The ATWT Daily Recaps Archive offers a day-by-day history of As The World Turns. Fans can relive favorite moments and research ATWT's past with weekly and daily summaries from 1996 through the final episode in 2010.
The ATWT Daily Recaps Archive offers you day-to-day summaries of As The World Turns beginning in 1996 and continuing through the series' final episode in 2010. To view any of the daily recaps here, simply review the brief summaries provided for each each.
To read that week's comprehensive recaps, simply click on the appropriate link located under that week's summary and you'll have access to the complete Monday through Friday daily recaps for that week.
To access As The World Turns recaps from any other year through the present calendar year, please click on the corresponding link in the Recaps Quick View or visit our Daily Recaps Achive index, which also provides fun features like our throwback recaps for this week in ATWT history.
JANUARY 1997
January 6 to 10, 1997
Pilar pulled through her surgery. Lucinda fired Emily from WorldWide, and Emily rebounded quickly. Lily learned Diego's true identity.
January 13 to 17, 1997
Connor's divorce was final from Cal -- and just in time too. Margo and Lily planned against Diego. Emma went to Maryland to convince Holden to return home. Holden returned -- and heard Lily tell Diego a startling admission.
January 20 to 24, 1997
Mark learned that Umberto might have killed Jones. John and Barbara got arrested. Holden overheard Lily propose to Diego. Mark took a gun to Lily and Diego's engagement party.
January 27 to 31, 1997
Due to technical difficulties, this week of recaps is not available. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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FEBRUARY 1997
February 3 to 7, 1997
February 10 to 14, 1997
Lily and Diego went ahead with the wedding. Lucinda and Holden escaped from their "grave." Mark bought a gun off the street. Margo's PTSD episodes became more intense. Diego was murdered following the wedding.
February 17 to 21, 1997
Lily admitted to shooting Diego and was subsequently arrested. Margo couldn't find her gun. Holden revealed to Lily that he had regained his memory. Pilar told Mike that she was in love with him.
February 24 to 28, 1997
Kim began to show signs of short-term memory problems. Pilar fought to have Lily's bail denied. Margo's PTSD episodes got worse. Ryder was added to the list of suspects in Diego's murder. Emily confronted Pilar about Diego.
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MARCH 1997
March 3 to 7, 1997
Tom turned Lily's case over to David after Margo compromised it. Emily stole Diego's body. Pilar was successful in getting Lily's bail denied. Cal learned of Mark's hideaway and found a gun and bloody shirt. Lucinda proposed a deal for Kirk to be the "fall guy" for Diego's murder.
March 10 to 14, 1997
Hal found evidence that made a strong case against Mark in Diego's murder. Cal admitted that he was jealous of Mark and Connor, and tried to implicate Mark for the murder. Pilar made a plea for Lily to David but made it worse. Pilar found evidence of Diego's involvement in Damian's death, but it had the potential to cost Mike his life. John and Barbara admitted their fondness for each other.
March 17 to 21, 1997
Due to technical difficulties, this week of recaps is not available. We apologize for the inconvenience.
March 24 to 28, 1997
Holden and Lily had a joint imagination experience where Lily envisioned herself out of jail. Connor told Kirk and Cal about her engagement to Mark. There were scenes with Margo and Emily that made them look like each could be the killer. Margo found a gun in Hal's coat and buried it in the trash. Later, she dug it out again. She then broke into David's apartment. Emily blackmailed Lucinda at gunpoint and told Lucinda she'd shoot her, just like she'd shot Diego. It worked and got her contract signed. Later Emily and Kirk celebrated. Molly told Lily to watch out for Kit. Kit got even with her.
March 31 to April 4, 1997
Kit and some of her flunkies decided it was payback time for "Princess" Lily. Holden discovered a bullet lodged in the church's marker. Lucinda closed EAS. Emily went to the City Times for her first day of work. Lily met with a mysterious man who stopped to visit her. Emily found Margo in a fugue state.
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APRIL 1997
April 7 to 11, 1997
Susan confronted Emily about putting her personal hit list on the front of the City Times. Mark and Connor enjoyed a romantic evening on the roof. Molly told Lily about her first love, a man that she had never been able to get out of her head. Margo found the gun that killed Diego. Holden caught a stranger going through his things at the farm. Tom arranged for a locked room in the psychiatric ward for Margo.
April 14 to 18, 1997
Diego's body was found in the trunk of Margo's car. Lily was set free, and Margo was arrested for killing Diego Santana. Samantha Markum returned to Oakdale. Jack Snyder had a link to a shady mysterious caller who wanted to buy the Falcon Club. Margo connected the "scent" to Kirk and started remembering what had happened at "the wedding from hell."
April 21 to 25, 1997
David continued his investigation of Mark. Mark told Connor about his background. Margo realized that Kirk had killed Diego, but had no evidence. Samantha got Kirk to confess on tape. Lily and Holden bonded when she showed him the home she was building. Jack continued to work for Stenbeck.
April 28 to May 2, 1997
Lily Grimaldi and her son, Luke, moved into their new home. Samantha Markum got Kirk Anderson to confess to killing Diego Santana, while Hal Munson was hiding and taping the whole thing. It turned into a hostage situation when Kirk pulled a gun and grabbed Sam. James Stenbeck shot Kirk in the shoulder. Kirk was arrested. James told Lucinda Walsh that their son that she thought had been stillborn 30 years earlier was really alive and well...and was named David Allen. Nikki Munson ran away to be with Ryder Hughes. Lily helped Molly Conlan make bail. Connor Walsh and Mark Kasnoff's treehouse was demolished. Emily got closer to the truth about Kirk's shooter.
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MAY 1997
May 5 to 9, 1997
Lucinda found Mrs. Thompkins, the wife of Dr. Thompkins, who had delivered Lucy's son. Mrs. Thomkins told Lucinda that the baby was alive, and had not been stillborn. Molly moved into Lily's house and was avoiding Holden, but Jack saw her and recognized her as "Holden's Molly." Nikki found a girl in Ryder's bed at South Beach. Ryder had planned it so she'd go back home and go to school. Samantha had a date with "Mr. James." James told her a secret -- that he planned to marry her in a couple of months. Amber posed as an HMO representative and conned John. Jack received a mysterious phone call. Jack said if James caught him, he was dead.
May 12 to 16, 1997
John and Barbara spent the night together. James visited Margo at the sanitarium, but Tom had doubts about her story. David leaked information about Margo's hallucinations to Internal Affairs, and Tom fired him because of it. Lucinda got evidence that David might be her son. Kirk recanted his confession. Molly attempted to bail out on Lily, but Jack stopped her. Jack scared away someone going after James. Connor put in a bid for Mark for a construction project, to his chagrin. A disbelieving Lucinda had a DNA test done to see if David was her son.
May 19 to 23, 1997
Holden and Molly finally met face-to-face. Molly moved back into Lily's house. Lily was a bit jealous. John and Barbara made love. Sam visited Kirk at jail. Everyone found out that David Allen had been made D.A. Tom told David that he'd be sorry he'd every heard of Oakdale. Sam had a date with "Mr. James;" Lucinda followed, and after everyone left, Lucinda lowered a rifle on James. Lily and Holden went off for a romantic rendezvous.
May 26 to 30, 1997
Molly confessed to Jack that she'd had Holden's baby twelve years earlier, when she was only 15. National Health Tech, owned by James Stenbeck, bought out Memorial Hospital, which led to John Dixon being Bob Hughes's boss. Sam went to Kirk for help. Snooping finally led Emily to "Fairwinds;" she was horrified to find James there. Holden asked Lily to marry him. In an unknown location, Damian was alive and recovering.
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JUNE 1997
June 2 to 6, 1997
James held Emily hostage. Molly asked Jack to help her find her and Holden's child she had put up for adoption twelve years earlier. With memories of Damian flooding her mind, Lily asked Holden if he'd wait a while for an answer to his proposal. Sam agreed to hold off on the divorce so she wouldn't have to testify against Kirk. Camille recognized Margo's picture of James. Lucinda devised a plan to see if David was more like her or James. Lucinda broke into Fairwinds, cracked the safe, and stole some microfilm -- but someone grabbed her on the way out. Amber poisoned Kirk. Mark thought David was the one who had set him up for the Wonder Building fall, because his name had been listed as owner on the deed.
June 9 to 13, 1997
Sam found Kirk unconscious in his cell and saved him. Jack was the one who had grabbed Lucinda. Lucinda knew he was an agent for the government. Jack wanted the microfilm. Lucinda made him use David to arrest James, or no microfilm. Barbara had been queasy lately, but she wanted to forget her relationship with John. The free clinic opened. Since Jack couldn't help Molly, she hired a private eye to find her daughter. The courts froze Mark's accounts. Connor went to David for help, but there was a catch. Tom didn't believe Margo, so Margo checked herself out of the mental hospital and left. James found out that Jack was an undercover agent and told Amber to get rid of him. Off in parts unknown, some men talked of a name Damian remembered, but he wasn't sure what it meant..."Lily."
June 16 to 20, 1997
Mark found Emily at Fairwinds and quietly rescued her. Amber and James discovered Jack's true identity. James ordered Jack and his fellow agents killed. Amber shot Jack, but Molly found him and got him help. James set up John and Barbara at the Falcon Club, drugged them, and left them locked inside. Molly found and saved them. Damian remembered Lily and his son, but not all the details. David confronted James at Fairwinds and said that he was turning James over to the authorities. James told David that he was David's father. Lucinda got caught listening at Fairwinds. Emily sneaked back into her room at Fairwinds with a tape recorder and a gun; no one ever knew she had been gone
June 23 to 27, 1997
James Stenbeck told David Allen that he was David's father. David turned him over to the police anyway. Amber escaped. Lucinda being David's mother was still a secret. Emily told Lucinda that she knew Lucinda's secret. John called Margo and Tom in Switzerland and let them know James Stenbeck was alive. With Holden's blessing, Lily went to Maryland, to the crash site, and told Damian's memory goodbye. Molly told Holden about their baby she had given up for adoption twelve years earlier.
June 30 to July 4, 1997
Margo was cold to Tom, because he didn't trust her judgment about James. David arrested Lucinda on falsifying securities charges, which James had tipped him off to. James had planted the false evidence. Dr. Bob Hughes told Barbara that she was pregnant and wanted to know if she'd tell John. Margo went to see James in jail. At the big Fourth of July party at Tom and Margo's, Lisa figured out that Barbara was pregnant. Molly and Holden told Lily about the baby they'd made 12 years earlier. Emily and David plotted the downfall of Lucinda Walsh.
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JULY 1997
July 7 to 11, 1997
Damian returned to a stunned Lily. Luke remembered his "Papa." Damian thanked Holden for taking care of Luke and Lily. Holden left for Florida on a tip Jack had found, to try to find his and Molly's daughter. James got moved to the Federal penitentiary and wouldn't corroborate Lucinda's claim to be David's mother. David planned to prosecute Lucinda. Lily was glad Damian had survived, but was upset that it was going to mess up her and Holden's plans. Lily had Damian sleep in the guest room after he offered to stay at the Lakeview Towers. Lily realized that Damian was suffering from his traumas and decided to wait to tell him about her plans to marry Holden. Kirk cheated and won big at the Falcon Club; Sam had to take him on as a partner in order not to go under.
July 14 to 18, 1997
Damian went to see a very startled Margo. Tom took Lucinda's case. Jack joined the Oakdale Police Department. Barbara and Kirk joined forces to help each other out. Damian vowed to get Lily and Luke back. Holden's trip to Florida turned up no clues for finding his and Molly's daughter. Mark and Connor left for Spain to help Mike with a construction job. Lucinda's pre-hearing didn't go well, and a trial date was set. Damian saw the rest of Oakdale at the Breast Cancer Benefit. Lucinda and David shared a dance. At the benefit, Lily sneaked away from Damian and shared a kiss with Holden. Molly asked Jack out on a date, while Holden watched.
July 21 to 25, 1997
Kirk teamed up with David to take over WorldWide and with Barbara to make Sam and John jealous. Barbara was still determined not to tell John about the baby. Emma "helped" Molly make dinner for Jack. Holden continued to wait for Lily to come clean with Damian, who was in serious denial about their relationship. Margo took Emily to a support meeting at the rape crisis center. Jack gave Holden and Molly news about their daughter. Emily told David that Lucinda was his mother. David got angry and frightened Emily. Damian took Lily on a picnic, where they shared memories, fun, and a passionate kiss.
July 28 to August 1, 1997
Barbara experienced complications with the baby, and John wanted to know what was happening. David apologized to Emily and tried to help by calling Susan. Ben and Camille enjoyed a romantic evening at the Falcon Club. Lisa helped Damian plan a surprise wedding. Lily told Damian that she loved Holden, but Damian wouldn't give up. Emily shared her rape experience with the group at the rape crisis center. Margo and Tom got steamy but cut it short when they argued. Ben told Jess that he was seeing someone else. Barbara told John that she was pregnant. Holden planned to whisk Lily away to elope. Molly told Holden about what she'd seen.
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AUGUST 1997
August 4 to 8, 1997
Barbara revealed to John that he was her baby's father. Ben was arrested while on a picnic with Camille and filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Oakdale Police Department. Tom agreed to represent Ben. Tom and Margo took a big step toward happiness. Emily found proof that Lucinda was innocent, and David dropped the charges. Molly and Damian conspired to keep Lily and Holden apart. Holden and Molly mistakenly thought that Lily and Damian had been married, but Damian had decided to return to the seminary and encouraged Lily to go to Holden. Jack found Abigail's adoptive parents. Molly convinced Holden to go to Chicago to look for Abigail.
August 11 to 15, 1997
Kirk and David locked horns about control of WorldWide. Kirk offered Lucinda a job at WorldWide and took great pleasure in ordering her around. Emily helped David clear Kirk. Holden and Molly searched for their daughter and found her at a small-town carnival, with Jack and Lily hot on their heels -- not hot enough, however. Lew appeared in Oakdale and informed Camille that he was applying for a position at Memorial. The city offered Ben an out-of-court settlement, which he refused. Barbara and John bickered while trying to find a niche with each other. Kirk and Sam steamed up the office at the Falcon Club.
August 18 to 22, 1997
Camille pretended not to know Lew. Holden and Molly saw Abigail at the carnival; she was happy with her family. Molly got pictures. Lucinda and David told Kirk how they were related. Lily and Jack had car trouble and near-misses in their pursuit of Holden and Molly. Barbara saw a softer side of John. David wanted to give up the D.A.'s office to get closer to Lucinda. Holden and Molly did the nasty, in a cheap motel, during the storm. Lily caught up, saw them going at it, and fled unseen by the busy pair. Lew sneaked into Camille's apartment and fixed her breakfast. Kim and Bob helped Ben deal with his choice about the lawsuit. Barbara was having complications again. Lily made Jack promise not to tell Holden what she had seen or where she had gone. Jack told Holden that Lily hadn't married Damian. Lily went to see Damian at the monastery in Maryland.
August 25 to 29, 1997
Lew told Camille that he was going to move to Oakdale, but she wanted him to leave her alone. John took Barbara to the hospital, where she was assigned to complete bed rest. Jack told Holden and Molly that Lily hadn't married Damian. Lily went to the monastery in Maryland to see Damian. Damian sent her home to Holden. David decided to resign as D.A. to go to work at WorldWide, with Lucinda. David went to talk to his parents, who resided at the cemetery. Lily and Holden confronted each other. Lily and Molly had a run-in. David told John to get Ben to drop his case, or John would lose his job. Emily told David about her past with James. Tom, "Mr. Gibson," successfully planned and executed a romantic evening with Margo. Samantha fired Molly. Camille got accepted to Oakdale University. Lily gave Holden back his engagement ring. Molly contrived a plan to get Holden alone. Holden called the monastery to see if Damian was still there. Lew feigned leaving Oakdale.
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SEPTEMBER 1997
September 1 to 5, 1997
Ben made a speech about his arrest and reasons for suing the Oakdale Police Department at Tom and Margo's barbecue, after encountering some flack. Holden went to see Damian at the monastery. Damian apologized for interfering, and told Holden that he wouldn't anymore, unless Lily called and needed him. Nikki agreed to go to college, instead of the police academy, as long as she could still work part-time at the PD. Lucinda gave Lily the news that David was Lucinda's son. Lily didn't like it. David found a figurine of a dove in his attic that Damian had given to Lily years before. David gave it to Lily as a peace offering. The figurine was harboring a listening device. Camille started classes at Oakdale University. Lily and Molly had a confrontation. Molly's plan to get Holden out of town started falling into place.
September 8 to 12, 1997
John told David that he wouldn't do David's dirty work and quit Health Tech. John and Barbara shared their feelings of love for one another. Carly was the mystery person out in Montana. Molly managed to stay in Montana near Holden, with a little help from cousin Carly. Lily investigated, found out, and shared that David Allen's parents had died in 1983. David hired Peter to distract Lily. David and Emily were moving towards closer relations. Kirk tried to make a love nest with Samantha. Jack had his hands full, trying to run interference between Holden and Molly.
September 15 to 19, 1997
Holden leveled with Molly, but felt guilty when she was hurt. Carly was getting to the bottom of a mystery. Jack thought he was onto Carly and Molly's schemes. Peter made a start with Lily. Emily and David enjoyed a romantic dinner, but he insisted that they wait to be intimate. Nikki and Terri teamed up against David. Camille's mother, Sara Ruth, arrived in town, and she made no secret about her feelings for her daughter's beaus. Sara Ruth and Lew bonded. Nikki and Terri got a warning. Lily flipped out when she found out that Molly was in Montana with Holden.
September 22 to 26, 1997
Emma found a delirious Lily standing in the rain. When she collapsed, Emma rushed her to Memorial where Bob theorized that she was suffering from a heart condition. Emma called Holden in Montana and urged him to return home. Holden rushed to Lily's side and discovered that Molly had lied to him. Jack discovered the truth about the relationship between Carly and Molly. Carly sold the ranch and returned to Oakdale. After feeling their baby kick for the first time, John proposed to Barbara. Lew told Pamela he was going home. Nikki and Terri got an edge on David. Ben's lawsuit was held over for trial, but he and Camille got a troubling message via a broken window.
September 29 to October 3, 1997
Holden stayed by Lily's side as she began to forgive him. Molly contemplated doing away with Lily, but resisted at the last moment. Ben decided to protect Camille by staying away from her, but they still received a threatening package. Nikki and Terri learned more about David's parents, but Emily threw an obstacle in their way. David and Emily shared a tender moment. John threw Barbara an engagement party. Carly told Molly about her past and used her wiles to gain the assistance of a lab tech who delivered some disturbing news to Lily.
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OCTOBER 1997
October 6 to 10, 1997
After hearing that Molly was pregnant, Lily fled Memorial with David's help. Holden tracked down Lily. David announced that Lew was National HealthTac's new administrator. Ben pushed Camille toward Lew, who took full advantage of the situation. Molly paid a visit to Abigail, but Alice was suspicious. Molly got an earful from Emma and Jack. Lisa grudgingly gave Carly a second chance. Carly confided in Jack. Lucinda found out about Sam and Kirk. David lost Fairwinds and moved into Casa de Walsh, but Emily had reservations.
October 13 to 17, 1997
Lily gave Holden the news about Molly, but he wasn't fooled. Holden gave Molly an ultimatum, but she had a trick up her sleeve. Hal went to Carly's rescue, then gave her a job. Emily gave Molly a job. Ben took drastic steps to keep Camille safe, and Lew was happy to pick up the pieces. Barbara and John reached an understanding about trust in their relationship. Lucinda, at David's urging, invited Sam and Kirk to live with her. David and Emily grew closer as he told her the story of his parents' deaths.
October 20 to 24, 1997
Lily and Holden stood united against Molly as she tried to use emotional blackmail to get what she wanted. Carly convinced Hal to give her another chance and continued to spin her web. Jack threw a monkey wrench in Carly's plan. Lew steered the stalker away from Camille and onto Ben, who was getting fed up. Reverend Dansby rallied the community behind Ben, but he received an unwelcome visitor at the hospital. David and Emily got intimate, but a disgusted Lucinda interrupted them. Lucinda asked David to work with her at WorldWide and started to exercise her maternal influence.
October 27 to 31, 1997
Molly left Holden and Lily feeling helpless, but didn't go through with the "abortion." Molly contemplated doing away with Lily and staged a suicide. Ben met face-to-face with his stalker. Lew tried to take advantage of the situation by getting closer to Camille.
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NOVEMBER 1997
November 3 to 7, 1997
Holden saved Molly, but her scheme was unraveled as he discovered that the pregnancy was a hoax. Lily and Holden shared a romantic evening and proposed to each other. Ben caught the skinhead and turned him over to the police. Teague vowed vengeance after he was fired. After making love to Camille, Lew jetted off to Philadelphia to appease Pamela. Ben and Camille reconciled. Jack and Carly came up empty-handed and pointing fingers, but Carly gave it another try on her own. Lucinda enlisted James's help in breaking up David and Emily. John and Barbara planned their wedding.
November 10 to 14, 1997
John and Barbara married, but John was plagued by nightmares. Ben and Camille enjoyed a picnic in the park. Sarah Ruth started flexing her muscles with her new business partners. Jessica unwittingly cooperated with Lew's plan to break the truth to Ben. Molly carried out her latest plan to break up Holden and Lily. Cal gave Lily and Holden a special wedding present. Lucinda added David to her will, and Emily said goodbye. Hal rescued Carly from Vic's clutches, but Jack threw some accusations her way. Hal and Carly enjoyed a night out on the town. Teague made plans.
November 17 to 21, 1997
Jessica told Ben that Camille and Lew had slept together. Molly attempted to make love to the drugged Holden. Carly and Hal got closer. Holden barely escaped being arrested. The doctored tape was delivered to Lily. Ben decked Lew. Holden tried to have Molly arrested, but only ended up looking bad. He threatened her in front of witnesses. Carly saved Jack's bacon when she grabbed the "planted" drugs before the cops arrived at his apartment. Pamela showed up in Oakdale. Everyone gathered at the church for the unity concert. As the concert began, Teague started a fire.
November 24 to 28, 1997
All of Oakdale felt the effects of the fire. Carly stayed by Molly's bedside. Chris blamed himself for his mother's condition. Teague was worried when he learned that Molly was still alive. David went on dialysis. Lucinda and Lisa shared a warm moment. Andy returned. John did what he thought was best for the baby.
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DECEMBER 1997
December 1 to 5, 1997
Lew found himself at Ben's mercy. Molly claimed that she couldn't remember anything after Holden threatened to kill her. Lucinda learned that David was not her son. John sat in a rocking chair and talked to his son until Johnny died. Carly told Chris that the fire hadn't been his fault. Barbara awoke from her coma. Lily and Holden set a wedding date. Lucinda bugged David's hospital room.
December 8 to 12, 1997
Barbara couldn't understand why John had let their baby die. Holden was arrested. Camille and Sara Ruth cared for Lew's son while he was in the hospital. Margo was secretly reinstated as a detective. Molly bragged to Carly that she just about had Holden where she wanted him. Carly daydreamed about having Hal's baby -- and the 50 million dollars. Molly remembered who had beaten her and started the fire, but she kept it to herself. Kim and Jennifer met at death's door.
December 15 to 19, 1997
Ben planned a trip to Paris for Camille, never realizing that she had been there -- and with Lew. Kim woke up. Molly threatened that if Holden didn't marry her, she would testify against him. Margo and Jack went undercover to catch Teague. Molly stole the outtake tape from the studio seconds before Holden and Lily arrived. Lew almost died. James began pursuing Sam. Lucinda learned that David had never passed the bar exam. Lily told Emma that she was going to have Holden's baby. Molly moved into Emma's house.
December 22 to 26, 1997
David snooped at Jessica's desk and saw the agreement between Rosanna and Carly. The assets at the City Times were frozen, leaving Emily with nothing. Barbara continued to turn away from John. Margo refused to allow Hal to take Adam to Al's diner with him and Carly. Lew hid the fact that he had feeling returning to his legs. Holden told Jack that he wasn't going to marry Molly. He was going to marry Lily, but it was all a secret. David blackmailed Carly. Kirk got his old job back at WorldWide. All the Oakdale families celebrated Christmas.
December 29, 1997 to January 2, 1998
Camille confronted Lew with all his lies and game-playing. David was arrested for fraud. Jack wore a wire. Holden and Lucinda made secret plans for his wedding to Lily. Barbara accused John of playing God. Hal and Carly went away to the Inn, but their lovemaking was interrupted -- again. Molly discovered that her tape had been switched for a tape on tourism. She freaked out.
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