Original subtitles

This program is rated G

and is suitable for general audiences.

I know we've only been seeing each other

for a few months.

I think I'm falling in love with you.

And I feel like I could fall in love with you.

But I don't dare let myself.

Preston has been gone for over a year.

But he was my husband.

And your best friend.

Camera one, hold on Nicole.

And... Keep holding.

I still love him.

And we're out.

All right. Got some notes. Moving on.

Yeah...

Oh yeah.

Okay.

Is that the same palm we used in Nicole's living room?

Yeah. I told the guys to go put some lights around it.

You know, just for this scene.

Ok. So, in other words, don't throw anything out.

Exactly.

I have just been summoned to another network meeting.

It's not even 10AM, that can't be good news.

Well, we'll find out.

You're coming with me.

I am?

Yes. If you intend to take over the show one day.

Yeah. Uh, sure.

Ok.

Mick, listen, run the next scene without me, ok?

-Copy that, boss. -Thank you.

Ok, everybody.

I'd like to be recording in less than five minutes.

Any indication of what the meeting's about?

I suspect it's Gregory wanting to make more budget cuts.

Budget cuts?

If we cut anymore the actors are gonna have to start

wearing their own clothes.

Oh.

Oh, have you guys seen this?

Photos of our new grand-baby.

Aw.

She's so adorable.

She really is.

Anyway, we're late for a meeting

and you guys, you should be on the set.

They're ready to shoot.

Thanks, Alice.

Ok, we need to go to the network executive office.

-Copy that. -Thank you.

We've already cut your budget,

but with ratings dropping, so does ad revenue.

We're still losing money.

Last week put us at an all-time low.

We don't want to cancel a show that's been on the air for 40 years,

but, unfortunately it's becoming a distinct possibility.

Can't you give us just a little bit more time?

We have that great storyline coming

with Ted and his estranged sister who wants to kill him.

I like the family drama, I, I really do.

But I don't think it's gonna be enough.

This is what we think the show needs.

We need to bring Darin Mitchell back

as Detective Preston Stillwater.

He left the show over a year ago.

He still gets more fan mail than anyone else.

I'm sure you recall that we killed him off.

Remember the lake and the children he saved?

Alice, you of all people should know

that no one really dies on a soap opera.

I don't care if you have to bring him back

as his long lost twin brother, just get him back.

Look, he went to New York.

He wanted to do a Broadway play.

You really think he's gonna be interested in this?

I don't think he would be.

What was that?

I don't think he would come back.

Who are you again?

Maggie Coleman.

The head writer for the last four years?

And hopefully my replacement when I retire.

Ah.

Right.

Well, I heard that Darin's back in Los Angeles

licking his wounds after his play flopped.

So there is a good chance that we could get him back.

And Alice, since you gave him his first break,

that should give you some leverage.

We'll do whatever it takes. Right, Maggie?

Yes.

Now is just a moment.

But forever, is a long, long time.

I didn't want to tell you this,

but my mother has been seeing your father...

So, what exactly did you mean when you said

we'd do "whatever it takes?"

Oh, whatever it takes to save the show.

Honey, I know you're not happy about this,

but I actually think Gregory is right.

Bringing Darin back, it may be the only hope for us.

Well, you know,

maybe we could try taking the show in a different direction?

I have some ideas.

Well, since the network hasn't complained about storylines,

I think we should leave that alone until they do.

That's another lesson, by the way,

you'll have to learn.

Pick your battles.

Well, you know, if we have to resurrect Preston's character,

we don't necessarily have to use Darin, right?

We could recast another actor.

You know what?

I just heard that Jeff Travis isn't happy on

Tomorrow Always Comes.

I heard they weren't happy with him

and that he was a lot of trouble.

Now look, I understand this is awkward for you.

If we do get Darin back,

you're going to have to figure out a way

to work with him again.

I just think it's not going to be easy for either of us.

I don't know what happened with the two of you.

I don't even know why you broke up.

But if this has something to do with the show,

you need to tell me.

No, no, no, no, no. It's not. It's not.

It's not that. It's...

Oh, thank you. Lovely. Thank you.

Look, Darin asked me what I thought about his play,

and I didn't want to hurt his feelings,

but then he talked to somebody on the crew

and he found out what I said

and then he thought I wasn't being honest with him

and the whole thing

just spiraled out of control from there.

We still have to try and get him back.

Actually, you do.

What? Me? No.

Listen to me, you want to step into my shoes, don't you?

Yes. Of course, more than ever.

Sometimes you have to grit your teeth

and you have to do what has to be done.

For the good of the show.

For the good of the show.

Right.

Great. It's great.

Great.

♪

Ok.

Wiley! It's so good to see you.

Well. This is a surprise.

Not a bad one, I hope.

At least Wiley was happy to see me.

You both look good.

Yeah. We're fine.

I don't think you came all this way

just to see how we're doing.

No, no, I didn't.

Not that I don't care, I do, I...

Well, we've established that I am fine and you also seem fine,

so, what's this visit all about?

I have an offer for you.

Call Zac.

He's still my agent.

It's a little impersonal, don't you think?

Well, he still handles all the offers, personal or otherwise.

We want you to come back to the show.

And reprise your role as Detective Preston Stillwater.

You're serious.

Yeah.

Didn't you kill him off,

or is there something else you're not telling me again?

Well, it doesn't have to be Preston,

if you don't want it to be.

I could write you a new character?

I don't know, I liked playing Preston.

But the answer's still no.

The network is prepared to give you a raise

and offer you a long-term contract

and give you a week off every other month.

A generous offer but I'll pass.

And a new dressing room.

Maggie, Maggie. You're not listening.

My answer's no.

Oh. No, I heard you.

But, you know, there's a cardinal rule in soap operas.

Nothing is ever written in stone.

Well, consider this the one exception to that rule.

I knew this wasn't going to be easy.

What do you mean,

begging me to come back to the show?

I wouldn't exactly call it begging,

but, since your play closed...

Since my play bombed?

I didn't say that.

Like you didn't say anything

when I asked if I should do it in the first place?

Look, Darin, you had your heart set on going to Broadway,

no matter what anyone said.

Maggie, you're a writer, you read the script.

You knew it was going to be a disaster.

Well, you wouldn't have listened to me if I had said anything.

Well you could have said something.

Ok, fine, well I'm saying something now.

Just come back to our show.

I'm considering other options.

What if we had brought lunch in for you

every single day from that little French cafe

that you love so much?

The one you and I used to go to?

Yes, yes, Cafe Sur La Rue.

I gotta be honest, I never liked it as much as you did.

What if we... gave you script approval?

That would be a first.

So, do we have a deal?

No. But that was a nice try.

Hey, have a tomato.

Had a good crop this year.

You know, you're a better actor than you are a farmer, Darin.

♪

Oh, gosh, the whole thing was so humiliating.

Hey, you survived.

Oh, I survived but I still failed.

Ok, so we didn't win this time.

Yeah, and I suppose the way the ratings are going,

it wasn't the most attractive offer for Darin.

I was hoping maybe the show would last,

I don't know, forever?

But certainly, 40 more years for you, honey.

I'm at the end of my career, we know that.

But you?

Oh. You are just hitting your stride.

It's not about me, though.

Just think about all the jobs that will be lost

and all the people we won't see every day.

I mean, you know, we're practically family.

It's... I just feel so guilty.

You know the producers never take no for an answer, right?

-For the good of the show. -Mmmhmm.

Ok. So, now maybe you can tell me

why you haven't read that script?

I know it's a small part, but it's a good one.

I just need some more time.

To read?

You need to get back to work.

I am working.

On what? Your vegetable garden?

Well, not just that.

Experimenting with a few different varietals.

Had my soil tested with the ocean air.

It's perfect for growing Chardonnay grapes,

which are a fruit, by the way.

Here I thought I was representing an actor,

and low and behold, you're a vintner.

Look, Darin, the play was bad.

Not you.

This was one small setback.

It happens.

But it's time to stop being a gentleman farmer

and get back to your real work, which, in case you forgot,

is acting.

Maybe in a few months.

Darin, you don't have months.

You have to stay relevant. You know that.

You stay away too long, people forget you.

They haven't forgot me yet.

Maggie came by the other day,

begging me to come back to the show.

It's the perfect solution.

I don't wanna rush back into it, cold turkey.

Think about it, that show is your comfort zone,

you're a star there.

Look, if you want my advice, which you do,

you give it a few weeks, you see how it feels.

I don't know.

Been a while.

That's exactly why it makes sense.

Look, what I'm saying to you

is that if you want to continue acting,

you're going to need to do something.

You do want to keep acting, yes?

Yeah, I do.

Perfect.

You start with this, you see how you feel.

Ok?

Yeah.

♪

Like my tomatoes that much, do ya?

I'm not here to talk about vegetables.

Tomato's a fruit.

Ok. I want to talk about something serious, though.

I take tomatoes very seriously.

Are we really gonna stand here and debate semantics?

Come on.

Look, I know you said no the other day

and I didn't want to resort to a guilt trip,

but I'm gonna have to.

And what exactly is it I'm supposed to feel guilty about?

Alice.

She gave you your big break Darin.

Not to mention the fact that she's devoted

40 years of her life to the show.

Yeah, well you really know how to hit a guy.

The next thing you'll say is the ratings are dipping

because of me.

That would be giving you too much credit.

Though I will admit they've dipped a little bit.

A little?

I heard they'd been dipping ever since.

Mag, I'm not blind,

I see what the fans say on social media.

So, why not make your fans happy?

Nothing I'd love more,

I'm just not sure it would make me happy.

You didn't seem unhappy when you were on the show.

Ok.

Forget about me and Alice, just for a second.

Think about the rest of the devoted family, huh?

Our beloved crew members.

What's gonna happen to them, Darin,

if you don't come back to the show

and the network pulls the plug, hmm?

What about the actors?

They'll be left to scatter in the wind.

That's a little dramatic, don't you think?

Not if it's working.

Come on, Darin.

What's it gonna take to get you back on the show?

I don't know if you remember

when I left I said I was never coming back.

Yeah, I remember.

And you called me a method actor with no method.

Darin, that's 'cause you broke up with me, all right?

My feelings were hurt.

You're a great actor.

That's why I want you back on the show.

Did Zac put you up to this?

No, but I'm gonna call him next if this doesn't work.

Did I mention that everything I offered

is still on the table?

Everything?

Yes. Mm-hm.

We're gonna give you script approval.

Well, it is a tempting offer.

Oh, come on Darin! Don't torment me like this.

I don't have to but I'm kind of enjoying it.

All right, look. I don't want a long-term contract.

Ok, fine. I can work with that.

Uh, we could do two years.

One year.

Four weeks.

What?

Ok, Darin, four weeks isn't even enough time

for me to bring you back from the dead.

Well, you're a writer, right? Figure it out.

So he'll only do four weeks. Thank you.

Mmmhmm.

That's not enough time to save the show.

Well, at least it gives me some time to convince him to stay.

Oh, honey, if you can pull that off,

you are well on your way to being a producer.

That's still a pretty big "if."

No, no.

No, Maggie, you have written yourself out of

much tougher situations.

Daytime drama is easy. It's real life that's hard.

Oh, yeah.

Ok, let me see what you've put together and if it works,

let's print the first 100 copies.

♪

Well, got a much nicer parking spot.

It's right in front of my dressing room,

so that's a good sign.

A very good sign,

because I didn't even have to negotiate that.

How're you feeling?

A little nervous.

A little nervous is good, it just shows that you care.

Anything I can do to help, you name it.

Thanks Zac, I think I've got it covered.

Yeah you do.

Just remember, you're a rock star there.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Welcome back, Mr. Mitchell!

Alice sent me to come get you to set and bring you right away.

Thanks.

Alrighty.

-How was your drive in? -It was good.

-Oh good. -How are you?

Oh, so good.

And we are here.

-All right, thank you. -You're welcome.

Welcome back, Darin.

Thank you. I had no idea.

Darin, maybe this is a little bit more than what you expected,

but we just wanted to let you know how happy we are

to have you back as part of the family.

Thanks, Gregory.

Thank you, Gregory. Thank you everybody,

I'm very happy to be back.

I'm very excited to get to work with you all again,

so thank you very much.

Come here you.

Welcome back!

Welcome back, man.

Good job.

Although, I don't love some of the concessions

that we had to make.

I hear he's back thanks to you.

Oh.

And Alice has assured me

that you're going to get him to extend his contract.

That's the plan.

Well I hope your plan works because, if it doesn't...

We'll all be looking for jobs.

And if by some chance you are successful,

I won't forget your name again.

Well, I meant to call you guys when I got back.

How you been?

Well, you know, a year older but we're still here.

And like the Gerards, we're still together.

Although my character's in the hospital.

What happened?

Remember Ted's sister, who turned out not to be his sister?

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

the one who said she got switched at birth.

Well she was thrown out of the family and disinherited,

so she sent her son to kill Ted.

Only it backfired and now they're both sittin' in prison.

I got a lot to catch up on.

You didn't watch us at all while you were gone?

At first I needed to focus on the play,

but I did want to see my memorial service

so I did catch a few episodes.

You know, of all the years I've been on this show,

your character had the nicest send off.

That's right.

All right, everybody, back to work please.

Thank you.

All right, and you have a photoshoot in an hour

and they're waiting for you in makeup.

All right.

Ok.

For the rest of us, we have 180 pages today.

Oh, Darin.

Walter and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary

and Maggie and Alice are throwing us a party.

And we'd love for you to be there.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Great.

I'll see you in there.

-Muah! -Bye-bye.

I need a wardrobe change, yep.

Hey John! Hey Teri! Ready for me?

Always ready for ya, Darin.

Have a seat.

Thanks.

When I heard you'd be back last week,

I couldn't believe it.

Last week?

How'd you find out so fast?

News travels fast in these chairs.

Darin! Have you met Trudy?

No, hi, nice to meet you.

Trudy plays Lexi.

The Gerard's granddaughter?

Uh huh.

You were like three years old when I left a year ago.

And you died in a drowning accident.

Fair point.

-You're all done. -Thank you.

They grow up fast around here, don't they?

They sure do.

Oh yeah.

-Hey. -Hey.

Ready to start going over some ideas?

Yup, sure. Come on in.

Been a while since I've been in here.

Looks the same.

Yeah, maybe a little messier.

So, what do you think about me coming back as Peter?

Preston's long lost brother.

It's a good idea, but we've already done it,

in season 14, 21, 34 and 39. What else do you have?

Ok.

I'm the new guy in town and I look a lot like Preston,

sound like him...

Ok, but what's his back story, what's his character arc

and what's his goal for only being there four weeks?

Ok, I get it, this is not going to be easy.

Sorry to interrupt,

just wanted to drop off your ticket for tonight.

Darin.

-Hey. -Hi.

I'm opening a new play.

It's not the lead or anything and it's just a small theatre,

but, uh, if you'd like to come

I should be able to get you a ticket.

Yeah, man, that's great. I'm really happy for you.

Ok.

I hope that wasn't too awkward for you.

What, 'cause he was asking me about theatre?

No. It's not awkward.

Well he didn't mean anything.

No, no. The last thing I want people to do

is walk on eggshells around me.

Especially you.

I won't.

So, how do you think we managed to mess it up?

I think we started taking us for granted

until there wasn't much of us left.

Too busy focusing on our careers, I guess.

At least you're making some progress towards your dream

of becoming a producer.

Yeah, yeah. Well, back to Preston's resurrection.

Yes. Um.

How 'bout a vampire?

Except I can only take cases at night.

You really wanna wear a cape and fangs?

Well, maybe I could be a cool modern vampire.

Not sure Alice would go for it, but I'll write it down.

Ok, what else?

See you tomorrow, guys.

Oh, Maggie, you got a minute?

Sure, what's up?

I am organizing a weekly hike on Saturday mornings.

You interested?

Uh, I don't know.

I haven't been hiking in a while.

Actually, I haven't done much of anything

except for sitting and writing for a while.

Then you should definitely do this.

It's not even a real hike,

we're just walking up to the Hollywood sign.

John is coming too.

My gym's air-conditioned,

but nothing beats the great outdoors.

Sure.

What do I have to lose, other than maybe some stress?

Have a good night, you guys.

-See ya. -Yes! Yes!

Nicely done!

I figured she would do it.

Have a good night.

Maggie, how did it go with Darin today?

Oh, he shot down most of my ideas.

Listen, don't let him talk you

into making Preston come back as a vampire.

Has he tried that before?

Yeah, he brought it up two years ago.

And believe me,

Preston was very much alive then.

Yeah, that's definitely not the direction

we want to take the show.

So, going to the play tonight?

Yeah, I'm just going to run home and change,

but I'll see you there?

Yeah. I'll be there.

♪

So when can we get together?

Yeah, yeah that works. Just not at the studio, ok?

I don't want anybody to know.

I gotta go.

Hey, hi, Maggie.

Hi.

I was just talking to my agent, Zac.

Ok. I wasn't gonna ask, though.

Just gonna go to my car.

♪

Intriguing title.

Only if it's about electricity.

So, I guess Stewart found you an extra ticket?

Actually, Alice had one. Is she here yet?

I haven't seen her.

Huh. I offered to pick her up,

she said she was in the middle of something.

Sounded kind of frenzied.

Told me she'd meet me here.

I hope it wasn't about the show.

Alice, hey, are you here?

Bad news.

The Palm Court cancelled us.

Cancelled?

Are we cancelled?

Uh, no, the party venue.

Alice, I'm gonna put you on speaker phone with Darin.

So what happened?

Kitchen fire.

Sounds like one of our story lines.

Listen, I have been on the phone all day

trying to find a new venue.

Everything is booked.

Ok, well you know maybe we could have it at the studio?

I'm sure the set designers could put together something nice.

What about my place?

We could have the party outside at sunset.

You do have a beautiful backyard.

I love it.

Thank you, Darin.

It means that we're going to have to start all over again.

Look, I'm gonna leave now and I'll see you guys soon.

All right?

That's really nice of you.

Walter and Lucinda really took me under their wing

when I first came on the show,

so, it's the least I could do for 'em.

Seems like we'll be spending more time together.

Thank you.

Yeah, I have been using the rubber band trick

and it's been working.

I wear it on my wrist all the time now.

-Hey. -Hi.

Sorry, I was just talking to my dog walker,

Wiley's dog walker.

Since when does he need a dog walker?

I thought you had three acres of fenced in property?

Likes the company I guess.

So what'd you think of the play?

Oh, it was, uh, it was fine.

Huh?

Huh.

I liked it.

Really?

Yeah, yeah a lot actually.

It's ok to tell me if you didn't like the play.

I won't tell Stewart.

Ok, well, um, if I'm being honest I...

maybe wasn't for me.

Hey Stewart! Guess what Mag...

Stop! Stop it!

It's not so hard to say what you think.

Oh, good, you're both here.

Listen, I've divided up the party planning.

I'm gonna do all the decorations,

the music and the flowers.

Now, if you kids could just do the food and the drinks,

that would be great.

-Fine by me. -Yeah, me too.

Excellent.

You.

Aren't you supposed to be in a promo shoot?

Yes, I am. I'm on my way.

Yes, I know you are. Mm-hm.

I thought maybe I interrupted something when I walked in.

No, we were just talking about last night's play.

What's to discuss? It was awful.

Darin liked it.

No. He did not!

Yes!

He fell asleep before I did.

Hmm.

Thank you, sir.

So, this is the Garden of Eden you've been working on, huh?

I don't think for a second you came over here

to look at the vegetables.

I also wanted to come by, see how you're doing,

see how things are going on the show.

Good.

I shoot my first scenes Monday.

Nice.

How are they bringing you back, by the way?

Amnesia.

Of course.

So you didn't really drown?

No, no.

I was found wandering on a beach by a lady named Scarlet,

who nurses me back to health and then I regain some of my memory

and now I'm torn between Scarlet and Nicole.

But Nicole's with Chase?

That's gonna complicate things.

You've actually watched the show?

I have to admit, when you first landed the gig,

I wanted to check it out and um, quickly found myself hooked.

The other reason that I stopped by was to tell you

that the network is pulling out all the stops

to promote your return.

I haven't even told you about the soap convention yet.

Basically you and the show are the star attractions this year.

It's all timed to coincide with the airing of the first episode.

Well, I just hope I can live up to it all.

I have no doubt.

Hey, bub.

You didn't say that it was up hill.

I said up to the Hollywood sign.

It's not that bad. You can do this.

Hi, Wiley!

What are you doing here?

Hi.

I didn't know Darin was gonna be here.

I invited everyone from the show.

It's not gonna be a problem, is it?

No, no.

I just feel like I'm seeing him more now

than when I was seeing him.

Oh. I have a feeling you won't be seeing much of him,

he's probably going to be way ahead of us on the trail.

What makes you say that?

Wow, it's kind of annoying how fit he is.

I doubt his fans would agree.

Oh, you know, I think that Darin has a girlfriend,

but he's too afraid to tell me.

Maybe he just doesn't want to throw it in your face.

Maybe.

I'm sure he'll tell me eventually.

Mmmhmm.

♪

Are we going too fast?

Crawling would be too fast.

I'm more out of shape than I thought.

I can slow down.

Oh no, you go ahead.

I'm gonna just sit here and rest.

It's great you gave it a try, though.

-Hey. -Hey.

What are you two doing here?

We're on our way down already.

-Already? -Yeah.

Woo.

Must be all that walking you did when you lived in New York.

It's a great city for walking.

So how come you didn't stay after your play closed?

It's not home.

Well, I gotta, I gotta feed Wiley.

You want to walk down with us?

Oh, I would love to but I think I need some time to recover.

My legs are officially turned to jelly.

-See you Monday. -Ok.

Thanks for coming by, Fran. It really helped.

I'm always here for you.

You're the best. Love ya.

Hey.

They're ready for you on set.

I was just talking to an old friend.

Oh, ok.

You ok? You seem a little nervous.

Yeah. Yeah.

It's been a while since I've been in front of a camera,

but I'll be fine.

Yeah.

Follow my finger with your eyes.

Ok. What's the last thing you remember?

Do you remember anything?

Preston, can you speak?

Lifting the little girl out of the water.

What?

Lifting the girl.

Alice...

I'm sorry, I just can't seem to remember my lines.

Darin, would you like us to make some cue cards for you?

Take five everyone.

Clear everybody, five minutes.

Do you want to talk about it?

I mean, what is there to talk about?

I froze.

Just first day jitters.

It's more than that.

I was afraid this was gonna happen.

What do you mean?

Playing to a half-empty theatre in New York,

just for the two weeks that the play ran,

to say nothing of all the people

who walked out in the middle of the performance...

It did a number on me.

Hey, no one is walking out on you here.

Every single actor on that set has felt exactly the same way.

No one's judging you.

We're all rooting for you.

Theoretically I know that.

Hey, look.

I may have created Preston,

but you're the one who brought him to life.

That was six years ago.

Think about all the people's lives

you've touched in six years.

Your fans are crazy about you.

Darin, you're a really good actor.

Okay. You're not just a pretty face.

You have skills that other actors don't so use them.

You've never talked to me like this before.

Sorry.

No. No, no, I like it.

Remember when you first came on the show,

and you told me that your grandfather was a cop,

and that inspired you?

Maybe, think about him, you know?

Use that.

Come on.

Ready one.

Preston: I can't believe Nicole waited for me.

Take one.

She's certainly a great woman.

Preston: There's something I have to tell her.

I've been living with the woman who found me

when I washed ashore.

♪

Good work, really.

It's a powerful scene.

Oh, I think it's Darin who makes it so good.

-Hey. -Hey.

I just came to apologize, again.

What?

This morning, I didn't mean to miss my mark

and step on Nicole's negligee and tear it.

Oh, you know what, I think it added a little more drama,

so we decided to keep it.

Hey, come sit down.

Look, Darin, it's only your third day, ok?

You're still getting used to it. It's fine.

You are gonna make a really good producer, you know that?

I mean, I mean it.

You, you really care about everybody on the show.

Yeah, it's easy to do when you love the people you work with.

And you couldn't have a better mentor than Alice.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I just wish I could be more like her.

You don't have to be like Alice, you just be yourself.

Are these my new pages?

Uh, nope. No, these are, uh,

stuff the other staff writers are working on.

I'm still writing yours now, actually.

Okay.

Okay.

Good luck with that.

Oh, I had an idea, for Walter and Lucinda's party.

What do you think about having a signature cocktail?

What do you have in mind?

Well, a 40 year romance is something to be commemorated.

Yeah, so we should probably go all out.

Exactly.

And, I have the name of a guy

who's supposedly one of the best mixologists in LA.

Oh, I think that's a great idea.

Well, since I'm done shooting for the day

and they don't need me again for a bit,

I was gonna go check him out.

Any chance you'd want to come with?

Uh...

You know I can't,

I still have to finish up these few scenes.

Well, I have script approval,

and I approve you taking a few hours off.

Um...

For Lucinda and Walter.

Sure.

♪

A 40th anniversary is known as a ruby anniversary.

Therefore, I made a ruby cocktail

and to top it off, rose petals.

Wow.

Thank you.

Almost too pretty to drink.

But very romantic.

Well, 40 years of marriage is a milestone.

I don't know how people do it.

You don't believe in true love?

You know, I used to, but after two divorces...

Well, maybe you just haven't met the right person.

Or maybe I'm just not as lucky as you two.

Enjoy.

Well, we were a couple for three years.

Mmm.

Wow, this is...

Incredible, right?

Yes.

We should definitely serve this.

You know, and rubies, after all,

they do mean passion and devotion and romance.

How do you know all this stuff?

I write for soaps.

One I'm trying to get you to stay on, by the way.

I said I'd do four weeks.

Why only four weeks?

Come on, is there something else you want to do?

Right now I don't know what I want to do.

Look, I get it.

I know doing theatre was your dream.

Yeah.

And I don't want that dream to be one play that flopped.

It won't be.

And Darin, you're a great actor.

You just haven't found the right play.

Like our friend who hasn't found the right girl.

You seem to have that covered.

And? What do you think?

Oh, we love it.

Yeah, definitely going with the ruby cocktail.

Oh, we should come up with some sort of signature name for it,

in honor of Walter and Lucinda.

Well, how did they meet?

Oh.

-On a soap opera. -Yeah.

Oh, we could call it the Forever Cocktail?

I thought I recognized you.

You were on that show, weren't you?

My ex-wife watched that show every day.

She was nuts about it.

And you!

I gotta go text her.

-Wow, cheers to that. -Cheers to that.

I can't believe he didn't recognize you at first.

I just hope he doesn't blame Preston for his divorce.

Hey, thanks for coming with me.

Yeah. Yeah.

I never get out of the office in the middle of the day,

it was fun.

Well then I'm happy that I could help you play hooky.

You're supposed to be at a fitting, aren't you?

You are right.

I will see you later, ok?

Ok.

And that, that's how I got Gregory to sign off

on that season's finale.

I can't believe that he bought that.

It's sort of an industry secret.

Oh? Well, I guess I owe you another glass of wine for sharing it.

Actually, I could use a little favor instead.

Yeah, of course, what is it?

Take my place at the soap opera convention this weekend?

You're not going?

My daughter needs me to watch the kids.

I so know this is last minute.

I'm just at my wit's end.

Of course I'll do it.

You are such a star.

Thank you.

And you know what?

This is gonna be a breeze for you.

You know as much about the show as I do,

and you only have to attend one panel.

Panel?

Like in front of people?

It's a Q and A.

I mean the whole cast will be on stage with you.

Well, but they're used to it.

No, no, you have to get used to this.

Besides, it's a beautiful resort.

And I know you're gonna have a wonderful time.

Must be the fun part of producing.

Yeah, and there are really so few of those,

so enjoy yourself.

So?

How are things going on the show?

Better.

A couple of rough patches last week.

Only dropped my lines once this week,

so that's an improvement.

But, everybody's been really understanding,

especially Maggie.

Well, I wasn't gonna bring her up,

but since you did.

How's it been, working with her again?

Just like old times.

Not exactly over her, are ya?

Thought I was.

What about Maggie?

I don't know.

I can't tell what she's feeling.

Well, here's some more unsolicited advice

from your agent.

Maybe for now it's best to just focus on your career.

Speaking of which, I don't know if it's still too soon,

but I might have found a new play for you,

if you're interested.

Welcome everyone.

I am Ken, I will be your coordinator for the weekend.

You'll find everything you need in your packets,

your schedule of events, your room assignments

and this year we have included a complimentary spa treatment.

All: Oh!

And that sounds right up my alley.

And if you need anything else at all,

my card is also in the packet.

Thank you, Ken. It's lovely to be back.

Oh, it's an honor to have you back.

Your first panel is at 2:00 this afternoon,

so I'll see you then.

Okay.

Anybody up for lunch in about an hour?

Sure.

I'm starving.

I'm just gonna head up to the hotel cafe and grab a bite

because I gotta prep for the panel,

but I'll see you all at 2:00?

-Yeah. See you at 2:00. -Okay.

Okay.

Well, how 'bout sushi?

-Sounds good. -Yeah, I'm in.

I'll meet you in the lobby.

Gwen: Sure.

♪

Hey, Maggie.

Hey, hi.

I didn't realize we were neighbors.

Yeah. Walter and Lucinda are just on the other side.

Oh.

Are you sure you don't want to join us for lunch?

Yeah. I picked something up already.

I'm gonna go prep for the panel.

I've never been on one before.

Yeah, I know you're used to being behind the scenes,

but panels are pretty simple.

Just not comfortable in front of an audience.

Oh, you'll be fine.

If you get a question that you're unsure of,

you just take a breath and say something like

"that's a really good question,"

Buy you a minute to think of what to say.

Thanks.

Oh, and if that doesn't work, try one of these.

An elastic band?

Yeah, it's a trick for nerves.

You just put it on and it reminds you to be present.

Thanks Darin, for looking out for me.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Sorry, gotta take this. It's Zac.

Oh.

Hey.

Thanks for calling me back.

I got your message.

Can I, can I see you when I get back in town?

Oh, my gosh!

And of course, a huge thank you to CHB network,

the host of our favorite soap opera,

for sponsoring today's panel.

Maggie, now I know that this is

your first time at Soap Opera Expo

and you have been with Forever for, well, a long, long time.

Tell us how you got started.

Um, well, that's a great question.

Um, well, like all of you,

I am a huge fan of soap operas.

When I was little, my grandmother lived with us

and she, and my mother and I would watch soaps every day

and they were our salvation through a lot of rough patches.

Yeah.

And, I always wanted to be a writer,

so I thought, what better job than writing on a soap opera?

And now you're the head writer.

Yes.

Which leads me to my next question.

How are you writing Preston Stillwater back onto the show?

Sorry, we're gonna have to keep that one a secret.

But we've shot a lot of scenes with Darin already

and you're just going to have to tune in

when his first episode airs this Monday.

We'll be tuning in, won't we?

Ok.

Who wants to ask the first question?

Audience: Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Right there, yes?

Hi, my question is for Darin.

I love you so much as Preston

and for a cop, he's such a romantic guy,

but, what is Darin's ideal first date?

Well, that's easy.

It would be a ride to the top of my favorite canyon in LA.

Picnic dinner and a bottle of wine.

And we'd watch the sunset.

Yeah, yeah, right here.

My question is also for Darin.

You were such a huge star on Forever,

before you left for Broadway, but then your play bombed.

Was it hard for you to come back to the show after that?

That's a really good question.

You know, it was actually hard for us,

because Darin had so many offers and everybody wanted him,

so we're just so lucky that we got him back on our show.

Forever gave me my start

and I really love the show and I really love the people.

♪

Hey, who's that Darin is talking to over there?

That's Joey Buchanan.

He's the producer on Tomorrow Always Comes.

He's been trying to get us to jump ship for years, but..

We're very happy where we are.

Besides, it would have meant driving an extra half hour

just to get to work every morning, so...

And we are... no way.

What's so funny?

Oh, just LA traffic.

At least we're out of it for the weekend, right?

Mag, can I talk to you for a minute?

Sure.

Excuse us.

Thanks for letting me borrow the earrings.

Oh, you're welcome.

Well, that's promising.

Well hello, you two.

-Oh, Ken -Hi, Ken.

Did you get a chance to go to the spa?

I did, it was great.

I just wanted to thank you for that save earlier.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you for the rubber band, it really helped.

Yeah, well, you never know what kind of questions you're gonna get.

Like, what's your ideal first date?

Well, at least I knew the answer to that one.

That was our first date.

I know.

Taking girls up to the top of the canyon

for a sunset picnic is your thing now?

I said it was my favorite thing,

I never said I did it with anybody else.

Well...

It was a good first date.

Even though you forgot the blanket.

I didn't think you noticed.

I didn't want to say anything.

And yet, you went out with me again anyway.

Against my better judgement.

I wasn't sure it was a good idea to date somebody

that you work with.

Walter and Lucinda made it work.

Well maybe they know something we don't.

Gwen: There you are!

Ken wants to see us for a group photo.

Come.

Hey.

Hey, hi.

Hi.

I didn't think you'd be out here.

Yeah, well, I am determined to make it

to the top of the Hollywood sign.

One of these days.

And it's beautiful out here,

so, I figured, what better place to practice.

Well, I admire your determination.

I'm not aiming for Mount Everest.

Just the Hollywood sign.

You want some company?

No, you should go ahead,

I don't want to hold you back.

I'm not in a hurry.

We take it slow.

See where the path takes us.

You know, don't you have someone

you need to check in with or call or something?

Oh!

There's not bears around here, are there?

Uh, probably?

We're up in the mountains.

You know what,

maybe some friendly company isn't such a bad idea.

Ok.

You all right?

Yes.

So?

So.

What do you think of the convention so far?

Oh, it's great.

Yeah.

Fans are wonderful and you know, to tell you the truth,

this is probably my first weekend away in two years.

I need to do this more often.

So why don't you?

Just been so afraid of the show getting cancelled

that I've been working harder than usual.

And you've done a great job, bringing Preston back,

but, you know there's no guarantee

he's going to save the show.

Yeah, yeah, no yeah. I know.

And I've played the "what ifs" game.

Suppose I could turn to writing romance novels.

But I'm not going down without a fight.

And you could do another play?

If that's what you want.

I don't even know yet what I want.

I love being on Forever. I like the fast pace.

Normally, I don't have a problem remembering my lines.

But, live theatre, you just get that connection to the audience

that I also love, you know?

A lot of actors do both.

-Maggie! Hi. -Oh, hi.

Joey Buchanan, producer on Tomorrow Always Comes.

Oh, it's so nice to meet you.

You know, I'm surprised Alice isn't here this weekend.

But I guess she's about to retire.

Along with your show.

I don't know where you heard that.

Oh, so there's no truth to the rumors

that Forever is in trouble?

No.

No truth to the rumors.

You know, it's so funny though, what was your name, Jeff?

-Joey. -Joey.

I heard the same rumors about your show.

Tomorrow Always Comes.

Or does it?

♪

Okay, the party count is 52.

Thanks.

Is there any... anybody else you wanna add?

Oh, yeah. Gwen just started dating Will Sullivan,

from The Road Back, so I told her to bring him.

Didn't they just meet at soap opera expo?

Well now you didn't mention that.

Boy, it must have been some weekend.

Well, what better place to fall in love

than a soap opera convention?

Oh!

Not me!

Uh-huh.

Are you sure there wasn't a little rekindling

between you and Darin?

What? No.

Oh, come on.

I saw the way he was looking at you.

Boy, am I sorry I missed it.

Okay. You know what, you two are ridiculous.

I think he's seeing someone anyway.

Sweetheart, I've been on soaps long enough

to know a romantic look when I see one.

Ok, well, no disrespect,

but I think you're wrong about that.

Speaking of Darin, where is he?

Didn't he say he wanted to be here with all of us

to see his first episode?

Oh, he left right after we finished shooting this morning.

He said he had an appointment, but he'd be back in time.

Now is just a moment, but Forever is a long, long time.

-I am very excited actually. -Yeah, it's so good.

Preston...

It feels like just yesterday you were here.

Today's a new day.

Oh!

♪

-Hey. -Hey.

Off to an early start?

Yeah, well, I was too nervous to sit at home

and wait for the ratings from your first episode to come in,

so I thought I'd walk off some of my nervous energy.

We had the same idea.

Hey, everyone thought that your scenes were terrific.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Felt good, but helps when you have a good script.

Beats what we used to do,

sitting at home on pins and needles,

waiting for the ratings to come in.

And we'd order pizza.

Two, if we thought it was bad news.

Ah, you were always convinced it wouldn't be.

We rarely had to eat that second pizza.

Want to go get one now, just in case?

It's 7:30 in the morning!

I'll go get coffee, if you want.

What, and, and abandon your walk?

I thought your goal was to make it to the top.

Do you have to remember everything that I've said.

You used to get mad at me if I didn't.

Not mad, mad. More like... annoyed.

The ratings are in.

Yeah, and they're up.

Way up!

Um, sorry.

You don't have to apologize.

It's Alice.

She is ecstatic about the numbers,

so she's calling a production meeting so I should go.

But, um, rain check on that walk?

Yeah, sure.

One of the things that I remember

is that we were best friends.

But, now it seems as though my best friend's

fallen in love with my wife.

I don't deny it.

I've always been in love with Nicole,

but she never felt the same way about me.

Not until you were dead.

But I'm not dead anymore.

Got some notes, going again.

Nice work, everyone.

Hey, Darin, you play a terrific amnesiac.

It was an inspired way to bring Preston back.

So what did you think about that?

-It's all Maggie. -You know I think...

Ah, how 'bout you stay on the show?

Maybe we bump Preston up to Police Commissioner?

I mean, once he's got his full memory back?

Thank you, for the promotion,

I'm just not sure Preston's gonna be around that long.

Maggie?

Can I speak with you outside, please?

Look, Darin only has one week left on his contract.

You were supposed to take care of that.

Sweeps week is coming up soon,

you know how important that is to our ratings.

I know.

And you know what, I think he's actually coming around.

Doesn't sound like it to me.

If our ratings are up, they need to stay up.

Have a great day!

Ok.

-Bye. -Bye

Zac, hey.

Hey, what'd you think of that play I sent over?

Pretty good, right?

Uh, I haven't read it yet.

What? Not this again.

I thought things were going well on Forever.

They were, they are.

No more blunders,

I just am not quite sure I'm ready for live theatre.

Will you please do me a personal favor and read this play?

I really think it'll change your mind.

All right. All right.

I left it in my dressing room, but I'm not far from there.

I'll swing by and pick it up.

Sounds good. Gotta go.

Zac here.

Ok.

Hello?

Woah, hey, hi.

Hi.

Relax, it's just me.

Ok.

What are you doing here on a Saturday?

Uh, working.

Or, at least I was attempting to.

I thought you had everything under control.

Yeah, I do, except I'm trying to come up with new ideas

to convince the star of our show to stay.

You know, love triangle or something.

Anything that would get him to change his mind.

Well, maybe Preston should get back with Scarlet.

Let Chase and Nicole finally get together.

Yeah. It's a good idea.

I can start writing that storyline now.

You know what, you could actually move next door

to Chase and Nicole

and you guys could wreak havoc on the town.

I think that's a terrible idea.

And that you need a break.

What? Now?

Yup, right now.

And you gave me an idea.

Not about the show, about the anniversary party.

We still haven't narrowed down a caterer.

And there is one more restaurant

I think that we should go check out.

Ok, perfect.

Let me just go grab something from the printer.

Ok, ready.

Ok.

You know, you never told me

why you were at the studio this morning.

I left my script at the studio.

Oh, I think you're really gonna like this new one.

There's a whole scene where Preston accepts

his posthumous award for saving the children.

It's cool.

Always like putting on the whole dress uniform.

Oh, you wear it well.

Oh yeah?

I just...

I just mean it's hard to resist a man in uniform, that's all.

Well, I do get more Tweets every time I put it on.

Oh.

And, that might be why Gregory's suggesting

that Preston get promoted to Police Commissioner.

Hm, that would be jumping a few ranks.

True.

I kind of like the idea.

Well, I'm sure I could come up with something,

you know, to make it logical.

I'm sure you could.

You always find a way to make the impossible possible.

Yeah, well, I wish I didn't have to.

What do you mean?

I just wish I could write stories that are more relatable.

Well, not exactly Alice's style.

I know and it's still her show.

Which she wants to give to you.

So maybe you just have to show her how you do that.

Well, I could start by making you Police Commissioner.

Maybe I should finish my arc as Detective first,

don't you think?

Well, would you really consider staying?

Maybe.

Yeah?

Only for a couple weeks.

Oh, come on! Why a couple weeks?

I mean, I thought things were going well.

They are.

I have enjoyed myself these past few weeks,

despite your less than subtle attempts to get me to stay.

What?

It was something that you said about Alice.

And about owing the show something really stuck with me.

So, I thought, maybe I'll stay,

help keep the ratings up till sweeps week.

And here we are.

You want them to cater the party?

I thought you said you didn't like Café Sur La Rue.

Well, I was giving you a hard time.

Hey!

We actually have some good times here.

Yeah.

Two, please.

♪

Oh, no. I'm good, thank you.

Oh, hi.

Thank you.

Great party!

The three of you really pulled it off.

Thanks, thanks.

I'm just relieved that it all worked out.

Has Darin mentioned his girlfriend yet?

No. And I thought he was gonna invite her here tonight,

but I haven't seen him with anyone.

-Thank you, no. -No, I'm fine, thank you.

Well, I guess he's not ready to tell me.

Want to talk about it over some food?

No, it's ok, really.

All right, well, suit yourself.

Oh! Thank you.

Thank you.

This really is the perfect place for the party.

It is. I think Gregory is actually having a good time,

even though he does moan a little about the show.

Well, then maybe it's time we could, you know,

pitch him about taking the show in a new direction?

Oh, honey.

I'm just so afraid we're gonna risk losing our core audience.

Yeah.

Excuse me everyone,

if I could have your attention for a moment.

On behalf of Alice and Maggie and myself,

I'd just like to thank you all for being here

to share this very special evening.

After being married at the end of the show's first season,

Walter and Lucinda are celebrating 40 years together.

Thank you, Alice.

It was the best blind date I've ever had.

So, what started out as colleagues working together,

blossomed into one of the greatest romances ever.

Oh.

People say that it can be hard to work every day

with someone you love.

It can be easy to take each other for granted.

And sometimes, you just don't tell the other person

how you feel until it's too late.

But Walter and Lucinda seem to have found the secret to that,

which, according to them, is to respect one another,

and always be honest.

So, to paraphrase one of the great romance movies

of all time,

I'll have what they're having.

To Walter and Lucinda.

Crowd: To Walter and Lucinda!

Thank you.

Did you help him write that?

Oh no, that's all his words.

Oh.

♪

Oh, I'm making a run to Meet2Eat grab some lunch.

Do you want something?

Yeah, sure.

Actually, you know what, can I pick it up,

because I have been sitting in my office all day

and I could really use some fresh air.

Great. Grab me the usual.

Ok. Perfect.

Oh, I already ordered. You can go ahead of me, sorry.

Maggie?

I was grabbing lunch across the street and saw you come in here.

Hi, I'm Maggie,

I work with Darin and you must be Fran, his new girlfriend.

It's really nice to meet you, finally.

Is this an improv scene I don't know about?

I am so sorry for interrupting whatever this is.

This is an acting class

and we're in the middle of a scene, so.

So...

Pretend I was never here.

Love your hair.

Ok.

Maggie, hold on.

That was by far the most embarrassing moment of my life.

Why didn't you stop me?

Stop you how?

Ok.

So, Fran isn't your girlfriend?

What? No.

Then why the phony dog walker

and all the strange phone calls saying it was "Zac"

when it wasn't?

Why all the mystery?

I'm working with her.

Fran's my acting coach. This is her workshop.

She's the one that showed me

the elastic band trick that I taught you.

Oh.

Look, my confidence was pretty shot after New York.

You know, coming back to Forever,

I knew I couldn't do it without help.

So, I've been working with her privately.

And, as you saw today,

gets me back in front of a live audience.

That's awesome.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on.

I had no idea it was so bad.

So, there's no girlfriend?

Only in your imagination, which is clearly running wild.

Hey, you always said that made me a good writer.

Oh man, and then I came and I ruined your scene

and, you know, I'm just gonna go, before I make things worse.

Can we just make a pact?

Ah, what'd you have in mind?

All right, this whole thing started

because we haven't been honest with each other,

so, from here on out, can we just not hide things like this?

Friend to friend.

If it'll help us avoid something like that again, I'm in.

Great.

This time I really am leaving.

Ok.

That was a lovely ceremony.

It was nice to reconnect

with some of the children that I rescued.

They were sweet.

By the way, who was that women I saw you talking to?

You two seemed to be having an intense conversation.

That was Scarlet.

I had no idea that she'd be there.

That's great. Moving on.

All right, moving on. Second team in.

Scene ok?

Yeah, no, it's not that.

I just saw the latest ratings.

Did they dip?

No, they're up a little.

But probably not enough for Gregory.

Well, maybe it's time to crack that book open

and share your ideas with Alice.

I don't think so.

She has her own set vision for the show.

It's the producer's job to look after the show.

What do you mean?

Alice isn't going to be around when you take over.

So, she's gonna make you the producer of the show,

she needs to understand that you have your own vision

about how to make the show work.

And look, I saw the ideas in your notebook and they're good.

I don't want to undercut Alice.

Maggie, it was your ideas for Preston

that made me realize how much I missed this place.

How much I miss you.

Just look what you've accomplished

in the last four weeks alone.

You can't do to Alice what you did to me.

Saying nothing isn't gonna help her or the show.

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry too.

Rhonda: Maggie?

Ah. Gwen has a script question.

Sure, yeah, I'll be there. One second.

Okay.

Listen, I was thinking...

I'm sorry, Zac.

See. No more secrets.

Yeah.

Hey.

So what did you think?

Yeah, yeah, I read the script.

You're right.

It is perfect for me.

Excellent. Can I tell them you'll do it?

Give me a few more days to decide.

Hey!

I hear you're looking for me. What's up?

Uh, yeah, the future of the show.

Well, I mean it's certainly better.

We got Darin back and he's extended his run.

And, you know,

I wouldn't be surprised if he actually stayed longer.

Yeah, but he may not.

And if he takes something else

then he has every right to do that.

Yes, of course.

But, if we really want to keep the show going another 40 years

and preserve your legacy, then...

I think it's time to take the show in a new direction.

Maggie...

Alice.

Let me say this.

It's time for a change.

I really think we need to appeal to a younger audience.

Here, I have something to give you.

Come on.

Look though this and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Oh, this is a lot.

Yeah, but it's worth a read,

you know for the good of the show.

♪

Hey!

Got your text last night,

when's the meeting with Gregory?

In an hour.

Oh, that doesn't sound good.

It's a pitch meeting.

We're pitching?

No, you are.

It was a good read.

Alice tells me that you have a new vision

for the show that I have to hear?

Well, I think we should take the show in a whole new direction.

And tell stories that are a little edgier and more modern.

I know we've always resisted that in the past.

I'm not the only dinosaur in the room, am I?

Touché.

Well, with all the new platforms,

maybe it's time we shake things up a little bit.

Yeah.

Maybe it is time we changed things up.

And Maggie is the one person to do it.

I like that whole contemporary angle.

Preston could become the CEO of a new company,

he could bring medical technology overseas

to some doctors.

That's a terrific idea.

Mmmhmm.

You know, getting Darin back, resurrecting Preston,

that really got our numbers up and helped the show,

but Maggie I think it's you and your ideas

that are gonna save it.

Well, I have a lot of ideas.

How much time do you have?

♪

Sure you don't want to stick around,

at least till the new episodes air?

You got this, Maggie.

I'm really gonna miss you.

Well, that's the last of the boxes.

How were the goodbyes?

Fine.

I knew saying goodbye to the two of you would be the hardest.

You'll forget all about us once you get to the beach

and feel that sun.

Oh...

Thank you.

You guys mind if I give you a few words of wisdom?

Please.

Try not to focus on what's to come.

You could forget to appreciate what's right in front of you.

Bye.

Okay.

Okay, here I go.

Did she just quote a line from the show?

She wrote it 30 years ago, she's still using it.

Bye, bye!

Mickey: Five, four, three, two...

So is it me or Chase?

Neither.

You're building a business to help doctors all over the world.

Chase is a brilliant surgeon.

But I have a law degree, from Harvard.

And now it's my turn to go out into the world

and realize my potential.

You're right.

I've never been more proud of you, Nicole.

Gotta tell Maggie. I really like this new Nicole.

She's got chutzpah.

Alice and I had lunch together here every month.

I'm glad we're carrying on the tradition.

So am I.

And I wanted to say thank you for all your hard work.

Forever's numbers have been going up every day

and people just seem to love this new direction

you're taking with the show.

Thanks.

That really means a lot.

We have to keep these ratings up, Maggie.

I mean, our advertisers are paying extra attention now

that Darin's leaving the show to do a play again.

We can't appear to be leveling out.

He's doing a play?

That's what I hear.

It's not gonna be a problem this time,

let him go to New York.

The show can stand on its own with the new direction.

I even have an idea of how to write him off.

I have all sorts of ideas running through my head.

As a tech CEO going international,

he goes on a trip where he gets caught up in a civil war

and is taken hostage.

Might be a little too easy for Preston.

And Darin.

It's up to you.

You're the producer Maggie Coleman.

What if he got hit by a bus?

Zac, go.

Hi Zac, it's Maggie Coleman.

Hey, Maggie. What's up?

Darin's new play.

Did he sign the contract for it yet?

Yeah, he sent it to me this morning.

Thanks. That's all I needed to know.

Hey.

So, I just got next week's pages.

Uh-huh.

You have Preston getting hit by a bus?

That's right.

You know, I thought about a car accident

but a bus just seemed more dramatic.

So you're killing Preston off again?

Well, aren't you leaving?

How did you even hear about that?

Does it matter?

What matters is you didn't tell me,

even after we made a pact not to hide things from each other.

Well, I was gonna tell you tonight over a bottle of wine

and a picnic dinner at the top of our canyon.

What, like a date?

No, not like a date.

A real date. Like our first date.

But you ruined it by jumping to conclusions like you always do.

Oh, that's not fair.

Isn't it?

You wrote Preston off without discussing it with me.

You know, I never should have given you script approval.

Yeah, well I didn't approve these pages,

but you know what,

you feel free to get rid of Preston any way you want.

Mickey: That's great. Moving on.

-See ya. -Yeah.

Is there something going on with Maggie and Darin?

They barely spoke to each other on set.

Haven't you read next week's scripts?

Don't tell me they're making you older again?

No, Lexi's safe, but Preston isn't so lucky.

He's getting hit with a double whammy

and it looks like they're writing him off for a while.

I wonder why.

Teri, did Maggie say anything to you about it?

Maybe, maybe she'll tell me tomorrow?

Hope you're all coming on the hike.

It'll be interesting to see if Darin and Maggie both show up.

Hey. How's it going?

Oh, hey, Darin. Just fine.

Everything's great.

♪

Hey guys!

-Hey! -Oh hi!

Walter!

Lucinda had a spa day, so I figured I'd join you kids.

-Great! -Nice.

Isn't Maggie supposed to be here?

She texted me last night and said she was coming.

I'm surprised Darin's not here.

Anyone find out yet why they're not speaking to each other?

I'll text Maggie and see if she's still coming.

What did she say?

She said she's here.

"Look up."

Congratulations on making it all the way to the top.

Hey.

Thanks, feels pretty great.

It's good to see you here too.

Well, I didn't want to feel left out.

And I gotta get in shape,

if I want to be on stage three nights a week

plus Sunday matinees.

You're doing a play?

Yeah, with Darin.

I'm playing his father. It's an amazing script.

So, you're leaving the show too?

Why would I?

Unless you know something I don't.

No.

This... play's in New York though.

No, no, no.

We're doing it right here in LA.

Are you sure?

Well, I'm old, but I'm not that old.

Yeah, like a scene out of a soap opera,

I jumped to all the wrong conclusions.

Is that why Darin's not here today?

You know, I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta go.

Gotta go stop a bus accident.

♪

Darin?

All out of tomatoes, if that's why you're here.

I'm not here to discuss fruit.

At least you remembered tomatoes are fruit,

not a vegetable.

Yeah, at least I finally got something right.

'Cause I've gotten so many things wrong.

Is that a written apology?

This, uh, no, no.

I, I rewrote next week's episode.

Preston manages to dodge the bus.

If, you'd consider staying.

I never wanted to leave.

It's you who pushed Preston and me out.

I know.

I know that's another thing I got wrong.

Listen, I had lunch with Gregory and he told me that your play

was in New York and I just assumed that he knew

what he was talking about.

And look, I'm really happy that you got a play

and I heard it's a really good one.

It is.

I'm not going anywhere.

While we're on the subject, you know it wasn't your fault,

for not saying anything to me about the play in New York.

I just, I was so seduced by the idea of Broadway

that I overlooked the fact that easily 16 other actors

passed on it before it came to me.

-Really? -Yeah.

Wow, I guess we're not hiding anything anymore then, huh?

There's one other thing I don't want to hide anymore.

I know you're not 6'2.

It's not what I wanted to confess.

No, I'm trying to tell you is

I'm still in love with you.

Well, then I have something to confess as well.

I never stopped loving you.

♪

It was foolish of me to think that I could live without you.

There's no reason I can't be your wife

and continue my law practice.

And even though my job as a CEO takes me around the world,

I'll always come home to you.

I know that now.

And I'm so happy everything worked out.

Scarlet and Chase will make a great couple.

But will they ever be as happy as us?

Glad these two finally got back together.

Yeah, well it's a soap,

so who knows how long they'll last.

But, you know, I think we'll last forever.

And Forever...

Is a long, long time.