9. The Trial of Danny Santos

We turn another page in the Manny story today. They have survived every obstacle thrown at them. They weathered Carmen & Claire’s manipulation to part them forever, Carmen’s kidnapping Michelle, Danny shooting his mother and the guilt it drove him to, May’s betrayal, an actual armed attack on their house, and strong arming by the mob. Now the only threat that remains is Gus Aitoro. Even the main FBI have lost interest, but rogue agent Gus is hard on their trail.

Tues., June 12, 2001 – Gus tells Harley that he has some big news. He tells her that the ballistics report show that Danny’s gun killed Carmen. He has Danny where he wants him and he will be able to put him in prison soon. Harley can’t believe Danny killed Carmen. Gus tells her that the marks on the bullet are as unique as fingerprints, he did it and Gus knew it all along. Harley tells him that she doesn’t buy it; Danny was trying to go straight. Gus tells Harley that Danny killed his mother. He thinks back to when he shot Danny’s gun in the Bauer home. Harley asks if Gus has a warrant. He tells her he doesn’t yet but he will and then he will be able to arrest Danny. Michelle comes to see Gus. She tells him she heard he is in the mood to make deals and she is ready to help. He asks what she has in mind and she tells him that she has information about Maria and Carlos and all she wants is to keep Danny out of jail. Gus tells her that he will make that deal when hell freezes over. Gus tells Michelle that he is no longer interested in anyone but Danny. He thanks her for the offer but tells her that there is no deal. She leaves. Claire comes in and Michelle tells her to get out. Claire tells Michelle that she thinks she has found a way out for them. Michelle is angry and tells her again to get out. Claire tells her that she was only trying to help her and asks how she could be willing for Robbie to be without his mother for 10 or 15 years. Michelle asks if this way out has Danny covered as well because if it doesn’t, she isn’t interested and as far as she is concerned Claire can rot in jail herself. Claire tells Michelle that Gus can’t force her to testify against herself without a deal. She tells Michelle that she is trying to get him to extend immunity to Michelle as well. Michelle tells her that she wants nothing to do with her. She walks over to the door and opens it for Claire to leave. Tony is there about to knock. He is upset and asks if he can see Danny. Michelle tells him that everyone in Springfield think the Santos family is the only family that turns on each other but it isn’t true. She tells Tony that her mother, pointing to Claire, betrayed Danny and her by working with Gus and wearing a wire. Tony can’t believe it and stares at Claire. He asks why she would sell Danny out. He tells her that she is as low as a person can get. Claire tells him that people like him sell each other out all the time. She tells Tony that she saved Danny. Michelle tells Claire that Tony saved Danny as well. Tony tells Claire that in his world people like her end up dead. She argues with Tony and he tells her that he doesn’t have to put up with self-righteous people like her and she had better get out. Claire turns to Michelle who tells her she shouldn’t have come there in the first place. Claire leaves. Tony is upset and apologizes to Michelle for talking to Claire like that. She tells him he just beat her to it.

Wed., June 13, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Michelle is having breakfast with Rick and Danny. She is wondering why they haven’t heard from Gus lately. Buzz calls from Company to ask Michelle if she left her blue scarf there. She says it isn’t hers, but it’s too late, Buzz has spilled the beans to Rick who as a matter of course passes the information on to Danny. But she doesn’t deny talking to Gus, even though the most important men in her life take it badly. Danny and Rick want to know what that was about and she reluctantly tells them that she was trying to offer Gus a deal. She was going to give him Maria and Carlos if he would leave Danny alone. Danny already realized that Gus is only after him and she should stay away from him. Danny is scared Michelle had a plan and would do such a thing, reminding her how she had left evidence against herself the last time she tried to do something. Michelle tells Danny that she doesn’t want to lose him and when he threatened to turn himself in to keep her out of trouble, she strongly objects and will turn herself in with a confession if he does. Michelle has to leave to attend to Robbie leaving Rick and Danny alone. Danny tells Rick he may need his assistance dealing with Michelle. He says he will turn himself in rather than let Michelle go to jail. He apologizes for getting the family into this but Rick says Danny IS family and he supports him. He tells Danny that he doesn’t deserve what is happening to him either. Tony comes in and tells Danny Josh fired him (over a trumped up charge when Tony was doing really well and connecting with Billy, but Josh Lewis is a Jerk) and he needs to have his old hours back at Inferno. Tony admits he punched out Vince Russo (who I’m sure deserved it), but is very loud towards Michelle and Rick too feeling that “people like them” look down on people like him.” Danny: “Hey,hey  don’t talk to them like that, they don’t deserve it. They’re on your side.” Danny and Tony go outside to talk and he tells Tony that Rick and Michelle are on their side as far as the feds go, but he wonders what happened with Marah. Would Marah continue to support Tony or would she dump him or worse turn on him? Tony doesn’t really want to rehash it anymore than to ask for the extra hours. Danny tells him that he knows how he feels about Marah and he is worried about Tony. Danny tells him that if Marah is the right girl it will work out but either way he should stay cool. He tells Tony that he should get out of there and he goes back inside. Michelle is worried about Tony as well and tells Danny to invite him to the BBQ that evening to cheer him up. Just then Gus knocks on the door and arrests Danny for the murder of Carmen. He reads him his rights and Danny tells Michelle to call Ross. As they are cuffing Danny, Gus sees Tony and arrests him as well for the assault on Russo. The police and Gus take them away. Gus: “This ugly face of yours, save it for somebody else.  Take a look around you, Danny. Take a look at the trees on the way to prison and take a deep breath because it’s the last breath that you’re get in this miserable unimportant life of yours.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9SbXjBvrtc (just a couple of minutes then it flips over)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDhX2YhwSA&feature=PlayList&p=D1B0506BAFFF0F2C&index=59
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf7yRb3vBc8&feature=PlayList&p=D1B0506BAFFF0F2C&index=60

I’m throwing up my hands on this a little bit. The dates were off in where I find the dates to help divide up when the highlights aired. They are messed up to some extent for the next three weeks. It’s also hard to tell because these scenes are clearly from one soap “day” but could be spread over any number of episodes and I’m not sure at all that how I have it broken up falls on the proper days. Unfortunately the overall episode summaries for these weeks seem to have been written by people not very interested in Manny judging by the amount of information. The clips go farther than the description as I got it, but I’m guessing it was still on that Monday rather than later so I expanded it.

Thurs., June 14, 2001 – At Company: Frank calls Harley and tells her about Danny’s arrest and that Michelle is about to lose it. At the Springfield Police Department: Gus has Danny and Tony in cuffs.Tony: “Hey watch it with the shoving!” Ross comes in and Gus hands him the reports on why he arrested Danny. Ross laughs at Gus’s evidence. He wants to know when the alleged homicide took place and how Gus can prove a bullet was the cause of death? He tells Gus he jumped the gun and has tipped his hand. Later, he says it was partly bluff, but he makes a good show. Tony easily made bail and Danny tells Michelle that he is glad Tony got out. Michelle assures Danny that he, too, will be home tonight with his family. Danny isn’t so optimistic. Danny asks Michelle to let it go and just let Ross handle things from here on out. Danny: “Listen to me, you gotta listen to me. Ross will take care of me. We both know that Aitoro is going to try his damnest to nail me. We’re in for it. The biggest fight of our lives. Now honey, the most important thing to me. The only thing matters to me is that you and Robbie are all right. So please, please don’t do anything to jeopardize that….you’ve got to accept whatever happens…it might not be able to change it.” He wants her to promise not to do anything to jeopardize her and Robbie. An officer comes to lead Danny away. Michelle is crying. Michelle asks Tony how he is and he tells her that Russo provoked him. Tony wants to know what is up with Danny and Michelle tells him about Carmen’s death. An officer comes over to take Tony’s report and Michelle goes back over to Danny. She tells him Gus doesn’t have a case and everything will be okay soon. Ross comes over and tells Tony that he will get bail but he isn’t sure about Danny because they may consider him a flight risk. Michelle asks Ross if the case will hold up; she overheard him with Gus. Ross is glad she thought he was convincing because he was bluffing; Danny is in serious trouble. Ross tells them that he will set up a bail hearing for Tony. He tells them if they are able to get Danny bail it will be severe. At the Bauers: Meta is serving lunch to Ross. They are wondering if it will be possible to bail Danny out. Ross said he was able to get the bail hearing and arraignment moved up to today but the Judge will probably think Danny is a flight risk and deny bail. Michelle wants to get Danny out of jail as soon as she can. She thinks someone from the police or other mobster would kill him in there. Ross reminds Michelle that when she was on trial, Danny broke her out of prison and they went on the run for months. Ross says the judge will make a decision based on this case and will look at everything. Meta offers to talk to some friends who know the judge. Ross doesn’t want to encourage her. Michelle says Danny wouldn’t leave the country now that he has a family and two legitimate businesses. Ross tells them to keep their spirits up and he will see them all later. Michelle is leaving to get help for Danny. At the Springfield Police Department: Michelle is trying to talk Harley into doing anything she can for Danny because Harley knows Danny doesn’t deserve this and Harley has done her best to help Gus. They both know that Danny doesn’t belong in prison. Harley says the arraignment will be this afternoon and Harley has to attend in Gus’s place. Michelle says if she is really their friend, she can help Danny make bail. Harley says she is just presenting the facts; she doesn’t have control over bail. The prosecution will present Danny as a flight risk. Michelle to Harley: “You’ve seen Danny with Robbie. Do you think he’d abandon his own son? He’s not Danny Santos son of a mobster anymore. He’s a loving husband. He’s a wonderful father. He’s someone who has worked VERY hard to turn his life around. Doesn’t it count for anything?”Michelle says now that Danny is a father and gone straight he won’t run. She asks again for Harley’s help. Harley tells her she has to do her job. Michelle asks Harley if she thinks Danny will run and Harley tells her she doesn’t. Harley to Michelle about whether Danny is a flight risk: “I don’t think he’d leave you holding the bag.” She doesn’t think Danny would leave Michelle holding the bag. Michelle talks about Gus’s tactics and how Danny had plenty of time to run but he didn’t. Why would he run now? Michelle is asking Harley to do what is right. Harley says she is concerned about the evidence but she is also concerned about Gus’s vendetta. She will keep an open mind and do what she can. Rick is still playing with Robbie when Ross and Michelle walk in with Danny. Rick is surprised and they tell him that they had to put up everything, including Carmen’s house for collateral. Rick is glad Danny is home but wonders how Ross swung it. They tell Rick that Harley presented her evidence and when the Judge questioned her on her thoughts of Danny and whether he was a flight risk, she gave a glowing testimonial of a reformed person. Danny says he couldn’t believe it; he was ready to hate Harley forever after he learned she bugged the house but she really went to bat for him. Rick thinks Gus must really be angry with Harley now and wonders why she put herself out there like that. Danny tells him that Michelle appealed to her sense of fairness. Michelle gets Robbie and brings him over to his dad. Danny is so happy to be at home with his family. Danny to Robbie: “Boy, did I miss you. Hi, Tiger” – is this the first Tiger sighting? Ross tells him he is lucky to be there. Danny: “My beautiful wife is a miracle worker.” Michelle feels sorry for Harley now, having to deal with Gus. Ross tells Danny not to do anything to get his bail revoked. Ross warns Gus is not above entrapment. Danny: “I know how to be paranoid, right?” They will find out about the evidence at the indictment. Then they will find out if Gus is also going to charge Michelle. Ross wants to get home and start working. They all thank him as he leaves. (NOTE: This summary was dated Thurs., June 21, 2001 online, but it just has to be from Thurs., June 14, 2001)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Np-F1ZI_nw (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DIzwhHUvw0 (Part 2)

Mon.,June 18, 2001 –  (I think these clips go on the 18th. It’s next in the clips, but there was only description of Harley and Rick today in the summary, but it doesn’t seem to fit with the 19th or 20th ever so I’m assuming it goes here.) Danny comes down from putting Robbie down for a nap and Danny wishes Michelle would stop stress cleaning (she’s lining the shelves) and take a nap. Michelle is worried about what Claire will do. Abuela calls Danny for news and she insists he’s being unfair because she is still his blood even if she did order his death. Danny is convinced that Abuela turned in the tip for his arrest – actually it was Carlos, but I’m not sure where he got the information from. It was probably Carmen, but I don’t think they say. Danny is back to fixing around the house.  He is taking care of chores around the house he has put off because he wants to be sure to do everything he can to take care of Michelle and Robbie if he’s gone. Harley comes over and tells Rick that she just stopped in to tell Danny and Michelle that the surveillance van has been dismissed and they can proceed with their lives. Rick thanks her for coming and for coming through for Danny. Harley tells him that the judge asked her questions and she just told the truth. They talk about the baby and Rick shows her his calculations, in a few months the baby will be here and they need to take action. (NOTE: This seems to be the right date, but the dates seemed odd for these three weeks in the online source I took the original basis of this from.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-MADKVOjtw

I think this version is a little worse, but has a tiny bit more near the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMSg6l-zxds

When Danny is doing some repair work outside is anybody else flashing back to Danny helping Pilar hang the shelves in her room. Too bad he kept his shirt on this time, but I like the rolled up sleeves. 🙂
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/danny-move-to-ca-april-28-29/

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/aftermath-of-dannys-murder-arrest-june-14-18-2001

Sadly I don’t have a link to go with these. That’s really too bad and another example of how I don’t know WHAT the clippers were thinking. The stuff with Agent Peterson feeling guilty is fairly crucial to the story and the part where Claire tries to convince Michelle to make a deal giving up Danny to save herself is not only important, but great angsty, soap drama as well. I’m going to go ahead and post the next few posts even though I don’t have clips because I think they are important enough beats to break them out anyway.

NOTE: Dates may not be correct, there was some confusion of dates in the original version of these summaries online, but those listed are my best guess.

Tues., June 19, 2001  – At Company: Gus is about to go in to eat when Agent Peterson stops him. He tells Gus he doesn’t feel right about what they did. He heard that Harley stood up for Danny in court and now he is having second thoughts, what if Danny isn’t guilty. Gus tries to tell him that Cooper is too close to the situation; she is a friend of the family. They have to be more objective. Peterson says he was listening the day that Gus was in the house alone and he heard the gun shot. He wants to tell the truth but Gus holds him up to the wall and “talks” him out of it. He tells him to let the courts decide and to go back to work. Peterson leaves and Gus says to himself no one should ever listen to that surveillance tape. He has a flashback of shooting the gun and taking the bullet. Gus starts to head back in Company but says he has lost his appetite.

Wed., June 20, 2001 – Note: It didn’t say so on the online notes that I took the basis of these episode descriptions from, but Danny’s grand jury trial must have started somewhere in here. From what it shows in the highlight clips and what I do have for descriptions it seems like it should be on the 20th, but during these couple of weeks more than any other time during the storyline air dates aren’t clear so it could easily have been a day before or after the 20th and it just wasn’t mentioned.

Thurs., June 21, 2001  – At Company: Claire is talking to Russo about getting a deal for Michelle’s freedom as well. He tells her that if Michelle testifies as well as Claire he can get her off. Gus will help her but it is Michelle’s choice, not Claire’s.At the Bauer House: Danny and Michelle are talking about who could have tipped Gus off to Carmen’s body. Michelle thinks Claire was behind it but Danny is sure it was Carlos’s way to bring Danny down without Danny being sure it was him, so he couldn’t use the ‘insurance policy’. (Which is correct, isn’t it great when they remember Danny is smart?) Michelle wonders if there is any way out for them. Danny tells her not to think to hard about Claire. Michelle says there must be something to prove Danny’s isn’t guilty of murder; he was defending her and the baby. Maybe they could find the two henchmen who grabbed her from the hospital. Danny says those guys would not testify against a crime family and no one would believe them anyway. Michelle says there must be a way to clear him. Claire comes in and asks to speak to Michelle. Michelle accuses her of entrapment and tells her to leave. Michelle says that Claire started all of this by plotting with Carmen. Claire tells her that she wants her to make a deal with Gus against Danny to save her from going to prison and being away from her son. Michelle is against it. Claire says mothers have to make sacrifices for their children and it is time for Michelle to sacrifice. Michelle tells her to leave. Claire says if she testifies against Danny, she can be with her son permanently. Danny walks in and tells Michelle to listen to Claire. He tells her he can handle anything as long as he knows she and Robby are alright. Michelle tells Danny not to put her in this position. Danny says this is her way out and their baby needs her. He begs her to take the deal for him. Michelle tells him she is in this with him and she won’t let him be the hero and take all the blame. She reminds him that they are a family. Danny tells her this is what is best for their son. Her testimony can’t put him away and no one knows what she really knows so she can say as much or as little as she wants and no one can connect her to Carmen’s death. He asks if she looked at the evidence before she burned it. Michelle says she didn’t. Danny says she doesn’t know anything then and she has to take this deal and save their boy.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/more-about-the-conspiracy-june-19-21-2001

NOTE: More of these problem dates and little footage and some mixing together of clips. Still I want to break this out. Some snatches of this might be in highlight clips already linked to.

Mon., June 25, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Michelle and Meta are working in the kitchen and chatting about how Claire is testifying today. Meta thinks they may get lucky and Claire will actually tell the truth as it is and not the truth as she sees it. Danny comes down and Meta excuses herself. They talk about Claire and her testifying and Danny tells Michelle that he is only worried about her and Robbie being okay. The phone rings and it is Maria. Michelle gives it to Danny and he is understandably hostile. That is understandably to everyone but Maria, who seems to think that since her attempt to kill Danny failed that he should consider it no harm, no foul and move on. She is asking about the grand jury and how the cops learned of Carmen’s death. Danny tells her that he thinks she must either have told them herself or she told Carlos and he anonymously tipped off the cops. Maria tells him to leave Springfield. She tells him to take his wife and son and come to Cuba, ASAP. Danny tells her that if he had a choice of being near her or taking on the feds and prison, he will take the feds. He tells her not to call there again and he hangs up. Michelle tells Danny that Maria cannot hurt them anymore. Danny tells Michelle he knows that, he just doesn’t understand why he feels like another part of him is dying in having to face her betraying him again. Claire is called in to testify. The DA asks her a few questions and Claire tries to evade them but DA Doris Wolfe has everything she needs to prove Claire’s involvement in the fake death of Carmen Santos. In the end Claire not only admits her part but also tells the jury that Danny is a rotten mobster dealing in all kinds of illegal stuff. She does however say that whatever Danny did she is certain he did it because he loves Michelle and wanted to protect her.

Tues., June 26, 2001 – At the Courthouse: DA Doris Wolfe is questioning Harley on how she became liaison to the FBI for the Santos case. Harley tells her that she was the only detective available and because of her relationship with the Bauers she tried to get reassigned but was denied each time. The DA asks if Harley remembers when Danny helped to break Michelle out of jail to flee the country with her in order to avoid her prosecution for Ben Warren’s murder. Harley tells her that she remembers. Doris asks how she could stand up in court a few weeks ago then and tell the judge that Danny Santos is not a flight risk. Harley tells her that Danny wants to stand trial to clear his name. He has a family now and she believes he does not intend on running. Doris tries to make Harley look biased in favor of Danny and Michelle. She tells Harley that if she tried so hard to get taken off the case, why did you refuses to leave it when Gus wanted her gone. Harley tells her that at that time she decided it would be best in order to give Danny a fair shake. Doris asks her if she is sure she doesn’t want to give him a free ride. She asks Harley to step down and Harley mutters to herself that Gus did this to her. As soon as she got to the foyer, she lit in to Gus for setting her up. She tells him that DA Wolfe practically accused her of impropriety on the record. Harley tells Gus that the irony is he is the one that is personally invested in the case, not her. The bailiff comes out and calls Gus in. Gus testifies that he has been working on the Santos case for over 4 years. He tells the jury about the evidence, surveillance and finally how they found the body of Carmen Santos and matched the bullet ballistically to Danny’s gun. He goes back out to the foyer and tells Harley that Danny has had it. Harley tells him that he is way too smug for this to just be his job. She tells him he has a personal vendetta against Danny and she is determined to find out what it is. She tells Gus not to underestimate her; she is more of a pit bull than he ever thought of being.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/dannys-grand-jury-june-25-26-2001

Thurs., June 28, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Danny and Michelle are trying to keep busy so they won’t think of the grand jury. Danny doesn’t want to imagine being away from her; neither does Michelle. Danny had a dream about her and the baby being chased while he was in jail and couldn’t help them. Michelle says when you don’t deal with problems your subconscious does. Claire comes in and tells them that the grand jury was terrible and they shouldn’t be optimistic. She tells them that however bad they think the hearing was they should multiply it by ten. She says she tried to help Danny but they tricked her and got exactly what they wanted. Michelle is angry and accused Claire of giving them up. Claire says the prosecutor was relentless and had the prison logs and knew she visited Carmen. Claire had to admit to signing the death certificate so Carmen could avoid the witness protection program. Michelle and Danny are angry that Claire told the truth and accuse her of saving herself. Claire says she begged Michelle to make a deal too. Michelle says she couldn’t do that even if it means losing her freedom. Claire says that is still a possibility and they need to make plans. They ask what she means and she tells them she wants to know who will take care of Robbie if they are both gone? Michelle asks if Claire is suggesting she get custody. She thinks Claire has some nerve. Claire says she doesn’t want them to go to prison but they have to think of Robbie. Meta is getting older and Rick is single. Michelle asks if Claire even held her before she gave her up. She tells her that she doesn’t belong in Robbie’s life and she will make sure that she isn’t. Michelle tells Claire she would rather see Robbie in the state’s custody then with her. She goes on to tell Claire that she tried to let Claire into her life but she kept stabbing her in the back. She tells Claire she thanks God she gave her up as a baby. Michelle tells Claire to get out. Claire is shaken and wants to stay. Ross walks in and says discussing grand jury evidence is a felony and she should leave. She does. Michelle walks over to Danny, who holds her and rubs her back. Ross tells them not to expect anything good from the grand jury. Michelle tells Ross about Claire wanting custody. She asks him if they both go to prison, he has to make sure Claire doesn’t get their child. She suggests Meta, Rick or even Ray be guardian. Ross tells them not to give up hope right now. When the grand jury is finished, he will be in on the evidence and will destroy it piece by piece. He takes them out to Company to talk things over.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/claire-wants-custody-of-robbie-june-28-2001

NOTE: The sound is low on some of these clips. Expect to adjust sound. There is also some mis-syncing between the sound and the mouth movements.

Fri., June 29, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Danny and Ross are in front of the judge. The assistant DA is asking the judge to revoke bail. The assistant DA argues that Danny is a flight risk and is being charged with murder. She tells the Judge that he fled with his wife once before when she was (falsely) accused of murder and his being a Santos should tell the judge a little about his character. Ross tells the judge that Danny hasn’t fled this time and doesn’t intend to. The Judge tells the DA that unless she has any new information his original call stands and Danny can remain out on bail. He goes on to set a trial date and determines after he finishes his current case and gets over the July 4th holiday the actual trial will start the week of July 9th. Gus is unhappy that the Judge won’t lock Danny up. Before the hearing adjourns, Ross asks that the DA provide him with all the information he has asked for in a timely manner. The DA tells him he will get it in a timely manner. Ross argues that the DA’s office doesn’t have a good track record with discovery and asks the judge to make her have a specific time limit. The judge orders everything be turned over to Ross by 10 AM the next day. The DA isn’t happy. The judge adjourns. The assistant DA and Gus leave the courtroom. Danny, Michele and Ross sit down to talk in the open courtroom. Ross tells Danny has to tell Ross exactly what happened between him and Carmen if he will be able to put on an aggressive case. Michelle tells Ross that every time she and Danny have trusted the system they have been burned. Ross tells them not to trust the system but trust him. Michelle tells Ross that she had been right in thinking Carmen was haunting her after she was shot on the Bauer lawn. The only thing was that Carmen wasn’t dead, she had been gaslighting Michelle. She continues the story of her getting kidnapped from the hospital, taken to the docks and Carmen showing up and threatening her. Danny takes over and tells how he found Michelle with Carmen holding her at gunpoint, she was clearly having delusions and he was still convinced was quite ready to kill both Michelle and Danny’s unborn child. After he failed to talk Carmen down, Danny ended up having to shoot his mother. Ross tells Danny that there isn’t a jury in the world that would convict him for protecting his wife and child, but they have to have proof. Danny tells him there is none. Ross is sure someone had to have seen them. Danny doesn’t think so. Thinking back Danny goes over what happened and he realizes in his dazed state afterwards he threw his gun into the water. He just remembered doing it. He had two guns but the one he shot Carmen with is in the lake. Michelle wonders how Gus could have matched bullets when it was a different gun that shot Carmen.

Danny: “I had two guns and the one I had with me that night on the dock I threw it into the water, (turning to Michelle) right? (Michelle agrees). So Aitoro seized my other gun. How in the hell did he get a connection to that slug and Carmen?”

Michelle: “When that wasn’t the gun that fired the shot!”

Ross is stunned and tells Danny he is being framed. He tells them that he knew Gus was desperate, but he can’t believe he has falsified evidence. Ross tells them that this is enormously valuable evidence and he will use it against Gus, but not to say anything to anyone until  Ross is ready to make his move. Ross: “We can’t tell the judge…What am I supposed to say to the judge. Your honor this is NOT the murder weapon because my client used a different gun to shoot the victim. Danny might as well confess.” At Company: Gus is having coffee with the Assistant DA. She tells him how neat and complete his evidence is. Gus asks if they are going to play the surveillance tapes but she tells them they haven’t decided yet. They talk about Blake’s book and how Carmen was supposedly responsible for Danny’s father’s death. The DA is happy and tells Gus that supplies the motive for Danny killing his mother. She wants the source and tells Gus to make Blake tell her who the woman is. DA tells Gus that Marler will go for self-defense and they need another motive. Gus tells the DA that it isn’t possible. The DA tells him it is no longer his case, and it is possible. She leaves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdS2pRUYnZg (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9AobKS7PZ0 (Part 2) – Just a tiny bit of this at the beginning isn’t repeated in the link below, but I wanted to include it to have the most possible, Once they come back from the break of Danny talking to Ross switch to the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x6jGYoQRmk (Part 3) – Much better sound of almost all of Part 2

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/doris-wolfe-is-after-danny-june-29-2001

Manny Highlights Description:
At the Annual Bauer BBQ: Rick is bossing everyone around the kitchen and tries to get Danny to put on a “kiss the cook apron.” Harley comes in and tries to help out but Rick doesn’t want her lifting heavy things. Rick tells her to sit down and relax. She says she hates it when he is nice to her. The Lewis family walks in and Harley runs to hug Cassie. Harley is glad that Cassie is okay and Cassie notices Harley is pregnant. Danny goes over to Michelle upset. He asks what Harley is doing there. He insists that either she goes or he will. Michelle tells him that Rick and Harley need each other right now and she can’t ask Harley to leave. He wonders why Michelle isn’t upset after all Harley did, after all she is Aitoro’s partner and she is helping Gus to frame him when she was supposed to be their friend. Michelle says Harley wouldn’t do that. Michelle finally tells Danny that Harley is having Rick’s baby. Danny asks if Phillip knows. Michelle says that he doesn’t and she would like Danny just to leave Harley alone. Danny tells her he will and kisses her.

Rick Michelle Robbie 2001

There is further information in the full episode descriptions below, but the one I really want to point out is that the reason Gus runs off is that Billy and Buzz had been having a friendly competition over Holly and Billy had really made it very, very, VERY hot. Buzz didn’t eat it, but abandoned on the table by the chili. That’s what Gus picked up and why Billy is laughing. I still don’t understand why Frank didn’t just escort Gus out. It wasn’t being held in a public park that was Michelle and Danny’s yard and Michelle and Danny’s food they had every right to toss him out on his ear.

Watch just the Manny highlights from the BBQ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB95sW5p5v8 (Short Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJQPfFSRF4I J (Long Version)

July 4, 2001

2001 provides one of the most detailed Bauer BBQ prep periods. I just love Rick as general of the BBQ and they could have done it every year. I don’t know why they never had Danny behind the bar at the BBQ. He does such a good job when he works at Millennium. I just love his speech about the drinks he makes when they hire him. I think it’s a total waste of talent and obviously between this and burning the money in San Cristobel it just shows that as much as I love him, the boy can’t grill. I love his BLACK Hawaiian shirt. I wish he’d worn it to the last one, I didn’t really care for his outfit for Bauer BBQ 2009, although once I realized his shorts matched Robbie’s it grew on me. I could just see Robbie picking them out to be like his Dad. Happy sigh!

I would have liked to see Danny in the apron and THE HAT. I thought it was a bit much to say Robbie wouldn’t wear the hat either. I greatly look forward to the day when Robbie wears the hat. The line about have your own son was because Harley was coming in (apparently via the patio doors far away from any parking area) and she was pregnant with Rick’s son Jude Bauer.

Beth had believed in the fairytale of Edmund after she had lost Phillip to Harley. Beth believed in Edmund’s story until she discovered he’d locked Cassie in a tower. He really didn’t mean her THAT much harm, but he got sick himself and Cassie was stuck without food and water and almost died. When Beth discovered her rather than letting Beth leave him and tell people he locked her in. Beth freaked broke out a window and fell that’s why she was in the hospital. Richard was a cool guy. Jeffery was a complete loser in comparison.

Reva was temporarily blinded, basically for the sake of the story of when her sight came back. For once Reva is doing a story Michelle already did and not the other way around.  That’s kind of late for the party to be starting normally people arrive around noon, but they just seem to be arriving and it’s dark out. Josh and Olivia were still married and he’d brought her into Lewis Construction and they had put in a bid for a MAJOR construction project in San Cristobel. Olivia’s government contracts were signed by Edmund with Richard coming back as elected President the contracts were in question. 

Tony and Ray are Danny’s cousins, so now pulled in to helping with the BBQ. Danny is currently being prosecuted for his mother’s death (which he thinks he did in defense of life but covered it up – Carmen really is still alive and the body they pull out of the lake isn’t hers). FBI Agent Gus Aitoro, who is behind the prosecution, is trying to get Danny because he holds Danny’s father responsible for his own father’s death and Gus intends to get revenge on Danny. (Apparently in all that lawyer learning he got, he skipped the bit in the Constitution about the no contamination of the blood clause – meaning that children can’t be punished for their parent’s crimes.) Gus is currently working up to romancing Harley who is pregnant with Rick’s child Jude.

I love Rick’s little show at the beginning of the clip. They refer back to both Rick’s wearing the hat and Danny hating the hat and apron when Manny return at Bauer BBQ 2009. Phillip has just returned from San Cristobel where he was trying to rescue Beth and his children and Harley’s daughter Susan. I think Harley is referring to when Phillip leads a commando style raid to rescue Beth from Edmund. As their marriage broke up, (I will spare Pharley fans my analysis about why it never stood a chance to begin with) in part over Phillip’s constant efforts to protect Beth, this latest rescue went over like a lead balloon with Harley, even though her own daughter was involved. She is currently pregnant with Rick’s child, the future Jude Bauer, from a drunken one night stand.

Fire breaks out.

Ray: “Anyone for well done?”

Danny: “I’m just getting the hang of it.”

Rick: “We only have so much chicken here. You are now in charge of coleslaw and pouring the iced tea.”

That was a great couple communication when with a couple of significant looks, Michelle tells Danny that Rick is the father of Harley’s baby.

Rick to Tony: “Take over here and keep Danny away from the BBQ. I don’t want him blowing up the house.”

Seriously Harley, I know you think you’ve done the right thing, but honestly you’re betraying some of your best friends. I don’t blame Tony and Danny from being mad at her.  Harley still gets Tony to act like her trying to put his cousin on death row is no big deal.

Harley: “Feed me. I’m hungry.”

Tony: “How about this one, it’s fried to a crisp like you’re trying to do to my cousin.”

Blake and her twin sons Jason and Kevin come running in with water pistols and then Ross carries in Clarissa. At this point Blake had published her 2nd book. (Her first book was the romance she imagined between Ross and Holly while she was pregnant with Clarissa and hiding from Ross at the Bauer BBQ.) She had decided to use Selena Davis’s true life story of a romance with Miguel Santos (which produced a never seen on screen Miguel Santos, Jr.) as the basis of this second book. (When she could have used Manny? Or Jezz? Or Bloss or even Blen? Why Selena?)  However, Blake’s failure to disguise the people involved adequately led to either Abuela or Carmen putting a hit out on Selena. Selena barely made it out of town in time, leaving Buzz heartbroken and beaten by the goons that came after her. Blake is thinking that stirring up the past led to Danny being on the murder charge, hence the apology.

So family stories get passed down. Tony has been told the hot tub was covered because “some kid almost drowned.” Marah remembers the incident involved Kevin Marler, but being a Springfielder utterly dismisses it. So someone almost died, they’d have come back! LOL. Sam is like I’m getting all the making out I can get from this bad deal as Marah tries to make Tony jealous, not knowing he’d broken up with her to protect her. Reva is currently dating Noah (a San Cristobel combination doctor and spy) basically to keep from getting bored when Josh refused to heel back from Olivia fast enough. The best thing about them was their couple code which was Nova – one of the best ever. Noah was down in San Cristobel because he was helping Richard over throw Edmund and rescue Cassie. Noah, not being an idiot, could tell sometimes that Reva just wasn’t that into him. Alan was dating Claire Ramsey at the time and it was too bad that he broke up with her because they were actually a pretty cool couple. So glad that Phillip is going to take Lizzie and James to the BBQ. Richard shows up to surprise Cassie at the BBQ. This is a very prominent Rassie moment. That’s really sweet how both Tammy and RJ both totally adopted Richard as their dad.

July 5, 2001

Phillip didn’t know Harley was pregnant. Nice reminder that Phillip saw Michelle as almost a little sister. I love how familiar Danny is with the hospital and its staff, it just goes to show that he spends a lot of off camera time there lunching with Rick, dropping off Michelle, etc. I just think it’s nice. Danny: “No it’s just some friend of Rick’s from the hospital.”

This is my favorite haircut on Danny. It’s just gorgeous and it’s shown to full effect during his conversation with Tony which does a nice job of showing of their positive relationship. Beth had been a bit blind, but Edmund did encourage her to be more of an equal partner than any of  her other boyfriends/husbands. He just lied…a lot and plotted some.

Considering Phillip got the woman Rick loved/was married to twice before, I don’t think he has a lot of moral high ground to stand on here. This is one of the most mature scenes ever for Beth. I like her taking responsibility. Oh, Michelle is carrying around Robbie behind Jolivia, he’s so cute!

Richard: “Only a natural catastrophe could stop this project.” I laughed too because that’s exactly what stops it, an earthquake. The writers must have known already. 🙂

Harley is actually wrong here. Harley basically hates Beth because she wanted to erase her very existence from Phillip’s life and she wouldn’t disappear. Harley reads as a stronger character than Beth, but she made just as many stupid repeated mistakes. And considering that Harley hasn’t been through a tenth of what Beth was I don’t think it’s fair to compare them.

Reva watches the fireworks with Josh and actually sees sparks of light.

This a great jalapeno fight between Buzz and Billy over Holly. Blake apologizes to Danny for the trouble her book caused. Danny very kindly tells her there’s no need and just shows what great step-siblings-in-law they will be.

Gus has no right to come to Bauer BBQ, but he is starting to chase after Harley, he will ultimately catch her, and he’s trying to make Danny miserable so he comes. Really Gus is lucky Danny isn’t the man Gus thinks he is or Gus would be in the lake by now. Lucky for Danny he isn’t though because later Gus does make some amends for faking evidence against Danny etc., by saving his life from the warehouse fire and they grow to have a more friendly, although still very prickly relationship. Gus should really give up the quips, he’s no Ben Warren. Currently Gus is making up to Blake hoping to get more information from Selena and find out who Blake’s source was which nobody will tell him although most of the people we know in town either know or could guess. Not having learned her lesson with Ben Warren, Blake is heavily flirting back to him trying to get information out of him. Ultimately she will turn up the evidence that shows who Gus really is (at least who he thinks he is at this point) and the lengths he will go to try to destroy Danny. BOO GUS! HISSSSS! At this point Bloss and Manny are really each other’s closest couple friends, although not as close as Dresse and Manny had been. Blake and Michelle share the bond that they were once and future step-sisters and I wish the show had played that up more rather than playing Blake as a Thorpe all the time. She was Bauer to in a very real way although her efforts to help Manny get out of legal trouble (which she actually does a couple of times) are as close as they get to playing Blake and Michelle as sisters.

Not a good idea, Frank? How about highly illegal? Once someone who is an occupant of a house asks you to leave you are supposed unless you are also an occupant which Gus wasn’t.

Finally, having survived Selena breaking his heart (I really think he was mostly with Selena to keep himself from dwelling on Jenna being gone and to give her full credit Selena, she was very good with his kids), Buzz was ready to move on to Holly. While Buzz really should have had issues with Holly who’s actions had helped bring about Jenna’s death, look around the canvas and there aren’t a lot of more tenable options. They move into a triangle with Buzz-Holly-Billy. Buzz and Billy were friends because when Billy was released from prison from trying to kill Roger Thorpe, Buzz was supportive and gave Billy a job. They had formed a friendship and I think their love of competing with each other played more into the romance than anything about Holly which is good because she will dump them both flat the SPLIT SECOND Ed returns to town. However, at this point they are still fighting over her. Billy had doctored up a bowl of chili to make it superhot to give to Buzz to keep him away from Holly. Buzz put it down and Gus picked it up and took a huge spoonful. Billy is the only one who understands Gus’s reaction and that’s why he’s laughing his head off.

July 6, 2001

I think Phillip has a point about the “Cooper” attitude. Buzz was always terrible to Phillip, which considering Buzz’s history took a lot of gall. Michelle says the kids are watching cartoons in the den. Nice the rarely seen den got a shout out. This is the start of Harley’s Phillip is evil incarnate downslide. I think Phillip has a reason to be upset and I don’t think it was arrogant for Phillip to think that the only one to get Harley pregnant while they were still married was him. Harley should have taken it as complement. Rick is also right Harley spends a lot of time cutting Rick out of Jude’s life which sucks considering how long Rick longed for a kid of his own to raise. Actually I think Buzz gets so mad because Phillip is exactly right about what Buzz is doing.

I hate the way the Coopers keep trying to take over the BBQ. Buzz to Blake: “Don’t confuse me with facts.”

This is a nice Ross-Phillip conversation. Ross had his faults, but he was always a great mentor to Phillip. Oh, point Ross, “Just the way you told your wife you had a kid coming with Beth.” Ross to Rick: “[Phillip] is in run silent, run deep mode, you know how he gets.

Rick’s right that he did betray Phillip, but again they have a two for one score here.

With moves like these Sam is using on Marah I don’t know why he never really had a love interest of his own. Susan/Daisy had the best chemistry with him and she left the show a couple of months in. But Sam just never seemed to get Marah just wasn’t into him. Really it wasn’t Noah’s place to tell Reva’s kids about their engagement. Really nice Danny-Rick conversation at the end.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/bauer-bbq-2001-july-4-6-2001

Tues., July 10, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Gus arrives at the courthouse and sees Danny and Michelle sitting on a bench outside. He calls them Bonnie and Clyde. Danny tells Gus he has faith in the system if not some of the people in it, so he is looking forward to the trial. Gus turns to Ray and tells him he better pray for his cousin. Ray, Danny and Michelle go inside. DA Doris Wolfe makes her opening statement and tells the jurors that she plans to show that Danny killed his mother when she refused to let him take the family business into another direction. She goes on to tell them that Danny has a violent history and would take his mother out just like any other person. She says that the defense will try to paint Danny as a family man but his mother’s body was recovered with a bullet that perfectly matched the gun Danny kept in his bedside table. She passes to Ross who tells the Judge that he will wait until later to do his opening statements. Both the judge and Doris think this is strange. The judge reminds Ross that this is a capitol case, but Ross holds firm. Doris thinks Ross knows his client is guilty. Michelle and Ray are startled as well. After the judge calls a recess, Ross: “Do you trust me?” Danny: “Yea, I do.” Ross tells Michelle and Ray to trust him, Danny tells them that he already does. When court reconvenes, Gus is called as the first witness.

Wed., July 11, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Doris questions Gus and he tells her that he had been investigating the Santos family for over 4 years and through bugs placed at the home of Danny Santos he learned about the inconsistencies of his mother’s death. After an anonymous tip he went to the docks and recovered the body of Carmen Santos along with a bullet that was embedded in the remains. The bullet that was recovered from the body was fired from Danny’s gun. Gus continues making prejudicial remarks  and the Judge is surprised Ross didn’t object. Ross tells him that Gus’s prejudicial remarks can be seen by him and the jury so there is no need to object. DA Wolfe insists that Gus is in no way biased in this case. During cross-examination, Ross asks Gus if he is in charge of all aspects of the Santos case. Gus tells him that he is. Ross asks if certain details aren’t usually left to the local cops. Gus says usually but in this case, he handled all the evidence and double-checked it himself. Ross wants Gus subject to recall and then dismisses him. Gus: “How does it feel to defend a lost cause?” Michelle hears the crack and Ray has to restrain her. (Gus doesn’t realize it, but he’s made a BAD mistake.) He goes to sit directly behind Blake and whispers to him that he is having a great day so far. Doris calls the medical examiner and asks about the body. He tells her that it was mostly skeletal remains but with the jewelry and dental records she was positively identified as Carmen Santos. Ross tells them he has no questions.
Doris has a forensic expert on the stand talking about the ballistic report on the bullet retrieved. He tells her that it was a perfect match to Danny’s gun. Again Ross has no questions and everyone in the gallery is surprised. Michelle questions Ross and Ross asks Danny to take a look at the jury and tell him his impressions. Danny said they look like they want to throw him in jail. Ross asks if they look curious and Danny tells him they do. Ross tells him that is what they want. Geraldo (name from summary, I don’t know his name) is a Santos flunky with a big mouth who has copped a plea. Doris questions Geraldo about Maria telling Danny where Michelle was at the dock and he had better get to her if he wants to save her. Doris: “Did you or did you not overhear Maria Santos telling Danny Santos that he would find his wife, Michelle, down at docks. In fact that Michelle was there praying he’d get there in time.” Again, Ross has no questions. Doris tells the judge that she has ran out of witnesses and will have to ask for an adjournment until the morning. The judge grants it. Gus tells Doris that Ross realizes he has a lost cause. Doris tells him that Ross doesn’t play that way and he had better be sure that they have the right man on trial. Blake tells Ross that whatever he has on his mind is making everyone keep guessing. He tells her that is what he wants. Blake wonders why Gus has such a vendetta against Danny. Ross tells Blake to stay away from Gus, but Blake has her own plan to investigate and help Danny.

Michelle returns home to find that Phillip has let himself in waiting for Rick. Phillip is reading Danny’s pregnancy and infants books he was looking at before the trial. I think the Phillip-Danny relationship is more fully developed, but occasional nice little scenes like this underline the fact that Phillip sees Michelle as his little sister too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ikyd1HD2MA (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vtlb4w2Zs4 (Part 2)

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/danny-trial-part-1-july-10-11-2001

Thurs., July 12, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Doris tells the Judge that she has a surprise witness. She calls Maria Santos (Danny’s Abuela) to the stand. Everyone is shocked and Ross finally objects to something. The judge allows the witness because no one knew Maria would be available and Doris goes in to her questioning. Maria seems to be supporting the state’s case. Doris asks Maria if she talked to Danny the night Carmen died. She tells her that he was angry with Carmen for getting in between him and his wife and when he asked her where Carmen was she told him she was at the docks. Doris is pleased. Danny tells Ross that Maria is lying. Ross asks for a short break before he questions Maria. Ross comes in and asks Maria if she knows what this book is about and holds up a copy of Blake’s novel, Hearts Alone. She acts dumb and he tells her that it is a story of a mob wife having her husband killed because he refused to tell her the name of his mistress. He goes on to tell her that most people believe it is the story of Carmen Santos and how she had Maria’s son Miguel Santos killed. Doris objects saying that a work of fiction can’t be evidence, but Ross counters it isn’t the book itself, but Maria’s reaction to it that’s important and the judge allows it. Ross asks Maria if she read the book and realized that Carmen was responsible for her son’s death. He pressures her and he finally admits that she did and she hated Carmen. She tells Ross that she wanted Carmen dead and she sent Danny to the docks because he was furious and she wanted him to take his mother out. She admits that she never told Danny that his mother was still alive, only that he could find his wife down by the docks and he must get there immediately if he wants to spare her life. She goes on to say that Carmen was not fit to live; she was a cancer on her family. She had to be thrown away with the garbage. Maria tells the jury that she couldn’t be the one to pull the trigger. That is a job for underlings although she would have loved to done it. Everyone is shocked at Maria’s testimony and Doris and Gus look very upset. Ross reminds Maria that she only mentioned Michelle being at the docks, not Carmen and that is who Danny rushed off to find. He finishes with her and the judge calls a recess. Ross tells Danny and Michelle that he wanted Maria to look like the one pulling the strings so they would be more empathetic to Danny. Maria comes over and tells them that Ross is right and he made her job a lot easier. Danny is upset and calls her crazy. He asks if she planned this whole scene from the beginning and asks her why. She tells him she came back to deliberately help him by taking some of the blame herself. She did it to help him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN_5sQtRufU (Overlaps a little with yesterday)

Fri., July 13, 2001 – At the Bauers: Michelle is talking to Danny about his grandmother’s testimony. (This is one of the most awkward recaps I’ve ever seen, but in the writing not the performance.) Danny tells her that Maria will never change. Even if she really did do this to help him he was sure there was something else in it for her. Michelle tells him that at least the jury can see that someone other then Danny had a motive to kill Carmen. Danny tells her that it doesn’t matter since he knows he is guilty. Michelle goes upstairs and brings Robbie down. Danny is depressed, but when he sees his son he perks up to talk happily to the baby. Michelle tells him Robbie is why he can never give up. Danny: “I don’t need to see Robbie to be reminded how much I love him or you.” Danny tells Michelle that he thinks of him every moment of the day, he knows what is at stake. She tells him he can’t give up hope just because of one crooked cop. Danny tells her that he felt this way before Gus came into the picture. What he did was a sin. His mother gave him life and he took hers away. He knows he did what he had to do to save his wife and child, but no one should kill their mother without consequences. He tells her that if the jury finds him guilty, it may be what he deserves. Michelle tells Danny that it was justifiable homicide and she will help him live with it, but first they have to fight to win at the trial. They have to be vigilant and maybe all the evidence is suspect. Danny asks her sarcastically if she is saying the body may not even be Carmen’s. Michelle tells him that is possible since Gus has already dummied up evidence. Danny tells her that Gus doesn’t need to frame him, but Michelle is off and running with the idea. She says she should have thought of this before. If they can prove the body isn’t Carmen’s, Danny could go free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owc9TMtzccw (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVgIWJiPsfI (Part 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cacmGT0eAI (Part 3)

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/danny-trial-part-2-july-12-13-2001

Mon., July 16, 2001 – At the Bauers: Still wallowing in his own guilt, Danny tells Michelle that Gus didn’t need to fake a body; she is reaching. Michelle says she just knows that isn’t Carmen’s body. She remembers clearly focusing on the feet walking toward her when she first woke up (which is exactly what happened, check the highlights clip) and that Carmen didn’t have an ankle bracelet on that night like the one on the remains.  Michelle tells him that they will prove it and Danny will get off. Michelle knows that Gus fakes the evidence and could have faked the body as well. Danny tells her that even if they prove it by dredging the lake and getting the real body and real gun, he still committed the crime. Michelle tells him that the fake evidence has to mean something to them. Danny tells her there is no real way to prove it or tie it to Gus. Michelle tells Danny that he is giving Gus way to much credit. Michelle tells Danny that someday he will have to deal with his guilt. He did what he had to do. Danny knows that but also knows that what he did was wrong. Michelle insists with time Danny will make peace with what he did. He asks Robbie if he thinks that will happen and Danny smiles saying it will “Because your Mommy won’t have it any other way.” He believes in Ross and knows he will do what he can but he is guilty of killing his mother. Michelle and Danny go to the kitchen and bring back sandwiches and iced tea and brings it back to the dining room table.  Danny: “Aitoro has all the evidence he needs to file charges against you if he wants to do that. DON’T give him a reason! I mean it! LET GO.”…  Muttering to herself Michelle: “Sorry, but I don’t let go.”

As they continue to eat, Danny: “Then what? I say hey guys look THIS is actually the gun I used to shoot my mother not the other one….And another body and I say what oh people of the jury you actually don’t have Carmen’s body, but here it is. Will you stop it? All of the conspiracy theories in the world aren’t going to help because Aitoro doesn’t HAVE to frame me because I DID IT!” Michelle: “Well you can’t go to jail because if you’re taken away your son and I won’t survive it so we’ll win, right?” Danny pauses…“We’ll win.” Michelle: “So we use what we have and what we have is a crooked cop who fakes evidence.” Danny goes to change the baby and when he comes down Michelle is gone. He hears her car crank and pull out. Blake asks about the trial. Ross says Maria Santos sandbagged Doris. He can’t really tell her anything because of attorney/client privilege. He just wishes he had more ammunition. Blake says maybe she can help. Ross is very curious and asks for a hint. Blake tells him to wait until tomorrow. She kisses him and things turn passionate. Ross asks how quickly they can get the kids to bed. Blake says they could just ask the sitter to stay late and get a room there at Towers. Ross likes the idea and kisses Blake again. Gus interrupts them and Ross invites him to sit with them. Ross laughs and asks Gus if all their witnesses are going to be as good as Maria was. Gus tells Ross the trial isn’t over yet. Blake and Ross leave.

Tues., July 17, 2001 – Michelle comes to Harley’s after she sees Frank’s car in the driveway. Harley and Frank are eating pizza. Michelle: “Oh, mushroom, my favorite!” (see I KNEW I liked her ;]) she and Frank talk and pass the food around. Michelle tells them about her theory about the body not being Carmen’s. Frank tells her that is unlikely since they had dental records. Michelle thinks that too could have been planted since Gus is on some sort of vendetta against Danny. Frank agrees Gus has been obsessive about getting Danny and there must be a reason. Also, he knows cops who’ve crossed the line and manufactured evidence before. He turns to ask Harley her opion and is struck by how strange Harley looks (he didn’t notice before Michelle came in?). Frank asks Harley if she is okay and she tells them both that Phillip found out the truth that Rick is the father of her baby and not Rick. Worse, the news didn’t come from her or Rick, but rather maliciously from Edmund Winslow. She tells them all that had happened and they tell her she did what she had to. Harley hates that she ruined the relationship between Phillip and Rick. Michelle goes home to see her brother. At the Bauer House: Rick comes home and tells Meta about Phillip finding out. Rick says he and Harley kept putting off telling Phillip and he ended up learning it from his worst enemy, Edmund. Rick hates himself for not being a better friend. Meta reassures him and goes up to bed. Rick looks at the sonogram and thinks about how he loves his baby. He only hates that to become a father he would have to lose his best friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cacmGT0eAI

Not as good a copy for length, but better sound. Starts with last clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVgIWJiPsfI

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/is-it-carmens-body-july-16-17-2001

Note: The link today includes Danny’s Testimony about killing Carmen. In the interest of time, I didn’t transcribe all of Danny’s testimony, but I plan on doing that for his and Michelle’s testimony later. I’ll add a link when I do.

Wed., July 18, 2001 – Outside Company, Ross and Danny are working on a plan. Ross asks if this is what Danny wants to do and he tells him it is. At the Bauer House: Ray and Tony come in and are talking to Michelle. They are upset at how Ross is handling the defense and Tony thinks he has bought out to the other side. Michelle tells them that Ross will be there soon. Tony thinks someone got to Ross. Ray says they will use this time to talk to Ross calmly and ask him to explain what he is doing. Michelle says there has to be an explanation; Ross is a decent and loyal man. Tony says people turn all the time. Ray says Ross defended Tony when he needed it and he should give Ross the benefit of the doubt. Tony agrees. The doorbell rings and Ross comes in. Tony yells at him and asks who he is working for. Michelle and Ray are concerned about Danny and tell Ross they are just having trouble understanding his approach. Ross says he wants to get Danny acquitted. Tony doesn’t buy it and asks Ross whose side he is on. Ray tells Tony he won’t get anywhere with a confrontation. Michelle tells Tony to take it down a notch but Tony is still angry. Michelle wants to understand Ross’s strategy. Ross says it would take a long time to explain it but he is committed to getting Danny off and they will just have to let him do his job. Tony says Blake could do a better job. Michelle goes over the evidence and tells Ross that Gus faked some of it. Ross says they have been over this before. Tony thinks they need a new lawyer. Michelle tells Ross that she thinks Gus planted the body as well. Ross says they need facts or the jury won’t trust them. Ray and Michelle suggest DNA tests on the body. Tony tells him to take the idea or he is fired. Danny arrives and wants to know what is going on. He tells everyone that he is satisfied with the job Ross is doing and he wants them to stop arguing with him and leave so Danny can talk to him alone. They leave. Michelle tells Ray and Tony it is as if Danny wants to be convicted. Ray tells Michelle to do whatever she has to do for Danny. She says she won’t let him go down without a fight. Harley comes in and runs into Tony who is angry seeing her and leaves. Michelle asks Harley if she gave any thought to her idea about Carmen’s body. Harley tells Michelle she is looking for Rick. Michelle wants to talk and Harley tells her that she also would like to talk to a woman since the men in her life are driving her batty.

Thurs., July 19, 2001 – In the courtroom: Michelle recognizes one of the thugs who kidnapped her. He is Doris’s next witness. Ross wonders where Blake is today. Doris asks Mr. Carmichael about who was his employer on November 14. He says he was a driver for Carmen. The last time he saw her was on the docks that night. He picked up Michelle and drove her to the docks with Carmen. The two women were arguing over Danny. He says Michelle was disrespectful to her mother in law. Danny arrived and tried to intercede. They continued to argue and then Danny walked away with Michelle, turning and shooting Carmen. He quotes Danny as telling Carmen he didn’t have to put up with her any longer. Ross takes his turn to cross-examine the witness. He goes over Carmichael’s criminal record and asks about a plea bargain. Ross insists Michelle was drugged and kidnapped by Mr. Carmichael and taken to Carmen. Ross asks him if he is standing by his story. Mr. Carmichael says Carmen wanted to straighten some things out with Michelle. Doris’ case is finished.

(I’m going to transcribe Danny and Michelle’s testimony later. I’ll add a link here when I do.)

Ross wants to make his previously reserved opening statement, allowing Danny to do it in his place. Ross asks Danny if he fired the gun that killed his mother. Danny says he did. Ross asks if Danny loved his mother. He says he did at times. For a long time he did what his mother wanted and she was pleased. Carmen vowed to make Michelle’s life hell when he married her. She framed Michelle for murder. Carmen agreed to go into the witness protection program but the night before she was to leave, Carmen was shot in front of Michelle. He goes over the miscarriage, etc. When Michelle was pregnant again, Danny planned to start fresh in another place. He went to pick Michelle up from the hospital, but Michelle was missing. He goes over finding out Carmen wasn’t dead, finding her holding a gun on Michelle at the docks, etc. She told him she would kill Michelle. Danny tried to reason with her. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. He promised Carmen they would go away and not tell anyone she was still alive. Carmen turned her gun on Michelle. Danny says Carmen thought Danny was his father and Michelle was Selena. Danny begged for his child’s life but Carmen wouldn’t listen. She cocked her gun and Danny shot her. After he made sure Michelle was okay, he threw his gun into the water and put Carmen’s body in the lake. Ross asks how the prosecution proved another gun was the murder weapon. Danny doesn’t know. Ross says defense of life yours or another’s is not a crime. Danny was protecting his wife and child. Ross: “….Why did he keep quiet for so long? Well I propose to you that Carmen and Miguel Santos for years on end forged a dysfunctional family where only obedience to this twisted family code would bring attention and affection that a child needs. When Danny Santos fell in love with Michelle Bauer he found for the first time unconditional and true love. Carmen knew it and was jealous of it and on the dock that night Danny was forced to make a choice to go forward with love or to continue to evil. Now it’s your turn to make the decision about whether Danny Santos should be punished for that choosing love over evil.”  Court is in recess. Tony is upset that Danny came clean during his testimony. Tony objects that Danny plead not guilty and just said he was. Ross and Danny explain that it was the murder part Danny wasn’t guilty of. Trying to hide the truth that he killed his mother would only make the jury think he was lying about it all.  Gus makes some gibes against Manny. Danny is ready for Doris’ questions but doesn’t want Michelle to take the stand. Ross says he will see what happens. Tony: “You can’t trust these people.” Danny: “Tony, you’ve got to trust somebody.” Ross calls Blake on her cell phone but she ignores it. She is on to something very big. In Chicago: At the police records office, Blake is reading files. Sgt. Kaplan brings a soft drink for Darlena. He thinks it is a coincidence that she is researching her book while he is reading the other one. He looks at the picture. She asks if he recognizes someone; he looks more closely and says a blast from the past. She asks Kaplan if he recognizes the man and boy in the picture. He recognizes the man, Joe August. He was big on the organized crime unit in the 70s. They used to drink beers before…He gives her something to read about what happened. Kaplan won’t buy her next book if she writes about that; he would rather forget. Blake is growing more and more curious about Gus.

NOTE: Both of my go to highlights clips have very low audio. I’m sorry and adjust your equipment accordingly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkk3L24n9xc

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/danny-testifies-about-carmen-july-18-19-2001

NOTE: Sadly something else the highlight clips don’t show well at all is the active trickster role Blake played as part of this storyline. Gus showed Blake attention almost since he blew into town. Partially I think he might really have liked her, I mean Blake is kind of awesome, but mostly because he didn’t like Ross because he was defending Danny and Tony and he wanted to mess with him. Blake played along with it to get information (I think she was playing along sooner than the audience was aware). Most recently she’d searched Gus’s room and came up with the photo showing a young Gus (wearing a Cubs hat) that she has paired with other evidence to prove he’s really Miguel Santos, Jr. which is also the theory Manny will shortly come up with. Blake is trying to fill Ross in for the next few episode guide posts.

Danny Testimony Continues

Fri., July 20, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Ross is preparing Danny for his cross exam by Doris. Gus tells Doris to rip Danny to shreds. Court reconvenes and Danny retakes the stand. Doris reminds Danny of his admissions, that he shot his mother and that Carmen hated his wife. Why didn’t Danny admit it from the start that he is a ruthless amoral person who shot his mother in cold blood? Ross objects. He says Doris shouldn’t be giving her biased conclusions. Doris asks Danny why he didn’t go to the police right away. Danny says he didn’t think the police would believe him because he is a Santos. She asks if he called an ambulance. Danny says Carmen was already dead. Doris asks if he had medical training. Danny says there was no heartbeat. Doris thinks Danny was happy that she was dead. She says he wrapped his mother and tied her body with chains, then dumped her. Doris thanks Ross for providing her with an admission of guilt. Tony starts shouting in the courtroom that they are setting Danny up. Tony is so abusive to the judge in his outburst that he is given choice to leave before the bailiffs escort him out. Ross starts his redirect on Danny. He asks if Danny went to the docks to kill his mother. Danny says he didn’t even know Carmen was alive. Why did Danny draw his gun? He drew it because Carmen had a gun on his wife. He only shot her to protect Michelle and the unborn baby. Testimony over and court is recessed. Ross tells Michelle she is next. Michelle tells Danny he was wonderful on the stand. Ross says he is telling a love story and if the jury buys it, he’s a genius, if they don’t, they are in trouble. In the lobby, Gus is lighting up and Michelle takes his cigarette, telling him there is no smoking in here. She tells him Danny is innocent and she is about to prove it. She tells Gus that she is on to him. She knows he planted the bullet but he took the bullet from the wrong gun. It all started with the body that he probably faked too. Gus says they used the dental records for ID and she shouldn’t take it out on him. Blake comes in and says this is Gus’s unlucky day. She is on her way in to see Ross when Gus stops her and asks what she has there. Blake tells Gus she has some research for her next book. Gus wonders why she is so cool to him. He tells her she missed Danny’s testimony. She goes in to see Ross. Ross says he has to prep Michelle for testimony but Danny says he can’t find Michelle. At the Dentist Office: Michelle arrives dressed in disguise and starts flirting with the dentist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcD7N6fDOkE

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/michelle-decides-to-go-undercover-july-20-2011

Wed., July 25, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Danny is holding Michelle and says that he was impressed with her. Danny: “You, I want a sidebar with you Mrs. Santos…that was quite an amazing stunt you pulled earlier.” Dr. Fisher the dentist apparently testified off camera. He confirmed Michelle’s story about the switched records and was convinced not to press charges against Michelle. Ross tells Michelle that he didn’t approve of the way the evidence was found but glad it came out. Ross: “I do not in anyway condone the liberation of those x-rays, but someone else might say well done.” Harley arrives and tells Michelle she wishes she had come to her first. Michelle says she tried more than once, but Harley wouldn’t listen. Michelle says Gus faked the evidence. Gus arrives and says his ears are burning. Ross says Gus had said he was responsible for all the evidence. If he didn’t switch the dental records, who did? Gus says it could have been anyone but the bullet is still from Danny’s gun. He killed someone. Gus takes out a Cubs hat and puts it on. He tells them all while watching Danny that he is going to the Cubs game, box seat third base line. Gus says that unlike some people, he earned his tickets. Outside the courtroom, Harley confronts Gus about the dental evidence. Gus says they have a confession from Danny so they are still sitting pretty. Harley says he didn’t kill his mother in cold blood and they don’t have her body. Harley leaves, telling Gus to enjoy the game. Gus calls Peterson and tells him he got his transfer to the NY office. Peterson knows why Gus is calling him; he wants Peterson to keep his mouth shut about editing out the surveillance tape of his setting Danny up. Gus asks Peterson if he wants the transfer or not and Peterson says yes. Back inside, Michelle, Danny and Ross are talking about the gun evidence. Ross says if they found Danny’s gun it would help. Michelle says she thinks the gun isn’t the only secret the lake has to offer. Meanwhile, at the lake someone is walking in wader boots holding a lantern and looking into the water off the docks. Ross asks Harley what it would take to get the PD to investigate the evidence. Harley says this is the FBI’s case. She still worries about the evidence and thinks it is time to put up or shut up. She calls the chief and he comes over to the courthouse. He meets her outside and she tells him about the evidence and that she wants to check the lake for Danny’s other gun. The chief tells her it is the fed’s case. She wants the PD to reopen their case so if Danny did do it they can put him away or exonerate him if he was only protecting his wife. He tells her that he will call Gus if she wants him to but she stops him. She explains that someone is faking evidence and he finally tells her that he will get their divers out there. Later at the lake, Frank and David are watching the divers. Gus arrives and yells at them to get off his territory. Frank tells him that they police department has taken over. Gus is angry and tells them that he is calling their chief. Harley comes over and tells him that the chief ordered them there. Gus leaves and Harley tells everyone to get busy, there is work to be done. Michelle and Danny come in to the Bauer kitchen  and start making out. Michelle: “I’m so hungry!” Danny: “Hungry hungry or HUNGRY HUNGRY.” Michelle says food hungry and since there isn’t anything much in the fridge they decide to run over to Company to grab a late dinner before returning home and “dessert.” Michelle and Danny come into Company and Danny tells Michelle how proud he is of her. He is worried about her being harassed by Gus and she has to promise to be careful. Michelle: “I’m good at the love and honor stuff, it’s the obey I have trouble with.” – Danny: “No kidding.” He appreciates everything she has done but she can’t do anything else dangerous on her own. Danny gets Michelle to promise to not do anything dangerous and Danny pulls up her hands and tells her to uncross her fingers. Michelle says she just can’t wait around while Gus is trying to frame him and wonders why Gus is doing this. Danny says the question is who was Gus before he was a fed? Michelle asks Danny if he knew Gus from Chicago, maybe even as a child. Danny says no, but then a mental bell rings and he tells her that when Gus was talking about the baseball game tonight, he thought he might. He tells her that his father took him to a lot of Cubs games as a kid and they always sat on the 3rd base line. One time when he was 9 his father brought another kid with them to a Cubs game. His father was nice to the kid and even gave the kid a foul ball that he had caught but the kid threw it back onto the field, not wanting it. His father told the boy “That’s the last time I give you anything, Junior.” Buzz overhears and says that makes sense. Danny asks Buzz what he is talking about. Buzz says when Danny mentioned Junior, he flashed on Aitoro questioning him about Blake’s book. It seemed like he already knew Selena personally. It makes sense; it clicks. Gus is Miguel Santos, Jr. Selena’s son and Danny’s half-brother.

https://youtu.be/vmVg_RtYqtE (Part 1)

https://youtu.be/FfUjcXpakr4 (Part 2)

Most of this clip is the same as above, but the last two minutes are Ross reading the letter Blake left him cluing him in on what she’s found out about Gus although we don’t get to find out what that is right away. Sadly all the highlight clips I found also cut out Blake’s detective work which was awesomely cool.
https://youtu.be/zlIj3fYuwCI

Thurs., July 26, 2001 – Blake goes into the courtroom and asks Ross if he read her little surprise. He thinks she is remarkable and he is grateful to her for what she found. He tells her that the file she found is probably what is going to get Danny acquitted. He hugs her just as Michelle and Danny come in and tell Ross that they believe Gus is really Miguel Santos Jr. Danny says Gus is the right age and he has a vendetta out for Danny. He probably has been looking for revenge his whole life. Michelle wants to nail Aitoro but Danny tells her they need proof. He tells Ross that he made a leap to this assumption because of a comment Gus made about a Cub’s game that sparked a childhood memory. Ross tells them to slow down and he will take care of Gus. Just then Gus walks in and is standing in the doorway.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/the-other-miguel-santos-jr-july-25-26-2001

Fri., July 27, 2001 – In the Courtroom: Harley and Ross are talking about the divers finding Danny’s gun in the lake. She is sure that proves Gus had something to do with a set up and Agent Peterson may be the key to bringing him down. However, Gus had Peterson suddenly reassigned and he’s on his way to the airport as they speak. Ross tells her to go try to get him to come in and testify because they don’t have time to get a warrant. Harley rushes to the airport. Ross tells Danny that they don’t have any other stalling tactics left so he will have to put Danny on the stand and start firing the big guns at Gus until Harley gets back. When the judge reconvenes court Ross calls Danny to the stand and asks him about the exact positions of he, Michelle and Carmen on the docks. He handed Danny the gun in evidence and asked him to show the jury how he held the gun that night. Danny tells him that he cannot since that wasn’t the gun he had. His gun was tossed into the lake after the shooting. Doris tries to argue but the judge overrules her objection. The judge reminds Ross that he is throwing some heavy accusations towards the prosecution and he had better be able to back them up. Ross assures him that he will be able to. Meanwhile, at the airport, Harley tells Peterson they know Danny was set up. They found the gun and she found the splice in the tape that he doctored to hide where Gus had fired off the weapon himself. Peterson tells her that he isn’t going to testify, he is on his way to NY and unless she has a subpoena she should leave him alone. She tries to reason with him but he isn’t interested. Harley leaves, empty handed. Back in court, Ross talks to Danny about the imminent danger to Michelle and his unborn child and asked if that is when he fired the gun. He also wanted to know why Danny threw the gun in the lake. Danny tells him that he thought he would be brought up on Murder One (murder in the first degree) charges if the cops got hold of it. Ross shows Danny the registrations for two different guns. Danny says he shot his mother with his office gun; the other one was his gun for home. Ross addresses the jury and tells them that there are two different theories in the case, a tale of cold-blooded murder and one of self-defense. If they believe the latter they will have to rule Danny Santos not guilty and this verdict they will derive from the integrity of the evidence. Doris objects again and the Judge states again that Ross will have to prove the evidence has been tampered with. Otherwise he will dismiss the jury and he will rule on his own. He asks Ross if he has a corroborating witness. Ross tells him he has and calls Harley to the stand. Harley isn’t there yet and the judge has had it. He tells Ross to put another witness on the stand, rest his case or he will rule himself. Ross tries to buy for time but as the Judge is ready to end his case, Harley walks in and Gus looks nervous. Ross swears Harley in and asks her about where she was the night before. She tells him that she and a dive team were at the lake. They dived for the alleged gun and found it. They matched the serial numbers and the gun does belong to Danny Santos. Doris objects again. Just then Agent Peterson walks in and Harley tells Ross. Gus looks back at him and is very concerned. Ross tells the judge and jury that he has another witness that will present evidence that the FBI framed Danny Santos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq7xUdUkSzA  (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKDLGfx6tR0 (Part 2)

Version with Harley’s testimony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J8FfM_WTFs

Mon., July 30, 2001 – At the Courthouse: Ross questions Harley who tells about finding the gun and believing that Danny was being set up. She tells the jury that she looked into the surveillance tapes of the day Gus made her summons the entire Bauer clan down to the station. She found that Gus was at the Bauer house alone that day and the tape had a splice at precisely the same time. Ross calls Agent Peterson who tells the jury that Gus told him to take the tape and edit out a sound that he thought was a gunshot. Ross calls Gus. Gus holds that everything is valid.

Ross: ” I know that FBI is having a bad year, but it is monumentally incompetent to end up with the wrong body.”

***

Ross: “Do you know where it [the bullet] came from?

Gus: “Sure. It came from the gun of your client.”

Ross: “Now how could that possibly be if the body you have is not Carmen. How could a bullet from Danny’s other gun, the gun that wasn’t even at the scene, how could that body end up in a Jane Doe?”

Gus: “I don’t know. Ask your client.”

Ross: “You should pay attention, we did. It’s still a mystery.”

Ross lays out order of events how they have the wrong body, the wrong dental records, and a bullet from the wrong gun. Gus claims the mistakes are all down to the Springfield police forensic unit. Ross presses further that there was a gun shot from inside the house during a time Gus had ordered Harley to haul the entire Bauer family down to the police station for a fairly flimsy reason and Gus himself was unaccounted for. Agent Peterson testified he heard what sounded like a gun shot during that time and had spliced out the sound at Gus’s request.

Gus tells him he was only trying to protect a rookie agent from looking like an idiot and possibly losing his job. Gus blames the noise on an ambient noise, a car or truck backfiring that he can tell from his experience.

Ross: “Wouldn’t experience also tell you the difference between an internal sound and an external sound or are you testifying that a backfiring truck was in the living room of the Bauer house or are you saying, did Agent Peterson lie under oath.”

Gus: “No, I’m not saying that. Agent Peterson THOUGHT it was a gun shot. Agent Peterson was wrong and as his supervisor I instructed him to edit that tape, edit the sound out, so that there would be no misconception.”

Ross: “If it was a [background] sound why bother, why erase it?”

Gus: “He was talking about going to Washington and frankly I was concerned for a new agent who might be censured, might even be fired for an overzealous, all be it understandable, pursuit of justice.”

Ross: “So you’re saying nobody at the FBI, even your supervisor, knows the difference between a gun and a truck.”

Gus: “Counselor, I’m with the FBI and I know the difference.”

Ross tells Gus that he has an agenda against Danny and wants him to fess up. Gus denies it.

Ross: “Agent Aitoro, you have lied about your whereabouts, you’ve lied about evidence, you’ve lied about being in charge of the investigation have you told the truth about anything, Agent Aitoro?”

Judge: “Enough, Mr. Marler. Enough.”

Ross: “Yes, your honor. You’ve heard enough, I’ve heard enough, they’ve heard enough and you are not protecting Agent Peterson, you are protecting yourself because you are so determined to put Danny in jail that you not only bent the law, you broke the law.”

Judge: “Find a question or sit down.”

Ross: “Yes, your honor, I have found a question. The question is why. What is driving you to put Danny Santos in jail no matter the cost? What is worth that much to you?”

Gus: “You’re SO melodramatic Counselor. There is no big mission going on here. There’s…It’s just a matter of bringing a murderer to justice and that is it.”

Ross: “In the timeline of things you didn’t know that. Until Danny Santos testified all you had was a body that turned out to NOT be Carmen Santos and a bullet that you were going to plant on that body. You had nothing to justify pursuing this case.”

Doris: “Is there a question anywhere in sight?”

Ross: “Yes, I have a question. Can you explain your motives?”

Gus: “I put killers in jail. Beyond that my mood, my feelings, my motives are irrelevant.”

Ross: “Irrelevant? I disagree.”

Gus: “Well then Counselor we agree to disagree then. How’s that?”

Ross: “No, we can’t allow you do that because who you are is the core of this case. Who are you, sir? And I ask that question because in fact there is no such person as Gus Aitoro, is there?”

Ross pulls out a file and tells Gus that he knows that the key to the case lies with who he really is. He tells Gus and the jury that Gus Aitoro doesn’t really exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ivlrR3o7s

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/agent-peterson-cracks-july-27-30-2001

Tues., July 31, 2001 – In the Courtroom, the break from yesterday was covered by Blake coming in and asking what did she miss. A self-satisfied smile crosses her lips as she realizes Ross’ secret weapon is the information she brought for him. They also show the bailiff bringing Gus a glass of water of the stand and then it’s time to kick the trial back into action. Ross continues to hammer away at Gus accusing him of making up the identity of “Gus Aitoro.” Gus denies it. Doris objects but Ross presses further. He tells Gus that they know who he really is and why he has a vendetta against Danny Santos. Ross pulls a photo of a man and boy out of his folder and shows it to Gus and asks if it jogs his memory. Gus looks at the photo and then at Blake, realizing she took it from his room. Ross asks Gus who the boy is and Gus reluctantly admits that it is a photo of him and Joe Augustino, a highly directed cop in Chicago that worked on the organized crime team, putting away mobsters on a regular basis. Ross asks how Gus knows Joe August aka Joesph Augustino and Gus tells him it has nothing to do with this case. Ross against asks about the relationship between Gus and Joe August. Gus still won’t explain. Ross produces a copy of a birth certificate for Gus off his desk. Ross produces the birth certificate that says he was born only seven years ago. In reality it was a name change to Gus Aitoro from Nick August aka Nicholas Augustino and Joe Augustino was his father. Gus admits it. Ross asks why he changed his name and baits him about maybe he was ashamed of his dad. Gus is getting angry telling Ross that his dad was a good man and a terrific cop. He keeps on and asks if that was the case maybe Gus wanted to conceal his identity. Gus tells Ross that he is a FBI agent and he knows Danny Santos and knows that he is a murderer and that is all that matters. Ross points out that Gus has been pursing Danny Santos hard for the past four years. Ross tells Gus that he wants Danny to pay for all that he has done. Gus agrees and tells him that Danny murdered his mother, Carmen Santos. Gus: “We at the FBI have a file on this thick, five inches thick and you don’t get that for being a Good Samaritan.” Ross asks if his interests are purely professional. Ross pushes Gus to once again say that he has been going after Danny just like he would any case, that he hasn’t faked any evidence, and had no personal grudge against Danny. Ross shows Gus his evidence and tells him that if he knows anything more he better tell know.Doris: “Your honor, Mr. Marler is waving papers around this courtroom like they were confetti. If he has something he wants to put on the record as an exhibit he should enter it correctly and I want to see them.”  Both the Judge and Doris look at the evidence and then at Gus. Doris walks back to her seat and Ross asks about the document. A police report from 1980, concerning the murder of Joe Augustino allegedly by Miguel Santos. Ross asks if that is why Gus hates Danny Santos and he will break any rules to put him behind bars. He tells the jury that it doesn’t get any more personal that one boy’s father killing another boy’s father. Gus tells Ross that Miguel was never convicted, charged or tried for his dad’s murder but it has nothing to do with Danny’s case. Ross paints a vivid image of Gus’s revenge. He tells Gus that he can imagine him as a small child at his father’s gravesite and promising that the Santos family will pay for killing his dad. He changed his name so that no one would question his motives. Gus blows up.

Ross: “When you grew up you started to make good on that promise. You graduated near the top of your class, you joined the FBI, you rose through the ranks and then one day you got yourself appointed to the Santos case and that’s when you decided to change your name in hopes that no one would ever face you as I’m doing now to question your motives because ultimately the truth doesn’t mean one bit the only thing that matters to you is getting even for your dad….(Gus interrupts).”  

Gus: “You want to know what the truth is? I’ll tell you want the truth is. They is they shot him down in cold blood. He was one of the best men that ever lived. Do I want them to pay? Ya Damn straight I want them to pay.  I want him to pay, I want every single one of them to rot in Hell for the rest of their pathetic life.  How’s that for the truth?”

In light of the new evidence Ross moves for a mistrial. The judge asks for the Doris and Ross to meet in his chambers. Everyone leaves except Gus who stays in the witness stand, stunned.

During Gus’s attempt to deflect Ross’ questions he says he is a registered driver in the state of Illinois and a graduate of Georgetown Law. He says his buddies used to call him Kojack, but it’s unclear that this is a joke (Kojack was a very famous TV police detective in the 1970s) or if his friends really called him that. I could see it either way. Gus has been directly pursuing Danny for four years (back in 1998) and his name change was seven years ago (back in 1995).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iln44DHyP2Y (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zkHNucE42A (Part 2)

My Comments: 
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/ross-unmasks-gus-july-31-2001

Wed., Aug. 1, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Danny, Michelle, Rick, Robbie and  Ross, Blake, Holly, Frank, Harley, Buzz are celebrating Ross outing Guss’ true identity in court. Ross gives Blake credit for the discovery and they shout out back to the PI agency that Frank, Blake, and David Grant used to run. They have to explain it to Catalina. (This was after Frank ran a garage and before he became a cop.) While it’s a good development, Ross reminds them that just because they showed Aitoro’s true colors doesn’t mean they are out of the woods. Harley is sitting by herself in a much more pensive mood. Danny goes to Harley to thank her and tells her that he realizes that it had to be tough to turn on her boss like that. Harley just feels bad she hadn’t fact checked. Michelle agrees and hopes Harley won’t get into trouble for it. Harley tells them that she is going on maternity leave in a few days anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Rick: “Danny the fact that your dad killed his father did NOT give him the right to falsify evidence against you.” Buzz: “He’s a persistent little sucker isn’t he?” Rick: “Persistent little blood sucker.” Tony starts mouthing off about the system, but Ray interrupts him to make a toast to Danny and Michelle. Ray: I propose a toast to Danny and Michelle. May you finally live happily ever after. Danny: “Let’s hope so, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed…” Ray doesn’t understand how Danny could still be convicted since the body was a fake. Ross tells them that even though there is no body he could still be convicted of murder. Ross says that even if they get a mistrial, they could bring charges again later. They could also just throw out the body testimony and send it to the jury with instructions to only use the rest of the evidence. Danny could also be acquitted. Tony thinks all cops are crooked but everyone reminds him that if it weren’t for a cop, Harley, they wouldn’t have the evidence they do now. Rick toasts to Harley. Tony asks Danny if he will return to work at Infierno after he is acquitted. Danny tells him that he isn’t sure; the hours aren’t the best for his family. Ray reminds Tony that it is still Danny’s club. Danny asks if Tony is keeping his nose clean. Tony gets angry and spits back at Danny that he needs to let him run the club on his own terms. He leaves. Catalina asks if Tony is okay. Michelle tells her that says Tony just misinterpreted something Danny said but Michelle can’t believe Tony would get back into the business again. Michelle asks Danny if he wants to go out and make a wish on a star. Danny doesn’t want to tempt fate but Michelle thinks they will be okay and she wants to fill every moment with joy, referring back to their most recent wedding vows. They kiss enthusiastically. Danny cleans up from the party. Michelle went upstairs and comes down in a robe. [This is either the same robe or supposed to be the same one that Joy’s Michelle wore.]

Danny: “Hey, what’s going on?”

Michelle: “I thought you might come with me.”

Danny: “This is uh, (Danny looks her up and down and likes what he sees) is this about that joy thing?”

Michelle: “Ya, it’s about that joy thing.

She kisses him and he lays her back on the countertop. (Counter Encounter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRMo4GotQE

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/counter-encounter-aug-1-2001

Thurs., Aug. 2, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Danny and Michelle are still celebrating. We start with a just terriffic walk through of the Bauer kitchen. You want to see the Bauer kitchen in the early 2000s this is probably your best bet. Danny is singing he’s so happy as they work together to make breakfast. They discuss the case and that it’s likely Aitoro will be fired.

Danny: “…I feel like I can breathe again. Like I don’t have a million fingers pointing at me. Like I can make love to my wife.[breaks off kissing her]…I even slept last night.”

Michelle: Laughs “No you didn’t.” Kisses and laughter continue.

Danny: “I LOVE this counter.”

Michelle is pleased Danny is in a happy and optimistic mood. They read the newspaper together and the headlines say that the feds are embarrassed by tainted evidence in the Santos case. The article goes on to say that the feds will not retry the case if it there is a mistrial. It also states that they will not pursue any charges against Michelle. Danny is happy that Michelle is cleared at least. Michelle thinks after it is all over they should take Robbie on his first vacation to celebrate. Danny thinks Robbie wouldn’t remember the vacation, so they should take the vacation themselves, alone. Danny: “We can rent a boat and sail the Caribbean. We could go to Hawaii. You always wanted to go to Hawaii.” Michelle wonders who would tend to Robbie. Danny thinks Meta would do it. Just then Meta and Claire come in and Claire tells them that she would love to watch Robbie. Michelle tells Claire to go home. Claire understands that Michelle is still angry but she insists the only reason she talked to the feds was because she wanted to protect Michelle. She congratulate them exposing Gus. Claire says if the judge rules it a mistrial Danny will be free too. Michelle didn’t believe her sincerity but Claire insists she wants Danny to be free. She tells Michelle that Gus was on a mission and no one could stand in his way. Meta isn’t impressed. Claire asks Michelle for a chance to make things right. She wants to babysit for Robbie. Michelle isn’t ready for that and Danny tells her they are trying to start over. Claire thinks that Danny might want to try a new career and offers to set up a meeting with him and Alan. Meta tells Claire that Danny doesn’t need her or Alan and Danny says he doesn’t want to talk to Alan. Michelle says they will pass on the offer. Claire says the truth is she wants to be part of Michelle’s life. She has made horrible mistakes and seems to keep making them. Nothing has been right since she gave her up as a baby but that shouldn’t stop Danny from at least talk to Alan. Claire thinks Danny could start a new life for his wife and son. She wonders if someone else made the offer would they not consider it? She offers again to set up a meeting with Danny and Alan and Danny finally agrees to meet with him. Michelle is humming their theme song when Danny comes back down. Danny kisses her and tells her he is glad she’s happy. He tells Michelle that he told Claire he would meet with Alan to get rid of her but he thinks he will really meet with him and see what he says. Ross arrives and Michelle asks him if he saw the newspaper. Ross says the judge ruled against a mistrial and now the jury has to decide if what Danny did was justifiable. Michelle and Danny are disappointed.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/will-there-be-a-mistrial-august-2-2001

Fri., August 3, 2001 – At Company: Rick, Michelle and Danny are about to go in when Danny tells them that he has lost his appetite. They are all upset about the judge not declaring a mistrial but Rick thinks it may be best; the jury has to have serious doubts with all the tainted evidence in the case. Danny reminds Rick that he did admit to killing his mother on the stand. Michelle tells Danny that she has been thinking about it and the more she thinks the more she comes to the same conclusion. Michelle thinks they need one more break like realizing the body was a fake. A bell goes off in Michelle’s head as she thinks about faking the body. She points out the body that was pulled out of the water was weighted down with chains, just like his mother’s body. Only someone who was there that night would know that detail. How could Gus have found out? Danny thinks someone saw them. Michelle thinks there might be more to it. The only reason she can think of for someone to go to all the trouble of creating that fake body is if the real body wasn’t there. The only person with any reason to set this up is Carmen herself. Maybe Carmen is behind all of this? Danny says Carmen is dead. Her body was cold when he put it into the water. He tells her that they are both just stressed but his mother cannot hurt them anymore. Danny tells Michelle that he has to swing by the courthouse for some papers and asks if she wants to go along. She tells her that she needs to get back to relieve Meta from babysitting. Danny leaves and Michele calls and asks Meta if she can sit with Robbie a bit longer. Rick is sitting at a table still in thought when Danny comes in. He asks if Rick has seen Michelle. She had told him that she was going home to relieve Meta of babysitting but when he called Meta told him that Michelle called to extend her time. Now, Michelle isn’t answering her cell phone. At the Docks: Michelle gets to the docks and looks around. She sits down rethinking through the night and looking for clues. She wonders if Carmen is in the lake somewhere or not. She thinks she may be overreacting and gets up to leave. When she turns, she runs into someone who had been watching her.

Mon., Aug. 6, 2001 – At the Docks: The man that came upon Michelle tells her that he is a fisherman named Pete and he is there everyday and every night. She asks him about the day last year and he tells her he remembers it because something strange happened that night. He tells her he heard a shot and when he finally made his way over in his row boat he saw something floating over to the shore and then two men dressed in black drug it out of the lake and placed it in the back of their car, then they left like nothing ever happened. Michelle believes the men pulled Carmen out of the lake. Ross tells Danny that he could very well be sent to prison and he thinks he should at least entertain the thought of a plea bargain, ten to twelve for manslaughter. Danny can’t think of that without talking it over with Michelle. He cannot imagine losing that much time with his son. Ross tells him that if he doesn’t take the deal, he may never get to see Robbie again. Ross reminds him that he has two things going against him. He killed his mother and he is a Santos. Juries are strange and those two things may be all they need. Danny tells him he will discuss it with his wife. Ross asks if he has heard from Gus and Danny tells him he hasn’t. Ross says he may come by to get even, he showed up at Ross’ house that morning trying to cause trouble. He still isn’t quite sure why Gus hasn’t admitted to faking the body and dental records when he has admitted to everything else. Danny thinks about what Michelle told him about Carmen possibly being behind everything. Ross leaves and Danny can’t believe she may be right. He goes to Rick and tells him he has to talk to him. He tells him about Michelle’s theory and why he thinks it is possible but he doesn’t want to encourage or scare Michelle just yet. Meanwhile, outside Company, Michelle tells Frank her thoughts and why she doesn’t want to tell Danny just yet. They both are thinking the same thing and both not telling each other because they want to protect the other. Meanwhile, Frank and Rick both think it is impossible. Michelle leaves to go see Claire and Danny calls Tony and asks him for his help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2w9fVgBPlk (Part 1) (Part 2 below)

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/did-carmen-cheat-death-again-aug-3-6-2001/

Tues., Aug. 7, 2001 – After Michelle tells Frank her theory, Danny and Rick come out of Company. Danny tells Michelle Ross wants him to take a plea. They both agree they want to keep fighting, but awkwardly don’t tell each other their plans. Danny tells Tony he needs his help. He thinks Carmen might be alive. If she is Danny, Robbie, and especially Michelle are in terrible danger. Danny wants Tony to use his connections to see what he can learn. Danny tells Tony that he knows he is back in the business and he hopes it works for him but he wishes he wouldn’t go that way. Tony is hostile and tells Danny he can no longer boss him around. Danny tells him he understands how he feels but if Carmen is alive someone will end up dead soon and it could be Tony. At the very least she will turn him into her personal gopher. If Carmen is alive, she had to have help and that help is either Maria, Carlos, or Bernardo, Tony’s new friends. If that happened they weren’t up front with Tony, which puts him on Carmen’s list too, just like him and Michelle. He warns Tony that Carmen plays for keeps. Again, Danny asks for Tony’s help. Tony tells him he will help him. Danny goes on to tell Tony that Carmen’s henchman Lucas Carmichael knows something and he may be able to get him to talk. Tony says Lucas has a gambling problem and owes a lot to Infierno; he may be able to use that. Danny asks Tony not to tell Michelle anything and he says he won’t. At the hospital: Michelle comes in and asks Claire what she remembers about the night Carmen was killed on the docks. Claire tells her there wasn’t much going on that night. Michelle asks if anything or anyone acted strangely that night. Claire remembers an intern named Jennifer Tarver leaving after a phone call during the middle of the shift. She thought it was weird because the girl reeked of ambition, just like she had at that age. The funny thing was she left and then never came back. Claire tells Michelle that about a week later they received a fax that said she had moved to Europe following a boyfriend but Claire didn’t think it rang true. She left all her things and they still have them storage at the hospital. At Michelle’s request Claire goes and gets the box of things the Intern had left and Michelle goes through it. Claire keeps asking Michelle what she is looking for and Michelle tells her she isn’t sure. Michelle finds a piece of paper and sticks it in her pocket. Claire takes the box back and Michelle looks at the paper. It says, “Laurel Falls”, on it. Michelle isn’t surprised Carmen used their shack there the last time she played dead and no one had been on their land since construction on the house stopped. Claire comes back and Michelle tells her that she has to go but asks her not to mention any of this to Danny. Claire promises.

 

Wed., Aug. 8, 2001 – At Millennium: Danny comes in asking for Tony. He isn’t there so he goes to a table to call him. Claire comes in and tells Danny that she is worried about Michelle who is going around asking tons of questions trying to get him out of trouble. She is on the trail of Carmen. Claire gets a call and leaves after telling Danny not to let Michelle do his dirty work. Danny calls Tony again and leaves another message. While he is out of the room, Michelle comes in to meet Rick.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/danny-and-michelle-are-at-cross-purposes-aug-7-8-2001

Thurs., Aug. 9, 2001 – At Company: Frank and Buzz are talking when Michelle comes in. She asks to speak to Frank. She tells Frank that she found out some more on her theory of Carmen. She tells him about the intern, Jennifer Tarver, that disappeared from the ER the night Carmen died and she never came back. Frank still doubts the theory. Michelle asks him to follow up on the intern. Michelle is sure about this. Frank tells her that he has a bad feeling about this. She begs him to help her prove it. Michelle tells Frank to think of Robbie and help them. He finally agrees to help. He is going to try to find the intern. Michelle asks him not to say anything to Danny and Frank agrees. He leaves and Michelle looks at the paper she found in the interns belongings and leaves. Danny and Tony meet outside. Tony tells Danny he has been looking into things and he has Romeo on Lucas. Danny tells him that they have to hurry for Michelle’s sake. Romeo comes in with Lucas Carmichael, a former flunky of Carmen’s who was paid to purger himself testifying against Danny, with a serious gambling problem. Romeo leaves and Danny asks Lucas who paid him off. Lucas tries to leave and Tony reminds him of the $80,000 he owes Infierno. Lucas tells him he has money coming. They offer to pick up his marker at the club if he answers some questions. The guy tells them that he got a message shortly after Carmen’s death that told him to go to a shack in Laurel Falls. He tells them he got there and someone put a blindfold on him. They took him inside and told him to go down to the docks and throw something in the water. It was a canvas bag that was heavy that had metal clanging inside. He dumped the bag and stripped the car. He also remembers he smelled roses at the shack. Lucas leaves and Danny tells Tony that Carmen always wore “Royal Rose” perfume. He knows Carmen is alive but for now they should keep it to themselves. Danny comes inside Company and tells Frank he needs his help. At Laurel Falls: Michelle comes upon the shack while thinking back to the night Carmen died. She goes into the shack and looks around. She doesn’t find anything and starts to leave when a bat flies through and scares her. She runs outside and thinks she didn’t find anything. She remembers the woodstove inside and goes back to search it. Michelle finds a piece of paper that says Springfield Airport. It’s part of a logo from an invoice or a piece of letterhead and it says “and Sons Air Charter” at the Springfield Airport.

Fri., Aug. 10, 2001 – At Company: Danny asks for Frank’s help. David sticks his nose in the conversation and tells Danny that if it is official he can talk to him as well. Danny tells them that he thinks Michelle may be in trouble, he believes Carmen is still alive. Claire calls Michelle on the phone: “Ever get a feeling that you can’t shake, like someone you love is about to jump off a high rise?”  David accuses Danny of trying to play them to save his own hide. Frank tells Danny that Michelle is thinking the same thing and investigating herself. Danny is getting upset and tells Frank that if Carmen is alive, Michelle is in danger and he needs his help. Frank doesn’t really believe the theory of Carmen being alive, but knows that if she were Danny would be right to worry about Michelle’s safety. Frank tells Danny about the intern Michelle wants him to find. David thinks the whole thing is bunk and thinks Frank is crazy to listen to it. Danny tells Frank that all this time they haven’t had a trace of Carmen and now all of the sudden there are clues popping up all over about her being alive. He knows his mother and tells Frank that she covers her tracks unless she wants to be found. He thinks she is setting Michelle up. Frank tells him he will look into the intern thing but that is all he can do. He leaves and David goes to make some calls while watching Danny. Danny tries over and over to get Michelle on her cell but there is no answer. Claire comes over and tells Danny that she has talked to Michelle and she thinks she is after Carmen. She also tells him that while she was on the phone she heard an announcement for a plane to Montreal. Danny leaves. At the Airport: Michelle tries to get an airport employee to tell her about a chartered airline. She showed them the paper she located at Laurel Falls with the letterhead of the airline and asks to speak to the man in charge. While she is waiting, Claire calls and begs her to let her help. Michelle tells her she will talk to her later and ends the call. Shortly after, the head of the airline comes over and she asks him if he can tell her who chartered their plane on a certain date last year. He tells her he can’t help her with his private clients. Michelle pretends to start crying and then spins a story about looking for her birth mother because she is dying and needs a transplant. The man tells her he will check his records for her. He brings out the record book and verifies that an injured woman traveled on the dates she was talking about from Springfield to Bear Lake, Canada. Michelle asks him how fast he can get her there. He goes to check and brings back a ticket on a commercial airline that will take Michelle to Montreal and from there his man will meet with her and take her on to Bear Lake. Michelle thinks it’s a little odd he’s suddenly so helpful, but thanks him and goes to board the plane. She passes one of Carmen’s thugs and seems to recognize him. She goes on to the plane. The thug calls someone and tells him or her that Michelle is on her way. Danny arrives at the airport and begs them to get his wife off the plane. They tell him he can’t go on the plane without a ticket and he throws a credit card at the stewardess telling her to sell him one. David has followed him and goes over and arrests Danny. Danny yells out for Michelle to get off the plane. Meanwhile, at the shed in Laurel Falls, Carmen is happy that Michelle is on her way to Canada. Just then Michelle burst in the shack and tells Carmen she didn’t take the bait.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/michelle-and-danny-search-for-carmen-aug-9-10-2001

Check out our latest episode guide post.

Mon., Aug. 13, 2001 – At the Airport: David arrests Danny and accuses him of trying to skip town. Danny, unable to get on the plane, desperately screams out to stop Michelle from going into danger. Frank comes in and tells Danny that he isn’t going anywhere. Frank tells David to let Danny go. Frank says Danny and Michelle want to believe Carmen is alive, but he is a cop and can’t let Danny get on the plane. Frantic, Danny accuses Frank of picking his job over Michelle’s life. At Laurel Falls: In the shack, Michelle confronts Carmen and tells her that she isn’t stupid and she figured out Carmen planned to have her killed in Canada far away from any help. Michelle tells Carmen that the endless misery Carmen put Michelle and Danny through is finally over and Carmen will rot in jail. Carmen laughs and tells Michelle that will be over Michelle’s dead body. Carmen says she won’t be turned over to the authorities after all she has been through. Someone up there gave her another chance. Michelle tells her that Danny hates her. Carmen says she will prove to Danny how Michelle has poisoned him against her and things will be fine again. She goes towards Michelle, but Michelle pulls a gun on her and threatens to shoot Carmen. Carmen doesn’t believe her and then looks at the gun and tells Michelle the gun is a fake, she can tell by the trigger guard. Carmen and her henchman ties Michelle to a chair and she orders the guy to dispose of Michelle’s car. The man leaves and Carmen tells Michelle she has big plans for her, but wants her to spend this night in fear. She leaves and locks Michelle in the shed.

Wed., Aug. 15, 2001 – With great glee, Carmen sets up a video camera and boasts that she’s going to tape her final hours on earth so that she can watch the tape every November 4th in honor of Mick’s death and November 14th, in honor of Danny trying to kill his own mother. She then decides to move Michelle from the cabin to the docks, unaware that Michelle has secretly scribbled Robbie’s name in hopes that Danny will spot it. Claire runs to Rick to seek his help in trying to find Michelle. Ross confronts Danny in jail and complains that his attempt to leave town has put his court case in jeopardy. Danny warns him and Frank that he feels Michelle is in danger. Frank advises him that he checked after all and that Michelle was not on the flight to Canada. Rick arrives in time to hear Danny tell Frank that he now thinks Michelle is at the shack at Laurel Falls. Danny to Frank: “Frank, I understand you’ve pushed the envelope for me and Michelle a thousand times, but it’s NEVER been so important.”  Frank insists that Danny needs to go to court and that the police will check the area. Danny: “If Michelle is dead, I don’t give a damn whether I’m convicted or not.” Rick convinces Frank to escort Danny to the shack before his trial continues. When they arrive, the shack is empty.

Catch the opening tag at the end of this one:

It looks like there is a break in clips in both of my normal highlight feeds. This is the point where they pick up the tag from above, Michelle pulls the fake gun, etc.

My Comments: https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/10/25/danny-desperately-searches-for-michelle-aug-13-15-2001/

Thurs., Aug. 16, 2001 – At Millennium: Ross comes in and asks Rick where Danny is. He tells Rick that both Danny and Frank are missing; they never made it to court. Rick tells Ross the “Carmen is alive” theory and tells him that Danny and Frank went looking for Michelle. Ross wants to know everything Rick knows. Gus comes over and hears the conversation. Gus hands Rick, Ross and Blake one of his new business cards, he is now a private investigator in Springfield. He tells them he is going to focus on missing persons since that is his specialty. Gus goes over to the bar while Rick goes on to tell the rest of the theory. Ross is worried, he thinks if Danny doesn’t show up for court it will take the jury less than ten minutes to convict him. Ross tells Rick that the jury has a verdict. He and Rick are both worried as they leave for the courthouse. Gus follows them. At Laurel Falls: In the shack, Danny is looking around for clues while Frank tells Danny they wasted their time and they have to leave. Frank tells him he will get some cops on the place to look it over. Danny tells him that they can’t help since they don’t know Carmen like he does. He knows Carmen and Michelle were there. Danny looks down and sees where Michelle wrote “Robbie” in the sand. He points it out to Frank. Frank sees it but still says he needs to get Danny back to jail. Danny works it through and decides that Carmen took Michelle to the docks. Frank tells him that he will get some cops to look into it and Danny finally seems to give in. Frank turns and Danny knocks him out telling him he has to do it his way. At the Docks: Carmen is emotional about her memories of when she was shot there.  Michelle asks Carmen how she faked her death and then lived all that time. Carmen tells her that she will tell her only because it will give her something to think about as she is dying. The fact that Carmen was able to survive and she will not. Carmen: “I was in Danny’s arms, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying….that’s when Danny dumped me into the water. The water snapped me awake. The chains dragged me down to the bottom. My lungs were about to burst…but I was alive….Danny was distracted. He was grieving and he didn’t tie the chains as tightly as he thought.” Basically Michelle has Carmen monologuing. She gives the TPTB cover story on how it is possible she is still alive. Short version Danny was too upset to figure out Carmen was still alive the cold water slapped her awake and she got out of the chains. Then one of her goons, Pedro, fished her out of the water and got a medical intern Jennifer Tarver to come take care of her with the promise of big bucks.  They told her she would be very well compensated and Tarver was more then willing to help. Michelle asks where the intern is now. Carmen told her they needed a body to put in the water. Michelle tells Carmen she is sick and she hopes her torturous death on video is enough to satisfy Carmen because Danny will never come back to her. Carmen is sure it will take time but she will have her son back. Carmen tells Michelle that at least she will have the good memories of her death on video and Carmen thinks she can get Danny back too after Michelle is gone. Pedro wants to hurry but Carmen assures him that the only person that could save Michelle is Danny and he is in jail. Carmen gets the camera and is taping as Pedro wraps Michelle in chains. Michelle is screaming for him to stop as Danny shows up and greets his mother. Carmen looks surprised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYrvfC1lmuU

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/carmen-hold-michelle-hostage-aug-16-2001

Check out our latest episode guide. This is one of the great Manny scenes so I’m going to include the links from both highlight channels. They are the same.

Fri., Aug. 17, 2001 – At the Docks: Danny tells Carmen they have come full circle. Carmen asks if he is going to shoot her again. Danny to Carmen: “You gave me no choice.” Danny demands she leave Michelle alone but Carmen isn’t listening to him.

She asks if he and Pilar mourned her. Danny: “What is it exactly you want to know, were you mourned? The mother that we used to know was mourned not this sick, vengeful woman…”

She tells Danny she knows his shooting her wasn’t his fault it was all Michelle’s. Danny tells Carmen to let Michelle go.

******

Carmen: “Why WHY must you always be so UNREASONABLE?! This is the girl who murdered your brother Mick!”

Danny: “In self defense! He was trying to rape her!”

Carmen: “She RUINED your life, Danny! We were happy before she came along. If you had JUST killed her. If you had taken her down to the docks like I ordered you to…..”

Danny: “What the HELL is your problem?! Don’t you get it? This is the woman I love. This is the mother of my child. Why can’t you just leave us alone? Disappear. Let us live our lives.”

*****

Carmen: “Then we can start over.”

Danny: “What? Start over? Start over? You think you can kill my wife and we can have any kind of life together?  I will hate you. I will hunt you down. I will become your worst enemy.”

Carmen: “She poisoned you.”

Danny: “She poisoned me? You’re the one standing here holding a video camera planning on killing my wife. If that’s not poison I don’t know what is.”

Danny tells Carmen the police are on their way but Carmen doesn’t believe him. She says Danny was always a loner and she can’t believe he’s working with anyone else. She thinks Danny must be working alone. Pedro starts squeezing Michelle by the neck. Michelle kicks and elbows Pedro and breaks away. Danny knocks Pedro down as he starts to go over and tells Michelle to run. Michelle runs after Carmen instead of to freedom. Michelle is determined to get that videotape proof that Danny was innocent. Michelle and Carmen struggle, but Carmen gets away. Michelle runs after Carmen, trips and Carmen is able to subdue her. Danny picks up the video camera and raises it as a weapon intending to hit Pedro’s head. Carmen tells him he holds the key to his freedom, the tape can prove she is alive and all he has to do to gain his freedom is to walk off the docks alone.

Carmen: “I made that video for my own amusement, but it can be even more valuable to you, Danny, in court. It’s yours. It’s yours. Hmmm. Think about it. If you walk off this dock alone, it’s yours. Your freedom or your wife? Hmmm?”

Danny tells Carmen the killing has to stop. He didn’t want to kill her, he begged her to hold on while he got help but she didn’t. He tells her the memory of shooting her has haunted him ever since. Carmen is in tears and asks Danny if he missed her. He tells her that he hated that he hurt her, she is his family even now, but so is Michelle and now they have the opportunity to fix things. This is the miracle he’s been praying for all year that he’d get another chance to save his mother. He begs her to take the chance. He tells her to let Michelle go and they will figure out where to go from there. Danny: “Mama, you gotta love me enough to let Michelle live. Please Mama, please remember the little boy that you held in your arms, the little boy that you taught how to ride a bike, do it for him, us. Let Michelle go.” Carmen is crying but refuses to let Michelle go. Carmen: “No, not Michelle, it can never be Michelle.” Danny tells Carmen the three of them will figure out where to go from there, everything can be different. Danny: “Mama, you’ve never ever given her chance.” Carmen says Michelle hates her and things can never be right with her in the picture. She tells Danny he has to choose between Michelle or his freedom.

Carmen: “It will be different because she’ll be gone. It can never be the way it was, Danny. Don’t you see? She hates me, she hates me. She hates me, she hates everything our family represents. Choose.”

Danny: “You can’t ask me to do that again.”

Carmen: “Choose.”

Danny: “Mama”

Carmen: “Choose, damn it or…I’ll do it for you.”

Danny: “Fine….Now let her go.”

Danny tells her there is no choice to make and tosses the camera into the lake without a single hesitation. Carmen with disbelief: “You’d go to jail for this…Santos killer? No I can’t let you make that mistake again.” Danny tells her it is over now as they hear sirens approaching. Carmen runs telling Pedro to kill Michelle. Danny goes to Michelle and covers her protectively with his own body.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/12/06/danny-confronts-carmen-to-save-michelle-aug-17-2001/

Mon., Aug. 20, 2001 – While we were with Danny, Michelle, and Carmen on the docks, with no witnesses to testify (and honestly Ross is much better at tap dancing than this) the Judge called for closing arguments and sent the jury to deliberate. The jury foreman is ready to read the verdict. Michelle, Danny, and Frank Cooper comes bursting into the courtroom to interrupt proceedings. Danny tells the Judge that Carmen is alive and they can prove it. Doris is angry and tells the Judge that they should go ahead with the verdict. Frank slips into the benches the back of the room by Rick, but he didn’t actually see Carmen so can’t testify. Rick – who instantly believes Michelle and Danny doesn’t that make your heart feel good – wants to know how WE are going to prove it. Michelle talks to Ross and he asks the Judge to recall Michelle to the stand. Doris tells them that the verdict is in the foreman’s hand. The foreman looks down to the paper that has a Guilty verdict on it. The Judge rules that he will hear the evidence. Ross calls Michelle to the stand and Michelle tells her story of Carmen kidnapping her. Michelle tells the court that Carmen’s camera is at the bottom of the lake where Danny threw it to save Michelle’s life. Doris and Gus are laughing at the testimony and telling the Judge Michelle is making this up. Michelle pulls another camera from her purse and tells the court that when she learned where Carmen was she decided to go there prepared. She had a tape going so she can prove that Carmen is alive. Doris objects and the Judge calls the attorneys into chambers. Michelle hugs Danny and hopes the camera has more than just feet on it since it was hidden in her purse. The Judge comes back and tells everyone that they will see the tape with the jury present. The Jury comes back in and they start the video. You can see a pair of stilettos on the screen and nothing else and Doris demands the tape be stopped, saying it doesn’t prove anything. The Judge agrees but Ross asks him to bear with them and let the tape play to the end. The bailiff adds it’s a short tape so there should only be a few minutes left. The Judge decides to let it continue and the bailiff hits play again. Carmen comes on the screen and Doris objects saying it could be from an old home movie. Then the tape has Carmen holding the newspaper about Danny being arrested. It was today’s issue of the Springfield Journal. Ross tells the judge that proves Carmen is alive on this very day and he wants the case against his client dropped. Doris is ticked but the Judge dismisses the case. Judge: “In all my years as a judge I’ve never ever seen anything quite like this. Mr. Santos please rise. Daniel Santos the charges against you are dismissed. You are free to go!” Danny hugs Michelle tight and doesn’t let go.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/danny-is-cleared-aug-20-2001

Tues., Aug. 21, 2001 – At the Bauer House: Everyone is celebrating Danny’s release, drinking champagne and toasting each other.

Danny: “Well, Ross, no offense you did a great job, but I think the real hero of my trial is Michelle. So to my amazing wife if not for your incredible stubborness….and determination I wouldn’t be here right now. I love you.”

Frank tells them that they still have to protect Michelle until Carmen is caught. Claire demands the police keep eyes on Manny until Carmen is caught, but Frank says he doesn’t have the budget for it. Danny pulls Frank to the side and asks him why he is acting angry towards him. Frank is upset that he punched him and escaped. Danny tells him he had to get to Michelle and he’d only decked him to cover him with his higher ups. Frank tells him if he wants to go straight he should concentrate on “following the law, not bending it.” Frank punches Danny and Tony comes in ready to hurt him. Danny laughs and tells Tony is it alright and Frank tells him they are even. Catalina tells Tony that the system works and she hopes he sees that. (As much as I dislike Catalina – calling her Cat is cute.) Tony tells her Michelle and Blake got Danny off, not the system. Just then Gus pokes his head in to greet the family. Gus comes in and tells everyone that there are so many cops on their side, it isn’t any wonder that Danny beat the rap. Tony doesn’t take Gus’s snide comments very well.

Danny: “Tony, Tony. It’s OK EX-Agent Aitoro is just yanking your chain. He knows full well that the videotape was real that Carmen is alive. He just can’t admit that because it means he lost.”

Michelle: “I think you may have to say that a little LOUDER because I think EX-Agent Aitoro has a problem hearing.”

Danny: “Oh, he heard me. Everyone in this room knows he lost, so please, please stay. Have a little champagne. Nothing will make this celebration sweeter than having you witness our happiness. A toast to EX-Agent Gus Aitoro I’m a free man today because of your blind vengance and your total incompetence. By all means keep up the good work.”

Gus leaves and everyone claps. Manny are estastic. Outside, Gus makes a call. Meanwhile, Blake tells Ross how brilliant he was. Ross tells Blake that he has lost his edge and that he feels he is growing old. He tells Blake that she, Danny and Michelle won the case, not him. Claire congratulates Michelle and Danny but tells Michelle how nuts she was to go after Carmen. Michelle tells Claire that she wouldn’t have had to if she hadn’t helped the prosecution. Danny tells Michelle how Claire helped him locate her at the airport. Claire tells her that she had to tell him to protect her. Michelle thinks they are very alike when it comes to protecting those they love. Claire offers to go ahead and set up that meeting with him and Alan. Danny is reluctant but Michelle thinks he can do a lot of things for Spaulding. Claire goes to call Alan. Michelle tells Danny she thinks it is a good thing and may turn into something. Claire calls and asks his assistant Sally to put her through to Alan. Sally tells Claire that Alan doesn’t have her on the list of people he wants to talk to. Claire is ticked. She goes back to Danny and Michelle and tells them that everything is fine and Danny has an interview first thing in the morning. Claire walks away and calls the Spaulding head of security. Everyone has FINALLY left leaving Michelle and Danny alone. Danny takes Michelle in his arms, spooning her and nibbling on her ear, neck, and shoulder. Michelle: “It’s over and you are free and we are going to start a whole new life together!” Danny is worried about Tony and where his head is. Michelle just wants to focus on the positive and getting on with their lives.

Cue couple theme song – Michelle sits down on Danny on the chair.

Danny: “I’m so lucky to have you. You stuck by me, worked so hard and saved my neck.”

Michelle: “You did the same for me, although I do have ONE request.”

Danny: “What?””

Michelle: “I don’t ever, EVER set foot on those docks again.”

Danny: “You’re telling me. Thank God you’re OK. Thank God you’re OK.”

Michelle: “Hey! What’s going on? You’re supposed to be happy there.”

Danny: “I am. I am. I just didn’t think this day would ever come.”

Michelle: “OH I did.”

Danny: “How do you do that? You always keep the faith, all the time.”

Michelle: “It’s, uh, it’s called love.”

Danny: “Do you know how much I love you? How much I love our little boy? How just the idea of being apart from you maybe forever was…..”

Michelle: “Don’t!”

Danny: “I almost lost you.”

Michelle: “Danny…”

Danny: “I almost lost Robbie.”

Michelle: “You’re never going to lose us, not now, not ever.”

Danny: “It’s so hard to believe that. We’ve just been living like this for so long. Always waiting for us to be able to live our lives.”

Michelle: “And it’s finally happened. It HAS happened and I just want to celebrate with you, you know.”

Michelle tells Danny it’s too bad everyone else is gone so…

Michelle: “We have the whole house to ourselves, ALL afternoon. What are we going to do?”

Danny: “What if I take you upstairs and show you how much I love you?”

Michelle slides over on top of Danny up his chest and between his legs….the chair slide.

My Comments:
https://glmanny.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/celebration-and-chair-slide-aug-21-2001

Last updated: January 23, 2017

You can contact me at:

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Robansuefarm is the handle of one of Manny and Guiding Light‘s biggest fans following in her family’s footsteps of Guiding Light fandom since 1939. This blog is an effort to make it easy to find Guiding Light and especially Manny online. Check back here for her blog, find fanfic previews and fake WSPR newscasts on her YouTube, find podcasts that look back to old shows and audios of her fanfics on Blog Talk Radio, and finally follow her on Twitter and Facebook.