Small Surprises

Knots Landing

Season 1 Episode 10

Air Date:  March 6, 1980

Recap:  Eric comes home and goes over to Ginger, who introduces him to her younger sister, Jill.  She goes to change so that they can play basketball.

   Karen is at her doctor’s office, her doctor confirms that she is pregnant.  Karen asks about her risks, the doctor tells her that she will have a higher risk of having a miscarriage, and tells her to think it over before deciding what she is going to do.

   Jill tells Eric that he needs to forget that she is a girl so that they can really play basketball.  Karen gets home and is really distracted, she goes upstairs and Diana tells her that she is a woman now and needs to have a more mature room my suggestion would be to get rid of the creepy clown painting and all the stuffed animals. 

   Eric tells Sid that he wants to take Jill to the movies, and wants to take a cab, Sid gives him some money.  Sid goes into the house and asks Karen what’s wrong, she asks if they can talk later. 

   Eric and Jill get home after the movie, and Jill asks him if he would like to go to a party with her friends.  He agrees and she gives him a kiss before going inside.

   In their room Sid asks Karen if she is ready to talk, she tells him that she is pregnant, and asks him how he feels about it.  

   The next morning she tells him that she doesn’t know what to do, which leads to a big fight, Diana walks in and asks what’s going on and who is pregnant.  She acts just like Vicky did on Falcon Crest, she goes down stairs and tells her brothers the news, and they think this is great news.  Val comes over and Michael tells Val that their mother is pregnant just as Karen come into the kitchen.  She asks Val to keep the news to herself.

   At the party all the kids are drinking beer, they convince Eric to have another, and he quickly drinks the last of the first one that he was slowly working on.

   Back at home Sid and Karen and Sid argue about her volunteering, he says that she still can do everything that she wants to, but she tells him that she will be too tired.  She tells him to stop judging her.

   At the party Eric thinks it’s getting late and wants to go home, but Jill isn’t ready yet, all the other couples are making out.  He decides to walk home.

   Karen brings Sid a mug of hot chocolate into the garage where he is working on his car, she apologizes for earlier, she tells him that she has felt incomplete, but has been very happy and that she hopes he understands, he tells her that he doesn’t because he has sacrificed his dreams too.

   The next day Sid takes the kids roller skating leaving Karen home alone.

   Jill gets home and Ginger asks her about the party, she tells her that Eric left early.  Kenny tells her that maybe he felt uncomfortable with all the other couples making out even if that wasn’t what she wanted to do, he didn’t know.

   Diana tells her father and brothers that she doesn’t think the baby is a good idea, the boys however like the idea of another brother or sister.  Sid tells them that they need to help Karen by showing her how great it would be to have another baby.

   At home Karen goes into Michael’s room and starts cleaning, she finds a drawing of the family.  When they get home, she has them all sit down in the family room and tells them that they are going out for dinner to celebrate.  She says that she wants this baby because of the three she already has.  Diana tells her that she is sorry she just didn’t want to share her with anyone else.

   At the restaurant, as the family it eating Karen excuses herself and goes to the bathroom, a bit later the hostess tells Sid that Karen is lying down in the restroom and that the ambulance has been called.

   At the hospital Gary and Val come to take the kids home, Diana wants to stay, but Sid tells her to go help with the boys.  Val asks him how Karen is, he tells her he hasn’t heard anything yet.  After they go, the doctor comes out and tells Sid that Karen is fine, and that she can go home tomorrow.  She tells him to go in and sit with Karen.

   The next morning he wakes up to find Karen watching him.  He asks her how she feels, she tells him that she feels different, she tells him that she is sorry that they lost the baby, and he tells her that they still have everything that the had, and that is what is important.

   Eric goes outside and takes out his bike, Jill comes over and tells him that she respects him for what he did at the party, and she asks If he’d like to play basketball.  Everyone is outside as Sid brings Karen home, and they all asks how she is.  Once she gets to the door, she seems to be her old self.
Final Thoughts:  Of all the episodes that dealt with an unexpected pregnancy, this was my favorite, it seemed more truthful and real, I really like the characters from this show, and you feel for them.

Best Outfit:  This is such a mom outfit, I know that my mom wore similar shirts. 
Before They Were Stars: Gary Sinise