The Chrissy Angle

The Eternal Triangle, Part I (The Chrissy Angle)
June 8, 1993

SCENE: The WSPR newsroom, where's it's definitely not just another day at the office.

ROGER: Gilly, what's the lead story for tonight?

GILLY: Pretty dismal, everything is tying for last place.

ROGER: Well, I may have something for us later.

GILLY: Shouldn't Jenna be here?

ROGER: Why?

GILLY: Well, I would assume she would want story approval.

ROGER: Gilly, WSPR is Jenna's new toy, that's all.

GILLY: Doesn't seem that way to me.

ROGER: Trust me. She can't be everywhere at once, and she loves playing mogul over there at Spaulding. That's where she'll stay.

GILLY: I hope you're right.

Enter Jenna, of course:

JENNA (cheerful and excited): Good morning, good morning everyone! So, what's news today? I can't wait to decide!!!

ROGER: Jenna ...

JENNA: Yes, Roger, don't look so surprised, I do own half this station. Good morning Gilly!

GILLY: Good morning Jenna. Roger and I were just talking about tonight's news broadcast.

JENNA: Oh good, I'm just in time. He did tell you we're not going with the Buzz Cooper story?

GILLY: Yes, he did.

JENNA: Good.

GILLY: However, it's a slow news day. There's not even anything on the overnight police blotter.

JENNA: Oh, good, that's cheery news for a change.

ROGER: Oh, no, not for us. See, no news is definitely not good news in our business. We have to grab the attention of the masses. We have to plunk as many rear ends in front of their television sets as possible!

JENNA: With fires, and drive-by shootings, and even poor unfortunates who get bashed up in alleys?

ROGER: It's very commendable of you to protect your pets, even the most mangy. However, the Cooper story was news.

JENNA: Well, perhaps for The Inquisitor, but not for my station (ROGER smiles, and she corrects herself)... our station.

ROGER: And what would you go with, Jenna?

JENNA: Well, how about some good news for a change?

ROGER: And the sound you hear is the sound of television sets all over Springfield clicking off or switching channels.

JENNA: My dear Roger, I think you underestimate people.

ROGER: What time did I leave the house this morning?

JENNA: I'm not exactly sure, but it was early.

ROGER: Exactly. Because I wanted to beat the traffic. But, I did get stuck on River Drive ...

GILLY: Oh really. What happened?

ROGER: An accident. Nothing serious, but it tied up traffic forever! And why? Because every driver had to slow way, way down to get a good look. Including me. See, no matter how sophisticated we all like to think we are, we're all voyeurs. We all wanna ringside seat at disaster. The bloodier the better. Sad to tell.

JENNA: Hmmmm. But you didn't get stuck on River Drive, did you?

ROGER (comes clean): No. But if there'd been an accident, I would've ...

JENNA: And this is this your subtle way of telling me that there's going to be a story that I probably won't like?

ROGER: Well ...

GILLY answers the phone.

GILLY: It's Webster. He said you sent him out on assignment.

ROGER: Oh yes, I'll take it in here.

The "Roger Thorpe Is Up To Something" music starts to play ...

In his office, ROGER picks up the phone: Webster, what'd you find out? ... Good. Very good. Just get over there right now. And Webster? ... Don't be shy.

GILLY: And what was that all about?

ROGER: I think we got our lead story for the six o'clock news. Yeah, it seems that Nick McHenry's latest girlfriend has taken a curious leave of absence from her job.

GILLY: Eve Guthrie?

ROGER: Webster tracked her down to a very fancy, private psychiatric clinic in Clayton.

GILLY: I don't understand.

ROGER: Gilly, our esteemed Dr. Guthrie is one of the inmates. Well, one of the patients, if you prefer. And the point is, it kinda makes you wonder what Nick McHenry did to put her there, doesn't it?

Meanwhile over at the Journal, HOLLY has reported to work with Nick McHenry, and she's made an editorial decision of her own: "Tomorrow's front page: Jenna Bradshaw"

GILLY: If you'll excuse me, I'm going to run to the tape room.

JENNA: You want to send a reporter to a psychiatric hospital to spy on Eve Guthrie?

ROGER: Not spy, report. That's what reporters do.

JENNA: I don't think this is anyone's business.

ROGER: Well, we won't know that until we know the facts.

JENNA: What are you looking for Roger? What makes you think that Nick McHenry had anything to do with putting Eve in this place?

ROGER: You ask all the right questions. Maybe I should put you in charge of this story.

JENNA: Am I missing something?

ROGER (smiling): Not that I've noticed.

JENNA (she laughs at his observation, but continues ...): Ha, ha, ha ... now, people go into therapy all the time and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't think we need to stop the presses for it.

ROGER: We are talking about a very prominent physician and her somewhat well-known, ex-anchorman, ex-lover, who also happens to be one of the new owners of the Journal.

JENNA (smiling): Oh, yeah, that's really big news!

ROGER: It is when something goes wrong! And this very lovely, young, prominent, stable physician suddenly finds herself locked in a mental institution! We have to ask: What happened? What put her there? You know, was she doing drugs? Did her lover physically abuse her?

JENNA: Oh, come on now, you're really digging for dirt. You know Nick better than that!

ROGER: No I don't, and neither do you. And what if I'm right, and what if he really did drive her crazy? I mean, come on! Am I supposed to turn my back on what could be a very important story?

JENNA: I don't know what it is. Maybe I just don't understand you unless I know you're going for revenge.

ROGER (sitting down): Well, tell me what that means?

JENNA: You've done some things that I don't like, that's no secret. What you did with H.B. Lewis ... I didn't like that. But I didn't condemn you for it, because I understood why you did it. Now this ... this one I don't get. You like Eve. Right? You helped her come to the States. Nick McHenry, you don't like, but still, what on earth did he do to you besides quit his job here?

ROGER: Nothing. Neither of them did anything. That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you.

JENNA: And this is not personal?

ROGER: No. This is absolutely not personal. This is business. This is good business!

JENNA: I see. Okay. Oh, all right. Well, I have someone in mind for a story, and she would fit all your requirements that you seem to need. Holly Lindsay!

ROGER: Okay, why on earth would you think the public would be interested in Holly Lindsay?

JENNA: You don't know?

ROGER: She's hardly an exciting person.

JENNA (laughing): I think your ex-wife has led an extremely exciting life!

ROGER (not amused): That's old news.

ROGER picks up the phone, but JENNA cuts him off.

JENNA: Don't do that to me.

ROGER: Okay, don't do what?

JENNA: I just gave you a story idea and you dismiss me. Tell me what you think of it.

JENNA studies ROGER closely as he answers, walking away from her ...

ROGER: Okay, I will. Holly Lindsay. Very successful at WSPR. Turned that station around. She now works for the Journal, and will no doubt double that rag's circulation within a year. Interesting enough, but not exactly an attention grabber!

JENNA: My goodness, you must have a short memory. Now I have only lived in Springfield for a short period of time, and I know more about her than you seem to! Let's see. Can you remember ... wasn't she the other woman in a triangle, a LOVE triangle with a U.S. Senator and her daughter?!

ROGER: Jenna, we're also talking about my daughter.

JENNA: Okay, we can leave that out of the piece. Now, there's another thing. What about this doctor that she was engaged to, who kidnapped, and almost killed her, after he'd murdered some other poor woman!?? Well, I think there's definitely an angle on this story! Holly has a thing for doctors! And then it all started with Ed Bauer, didn't it? He was raising your daughter ...

ROGER (angry; he turns and yells...): That's enough!!! Shut the hell up!!!

JENNA (exactly the reaction she expected): My. I've hit a nerve.

Next scene:

ROGER walks back to JENNA, takes her in his arms.

ROGER (very quiet; calming himself, and soothing her): Please ... Please, please, please, please, please ... let's not do this. I don't wanna fight. Please.

JENNA (sadly): You're always defending her.

ROGER: I'm not defending anybody.

JENNA: Yes you do. You run to her rescue even when she doesn't ask you to.

ROGER: Look, I know how you feel about her ...

JENNA: No, I don't think you do.

ROGER (quietly): ... but you have nothing to worry about, I'm telling you. I am with you because I want to be with you.

JENNA (tired): I don't want to fight either. But Roger, everywhere we go, every time I turn around, there she is ...

There's a knock on the door, and then GILLY walks in and answers the phone.

GILLY: Newsroom, it's Gilly. Oh, just a minute. Jenna, it's for you.

ROGER: Gilly, can I talk to you outside?

As they walk outside the office ...

GILLY: It's not that easy spending twenty-four hours together, is it?

ROGER: It's not going to last forever. I can handle Jenna.

GILLY: I noticed.

Suddenly we hear:

JENNA (raising her voice in the phone): You want me to do what?

FLETCHER: A profile in the Journal.

JENNA (laughing, skeptical): Now why would you want to do that?

At this point, we hear some "HOLLY is also up to something" music, as she watches with a more-than-a-little-bit devious smile on her face as FLETCHER tries to get her an interview.

FLETCHER: Well, because, Ms. Bradshaw, you're news, it's a good story. You're bringing WSPR into the Spaulding empire.

JENNA: You must think I'm a complete imbecile. WSPR is your competitor, and we all know what you think about Roger Thorpe, so you would practically be roasting me on the spit.

FLETCHER: No, that's the way Thorpe does business. We're making this a straight profile *

JENNA: Which means ...?

FLETCHER: Which means, no roasting on the spit. No hatchet job, no surprises.

JENNA: I would want to see the copy before you print it.

FLETCHER: Exactly! Look, this is your chance to tell people what you're gonna do with WSPR, or Spaulding Enterprises if you like. It's entirely up to you. I'm just making the offer.

JENNA: And exactly who would be doing this interview?

Voiceover promo during credits:

"How do you get back at your enemy? Ruin their reputation, of course.
Holly's out for revenge, tomorrow on Guiding Light."

Continued ...
The Eternal Triangle, Part II