As Mitch taunted Blair, Todd raced to the rescue with a drugged Natalie in tow. As the clock wound down, Natalie tried to jump out of Todd's speeding car. Cristian and company were following close behind as Natalie discovered Todd's gun.
A nurse tended to an ailing man on oxygen who asked her, "Is it today?"
Starr and Jessica bonded as Starr told about a nightmare about a bad man that her father really hated. Starr said that the bad man had taken her mother away. Jessica realized that it was no dream and that the bad man was Mitch Laurence, her biological father. Jessica called to warn Bo.
As Todd sped towards Blair, he explained to Natalie that he had no choice but to turn her over to Mitch Laurence if he wanted to save his wife. Natalie agreed to be a part of his plan.
Jessica got "her twin thing" that warned her that Natalie was in trouble. Meanwhile, the truck with Cristian that was following Natalie was running out of gas. Blair was driving Mitch into distraction so much that he almost hurt her. Todd arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place to exchange Natalie for Blair. Todd warned Mitch that if anything happened to Blair, he would kill Natalie.
Cristian arrived without running out of gas and asked the driver to try to get to a payphone to call his brother, who was a cop. Todd tried to exchange Natalie for Blair and entered into a dark theater, while Mitch placed a bright spotlight on him, further hindering his vision, and ordered Todd to leave Natalie, and he would deliver Blair.
Jessica and Antonio watched television with Starr to keep her calm. There was obvious chemistry between Jessica and Antonio. The driver managed to call Antonio, who then rushed out with Commissioner Buchanan. Cristian overheard the kidnappers' plan to kill Blair and managed to free her. He also avoided being shot with Blair's help. As Blair pleaded with Cristian to stay with her and not go in the theater, he headed in to protect Natalie.
As Cristian entered the theater, Mitch's voice taunted Todd. Todd fired his gun, and the bullet hit Cristian. Cristian fell to the floor, blood staining his chest. Todd dropped the gun as he wondered aloud, "What have I done?" Bo and Antonio arrived, and Blair told them that she had heard shots in the other room.
Mitch knocked Todd out and dragged a screaming Natalie away.
"It may be a new day, Llanview. But it's hard to tell in the heart of winter. Anyone alive out there? Things sure seem dead." The radio "Voice of the Night" loomed high above the catwalk. Cristian and Todd were lying motionless on the stage.
Outside in the alley behind the theater, Blair told Bo and Antonio that she had heard a gunshot. As the two law enforcement officers carefully entered the building, Blair wrestled with the police officer assigned to keep her out of harm's way. She was desperate to get to Todd. Inside, Bo wakened Todd from unconsciousness as Antonio discovered his brother's life-threatening wound.
Hazy at first, Todd recounted the details of the faulty wife exchange with one aspect dramatically altered for his benefit: Mitch had shot Cristian. Having only one potential suspect handy, Bo arrested and handcuffed Todd, anyway, but also granted him a few minutes with Blair. She threw her arms around him and stroked his hair in blissful relief. Cristian identified Todd as his assailant before he passed out again. The ambulance siren rang in the air.
Starr ran to the door of Llanfair, sure that her parents were returning to her. But it was Viki. Jessica quickly apprised her mother of the kidnapping details. Viki was livid that Todd had taken matters into his own hands. She convinced Starr to remain behind while she and Jessica went to the police.
At the Llanview Police Station, Viki and Jessica arrived at the same time Bo was hauling a handcuffed Todd to his office. Todd was petulant as he sat down in a chair. Bo clarified the newer details of the kidnapping to his niece and sister-in-law, including the alarming development that Mitch had Natalie. Viki tried to reason with Todd, but Todd maintained he hadn't shot Cristian.
Finally, Todd broke down and admitted, "I thought it was Laurence." Viki continued to hammer away at Todd's misadventures while Bo consulted with his officers. In the midst of her brooding, Viki found the scarf monogrammed "L" in the evidence bag on Bo's desk. She remembered that it was exactly like one their father had owned.
At the hospital, Jennifer was discharged. She reiterated her denial of Mitch's assault and threats, this time to Marcie, who was running late for her shift at the diner. Antonio arrived in the emergency ward with Cristian. Dr. MacIver and staff promptly took action. Carlotta happened by after visiting her granddaughter and was shocked that Cristian had suffered a gun injury. Outside his room, mother and brother said the rosary together for him.
Jessica arrived with her support and sympathies. Carlotta damned Natalie for her son's condition. As they prepared for the worst, Dr. MacIver relayed the good news that there was no organ damage and that Cristian would be all right. While his family visited his bedside, Jennifer burst in out of heartfelt concern.
Cristian asked to talk to Jen alone, and Jen confessed that Mitch had threatened her. She also revealed an odd discovery at Mitch's house that might be missing from police information: a map of Jason's Landing near Harrisburg. At his request, Jen helped Cristian sneak out of his hospital room to resume his search for Natalie by distracting Antonio and Jessica in the hallway.
In another corridor of the hospital, Blair suffered from rope burns and told Nora about the machinations of her kidnapping. Cristian had saved her life. Trying to recount the many sick notions Mitch had spouted during her detainment, Blair remembered a bag with light blonde hair dye. They called Bo immediately with that peculiar piece of information. Bo concluded Mitch was likely working up a disguise.
Blair began knocking loudly and hollering outside the door at Llanfair. Starr ran and jumped into her mother's arms. "Dad's going to be a hero," she delighted. Starr wondered if her father would be honored in the newspaper.
In a tacky hotel room, Mitch tried to convince Natalie that Cristian was dead. She was screaming and fighting him as best she could. Mitch threatened to shoot her if she didn't calm down and then called the solarium with instructions to "begin the necessary preparations." He estimated their arrival within the hour. The nurse said she would begin "alerting the medical staff now."
In the tiny bathroom of the hotel room, Mitch dyed Natalie's hair. With her new damp locks twisted up in a towel, he adorned her neck with a gold initial pendant. "J for Jezebel," he snarled. Still confused, she tried to fight him again as he injected her with tranquilizer.
Under a bright clinical light, a medical tray was being carefully aligned with surgical instruments. The radio Voice of the Night cautioned, "The sun's coming up now, folks. Think you can shed some light on the mystery of life? It'd be nice to get straight to the heart of it, because you never know if there will be enough time..." The nurse removed the oxygen mask from the face of the elderly man in the wheelchair.
Mitch entered the makeshift operating room and dragged a groggy Natalie toward the man. "Victor Lord, meet your granddaughter," he announced. Natalie's newly blonde hair cascaded around her jaw as Mitch removed her hat. The wilting man breathlessly uttered, "Jessica."
Fan Fantasy
Viki introduced the movies playing at the local theater:
Starr Over Broadway
This was an old-time musical, reminiscent of Gypsy and filmed mostly in black and white. It starred Blair, Starr, Todd, Rae, and Viki. When the film opened, Starr was begging to go on stage for Rae, who hadn't shown up. Todd informed them that they were bankrupt and had been evicted. Suddenly, an elegant woman strolled in. Viki happened to have $50,000 and was looking for a show to invest in.
When Rae finally arrived on crutches, it was agreed that Starr could perform in her place. Viki readily concurred, noting that she'd seen Starr sing and dance previously. In the spirit of Bob Fosse, the movie switched to brilliant color as Blair and Starr showed off their musical number, "All That Jazz." It was a success, and they were going to Hollywood.
Every Woman's Dream
Lindsay's love story took place in a bar, circa the 1940s. Lindsay rued her rough life and ordered a drink, served by Al the waiter, to see her through the night. She suddenly spied a tall, good-looking stranger who would change it all for her. He introduced himself as Thaddeus Martin, a.k.a Tad. They shared a dance and were about to share a kiss as well when he received a phone call. He told the caller that he wanted to break up. He was not in love but had just met the love of his life.
After hanging up, Lindsay and Tad were interrupted by Troy, who professed his own love for Lindsay and who told her that Tad was getting married the next day. He tried to stop them from the silly madness when, in the midst of the triangle, the other woman appeared. It was Nora, and she was engaged to Tad. He explained that he only loved Lindsay.
Nora became apologetic and asked to be Lindsay's best friend. She blamed all of Lindsay's woes on herself. The others asked how she could possibly live with herself and wondered that she had no self-respect. The three walked away arm-in-arm, but Lindsay returned, forgiving Nora. She joined Nora in a toast, and they vowed never to fight again. They decided to eat chocolate and go shopping as the pained-looking guys looked on.
License to Kill (with 006)
As Max Holden tried to snuggle up to Luna, she gave him his orders. He needed to steal the start button from the doomsday device from Dr. Mean -- R.J. --and his mistress, Roxy Goldmuff. She advised him that his cufflinks would activate the stinger missile. At the casino where the evildoers spent their time, Rex spun the roulette wheel for Roxy as Dr. Mean went off to get ready for his evil deed.
When Max arrived, laid down a bet of $1,000,000, and won, he caught the woman's attention. She got him a drink but spiked it with poison from her earring. Max realized it immediately and viewed her through the lucky crystal he had with him. Seeing the device in her muff, he urged her to go over to his side, as he could see the goodness in her. Dr. Mean returned with a gun, but after some kung fu action on Roxy's part and Max laying down his gun, she ended up drinking the drink meant for Max. She beseeched him to save the world.
Max was able to whip out a spray for Mean's eyes, he gave Roxy an antidote for the poison, and he pointed out how he owed it all to the Book of Luna's Sayings, this one stating, "Be Prepared." He was able to deactivate the device and save the world, as they heard an explosion in the distance. When he became a little too friendly toward Roxy, Luna showed up and reminded him that he could only kiss her. Back at the office, Max and Luna made plans for a vacation.
The Vortex
This movie, like a futuristic Matrix, starred the Vega brothers as superheroes with supporting players Keri, Flash, and Hank as their aides. It was up to them to save a wired Natalie from a crazed Jen, before she blew up. When they were beamed to the hideout and located Natalie, the evil Jen had stopped them before they could help. They learned that the vortex was growing, and she blamed it all on Cristian.
When Hank was ready to beam them back to save them, they were able to remove the bomb from around Natalie's neck in the confusion. She and Jen fought as the bomb ticked away on the floor. Abruptly, they were back at headquarters, where Hank advised them that the vortex had imploded -- with Jen in the midst of it. The evil-fighters celebrated.
The Buchanans Ride Again
Set in the Old West, filmed in sepia tones, the Buchanans made plans to prevent Mitch from getting onto their property. As Asa, Bo, and Joey, with Renee and Viki in cameo appearances, figured things out, Clint burst in with Jessica in his arms. It was a movie full of suspense as Jessica awakened and told them that Mitch had Natalie. They rode out to save her.
In the meantime, Mitch was playing cards with his cronies. When one of the men left, he was surrounded by Buchanans, who convinced him rather easily that they would kill him if he didn't listen up. He returned to his card game, telling Mitch that it was cold outside, but shortly after, the good guys stormed in with guns blazing. Clint spied Natalie and rescued her, comforted her, and welcomed her to the family. Back at the ranch, Asa explained why they did all of it -- for family.
Blair and Starr returned to Dorian's house. Starr was thrilled when Todd arrived, but Blair didn't share her joy. Blair blamed Todd for Cristian and Natalie's ordeal, never thinking his actions through to the end.
Todd insisted to Blair that they belonged together. Blair was grateful for what Todd had done to rescue her from Mitch. Blair admitted she would always love Todd but shocked him when she suggested he stay out of Starr and Jack's lives in order to protect them from the pain that always seemed to follow him.
Antonio caught Cristian trying to take off in his car. Antonio reluctantly agreed to help Cristian, and they headed to Jason's Landing, where Jen had previously told Cristian about a medical clinic located there. Cristian and Antonio arrived at the clinic, where they found Mr. Sanders, a man who had been mentioned in Mitch's files at the cult house.
Viki and Jessica searched through a trunk containing Victor's remaining possessions and found a scarf identical to the one Jen had taken from Mitch's house. Bo and Nora searched through Victor's police and medical records and learned his body had been removed from the morgue immediately after his supposed death. Bo and Nora stunned Viki with their theory that Victor might not have died after all. Nora returned Troy's engagement ring.
Gabrielle felt like an outsider when she saw Bo and Nora working closely together. Natalie was prepared for surgery, and it appeared as though her life would be sacrificed in order to save Victor's. Mitch demanded that Victor sign some documents before the operation began.
At the diner, Marcie flirted with Joey, while Andrew offered him advice about the priesthood. When Flash showed up, Joey attempted to get information on her, then followed her when she stormed out. At a hangout for the homeless, Joey was surprised to realize Flash was a singer. Again, she stormed out, leaving him to wonder who she was.
While Natalie was prepped for surgery, Cristian and Antonio continued their search. At the Coleman Clinic, they continued to question Mr. Sanders as they searched his office. Even though Mr. Sanders insisted he didn't know Mitch Laurence, a file about Jessica's medical history along with a bag of her blood was found in his office.
Viki refused to believe that her father could be alive, despite the evidence that Bo and Nora presented her with. When Todd showed up, he assured his sister that their father was capable of anything. After Bo and Nora left to pursue their leads, Viki and Jessica went over Victor's will, finding a donation to the Coleman Clinic along with land left to the Champion Noble Group in Jason's Landing.
Determined to find out if his father was alive, Todd went to the Lord crypt with a crowbar, prepared to open Victor's tomb. With the information that Cristian and Antonio gave him, Bo realized that it was Victor that Mr. Sanders feared, not Mitch, and offered him protection if he cooperated. Meanwhile, Viki and Jessica drove to Jason's Landing and were shocked to find Victor Lord alive.
