The BEST episodes written by Dianne Messina
#1 - What a Swell Party This Is
Knots Landing - Season 11 - Episode 12
Paula tells Greg that she's tired of him only calling her as a diversion, so if he wants her he'll have to prove it. Michael helps Linda find an apartment. Eric comes to visit and tells Mike that Linda wants the divorce, but he wants to win her back. Michael tells Linda to work things out with Eric. At Michael's birthday party, Olivia and Harold fight and flirt with other's. Harold tells Olivia it was nice to talk with a woman who doesn't look down her nose at him. Olivia takes off her ring and leaves. Linda's upset and Karen tells her not to worry, she and Eric will work things out. Linda says she doesn't want Eric. She loves Michael. Val tells Karen she won't let another one of Gary's demented lovers ruin her life.
#2 - Wrong For Each Other
Knots Landing - Season 11 - Episode 20
Tom tells Paige he will always love her, and meeting her changed him, and he is going straight. Linda comes onto Michael, and gets nasty when he rejects her. Associate producer Jeff is having an affair with Dianne. He tells both Karen and Dianne that the other is difficult, so he'll run interference. Anne unexpectedly shows up at Paige's. Paula tells Karen she loves Greg, and constantly stays at his side. Anne stops by to visit, and he says "Anne!" Danny takes the twins out when he knows Gary is going to spend the day with them. Danny tells Gary he is adopting the twins. Gary wants Val to tell the twins he is their father. Val tells Danny that he can't adopt them, and Danny goes off. He yells, throws things at her, smashes a lamp and says she's crazy. Val is shocked.
Watch Now:Amazon#3 - The One to Blame
Knots Landing - Season 11 - Episode 25
Gary loves being a family, and Val is happy too. Karen is still being followed by Wayne, and he steals her sunglasses. Mac is concerned about a fan stalking her. Diane hires a security guard for Karen - Wayne. Dianne and Jeff break up. Tom gives Paige an engagement ring in a "Happy Meal". Greg then gives Paige a HUGE diamond, and suggests they live together. She gives it back to him. Greg is truly upset over Paige's engagement, and hires a detective to get him information on Tom. Pat is rushed to the hospital, and is in a coma. Frank goes to the jail to see Danny. Frank grabs him by the neck and says if he gets out on bail, Frank will be his worst nightmare. Later Danny's attorney posts bail. Pat wakes up, and she and Frank declare their love. Later Pat has a blood clot and goes into another coma.
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - The Unknown
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 13
Paige dreams she meets herself as an older woman, and is miserable because she married Greg. Greg moves his sickbed to the office. He tells Paige he had a vasectomy and wants her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, so she calls off the wedding. Mac discovers Jason was sent home because he refused to testify against his dad. Mac and Frank go to a poetry reading at Julie's school. Jason is there, and he's sad his father didn't show up, but he's glad to see Mac. Later Jason shows up at the MacKenzie's. Anne decides to set her sites on Gary. Val goes to see the doctor, but thinks Gary paid him to say she has temporary brain damage in a plot to get the twins. Val replaces her pills with aspirin. She moves to the ranch since Gary won't let her take the twins. She gets in bed with Gary and starts to kiss him. He doesn't think it's a good idea and she goes off on him.
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - In the Dog House
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 17
Claudia tells Paige about Anne's fake marriage to get her trust fund. Anne goes to the ranch to get a puppy, and is bored when Gary goes on and on about Val. Paige kicks Anne out. Nick finds Anne. He calls her Betty, and tells her to call him Dimitri. Steve tells Claudia he is her son and wants to know why she gave him away. She throws him out. Mack is jailed for hiding Jason, so Gary agrees to help. Val comes home as Gary is there to get Jason, and thinks Gary is hiding a woman there. Val questions the twins, who tell her about Anne. Jason's uncles go to the MacKenzie's where Paige is babysitting. They demand to know where Jason is. One uncle punches Paige, so Jason runs out of Val's to help her. His uncles force Jason into their truck and speed off.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - Bad Dog
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 19
Jason is unconscious in the hospital, and his dad is put in jail. Mac stays with him. Linda sleeps with Greg and breaks off her engagement to Michael. Claudia refuses to tell Steve or Kate who Steve's father is. Anne and Nick try to find out if the doll is worth something or if something's hidden in it. The dog rips the doll apart. Val comes by and yells at Anne to stay away from Gary. Seeing the dog, she takes it. Then a man breaks in and demands a vial that was hidden in the doll. Paige comes in with security to kick Anne and Nick out, and the man is arrested. Anne and Nick determine that the dog ate the vial, so they break into Gary's barn, but all the puppies look alike.
Watch Now:Amazon#7 - Upwardly Mobile
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 21
Jason is to have a goodbye dinner with his dad, but his father doesn't show up. Finding out their money is counterfeit, Anne and Nick decide to get real jobs, but both are inept and are fired on their first day. Anne decides to blackmail Claudia because she knows who Steve's father is. Kate is shocked to learn Steve was in prison. Kate asks Greg to hire Steve. Mort assigns Steve to be Paige's assistant. She's furious, and has hated him ever since he dinged her car. Greg and Steve meet and immediately argue, but Greg likes him. Paige and Steve get stuck in an elevator for several hours and they argue. When they're finally freed, Paige goes into Greg's office, only to find him with Linda.
Watch Now:Amazon#8 - An American Hero
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 22
Doctors discover that Val has a rare virus that is causing her strange behavior, but it's curable. Greg offers Claudia a job as head of his foundation. Mrs. Richfield wants Linda to work on her account with Paige. Paige places a sexy ad on a phone date line and gives Linda's phone number. Steve tells Kate his parents were forced out of their logging business by a big logging company, and his father was killed, and his mother died 6 months later. He said he got drunk and beat up the company representative, and that's why he was in jail. Steve finds out Greg owns the logging company. Jason's paper on an American Hero has won a regional contest, and the final prize is a year abroad in Sweden. Jason doesn't want to read the paper, because it's about his father. At the ceremony Jason changes his essay to be about Mac. Michele Lee sings as several clips of Steve Shaw are shown.
Watch Now:Amazon#9 - Dead But Not Buried
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 4
Karen is overjoyed to find that Jeff is alive, until he locks her in the station and tries to kill her. He says Wayne was killed in his apartment, and he sent her all the letters. Dianne is there and calls the police. Jeff lies to the police, but Dianne taped the whole thing. Gary calls a frantic Val, and says the airbag saved him, but he kept passing out from the booze. He later talks to Karen, and Karen gives her famous "Pollyanna" speech. Paige makes up with Tom and moves in with him. Anne receives compromising photos of herself and a note demanding a million dollars. Danny is found dead and police say his fingers were broken, so they'll have to investigate. The coroner tells Val she's responsible for Danny's body and she's being charged rent until she has his body moved.
Watch Now:Amazon#10 - Where There's a Will, There's a Way
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 23
Linda's mom Doris is in town, so Linda misses her meeting with Mrs. Richfield to meet her at the airport. Doris is really bitchy to Linda, and decides to fly home rather than stay with her. Greg takes both Paige and Linda off the Richfield account. Paige and Linda continue to argue and insult one another. Val is cured, and Gary suggests they get remarried. Karen throws a barbecue, and while playing with the twin, Gary bumps into Kate, breaking her arm. Claudia appoints Anne to the board of the Foundation, so Greg knows Anne has something on her. Anne tries to get a copy of Paul Galveston's will and tells Nick that Steve is worth a fortune because he is Galveston's son and Greg's brother.
Watch Now:Amazon#11 - Play, Pause, Search
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 26
Greg tells Steve that he's not entitle to Galveston's money, but gives him $250,000 and says he can either save his logging town or go to the Bahamas. Kate finds out that Claudia lied about her scholarship, and decides to move in with Steve. Julie and Jason go to a party, where a gang stabs their friend Paul. Frank forbids Julie from dating Jason anymore. Brian comes on to Paige and she sees he has a video camera running. She punches him and leaves. Brian then goes to Linda, who agrees as long as she can keep the tape. The next day Brian is missing and so is Linda's tape. Michael buys a van and tells Karen he is leaving to travel the country. Anne's landlord kicks her out. She leaves several messages for Paige that she is desperate, but Paige ignores them. Anne stays overnight at a coffee shop drinking coffee.
#12 - Devil on My Shoulder
Knots Landing - Season 11 - Episode 22
Linda sucks up to Mrs. Richfield, the biggest account at Sumner group. Anne arranges to have Paula invited to an environmental conference, but Paula leaves early and finds Greg and Anne having a romantic dinner. Pat quits her job at the bank and longs to be a doctor again. Frank argues that would put them back in danger, so if she does he will take Julie and leave her. Val and the twins stay with Gary. Danny and Val go to court over the stabbing incident. Danny lies through his teeth. Val takes the twins home and explains that Danny won't be living with them anymore, and they're happy about it. Then Danny walks in and says, "I'm home!"
#13 - A Sense of Urgency
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 15
Steve Brewer, a photographer, introduces himself to Kate and pretends to interview her. Linda gives Paige a report for Mrs. Richfield. Paige throws it away and has her take Mrs. Richfield's niece shopping. Linda gives a copy of her report to the niece, and Mrs. Richfield tells Greg she liked Linda's report better. Julie asks Frank to go out to dinner, so he cancels his date with Charlotte. At the restaurant Julie tells Frank she knows Charlotte goes there every Friday, so she took him there to get them together. After Val cooks the twins' hermit crabs for dinner, she agrees to go to the hospital for tests. Jason calls Mac for help. He's been beaten up and claims it happened when he hitchhiked. He asks Mac to take him home. Mac tells Jason that his father abused him too, and that he shouldn't have to live like that. Jason tells Mac to bring him somewhere else.
#14 - Dead Skunk
Knots Landing - Season 12 - Episode 27
Anne sleeps overnight on a park bench, and her purse and suitcase are stolen. Everyone she goes to for help is too busy to see her. Steve decides to go back to his logging town, and Kate decides to help him move. Claudia goes to Steve's and hides her gun in his van. Claudia calls the police saying Steve is agitated and stole her gun. The police stop Steve's van and find the gun. Steve tells Kate that having the gun violates his parole. Steve pushes a policeman, and another officer shoots and kills him. Linda can't find her tape, but finds the one of Paige, and puts it in his car. The police question Paige as she was the last one to be seen with him. The officer calls his partner - and it's Tom Ryan! Frank decides to go back to work for Mac. The gang wants Jason to join them, but Mac and Frank beat them up and they're arrested. Karen is shot with a paint pellet by a group of teens, and chases them in her car. The teen's car is hit by a truck. The kids are all unconscious and bloody. Jas
#15 - The Unraveling
Knots Landing - Season 8 - Episode 16
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.
#16 - Nightmare
Knots Landing - Season 8 - Episode 23
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.
#17 - Love In
Knots Landing - Season 9 - Episode 8
Eric visits and has a surprise - he's married! Karen doesn't like his wife Linda. She also doesn't like Michael's new girlfriend Jody. Val invites Gary to dinner, and after the twins are asleep they kiss passionately, but he leaves. Abby meets Charles for lunch and asks him if leaving her was the worst mistake he made in his life. He says he's the most miserable man in the world. Flashback Scenes: Young Abby meets Charles when Sid fixes his car. He asks her out, but is angry that she won't sleep with him. She eventually gives up her virginity to him, and tells Karen she is going to marry him. Later, Karen shows her the Society Page, which has an announcement of Charles marrying someone else. Charles explains to Abby that Judith will be a more appropriate wife for him, and they'll all be happier in the long run, but he'd like Abby to continue to be his mistress. Abby leaves him, but is devastated.
#18 - Pressure Points
Knots Landing - Season 8 - Episode 8
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.
#19 - Breakup
Knots Landing - Season 8 - Episode 27
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!
#20 - All Over But the Shouting
Knots Landing - Season 8 - Episode 7
Mac thinks Greg has something to do with Karen's kidnapping. Greg puts Phil up in a motel until he can make arrangements to send him to Hong Kong. They agree to meet the next morning. Phil orders a pizza. The delivery boy recognized Phil from TV and calls Mac. Michael is uncomfortable with his attraction to Paige, but they begin to kiss. Jean introduces herself to Val as an old college friend of Ben's, and Val invites her to dinner. Ben tells Jean to leave him alone or he'll expose her on TV. While grocery shopping, Ben loses Bobby and later finds him with Jean. Scared, he goes along with her and supports Peter on TV. Abby is furious, but tells Peter it was her idea. Peter wins the election.
#21 - Just My Bill
The Facts of Life - Season 5 - Episode 4
Jo's been dating, Bill, a plain guy who attends the same college as she does, but when she learns that he's a rich kid, Jo becomes resentful and angry that he didn't tell her the whole truth about himself.
Watch Now:Amazon
#22 - Different Drummer
The Facts of Life - Season 4 - Episode 5
Blair makes a new friend in Leo, a young man whom she tries to mold despite the fact that he's mentally retarded. His mental retardation throws Blair for a loop and she has a hard time accepting his handicap.
#23 - Poetic Justice
The Jeffersons - Season 9 - Episode 11
Louise discovers some old poems the George once wrote and has them bound in a book. However, in order to get it bound she must order a number of copies, copies which get circulated around to those living in the building. George is furious however his attitude changes when a publisher takes an interest in his poems.
#24 - Three Women
Archie Bunker's Place - Season 4 - Episode 15
Archie takes Stephanie to visit her wealthy grandmother. But when the truck fails to start, Archie becomes an unwanted supper guest at her home. Stephanie looks to her grandmother for answers about her mother.
Watch Now:Amazon