro shenanigans and Katie realized Carly's necklace was a souvenir of the caper. Hmmm. Smug Simon promised Carly they wouldn't get caught and urged her to put her necklace on. When they were out, Carly got twitchy about wearing the big rock. Lisa walked up, blasting them for their fictional misadventures. Katie and Jack worked out the financial timeline for Simon's antics and Katie defended her motives. She wondered if Jack was reluctant to arrest Carly. (Well, duh.) Carly and Simon were relieved to realize Lisa was just teasing but Lisa warned them they were inviting trouble. Jack called a dressed-to-kill Vienna, who sighed, "there's only so much Vienna to go around." Jack asked her to have someone authenticate the Prince's jewels. She told him that had already happened and complimented him on his sexy voice. "She's either wrong or she's lying!" Katie announced. Jack told Katie to give this up, concerned about falsely accusing innocent people. Katie was determined to prove Simon guilty. Later, she asked Carly where Simon got "that gorgeous diamond," and Simon received a note from Vienna: "Simon, you bad boy, I know what you've done."

Emily interrupted Paul's intimate (and fatal) pillow talk with Craig. Meg ran into Holden at the Lakeview and they talked about their respective relationships. Holden quickly changed the subject from him and Lily, though. Paul chased down a shocked Emily and told her he was killing Craig for Johnny and Jennifer. "That is crazy!" diagnosed Emily, being the local expert on crazy. Paul begged her to let him go finish the job. Holden urged Meg to be sure of Paul, but she just wanted make that "leap of faith." Emily was boggled as Paul told her he'd "owe her one." When Em didn't buy his manipulation, Paul revealed he'd seen her with Dusty's gun. Emily realized Paul had put the real bullets back in. Naturally, Paul tried to deny it. "Emily, you're hysterical!" he scoffed, before pulling the Paul Puppy Face (you know the one) so she wouldn't run to the cops. Meg walked up on the conversation, wondering what was up.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
NuNuAdam (Matt Cavenaugh) and Gwen traded quips in the studio. Gwen was in such a good mood Adam couldn't piss her off. But Iris' arrival sure did! Gwen threw a fit, wanting her mom gone. Iris told her that Gwen's aunt Candice was coming to town to care for her. Lurking Jade called Will to let him know Mount St. Gwen was erupting. Adam helpfully rushed Iris out the door and then Gwen vented to him about Iris' manipulation. Will walked in to see Adam comforting her with a hug. Gwen beat herself up for her treatment of Iris and both Will and Adam reassured her. When Adam realized Jade had called Will, he called her on her shenanigans. Later at Java, Gwen sighed of her mom, "She has a disease." "And 40,000 excuses," Will countered, telling her that Iris couldn't stand to see her successful. Adam wondered why Jade didn't want someone who wanted her. "You're scared," he accused her. "I'm afraid of being broke and I'm afraid of spiders but I'm not afraid of you," she spat. Cue an argument that turned into kissing! Back at Java, Gwen was buoyed by Will's pep talk and contemplated going back into the studio.

At Java, Meg got some coffee and tutored Paul on the art of tipping baristas. She wasn't in the mood to listen to Paul gloating about her patient's possible death. And Paul wasn't in the mood for Meg to ruin his glee! He met Barbara at the Lakeview hoping to celebrate Craig's demise. "They're not going to sentence Dusty; they'll throw a parade," he waved off. He assured Babs they'd take care of Johnny and invited her to his wedding. She suspected that it wasn't Meg making Paul so giddy but that Paul had a part in Craig and Dusty's predicament. Paul denied this. Good, because Barbara felt like Dusty was another son to her...and we all know how Babs is about her kids. Meg walked up on them and after some banter and told them Craig will recover. Way to bum out Paul, Meg. "Dusty should've used a silver bullet," he snarked. Meg reminded him that, as a nurse, she'd worked to save the man's life. Before she joined the family, they needed to promise to take care of Johnny without violence. "There's nothing more precious than human life," Paul parroted primly, wondering how Meg made morality sexy. Walking away, Paul murmured, "I said human life, Meg. Not Craig's." Barbara gave Meg props for her handling of Paul and Meg confided that she didn't want Paul to end up like Dusty.

Over at the OPD, Jessica dressed down Dusty for confessing and for sitting there hoping Craig would die. In Craig's room, Lucy cried over him and then Katie and Margo came in. They used past tense, hoping he'd find peace. "Maybe I would if you three would just shut up," Craig rasped. Jessica pointed out she couldn't defend Dusty like this. Well, Dusty didn't want defending. He wanted Jessica to help with Johnny. Meg found Lucy crying over Craig, who was waking up. Inside, Craig murmured that the shooting "wasn't supposed to happen like that," and raised Margo's hackles. She and Katie talked over the cryptic words and then Margo got a quick update about Mike and Katie. This just served to aggravate Margo even more about her crazy siblings. At the police station, Jessica asked Lucy to try and get through to Dusty. "Damn!" Dusty cried hearing that Craig lived. "Sorry to ruin your day," Lucy sniped, blasting him for trying to kill her dad. Well, if she couldn't accept his methods, she could hit the road. Ouch! Dusty regretted hurting her, reminding her he's Johnny's father. "Then he's got one just like mine," she snapped. She lashed out at him for not fighting for Johnny the right way, telling him, "All I can say is 'goodbye.'" Back in Craig's room, he slumbered and received a visitor...Paul! Paul picked up a pillow and it wasn't to fluff it — he held it over Craig's face.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
A hysterical Lucy tended to Craig while Dusty dropped his gun and left. At Java, Meg and Paul glowed over their impending wedding, but Paul took a minute to gloat that this would make Craig a non-issue. Why was Paul so darned happy tonight? He flashed back on switching the blanks in Dusty's gun with live rounds. When the EMTs and Margo arrived, Lucy helpfully stated the obvious: Craig was shot. Meg's phone rang as she and Paul cuddled. She was being called in since Craig was shot (and Memorial only has one nurse). At the Lakeview, Emily found Dusty pouring himself a drink. She was shocked to hear that Dusty shot Craig. But she'd put blanks in the gun! Back at the garage, Margo asked Lucy to ID the shooter. "Dusty," she gasped. Then, Lucy was booted from Craig's hospital room for backseat doctoring. She came out and updated Meg, while Paul feigned sympathy. Emily sputtered at Dusty's matter-of-fact confession, but having had a psychotic shooting spree of her own, she seemed to sympathize. A short time later, Margo arrested Dusty for attempted murder. Dusty explained his actions and Margo wondered, "What if Craig lives?" He'd raise Johnny and Dusty would be in jail! At Memorial, a confused Emily slipped into Craig's room as Paul eavesdropped. "You killed me," Craig accused her before flatlining. Then, Emily came face-to-face with Paul. As Craig was rushed to surgery, Lucy told him she'd never forgive him if he didn't survive. Margo dubbed Dusty a "murderer" for shooting her brother and Lucy's father. "I'd do it again if it would keep my son safe," Dusty postured.

Mike and Katie shared some awkwardness over her pile o' books as Katie assured Mike she didn't choose Simon or intend to humiliate Mike. Her book wasn't meant to hurt him! Well, Mike was tired of having his life turned upside down. "I want you to leave me alone," he told her. For probably the umpteenth time, Katie assured him that she loves him and hates Simon. In Milltown, Simon wondered If Katie had made up a whole section in the book about the jewel heist, not realizing it was true. Carly flipped out. "I'm on probation!" she reminded. Simon tried to convince her that Katie was just mad and vengeful, not accurate, but Carly pointed out Jack saw her with the prince. They went a few rounds about the whole situation. "I'll take the rap," Simon assured her, before leaving to question Katie. Naturally, Jack arrived as he left. By the bookstore, Katie told Mike she'd revealed Simon's rep as a jewel thief, but that didn't soften him. He advised Katie to make Simon "unimportant."

And then Simon walked up, telling Katie to stop blaming him for their night together. He told her to grow up and she told him to go away. Katie referenced the necklace he gave Carly — "You could break a kneecap with that thing!" — admitting she'd gotten the theft idea from that. Just that? Whew! Back at Carly's, she made awkward small talk with Jack about Katie's book. Jack wasn't buying it, though, and wanted to flip through. Carly warned him that it was rife with Katie's jealousy of her and Simon and "lurid" details. Okay, "I'll pass," Jack shuddered. Jack admired Carly's necklace and admitted to being curious about it, twigging Carly before he left. As Simon prickled, Katie wondered if the heist actually happened. "I need people to trust me," he hissed. "You should've thought of that before you broke my heart!" she spat. Later, Simon assured Carly that they were in the clear. Back at the store, Katie remembered Mike telling her to get Simon out of her life. Then, she dialed Jack — about Simon.

Monday, November 27, 2006
Elwood slipped Casey a make-up exam (did Casey learn nothing from Will?!) and Maddie walked up, realizing, "You failed your exam?" Casey made excuses for his bad marks, assuring Maddie it wasn't because she didn't help him study. He then headed off Somewhere Mysterious with Elwood. Finding a sad Maddie, Adam wondered, "How much of a butt-kicking has my little brother earned now?" Maddie confided in him. He praised her as "incredible," and told her she was the best thing to happen to Casey since "the invention of the MP3 player." Buoyed, Maddie went sweater shopping. When Casey returned, Adam blasted him for his recent actions. Maddie walked up and broke up the shouting match. Moody Casey was no longer feelin' the urge to hang with Maddie and shop. He left and Maddie followed. "Sorry," shrugged Dr. Phil, er, Adam.

Cuddly Carly and Simon went a few rounds over Carly's necklace. Lucinda soon appeared with something for Simon: A drink. She warned the duo that Katie's new pages of Oakdale Confidential weren't so confidential about them. Outside the bookstore, Katie regretted her rash writing and pondered buying all the copies before they hit the stands. Yeah, that would be silly, so she went back to worrying as Henry comforted her. Some giddy fans ran up wanting autographs and Henry encouraged the ego boost. "She outdid herself," Lucinda said of Katie, informing an unhappy Carly that Katie had painted her as a "conniving slut." After some signing, Katie was demoralized about what she'd done to Mike and Henry gave her a pep talk. Of course that's exactly when Carly and Simon arrived. Simon lashed out at Katie for dragging Carly into her book. Cue snark about revenge, bed hopping, etc. Henry mediated, suggesting Carly and Simon actually read the book. "Not a chance," Carly snarled. Bitter Katie was rejuvenated by the fight, ready to start signing books again. Back in Milltown, Simon handed over a copy of Oakdale Confidential that he'd shoplifted. As Katie prepared to autograph another copy, the man in line asked her to sign it "To my ex." Hiya, Mike! Later, Carly and Simon dissed the book and then Simon paled. "Maybe we should've read ahead." The book was worse than they'd thought!

At the farm, Emma and Meg talked about Emma's acceptance of Paul. "We both love you," Emma noted. Talk soon moved on to Meg's upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, the groom-to-be swapped bullets out of Dusty's gun while Craig toasted Emily for helping him. "Don't overestimate my loyalty to you," Em warned. Then, Lucy was alarmed to hear that Craig still planned to meet with gun totin' Dusty. Concerned, she turned to Emily. Elsewhere, Emma urged Meg to "own up" to her part in her rift with Paul. Meg called Paul after he emerged from Dusty's car (the recapper envies Paul's cell reception). Dusty arrived at the garage and pulled his gun on Craig. Emily actually advocated the guys hashing things out, but Lucy wasn't convinced and she headed for the garage herself. Dusty pulled out the custody papers for Johnny, telling Craig to tear them up "or leave town." Naturally, Craig refused. Threats flew fast and furious. A contrite Paul came over to the farm, hugged his future mom-in-law and made up with Meg. Well, how about they get married next week? "All we need is for you to say 'Yes,'" Meg cajoled. Craig laughed at Dusty, calling him Jennifer's worst choice. As Lucy arrived, Craig taunted Dusty to shoot him. Paul agreed to marry Meg at Holden and Lily's (what would Rose say?) and they smooched. Not so lovey-dovey was Dusty. He pulled the trigger and, much to Craig's dismay, the bullet was very real.

2005 recaps