EPISODE #1 (SERIES PREMIERE)

EPISODE 1

Created By: Casey Hutchison

Written By: Casey Hutchison

Executive Producer: Casey Hutchison

NEW DAY. MORNING.

COUNTRY ROAD

A car is driving down a long road. The care keeps speeding up. The camera cuts on different angles of the car. The car then hits a pothole and goes out of control. It ends up driving off an embankment.

JACKSON FAMILY HOME - LIVING ROOM

Jennifer is laying on the couch. She is covered up by an average couch blanket. She is sleeping. The camera zooms in on her. We are then pulled into her dream.

(FLASHBACK)

JACKSON FAMILY HOME - KITCHEN

Jennifer is standing in the kitchen by the home phone. She is talking on the phone.

JENNIFER: Alright. Thank you for telling me, Doctor. Yes, I’ll be sure to deliver the news to my brother. You have a good night too. Bye.

As soon as Jennifer hangs up the phone, Joshua enters.

JOSHUA: Jennifer, are you alright?

JENNIFER: No, Joshua. I am not alright. And, you won’t be either...once you hear the news that I just heard from a Doctor at the hospital.

JOSHUA: What news?

JENNIFER: Our parents...have passed away

(FLASHBACK ENDS)

Back in the Living Room, Jennifer burst up from the couch. She is absolutely breathless. She then looks over at the fireplace mantle. On the mantle is a picture of her mother and father.

JENNIFER: I miss you so much mom and dad. And, I promise you that I will find out who murdered you, even if it is the last thing I do.

Then, there’s a knock at the door. Jennifer gets up from the couch and goes to the door. Upon opening it, she hugs Phillip.

JENNIFER: Thank god you’re here.

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - 5TH FLOOR

Andrea is standing at a reception counter. She is filling out a patient’s chart. Then, Joshua comes up behind her. He wraps his arms around her. Andrea turns around. They kiss.

ANDREA: Hi, honey. How are you?

JOSHUA: I’m good. I just finished a six hour surgery.

ANDREA: You must be exhausted.

JOSHUA: A little.

ANDREA: On a quick side note, have you talked to your sister at all today? You know, considering what today is.

JOSHUA: Yeah. I did. I did before she took a nap. It doesn’t seem like she is doing so well today. She literally went from her bed, to the kitchen, to the couch.

ANDREA: What id she came out to lunch with us? Who know? Maybe it could cheer her up. Plus, she has been moping around the house for weeks now. Being outside may do her some good.

JOSHUA: I don’t think coming out with us for lunch will do her any good. I think the only thing that will cheer her up is finding out who killed our parents.

ANDERSON MANUFACTURING - CEO OFFICE

Lindsay is leaning up against the desk. Then, Thomas enters.

LINDSAY: God, it is about time you get here.

THOMAS: Hey, sis. What’s up? You sounded pretty urgent over the phone.

LINDSAY: Well, we have an urgent matter to attend to.

THOMAS: Okay. What’s up?

LINDSAY: I need your help. And, I need it now.

THOMAS: My help? With what?

LINDSAY: Getting our new step-mother out of our lives for good!

ANDERSON PRIVATE JET

Michael and Cynthia are sitting next to one another on the private jet. Cynthia is resting on Michael’s chest. She is looking at her huge wedding ring.

MICHAEL: Did you have fun on our honeymoon?

CYNTHIA: I had the most fun I’ve ever had in my whole life.

MICHAEL: Good. That makes me happy to hear.

CYNTHIA: How much longer till we land in Thorne Hill? I can’t wait for you to carry me across the threshold of the mansion.

MICHAEL: We land in just a couple of hours. And, I can’t wait for that either. I also can’t wait to start our new life together.

CYNTHIA: I can’t wait for that either. Anyway, before we land, I need to ask you a question. A very serious question. Do you mind.

Cynthia sits up and faces Michael.

MICHAEL: Not at all. What’s on your mind?

CYNTHIA: What do you think is in for us when we get back?

MICHAEL: What do you mean?

CYNTHIA: I mean, do you think Lindsay will give us trouble? She obviously doesn't like me very much. Hell, she didn’t even want me to marry you. So, do you think her hatred for me will continue once we’re back in town?

AMY & MIMI’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM

Amy and Mimi are sitting on the couch. The two are looking through scrapbooks that contain flower arrangements and centerpieces.

AMY: I really like the centerpiece with the green and purple flowers. Plus, it can match our bouquets. Speaking of bouquets, did you remember to call the florist?

Mimi is silent.

AMY: Honey?

Mimi remains silent.

AMY: Mimi!

MIMI: I’m sorry. What?

AMY: Did you remember to call the florist?

MIMI: Yes, I did.

AMY: Good. Hey, are you alright?

MIMI: Yeah. I’m good. Why do you ask?

AMY: You just seem like you’re a million miles away. Is this about your parents deciding that they are not going to come to our wedding.

MIMI: In fact, it is.

WHITMORE MANSION - LIVING ROOM

Judith enters the room. She is carrying four shopping bags...two for each hand. Her handbag is placed under her left arm. She sets everything down on the couch. She then walks over to the bar car. She pours herself a glass of water. Then, Stuart enters.

STUART: I see you went on another shopping spree.

JUDITH: (turning around) I needed some retail therapy. Plus, I got some new lingerie. You can thank me for that later. (sighs) I miss him so much.

STUART: What? Miss who?

JUDITH: Austin. Do you remember him? He used to carry in my bags.

STUART: Judith, first of all, his name was Antonio. Second of all, we cannot keep spending money like this. We are playing a very dangerous game. You need to pick two bags to return.

JUDITH: No!

STUART: Pardon?

JUDITH: I said ‘no’ dammit! Stuart, I am tired of not being able to live my lavish life. I...we...have worked far too long and far too hard to have this beautiful life of ours. And, I am not going to give it up!

STUART: Judith, you need to get ahold of yourself. We can barely afford to keep the lights on. Either you calm down with your supposed lavish lifestyle, or I will make you. And, I promise you this, if I have to make you...it won’t end pretty for you. Do you understand?

Back at Amy and Mimi’s Apartment, in the Living Room, Mimi gets up from the couch. Amy also stands and goes over to her.

AMY: Honey, you don’t have to worry about them not coming.

MIMI: Amy, they’re my parents. Of course I worry about them not coming to my wedding. The only reason they aren’t coming is…

AMY: Is because they don’t want you to marry a girl. Listen, my parents are coming. And, they love you like you are their own child.

MIMI: I know that. And, I thank them everyday for that. I just wish that my parents could witness our love for one another.

AMY: I wish that too. But, you have to understand that our parents were born in a time where relationships were only acceptable for men and women. It is a shame that things were that way. I will give you that one. But, that time in this country did happen. And, homophobia is still alive today. But, your parents not coming does not change my feelings for you. I love you more than life itself, Mimi.

MIMI: I love you too.

AMY: Good. Just hang onto that love. Because, if you hang onto that love, it will get you through the rest of your life. Now, come here and give your soon-to-be-wife a kiss.

Mimi and Amy kiss one another

Back at Anderson Manufacturing, in the CEO Office, Lindsay pours two cups of coffee. She hands one to Thomas and keeps one for herself.

THOMAS: Lindsay, why are you so hell bent on this whole get-rid-of-Cynthia thing? Why are you letting this consume your whole life?

LINDSAY: Thomas, why are you not?

THOMAS: Because, some of us have work to get done around here.

LINDSAY: Do you know what life will be like for this family now? Do you?

THOMAS: What are you talking about?

LINDSAY: I’m talking about the impact of this marriage! She is married to our father now. That gold digging bitch is married to him. Marriage in this family means you get a stake in our riches. It means you become the lead of this family.

THOMAS: You know what, I’m gonna be honest. I’ve never had an issue with her.

LINDSAY: Thomas, she is dangerous.

THOMAS: Don’t you think you are being overly dramatic? Plus, you are the CEO. What do you have to worry about?

LINDSAY: More than you know. We do not know if dad had her sign a prenup or not. Think about it. The whole future of Anderson Manufacturing could be at stake!

Back on the Anderson Private Jet, Cynthia is standing over by the small bar area. She grabs the cup of coffee she has poured herself and walks back over to Michael. She sits down next to him.

CYNTHIA: Are you sure you don’t want anything?

MICHAEL: I’m fine. Thanks.

CYNTHIA: Okay. So, have you given any thought to what I asked you?

MICHAEL: I have thought about it.

CYNTHIA: And…?

MICHAEL: (sighs) My daughter has always been a wild child. That is no secret. However, I think I can keep her hatred for you at bay.

CYNTHIA: And, how do you plan on doing that?

MICHAEL: I have my ways.

CYNTHIA: I’m just very worried.

MICHAEL: Why are you so worried?

CYNTHIA: Michael, I have no doubt that you will be able to keep Lindsay at bay for a short while. However, I think I’ve known her long enough to know that she has inherited your determination. If she makes a goal for herself, she will stop at nothing to achieve said goal.

MICHAEL: And, what do you think her goal is?

CYNTHIA: To eliminate me.

Back at the Jackson Family Home, in the Living Room, Jennifer and Philip enter the room. Jennifer lets out a deep breath.

PHILIP: How are you doing today?

JENNIFER: I’m managing.

PHILIP: It doesn’t look that way.

JENNIFER: It was nice of you to come over.

PHILIP: Well, after six months together, I sensed that you might need me.

JENNIFER: (smiling) That’s very sweet of you.

PHILIP: Have you heard from your PI at all?

JENNIFER: No. I mean, my God, he should’ve had something for us by now. But, if you look around…, you’ll come to find that he has come up with nothing. This is all just too much for me. My anxiety is through the roof. And, on top of all of this, I have so much so much stress when it comes to work.

PHILIP: If you want, I can have my dad look into the death of your parents.

JENNIFER: That’s very sweet of you. But, the last thing I need is a multi millionaire looking into my private life...even if it is your dad.

PHILIP: I understand.

JENNIFER: Well, I am through talking about this for the day. Let’s change the subject...please. How are Amy and Mimi’s wedding prep going? Are they having a lot of fun doing this whole wedding thing?

PHILIP: It’s going good. And, yes, they are having lots of fun.

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - HALLWAY

Andrea and Joshua are walking down the hallway. Joshua is hold a patient’s chart. Andrea is holding a bag of carrot sticks that she is eating.

ANDREA: To tell you the truth, I think that the only thing Jennifer thinks about day and night is the investigation into the death of your mom and dad.

JOSHUA: That is the truth. It actually gets me worried sometimes.

ANDREA: What do you mean?

JOSHUA: This investigation has become her life. There isn’t a day that goes by where Jennifer is not thinking about our parents. She is determined to discover who tampered with the car our parents were driving that night.

ANDREA: Do you think she’ll ever find out?

JOSHUA: For her sake, I hope that she does. Because, if she doesn’t find out who did killed our parents, it just might drive her mad.

ANDREA: Do you want to know the truth?

JOSHUA: Of course I do. Just not like her.

ANDREA: Well, I hope and pray that you guys find out what happened.

JOSHUA: You are the best wife ever. Did you know that?

ANDREA: I had my suspicions.

Back at the Whitmore Mansion, Judith sets her glass down on the bar cart. She then turns around to face Stuart. She walks closer to him.

JUDITH: This whole thing is so unbelievable. Never in a million years did I think that this family would fall on hard times.

STUART: These things happen to everyone.

JUDITH: Not to us! Not this family! Stuart, no one ever expects a family like ours to fall on hard times. We are the Whitmores. In this family, the women wear dresses made by the finest designers. The men do corporate battles. I plan lavish events all the time.

STUART: Look, we will get through this. It’s just going to take some time.

JUDITH: What if time is not on our side?

STUART: Then, we will scrape together every last dime we have. That way, we can by ourselves and this family some time.

JUDITH: Well, my darling, there is one thing that I’ve realized today.

STUART: And, what have you realized today?

JUDITH: This family doesn’t even have enough money to buy a clock.

Judith walks out of the room. Stuart lets out a sigh.

Back at Anderson Manufacturing, in the CEO Office, Lindsay and Thomas go to sit down on the couch in the office.

LINDSAY: I still can’t believe dad married that evil, vindictive woman. And, has dad forgotten that I am only two years younger than her?

THOMAS: I can’t believe it either. However, I can understand where he is coming from right now. I wish you could understand his position in life a little more too.

LINDSAY: Well, go ahead, help me understand.

THOMAS: Lindsay, our mother has been gone for two years now. I think dad needed a fresh start. Did he latch on to the wrong woman? There is no doubt about that. But, he saw mom slip before his very eyes. He saw what breast cancer did to her. Cut the man a little bit of slack. He is just trying to relive a small part of his glory days.

LINDSAY: He could’ve gone with anyone else. There are plenty of women in this town. But, Cynthia just had to be the one. Look, I don’t care what dad feels for this woman. She can’t stick around in his life. I will not stand for it. So, will you help me help our dad?

THOMAS: Well, I guess that I don’t have a choice.

LINDSAY: I’m glad you’re joining me. (standing) Now, let’s get going. We have to beat dad and his new bride to the mansion.

THOMAS: (standing) You still want to surprise him and Cynthia?

LINDSAY: Thomas, our one job in this whole plan right now is just to act as normal as possible. That includes being the children that are happy for their daddy. Now, let’s go.

Lindsay grabs her purse and car keys. The two head to the door, open it, and walk out of the office. Thomas shuts the door behind them.

Back at the Jackson Family Home, in the Living Room, Jennifer and Philip are sitting on the couch. The two are looking at photos on Philip’s phone. Philip swipes right. A picture of Amy and Mimi at a bakery shows up on the phone.

PHILIP: I went with them to help pick out their wedding cake. Believe it or not, they could not make up their minds. We were there for hours.

JENNIFER: (laughs/sarcastic) What? Two women can’t make up their minds? I don’t know what you’re talking about. That has never happened before.

PHILIP: Ha, ha, ha, very funny.

JENNIFER: Thanks. I try to be. Anyway, thank you for coming all this way to cheer me up. This was really sweet of you to do.

PHILIP: It was my pleasure. Hey, by the way, are you free tonight?

JENNIFER: Actually, I don’t know. Why?

PHILIP: Well, I am tired of ordering takeout in my office for every meal. So, what would you say to dinner tonight? I could pick you up at six?

JENNIFER: I would say ‘yes’, but I do have all of this work to get done. Plus, I just feel like I need to get some things in order. Rain check?

PHILIP: Of course we can take a rain check. I understand.

JENNIFER: I love you for understanding. I really do.

PHILIP: I love you too.

Back on the Anderson Private Jet, Cynthia takes a drink from her cup of coffee. She then puts the mug on an end table by the couch.

MICHAEL: I don’t think there’s a reason to be that worried.

CYNTHIA: Michael, I hope for my sake, you’re right.

MICHAEL: I know that I am.

CYNTHIA: (sighs) And, who knows? I could be worrying about nothing. I just don’t want anything to get in the way of us starting our new life together. And, to tell you the truth, I hope that one day Lindsay and I can form a great relationship together.

MICHAEL: I hope that you can too.

CYNTHIA: Now, I am not trying to be her mother. I know that no one can fill the space in her heart that was and still is held by Susan. I just hope that we can at least become friends. I think a friendship between us gals would be good. And, I will do everything I can to make sure we have a good relationship.

MICHAEL: I love you so much. You are an amazing woman.

CYNTHIA: Thank you, honey. Thank you so much for saying that. And, I love you too. I love you very, very, very much.

Cynthia smiles and kisses Michael passionately.

Back at the Jackson Family Home, in the Living Room, Jennifer is now alone. She is pacing around the room. She then walks up to the picture of her mother and father.

JENNIFER: Gosh, has it really been a year? It does not seem like it has been that long. I miss you two so much. I just wish that you guys were still alive. Still with me. Still with Joshua.You know what? It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that you two are gone. You were taken from me (sobs) way too soon. I just want my parents back.

Then, Jennifer’s phone rings. She collects herself and goes over to her purse. She then pulls out her phone. She sets her purse down and answers her phone.

JENNIFER: (on the phone) Hello. Yes, this is Jennifer. Oh, it’s you. So, what do you got for me? Do you know who killed my parents? So, you still don’t know. Great. Wait. Hold on. What do you mean you have a lead? Oh my god. This is huge. Yeah...I’ll tell my brother. In fact, I’ll call him right now. Okay. Bye.

As soon as Jennifer hangs up the phone, she immediately dials her brother’s number and puts the phone back up to her ear.

(SPLIT SCREEN: HOSPITAL/JACKSON HOUSE)

JOSHUA: (on the phone) Hey, sis. What’s up?

---

JENNIFER: (on the phone) Joshua, this is about mom and dad.

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JOSHUA: What about mom and dad?

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JENNIFER: Our Private Investigator finally has a lead. He thinks that he might be one step closer to finding out who was responsible for the deaths of mom and dad.

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JOSHUA: I’m on my way home right now.

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JENNIFER: Oh...and...Joshua.

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JOSHUA: Yes?

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JENNIFER: One more thing. Let’s finally get some justice for mom and dad.

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JOSHUA: I know that we will. I love you so much, sis.

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JENNIFER: I love you too. Bye.

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JOSHUA: Bye.

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Jennifer ends the call, which ends the split screen.

---

Jennifer walks back over to the fireplace mantle. She takes the photo of her parents and holds the frame containing the photo close to her.

JENNIFER: We will find the bastard who did this to you two. I can promise you that. I will not rest till the both of you get justice.

The camera zooms in on Jennifer’s determined face.

***FADE OUT***
***END OF EP. 1***