Bottom of the Bottle Part 1

Knots Landing

Season 1 Episode 12

Air Date: March 20, 1980

Recap:  Everyone is at the Fairgate’s celebrating Gary’s promotion to vice president of Knots Landing Motors.  Sid thanks Gary for all his work.  Richard pours the champagne and hands out the glasses.  He gives one to Gary, who takes it.  Val is watching him closely as he takes a drink.  When Richard goes to refill Gary’s glass Val goes to him to take it from him, but he won’t let her and makes her go dance with him.  Later on everyone is still dancing, and Gary has been drinking more, Val is really worried about him, when they finally go home, he doesn’t want to go up to bed, and gets angry at her telling her that she is treating him like a child, and that he can handle a few drinks.  He is getting pretty nasty with her and tells her that if she doesn’t like the way he’s acting then it’s just too bad.

   Sylvie calls for Kenny, Ginger tells her that he’s not home, Sylvie tells her that he should be home, since he left her house 30 minutes ago, Ginger gets upset.

   Sid and Karen are still dancing, they talk about how Val and Gary were that night, suddenly they hear them arguing outside, they rush out and see Val trying to stop him from driving away.  After he is gone, tell her that he will come back, but she tells them that he won’t, and tells them that Gary is an alcoholic.

   Gary is at a bar (bartender is deep throat from the x-files), the bartender tells Gary that he’s been where he is, and suggests that he come back the next day, because he is cutting him off.  Gary starts to make a fuss, but a lady comes over and offers him a drink at her place.  Gary goes with her.

   Kenny gets home and when Ginger wakes up she tells him that Sylvie called, she tells him that he’s got  a lot of nerve having his girlfriend call him at home, Kenny tells her that Sylvie is only a client.

   Karen and Sid go over to Val’s, she tells them that Gary hasn’t come home yet, and that alcoholics don’t stop. She says that she is going to go look for him, Sid tells her that he will go with her.  They go to every bar and liquor store, they finally go to the bar that we last saw Gary, the bartender remembers him, but doesn’t know where he went, he calls Sid back and tells him something privately.  Val asks him what he told him, at first Sid doesn’t want to tell her, but he tells her that Gary left with a prostitute.  They go to the motel she works from, they see Gary’s car, and go to her room.  She tells them that Gary left and that he sold her the car.

   At another bar, Gary is starting another country song, which some guys at the bar are getting annoyed with, a fight breaks out.  Sid and Val drive up and see that there is something going on they get out of the car and go see what’s going on and see Gary being handcuffed and put into a police car.

   At the station Karen arrives and Sid tells her what happened, they leave, Val will be taking Gary home once he is released.

   At home, Gary is angry that Val got Sid involved.  He goes upstairs to change for work, Val tells him that he can have the day off, and that no one expects him to go in today.

   The next day at work Gary who seems to be a bit on edge, tells Sid that he’s got a business lunch.  At first Sid tells him that he will go instead, Gary is getting a bet hyper, and agrees, but Sid tells him that it’s ok that he should go. 

   At the lunch Gary is having a hard time concentration, he is looking out the window, hardly listening to the other men at the table, they order another martini, Gary orders a coffee, he watches the bartender making the drinks, then calls the waitress and orders one for himself too.

   Sylvie tells Kenny that she wants them to go away together, she tells him that she is tired of what they’ve got.  He asks her why she called the house.  She tells him she just wanted to talk.  He tells her that he knows that she is lying and that she better not do it again.  She asks when she will see him again.  He tells her to tell him.

   Gary gets back to the dealership, Sid can see that he has been drinking, Sid tells him to go take break in the office, Gary gets upset and wants to know why everyone is on his case.  Gary tells Sid that he can take his job and stuff it, and walks out, he goes to a bar.

   At home Val is helping Karen bring a tree to the backyard.  When Sid gets home he tells Val about Gary drinking, she asks him why he let him go alone.  Sid apologizes, she tells  him that she is sorry too.  Karen tries to encourage her, but Val says that it’s different, because she now sees that Gary doesn’t need a reason to drink, he will drink at anytime. 

   Kenny ask Ginger which picture of Sylvie she like better, Ginger tells him that she doesn’t appreciate him flaunting his affair in her face.  He denies it again.

   Gary goes to the beach, as he walks down the steps of the pier a group of thugs surround him and start hassling him, Gary takes his jacket off to fight them, he deosn’t notice that one of the guys takes him wallet out of his jacket pocket.  Once they have the wallet, they leave him.

   Karen is sitting with Val, she asks her if she wants her to go, and Val says no, she asks what if Gary doesn’t come home.  Karen tells her that since coming to Knots Landing Gary has become a different person, so it’s reasonable that he had a set back, but that he has Val and Karen knows that she will be able to help him.

   Gary goes to a liquor store and wants to buy some whiskey, but he realizes that he doesn’t have his wallet, he throws a bunch of coins on the counter, the clerk tells him that he’s only go enough for the wine.  Gary tries to take the bottle, but the clerk pulls gun on him, they stand there a moment before Gary takes the wine and leaves.  He goes to the beach to drink the wine.

   Sid, Karen and Val are over at Richard’s making a plan to look for Gary, who has been gone for 3 days.  They go to look for him, but Richard stays behind, Laura tells him to go that Gary is his friend.  Richard tells her that Gary doesn’t like him that he tired to be friends.  She gives him a look that makes him leave the house.

   Gary wakes up under the pier, he stumbles to his feet, and moves towards the water, he passes a bum sleeping, with a bottle in his arms.  Gary pulls it out of his hands, waking the man, who cries for him to give it back, but Gary finishes it off.  The man passes out again, and Gary goes off collapsing in the sand, and starts to cry.
Final Thoughts:  I thought this was a great way to end the season, I don't like the Kenny/Ginger/Sylvie storyline, it will be interesting to see where this is going.

Best Outfit:  Wow, this seems really casual to wear when you are having a party with your neighbors, no shoes too.  The muumuu isn't that youthful especially the pattern at the top.