Bottom of the bottle part 2

Knots Landing

Season 1 Episode 13

Air Date: March 27, 1980

Recap:  Sid is at the liquor store Gary was at in the last episode, the man tells him that Gary is different from the other drunks who come into the store, because of how he thought of taking the drink even though the gun was pulled on him.

   Richard finds Gary at a bar, he tries to get him to leave, Gary threatens to hit him, but Richard tells him that he will press charges, which causes Gary to clam down.  Richard wants him to leave with him, but Gary gets him to get him one more drink.

   Ginger is looking for Kenny at one of his work parties, none of the other guests have seen him.  He is off dancing with Sylvie, he tells her that Ginger is there so they need to cool it, when Ginger finds them she tells Kenny that she wants to go home, he tells her that they just got there, she reminds him that they have been there for 3 hours and that she has work in the morning.  He tells her that he can’t go since this is a work thing.   Ginger says that she is going and ask if he is going with her, he stays at the party.

   Richard is drunk now, and talking about his work.  When he passes out, Gary takes his car keys from his pocket and some money from his wallet, that he left on the bar which seems to be a stupid place to put it if you ask me.  Gary gets up and leaves the bar, the bartender calls after him asking about Richard but Gary doesn’t listen.  Gary gets into Richard’s car and drives away as the bartender carries Richard out and puts him on the sidewalk.  Gary comes back and gets Richard into the car and takes him home.  Laura wakes up finding Gary putting Richard on the sofa, and then trying to get into the liquor cabinet.  Laura calls Val, he goes over and hangs up on her, and tells her to open the cabinet.  She tells him that he had the keys, but he can’t remember what he did with the car keys.  Val arrives and they try to stop him from opening up the liquor cabinet, in the struggle Gary hits Val, and smashes the cabinet open, his hand is bleeding pretty bad.

   Kenny finally gets home, getting a ride from Sylvie.  Ginger asks him how he got home, he tells her it was a guy, and that the party just ended.  She tells him that she called and knows that the party ended at 2.  He tells her that he loves her, she tells him to prove it.  Before they can say or do anything they hear the ambulance coming down the street.  They rush out of the house to see what is going on, they see them putting Gary into the ambulance.  The paramedics tells Sid that Gary needs to commit himself.  Laura tells them that Gary tried to kill himself after getting the drink, they ask Val if that is what happened and she tells them that it is.

   Gary wakes up in the hospital, he gets up and tries to get out of the room, but it’s locked.  Val hears him yelling to be let out.  The doctor tells her that it would be best if she went in before Val.  The doctor introduces herself to Gary and tells him that he can see Val as soon as he calms down.  Val comes into the room and he hugs her.  He asks her what happened to her eye, she doesn’t tell him, but he realizes that it was him and he tells her how sorry he is.  Gary tells her that he doesn’t need a doctor, he just needs her, but she tells him that he can’t go home yet.  He starts to get agitated and has to be restrained. 

   Ginger is over at Laura and Richard’s for dinner, she is asking Laura what to do about Kenny.  Laura tells her that she needs to meet Kenny half way, he moved out her and got the house, now it’s her turn to bend a little. 

   At the studio they are recording a song.   She isn’t doing well, and stops Kenny asks her what’s wrong.  She says that she is upset about him, she asks him if they can work one on one for awhile before she sings with the band.  Kenny agrees and sends the band home for the day. 

   Val is on the phone with the doctor when Karen comes over.  She asks how Gary is doing, and tells Val that putting Gary into the hospital was the right thing to do.  She invites Val to go over with her to Laura and Richard’s for dinner, but Val doesn’t want to go. Karen tells her to get some sleep.

   Kenny and Sylvie are getting pretty comfortable on the couch, when Ginger walks in on them.  Kenny rushes after her.  At their house, Ginger is throwing all of his stereo equipment to the ground.  Kenny tries to apologize but Ginger yells at him to leave.

   Gary is with the doctor, Val is watching the session from another room.  He annoyed that the doctor always answers his questions with a question of her own.  She tells him that he is an alcoholic and that he gets violent when he drinks.  He tells her that he can stop anytime he wants, he asks to call Val.  She tells him to prove it, and offers him a bottle of liquor or a dime to call Val.  He looks at both then grabs the bottle, he cries out when he finds out that it was only tea.  Val is in shock seeing that he chose the drink over her.

   Ginger is at the zoo with her class.  Kenny comes over and tells the kids that he came to kiss and make up with Ginger since they had a fight.  She sends them off to another teacher.  He tells her that she was right, and that he wants to start over.  She tells him that she needs to be alone, he wants to know for how long.

   At the hospital Gary is playing pool with another patient, who is telling Gary about how AA helped him so much.  Sid comes over and tells him that Val sent him over in her place.  Sid tells him that he can’t ignore his problem, and that he’s got to control it or he can’t be the vice president of the dealership.  He is on his way out, when Gary tells him that he is going to his first AA meeting.  Sid gets really excited by this and tells him how great it is to hear this.

   Kenny goes to Slyvie’s and asks if he can stay for the night.

   They are having a party for the guy that Gary was playing pool with earlier since it’s his last night at the hospital.  Gary leaves without anyone noticing, and goes to the guys room, he opens his suitcase and puts on his jacket and ties his pants around his waist, he puts on his robe again and shoves the shoes into the robe and hurries out of the room.  He goes to the nurses station and looks for the key for the door and takes some money.

   Sid goes to Val and tells her about Gary, she is surprised by what he tells her since the doctor has told her that Gary made it clear he wasn’t ready to go to meetings.  She thanks him for giving her the news.

   Later on Gary gets out of the cab and knocks at the door.  Val opens the door and he hugs her.  She asks him how he got home, but he doesn’t say, the phone rings and he asks her not to answer it, she realizes that he ran away from the hospital.  She yells at him, telling him that they need help for what is going on and that she saw him choose the drink over her.  She tells him he will always find an excuse not to go to the AA meetings.  Val tells Gary that she can’t live with out knowing when he will drink again.  Gary takes her car keys and runs over all the garbage cans.  Sid and Karen rush over ash she is picking them up.  Sid tells her that he will go after him, but she tells him no, and says that she is going to go to that AA meeting.

   At a bar Gary has a drink and a dime in front of him.  He gets up and goes to the pay phone and calls home, when he gets no answer he goes back to the bar and sits back down. 

   At the meeting a lady is talking about when she knew that she was about to drink again, and how she called her sponsor.  The meeting is about to break up, when Gary walks in and introduces himself.  Everyone including Val gives him a round of applause.
Final Thoughts:  I like that they finished up the storyline and didn't leave us with a cliffhanger till the next season, I don't know if they did that then or not.  I hope that Ginger gets rid of Kenny soon.  
Best Outfit:  Kenny looks like he borrowed one of Tom Selleck's shirts from Magnum P.I.