Friday, January 20, 2006
Hugh walked in on Evangeline as she was practicing her closing arguments. He told her that not even Blair is convinced of Todd's innocence any more. Todd was marched into the courtroom. He asked Evangeline if it was too late for him to plead guilty and get life instead of risking the death penalty. Evangeline warned Todd that if he does that he would never see his family outside of prison the rest of his life and that his kids would think he was a murderer. Todd said that for once in his life he is telling the truth when he says he’s innocent, so he would opt to stick with the game plan and not plead out.

Hugh delivered his closing arguments. He basically just gave a rehash of the witnesses he paraded before the court to say Todd was shady and hated Margaret, as well as reminding the jury that there was DNA placing him at the scene of the crime. Next up was Evangeline, who said that despite Hugh’s circumstantial evidence, he produced no solid proof linking Todd to the murder. Court adjourned and Todd went back to his cell to await the jury’s decision.

Spencer dropped by the penthouse to see Blair, who was suffering a hangover. Spencer made some kind of green shake he said was a hangover remedy. Blair sipped it down, even though she said it was “nasty.” She told Spencer that she and Todd are over. “How can I be in love with a baby killer, Spencer?” she asked. Spencer flashed back to the night Margaret disappeared. We saw him saying good-bye to Margaret as she left to meet Todd and then slipping on a pair of menacing, black, OJ-esque gloves. Back in reality, Spencer asked Blair if she thought there was any truth to Todd’s version of the story about what happened to Margaret. Blair said that she is certain Todd killed Margaret and the baby. When Blair said Spencer must think she’s stupid, he told her no, that she is just loving and that it’s a quality he finds endearing. He kissed her on the cheek. There was a brief moment where it looked like they would kiss, but Blair pulled away. Spencer said a few more reassuring words to Blair and then left. He went to the hovel where Denton apparently lives (wearing the black OJ gloves) and handed him a bundle or crisp bills, “For a job well done.”

Nash dropped by Asa’s house, where Clint and his father were chatting. Clint introduced Asa to Nash as the man who might be the father of his grandchild. Asa was less than polite to Nash. Clint sent his father away so he and Nash could be alone. Nash enumerated his many financial troubles, including the fact that he was about to be kicked out of his apartment (he was staying at Roxy’s). Clint offered to let Nash stay with him. Nash was a little reluctant, but Clint told him to get over his pride and accept help. Nash thanked Clint and went to get his things.

Asa told some guy that he was tasked with locating the mystery woman in the photograph. He would not reveal who she was, but said he also wanted to know who left that photo with him on New Year’s Eve and why. Later, Nash came back and told Asa how Clint offered him a place to stay. Asa did not approve, but said if Clint offered then that’s his problem.

Viki sat with Jessica and Natalie. When Natalie said she got rid of her wedding dress, Viki was surprised, saying how she still has both of the wedding dresses she wore to marry Clint. Jessica pointed out how sometimes the first divorce doesn’t stick, and Viki added, “especially when two people are still in love with each other.” Cristian talked his mother into calling Natalie and lying that she needed help at the diner. After Natalie left, Clint dropped by and played cards with Jessica. He told her how he offered Nash a place to stay.

Carlotta kicked everyone out of the diner, at Cristian’s request, before Natalie showed up, and then went home herself. When Natalie asked where all the people were, Cristian admitted that he tricked Natalie into coming down. He asked her to stay for just one cup of coffee with him. While they waited for the java to cool, Cristian reminisced about the good times he and Natalie shared in the past. He elicited a smile from her. Aware that she was having a good time with Cristian, Natalie pointed out that she'd drunk her cup of coffee, thanked him for the company and left.

Thursday, January 19, 2006
Bo visited Todd in jail and went through a laundry list of all his past crimes. "I'm innocent this time," Todd replied. "Are you sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm the one who killed Margaret Cochran?" Bo said that determining Todd's guilt is up to the jury. Todd said he doesn't care what the jury thinks, but that if Blair thinks he's guilty, they might as well kill him right now.

Spencer flashed back to the day Margaret answered Todd's ad. He told Margaret that he would fix things to ensure that she, Todd and their child live happily ever after together.

Evangeline called Todd to the stand. Just after he was sworn in, Spencer escorted Blair into the courtroom. Todd told the court how he met Margaret at the lake that evening. Blair got frustrated listening to his testimony and got up and left, but she asked Spencer to stay so he could report to her what happened. Todd told the court that his intention the night he met Margaret was to kill her and that he brought a gun to do the job. He ran down the sequence of events that evening up until they got out into the rowboat. He said that he could not bring himself to kill an innocent child and was going to row them back to shore when she said good-bye to him and threw herself into the lake. Todd said he jumped in after Margaret because she told him she couldn't swim and was worried she would drown, but that he was unable to find her in the darkness. "All I know is I did not kill her," he said. Hugh stepped up to cross-examine. He made a big deal over Todd saying that Margaret told him she couldn't swim. He asked what she would have to gain by telling that lie and then reminded everyone that Todd has perjured himself before.

The photographer showed up at Craze looking to do the cover shoot for the February issue. He asked for the supermodel he planned on shooting. Adriana scrambled and told the photographers that the model is stuck in traffic. Rex ran into the model outside the office and told her that the shoot they had planned involved poisonous snakes — an obvious attempt to scare her off. It worked. Rex tried to convince Adriana to step up and do the shoot herself. She got all gussied up in a little sexy-librarian type outfit, flashed her cleavage and did the shoot.

Antonio ran into Cristian and found out that Cris met Nash. Antonio was irked by Cristian's sympathy for Nash's position. When Cristian told him that Tess left Llanfair, Antonio left to try to find her.

Claudia told Tess that she knows how seductive Nash can be with his talks about plans for the future, but that he is just really good at faking love. Just then, Nash walked in on them and Jessica came out. Nash took her outside Claudia's room and explained to her about the amnio. Jessica was surprised that she is now aware of some of the things that happen to Tess. Nash told Jessica how they saw sonogram pictures of the baby. Jessica went off to call Antonio and told him that she's in New York. Meanwhile, Nash went back in to talk to Claudia. She asked Nash when he was going to dump Tess like he did her. Nash said it was different with Tess. Claudia started crying and told Nash to get out of her sight. Nash apologized for what he did. "I will be sorry about what I did forever," he said. "I really hope you can find someone who loves you the way you deserve to be loved." After Nash left, Claudia indicated that she was behind Nash getting beat up.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Adriana and Dorian struggled to keep up with the business of running Craze. David stepped up and lent the ladies a hand. Dorian thanked David for his help, but then asked him to leave. "You're an ex-employee here, along with other exes," she told him. Adriana told Dorian they needed David to stay on to help them run the magazine. Dorian stubbornly refused to accept David's help. Rex came by and saw how much trouble the ladies were having with the magazine. "Your mother could drive Ghandi to violence," he told Adriana. Adriana said she doesn't want everyone to dislike her the way people don't like Dorian, and Rex said that there's no way that will ever happen.

Rex visited Todd in prison and said he found little info that could help him. Todd said his concern was only about Blair and what she thinks. "I never thought until now that I would lose everything," he told Rex. Rex promised he wouldn't give up and urged Todd not to either. Rex said if Todd didn't kill Margaret, then there has to be a way to find out who did.

Spencer comforted Blair, who was sulking in the empty courtroom. "It's over," she told him. "I've lost Todd forever." Spencer responded with a predictable smirk. Blair told Spencer that she accepts that Todd killed Margaret and her unborn baby. Spencer flashed back to conversations he'd had with Margaret just before she answered his ad in the newspaper to meet him. Blair cried on Spencer's shoulder briefly, but then got angry at herself for being vulnerable. Spencer told Blair to stop being so hard on herself. After she left, Spencer called David and asked him to talk to Blair for him. Blair came back and talked with Spencer a bit longer. David dropped in on both of them and told Blair that Todd was no good for her. When Blair left, Spencer applauded David's "performance." David told Spencer that "Blair's gonna wake up one day and realize you're more sinister than Todd Manning ever was."

Nash approached Cristian at a bar, showed him a photo of Tess and asked if he'd seen her. Cristian admitted that he knew Tess. Natalie stepped up and asked Nash why he was asking about Tess. Nash said Tess is missing and he's looking for her. Cristian revealed that he is Antonio's brother. Nash told both of them that Tess destroyed the amnio sample because she is terrified. The three of them worked on a plan to find Tess.

Tess visited Claudia at the rehab center. Claudia was a nervous mess, shaking and chewing her hair. Tess said she was there to make sure no one hurt Nash again. Claudia seemed unaware that Nash was beat up. Tess informed Claudia that it was her own father who had Nash beaten for what he did to her. Claudia started sobbing, calling Tess a liar. Claudia warned Tess that she was the same kind of pretty, young rich girl that Nash would take advantage of. Tess let slip that she was pregnant and Claudia freaked out, saying that she was supposed to have Nash's kid. "Do you know how much I hate you?" she seethed at Tess. "You have my life. You took what was mine."

Tuesday, January 17, 2006
During cross-examination, Evangeline pressed Blair until she admitted that she hated Margaret enough to kill her herself. Todd interrupted by stepping up in the middle of court to tell Evangeline to go easy on Blair. Next, Hugh got Blair to tell the court how Margaret held her in a trunk and threatened Starr's life. Hugh asked Blair whether she was capable of killing Margaret and the child no matter how much she hated Margaret. Blair said she could not have killed an innocent baby. Next, Hugh called Kevin to the stand and asked him about the evening when he and Kelly found Todd with his hands around Margaret's neck. Kevin testified that it looked like Todd would have killed Margaret had he not broken it up. Evangeline cross-examined Kevin and got him to testify that Margaret had a gun when he found Todd strangling her. Evangeline also got Kevin to admit that he never went to the police with this story, so for all anyone knew he made everything up. The judge called for a recess. Todd tried to grab Blair to have a word with her. "I know how this looks, but you gotta listen to me," he pleaded. Blair turned her back and walked out. Kevin laid a guilt trip on Evangeline on his way out of the courtroom. "I thought we were friends," he said. Evangeline explained that she had a job to do. Kevin said that between making his mother look like a lunatic and accusing him of perjury, that he is disappointed. "I just thought I knew you, that's all," he said and walked out.

Blair went to see Spencer at the hospital and the two hugged.

John walked into Dr. Crosby's office as the doc was pushing Natalie to reveal things about him. John blew up at Natalie, but calmed down when she assured him that she was duped into coming in to talk and didn't tell the doctor anything anyway. She also said that she is worried about how angry John has been lately. Crosby heard Natalie tell John that she once loved him. Natalie railed against the doctor for using her to get the goods on John. She wrote a "four-letter" note on a piece of paper and handed to Crosby. John told the doctor to tell Internal Affairs whatever he likes because he's through talking to him. Both John and Natalie walked out on Crosby, who pleaded with John to reconsider his decision.

Carlotta brought some food to Cristian's loft. She saw that he was working on a dark, depressing painting of a wedding dress and correctly guessed that it was Natalie's dress that inspired him. Cris told his mother how he found the wedding dress in the trash. After Carlotta left, Cristian put the dress painting aside and started another.

Natalie visited Cristian and brought him a pair of cufflinks she found from their wedding day. Cristian explained how they belonged to his father and thanked her for returning them. Natalie saw the painting of the dress. Cristian explained how he saw it in a trash bag. Natalie replied that she was going to donate it to charity. "Whoever gets it, I hope things work out different for them," Cristian nodded. Natalie agreed and then left.

Starr ran into David at the hospital and asked him to help her and Jack sneak into jail to see Todd. Meanwhile, Spencer played with Jack and tried to comfort him when he said he missed his parents. Paige overheard Spencer tell Jack he one day hopes to have a son just like him. Later, Starr joined her brother and Spencer and told the doctor that she thinks Blair has given up on Todd.

Adriana and Rex argued at the Palace. Rex walked away when a guy showed up to talk to him about work. Rex spied Adriana as some suit-wearing slickster bought her a drink and bragged about how he was just hired at a top-notch law firm. Rex watched the guy slide his card at Adriana.

Tess saw Jessica in the mirror at the lab. She got upset and threw the amnio vial at the image and it shattered. She returned to Llanfair where Antonio continued to pressure her about the Restons. When Antonio left to take a phone call, Tess called information for the Restons' phone number. Later, Nash took a call from the hospital explaining how the amnio sample was destroyed. Meanwhile, Tess bought a one-way train ticket.

2005 recaps