The BEST episodes of Knots Landing season 8
Every episode of Knots Landing season 8, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Knots Landing season 8!
Hoping to ride the crest of its success with Dallas, CBS spun off this series featuring the black sheep of the Ewing Family, Gary Ewing. Gary was a weakened reformed alcoholic who had deserted his wife Valene Ewing, and then remarried her and moved to Southern California to escape the formidable nature of life with the Ewings in Dallas. All the equals in this series lived on the same cul-de-sac in the quiet little community of Knots Landing. In addition to being neighbors, their lives intertwined in other ways. Gary worked for Sid Fairgate, owner of Knots Landing Motors, the local classic car dealership. Sid and his wife Karen Fairgate had three teenage children: Eric Fairgate, Michael Fairgate, and Diana Fairgate. The other two couples on the cul-de-sac were young recording executive Kenny Ward and his attractive wife, Ginger, and Richard and Laura Avery.
#1 - A Plan of Action
Season 8 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/5/1987
Paige accepts a job at Lotus Point. Anne asks Karen to arrange for her to live at Lotus Point. Greg and Laura disagree about her having the baby, so she moves back to the cul-de-sac. Abby opens a nightclub at Lotus Point. Peter asks Abby to the opening, but tells Paige it is only for PR purposes. Ben refuses to kill Greg, and Jean says she'll kill his family. After someone tries to run Val off the road, Ben tells her that he was part of a subversive group that bombed a building and an innocent man was killed. Ben says they want him to kill Greg. Ben and Val decide to run away. Val won't tell Lilimae what is up. Ben is being followed, and steals a car to lose them. Val, Lilimae, and the kids follow Ben's plan to meet him secretly. As they drive away, Jean pulls up next to them in her car.
#2 - Distant Echoes (2)
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1986
Phil makes Karen cut her hair because he likes short hair better.Ben refuses to spy for Jean. The arsenic levels at Lotus Point are rising. Gary decides to run for the senate himself, against Peter. He thinks that this will pressure Greg to really clean up Empire Valley. Jill agrees to be Gary's campaign manager, and this angers Peter. Jill tells Peter that only Gary is important to her now. Mac breaks down to Val over Karen, and Val comforts him. Flashback Scene: Mac, Phil and Greg see Anne on a train, but Mac is afraid to approach her. Greg speaks with her, and she slaps him. Mac apologizes to Anne, and she agrees to go out with him. He falls asleep by her pool while waiting for her to get ready on their first date.
#3 - A Turn of Events
Season 8 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1986
Abby suggests Sylvia have an attorney draw up a letter with the truth about Peter, to be released to the public if anything happens to her. The attorney then gives the letter to Abby. Sylvia gives another copy to Olivia. Karen walks in on Michael and Paige cuddled up asleep, and tells Mac that they're sleeping together. Ben and Mac try to figure out the link between Peter, Jill, Abby and Sylvia.After Jill falls off cliff, Peter calls 911. At the hospital, Gary apologizes to Jill for his ultimatum. Peter tells Mac and Ben he used to date Jill, but now they're good friends. Gary tells Abby that he loves Jill. Something goes wrong, and a code blue is called for Jill. Abby and Gary overhear a Doctor saying that Jill is pregnant. Jean tells Ben to report that Peter was seen with Jill before the accident. Another man tells Ben he saw Jill fall off the cliff and that Peter was with her.
#4 - The Unraveling
Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/1/1987
Mr. Winston flies into town and confirms that Paige really is his granddaughter. Paige is upset to see him. Karen convinces Mac he needs to fly to New York and tell Anne that Paige is alive. Paige cooks a romantic dinner for Peter.Jill admits to Gary that Peter is her brother. Gary thinks she means she is Galveston's daughter. Gary asks Jill to marry him. Abby demands Olivia give her all of her drug paraphernalia, but Olivia gives her baking soda. Gary invites her to AA, but Olivia refuses. Gary tells Abby they'll have to wait until she hits bottom. Abby finds out that Olivia has drained her and Brian's bank account, has been skipping school, is failing all of her classes, and didn't pay her tuition. Out of money, Olivia decides to sell drugs, and her dealer hits her when she uses them instead. Abby takes Olivia's house and car keys and puts her under house arrest.
#5 - Brothers and Mothers (a.k.a.) Brotherly Love and Family Business
Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/1986
Peter continues to add extra pills to Sylvia's medical dish. Peter tells pharmacist he needs more pills because Sylvia dropped them down the sink. Then Peter feels guilty and flushes the extra pills. A studio options "Capricorn Crude" and wants Val to write the script. Eric walks in on Michael and Paige sleeping together. He's furious about what that would do to Mac and Karen. He and Michael have a physical fight, and trash the room, but won't tell Karen what it's about. Paige can't pay her hotel bill and moves in with the MacKenzies. The hotel calls and says Paige's check bounced, and Karen wonders why she pretends to have a lot of money. Ben tells Val he doesn't like Jean and not to be friends with her. Jean tells her lover that Ben's real assignment is to kill Greg.
#6 - Parental Guidance
Season 8 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/30/1987
Laura has a baby girl - 8lbs, 3 oz! Anne goes back east. Mac asks Greg if he could be Paige's father, but Greg insists he never slept with Anne. Jill intercepts Olivia's letter for Peter and burns it. Paige thinks she and Peter are getting married. Peter tells Abby that he'd rather marry her. Abby tells him to dump Paige. After he does, Abby tells Peter to take a hike. Mac and Karen tell Paige that Greg may be her father. Crying, she says Anne was just being vindictive, but thinks this is why Peter broke it off with her. Ben tells Val that his obsession is ruining the family, and she thinks he has come back to his senses. Ben makes plans to leave the country, but tells Val he got a job in South America. Ben asks Mac to keep an eye on the family, and tells Gary that he's glad he's glad that the twins have him as security, in case something should ever happen to him. Ben leaves for his "job" in a taxi, but one gets the feeling he is really leaving forever......
#7 - For Appearance's Sake
Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/1986
Abby and kids move back to the ranch to help out Gary's family image. Gary catches Abby in bed with Peter, but doesn't care. Olivia smokes pot and is suspended from school and steals Abby's car. She's is in a minor accident and picked up for driving without a license. Gary gets her, and misses a debate. Mac tells Karen about Paige and they invite her to dinner. Roses are delivered from Phil with a card that says "You won't get away next time." Greg changes his tires and gives Phil's name to police, saying he recognized him from the police sketch. They show his picture to Karen, who ID's him. Mac is shocked. Seeing his picture on TV, Phil shows up at Greg's office and says that police think 2 people were in on the kidnapping, and he'll tell police that Greg hired him unless he will help him get out of the country.
#8 - In Mourning
Season 8 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/19/1987
Val and the kids are brought home in a catering van. Val is frantic about Ben. Mac hires bodyguards posing as construction workers to protect Val and instructs Val to say that Ben is on a business trip. Lilimae asks Karen if she knows what's going on as Ben had her close her bank account, they drove around in a stolen car, then in a Catering van all night, and now there are 2 carpenters at the house who aren't doing anything. Karen asks both Mac and Val what is going on, but neither will tell her anything. Greg's death is in the paper. Abby rushes to Peter's and says he'd better be prepared to take over Galveston Industries and pressures him to make a public statement. Gary and Jill had planned to marry in Las Vegas, but he postpones it. Val goes to the ranch to comfort Laura, then Greg walks in, and Val suddenly wonders if Ben is dead.
#9 - No Miracle Worker
Season 8 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/8/1987
Mac flies to New York to see Anne. Under house arrest, Olivia sneaks out and does drugs in the barn. Olivia locks herself in the bathroom, so Abby chops the door down and finds drugs which Olivia tried to flush. Olivia makes calls, and tells Brian that her friends will bring her homework to his school. Abby catches Olivia stealing money from her purse, and they fight. Olivia trashes Abby's room, and Abby has to restrain her. Olivia gives Brian an envelope and tells him it's her homework to give to her friends. Lilimae brings Brian to school, but comes back with Olivia's "homework". It is actually money. Upset, Olivia says she had to give it to Brian, or her friends would beat him up. Abby rushes to Brian's school, but he's already been beaten up. Abby brings him home and forces Olivia to face her bruised and bloodied brother. Upset, Olivia runs to the chicken coop and gives Abby all of her drugs.
#10 - My True Love
Season 8 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/15/1987
Paige tells Karen she'd better worry about Anne's intentions with Mac. She then packs goes to stay with Peter. Anne tells Mac that he's the only man she ever loved, but didn't tell him she was pregnant, because she found out her father paid him $5,000 to leave her. Mac says that isn't true. She says she's afraid she'll fall in love with Mac again. Karen is jealous of Anne's looks, and they talk uncomfortably while waiting for Paige. Anne says Paige did this to bring her and Mac back together and she is snide to Karen. Olivia goes to AA with Gary, and apologizes to Brian. Abby still wants to postpone the divorce, but Gary says no. Jean has Ben bug Greg's office. They hear Peter ask Greg where he sent Sylvia on vacation, but Greg won't tell him. Then Jean calls and says she wants Ben to break into Greg's computer.
#11 - Never Trick a Trickster
Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/1987
Seeing Anne's immature behavior, Karen feels sorry for Paige and wants her to stay with them. Anne wants Paige to come back to NY, and threatens to cut her off financially. Peter tells Paige it isn't good for his image to live with someone, so she moves back to the MacKenzies. Anne says she'll stay until Paige agrees to leave with her. Greg finds the bug in his office, and suspects that someone has hooked up to his computer. He makes phony deals, and tells Ben about it. Ben tells Jean, who's upset because she fell for it. Abby tells Gary she will fight for the ranch unless he gives her $3 million so Gary gives her the money. Ben tells Val that no matter what happens, to always remember he loves her. Jean tells Ben that his new assignment is to kill Greg.
#12 - Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate
Season 8 - Episode 29 - Aired 5/7/1987
Laura names her baby Marguerite Catherine (Meg) after her mother. Val calls Ben's news service, and they tell her he's not on assignment for them. Olivia confronts Paige on dating Peter, and Paige tells her about Abby and Peter. Olivia and Abby scream at each other. Peter thanks Jill for burning the letter, and she throws him out. Abby screams at him for leading Olivia on. Paige throws plates at him and screams at him for not telling her that Greg is her father, and Peter laughs at her. At the Lotus Point Club, Abby hears Olivia scream, and comes out of the Ladies room, drying her hands. Abby sees Olivia leaning over Peter's dead, bloody body, and Abby thinks Olivia has killed him. Olivia sees Abby wiping her hands, and thinks that Abby has killed Peter.
#13 - Nightmare
Season 8 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/5/1987
Jean's superior tells her she needs to kill Greg. Mac, Greg and an agent find out that Jean and her associate are trying to kill Greg. Mac punches out Jean's superior, and he's arrested. Not knowing he's on to her, Jean invites Greg to her hotel room. Greg says he knows what she's up to and pulls a gun. Mac and the agent come in and arrest her. Mac explains to Karen that he couldn't tell Val that Ben was alive, because she would give it away. Val, hysterical about Ben, tries to buy a gun. Unsuccessful, she goes to the ranch and takes Gary's gun. Val breaks into Jean's store, and almost shoots a cleaning woman by accident. Gary finds her and brings her home. Ben walks in and they hug and kiss and cry. That night Ben dreams that Jean kills Val. Abby tells Jill, "Let the second Mrs. Ewing give the soon to be third Mrs. Ewing some advice. The first Mrs. Ewing doesn't go away - ever!" Gary and Jill decide to get married some other time.
#14 - The Inside Man
Season 8 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/4/1986
Greg makes out a will for Peter with him as the beneficiary. Abby brings Sylvia to stay with the Sumners. Jill tells Peter that she'll cover for him, but their relationship is over. Paige reject Michael and he takes it out on Karen. Paige agrees to go to a movie with him as "friends", but stands him up when Peter asks her out. Peter cancels a date with Abby to meet Paige. Jean gives Ben cash for his "services". Lilimae finds it while doing laundry and show Val. Ben tells her it's the office pool. Val's worried about Ben's strange behavior. Greg offers Ben a job. He doesn't want to take it, but does when Jean threatens his family. Karen finds a letter that Anne wrote to Mac about Paige's birth, but they suspect Paige wrote it herself, and wonder if she's lying about anything else. In a cemetery, there is a tombstone that says "Paige Matheson, 1967-1985."
#15 - Touch and Go
Season 8 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/27/1986
Mac and Karen confront Paige and Michael separately. Paige agrees to stop the affair, but Michael maintains they are in love. Sylvia tells Peter about the letter she gave to her attorney. The producer tells Val that they need the first draft of her script in a few days, so she hires a personal secretary. Ben is afraid he has ties to Jean. Jean tells Ben that if they bury Peter in the media, she'll get out of his life. Ben and Mac question the witness, Paul Kelly. They find holes in his story and Ben figures he is working for Jean and confronts her. Greg thinks someone is trying to ruin Peter's career, and tells Peter that he and Jill's story better match when she wakes up. Jill loses the baby. Jill wakes up and Gary is mad that she requests to see Peter instead of him.
#16 - Survival of the Fittest
Season 8 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/12/1987
Jean catches the Gibson's, and they know that their house is bugged. She instructs Ben to kill Greg at the Lotus Point Club Opening. At the opening, Greg and Laura make up. He says he's happy about the baby. Anne hangs all over Mac at the party, and Karen pretends not to mind. Mac is amused at Karen's jealousy. Ben tells Val that they'll escape in a catering truck after the party. Jean tells Ben that if he doesn't kill Greg, she has people at the party who will kill Val. Ben says the time isn't right, so Jean tells him to make an opportunity. Gary and Jill tell Val that they're getting married and Val runs off crying. Ben confronts Greg in his office and pulls out a gun. He tells Greg to help him find a way out of this, because if he doesn't kill him, they'll kill his family. Jean listens in on the bug. Ben can't bring himself to kill Greg, but then a shot rings out.
#17 - Over the Edge
Season 8 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/1986
Jean scratches Greg's car in order to meet him, and later comes on to him. Mac tells Paige he can come to her if she needs money. Paige pawns some jewelry. Peter can't find Sylvia, and calls Jill over to Sylvia's. Peter tells Jill about the pills, and she's angry that he's gone too far. Ben, who was going to interview Sylvia, stops by and is suspicious about Jill being there. Sylvia shows up at the ranch telling Abby that Peter tried to kill her. Peter denies it, but Sylvia says she's staying at the ranch until Abby finds her new accommodation. Gary and Abby sleep together, but he tells her that sex isn't enough anymore. Jill won't tell Gary what her relationship to Peter is, so he gives her an ultimatum. Jill tells Peter that she's going to tell Gary he's her brother, and Peter flips out. They argue, and Jill accidentally falls over the side of a cliff.
#18 - Slow Burn
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1986
News of Gary and Jill's affair hits the papers. Abby's furious, and has a little talk with Peter. At a debate, Peter makes it clear that Gary's personal life is not an issue. Gary and Jill resume their affair. Greg has Phil's license plate traced to an address in Dillon, CA, and drives there. Jean keeps trying to call Ben, and he keeps hanging up on her. Karen escapes the burning house. Phil sees her on the road and tries to run her down. She escapes into the woods and eventually comes across a vacant house. She breaks in, but Phil finds her. She throws a bucket of ammonia in his face and runs out back to the barn. He is breaking down the barn door when Greg shows up and stops him. Greg says he'll let him go for old times sake, as long as he goes back east and never gets involved in their lives again. Karen is confused when she hears 2 cars leave. Police tell Mac they received a tip about where Karen is. Mac and Karen run into each other's arms, and he brings her home.
#19 - Gifts
Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/11/1986
Ben gives Abby his resignation. Greg tells him his job is to keep Peter's nose clean. Peter tells Ben that he is not Greg's puppet. Jean's lover asks her what Ben will do if he finds that she is no longer with the CIA. Michael is jealous when he sees Paige fawning over Peter at the Lotus Point Christmas Party and at the mall. He blames Karen. Abby shows up at Peter's nude under a Fur Coat. Karen leaves a message for Paige's grandparents, the Winstons. When Karen tells Paige, she flips out and says her grandparents hate her because they hated Mac. Mr. Winston calls Karen and says that she's sick, because Paige is dead. Laura tells Greg she is pregnant, and he's not happy. Olivia buys some drugs, and then Abby and Gary give her a sports car for Christmas. Olivia takes Lilimae for a ride, and they get into an accident.
#20 - Truth Will Out
Season 8 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/18/1986
Gary goes to Jill's to get her some clothes. He sees her yearbook where her name is Dorothy Simpkins, and pictures of Peter that are signed "for my sis." Home, Jill asks Gary to marry her, but he says he needs to get to know her better. Lilimae gives Abby a packet of cocaine she found in Olivia's car. Abby searches Olivia's room as Olivia is in the barn snorting coke. Abby follows Olivia and sees her buying drugs. Abby grabs her purse and dumps out the drugs. Greg wants Laura to have an abortion. Paige tells Mac and Karen that she faked her death to get away from her grandparents. They are not sure if they believe her. Karen researches and finds an obituary saying Paige died in a boating accident. Mac decides to call the Winston's, and Mr. Winston tells him to stop calling because it upsets Anne. Mac is surprised to hear that Anne is alive.
#21 - Pressure Points
Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/1986
Police go to Phil's motel, but he's across the street, and people yell to the police where he is. Phil runs into the street, and is hit by a car. At the hospital, Phil tells Mac that Greg was behind the kidnapping, but Mac knows he's lying. Phil dies.Peter is upset with Sylvia's drinking, because she talks too much. Sylvia says she wants Peter to get money from Abby for her, or she will tell a tabloid the truth, because she doesn't care who pays her as long as she gets money.Lotus Point has a grand re-opening. Paige spots Peter, and is definitely interested in him. Sylvia makes a drunken spectacle of herself. She has a "spell" and asks Peter to pick up a refill of her prescription. The pharmacist tells Peter that if Sylvia takes too many pills, it will cause cardiac arrest so Peter purposely gives her too many. Both Greg and Abby pressure Peter to join certain committees, but he stands up to each of them and refuses.
#22 - Cement the Relationship
Season 8 - Episode 30 - Aired 5/14/1987
Val tells Lilimae that she knows Ben went after Jean Hackney and is not coming back. Mac tells Paige that he called Anne, and Anne admitted Mac really is her father. Peter can't reach Greg, but is more interested in playing with Meg than finding him. Abby hears that cement is going to be poured for the new Children's playground at Lotus Point, so Abby decides to bury Peter there. With several interruptions and near misses of getting caught, Abby buries Peter, only to dig him up for his car keys and rebury him. She brings his car to the airport and takes the bus home. Olivia tells Abby she is not worth what Abby did (meaning Abby shouldn't have killed him.) Abby, thinking Olivia means she shouldn't have buried Peter on her behalf, assures Olivia that she did it for her, and that no one will ever know. The cement is poured in the children's park, and Karen and Abby go to inspect it. Karen points out that there is a structural crack in the cement, and it will need to be done over....
#23 - Breakup
Season 8 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/9/1987
Peter pressures Olivia for the letter. Abby sees them kissing and is furious. Greg tells Abby that he is only after Olivia's letter. Olivia stops by Peter's, but when she sees Paige there, she sends the letter to Gary. Ben, thinking Val is Jean, freaks out. She thinks he is hallucinating from lack of sleep. Home again, Anne milks Mac's guilt over her suicide attempt. Anne tells Karen on the phone that she did it to bring Mac to his senses, that Mac is only with Karen out of obligation, and will never be happy in their little tract house on a dead end street with its barbecues and "Kiss the Cook" aprons. Mac overhears this. Mac invites Anne to dinner. He puts on his "Kiss the Cook" apron, and barbecues, while telling Karen how much he loves their life and home. Ann yells at him for insulting her. He yells that she insulted Karen. He says that he loves Karen, and not her. Furious, Anne tells him that he is not Paige's father - Greg is!
#24 - Our Secret
Season 8 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/2/1987
Anne is rushed to the hospital, but the doctor says she's fine. Paige tells the McKenzies that it's only a stunt, but Mac says it's still a cry for help. Guilty, he is extra nice to Anne, which doesn't sit too well with Karen. Sylvia is dead, so Peter really comes on to Olivia, giving her a locket and even kissing her. Olivia leaves lots of messages for Peter, which Peter and Paige make fun of. Michael tells Olivia that Paige is dating Peter, but Olivia says Paige would have told her because they are best friends. Gary and Jill plan to go away, but they meet Peter at the airport picking up Sylvia's body. Thinking it is Jill's mother too, Gary decides they should stay in town. Ben flips out when Lilimae turns off the security system, and she and Val are really worried about his paranoid behavior.
#25 - Deadly Combination
Season 8 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/26/1987
Laura's furious with Val over the whole incident, and even quits Lotus Point so she won't run into her there. Ben is still paranoid, and wants the family to go into hiding, but Val says that is no life for the twins. Ben has an elaborate security system installed. Lilimae accidentally sets it off, and Ben, thinking she's Jean, gets her in a choke hold. Peter appoints Olivia as his youth advisor. He tells her she is prettier than Abby, and asks if she's heard from Sylvia. Anne and Mac discuss old times, and she tells him that she still loves him. Karen and Mac argue over Anne. Karen tells him to tell Anne to leave. Mac tells Anne that he loves Karen and will never leave her. Anne asks Mac to meet her for a goodbye breakfast. Anne then takes a bunch of pills. Mac decides to eat breakfast with Karen instead of meeting Anne. Anne is passed out on her living room floor.