Burden of Truth – Witch Hunt

By: Stacy Miller

At a campsite by the fire, Luna (Star Slade), Molly (Sara Thompson), Taylor (Anwen O’Driscoll), Georgia (Cassandra Potenza) and Amanda (Katie Douglas) sit around talking about prom. Luna is excited and asked whether she and Molly will be going together. Soon, Amanda tells the girls to stand up, hold hands and close their eyes because she found a healing ritual. “May the shining light within my soul, heal my now and make me whole,” the girls begin chanting in unison. Georgia records the ritual on her cellphone. “I’m healed, it worked,” laughs one of the girls.

The next day which is Sunday, Joanna (Kristin Kreuk) is hard at work at Crawford and Associates reviewing the evidence for the case. Billy enters. “You know it’s the weekend right…you been here all night?” Billy (Peter Mooney) asks Joanna. “Couldn’t sleep.  It’s never too early for trial strategy so we find holes in our case,” Joanna answers.  Billy tells Joanna how he almost got trampled by a few of Matheson’s guys when he came in as the townspeople don’t want it to be the mill. “I guess I’m not use to it,” Billy says. “Being the bad guy?” Joanna asks. She adds that if they are to go after the parent company of Matheson Steel, they’ll need to have a strong case.

Meanwhile, Luna gives her mother Gerrilyn (Jessica Matten) an old Apple computer she found at Billy’s office and suggests that Gerrilyn use it take her GED so they can go to college together (Even though she was on the honor roll, Gerrilyn had to drop out of high school when she became pregnant with Luna). Gerrilyn says she’ll use the computer.

At Amanda’s house, her father Pastor Parson asks where she was last night, reminding they don’t tell lies in the home. Amanda says that she was out with some friends. He tells his daughter that the girls she hangs around with are a bad crowd and are impure. “They’re not twitching because they are impure,” Amanda says. Pastor Parson suggests that she invite Molly to the morning’s service. But as Amanda picks up her spoon to eat her oatmeal, her hands starts twitching.

Billy asks Joanna whether she’s told Luna her suspicions they are sisters. Joanna answers that she refuses to blow up Luna’s life until she has proof. Luna enters. Billy tells Luna that Matheson Steel has twenty days to respond to their summons and will probably take all of them. Joanna adds that if they want to win a big settlement they have to go after the parent company but explains that “Parents aren’t responsible for the actions of their subsidiaries unless we can prove that they knew.” Billy gets a text and tells Luna and Joanna they have to go to the church.

At the church, Pastor Parson is preaching in his sermon how the sick girls were led astray and weren’t poisoned by Matheson Steel but by the toxicity of the modern world. “I want you all to think long and hard about this lawsuit. Then focus on our own decisions, things that are in our control. Some problems can’t be solved in a courtroom. Beware of silver tongues that lead us astray and remember the Devil comes in many forms.”

Joanna walks with Diane (Nicola Correia-Damude) and comments how Pastor Parson’s sermon wasn’t the first time she was called the Devil and probably won’t be the last.

At Millwood High, the principal tells Molly she violated the school’s dress code because she is wearing a top that shows her midriff and jean shorts. And unless she has a change of clothes in her locker, she will be sent home. The principal asks Diane to call Molly’s mother. But when Wendy Ross (Rebecca Gibson) arrives to pick up her daughter, instead of taking her home to change, Wendy decides to take her daughter shopping.

Someone throw a brick and smashes the window of Crawford and Associates and calls Billy a traitor.

Molly tells her mother that she didn’t need a new dress; one that Wendy couldn’t even afford. Wendy assures her daughter that she spread it out over several cards and wanted Molly to have something special for prom.  Then, she asks why Molly never told her about and Luna. Was it because she thought she wouldn’t approve?

Billy arrives at Millwood High and Diane tells him how everything has gotten worse since Molly was sent home for violating the dress code. And to make matters worse, Georgia’s parents found a video on their daughter’s phone where the girls were chanting the healing ritual.  So effective immediately, the sick girls are suspended from all school function which means they’ll miss prom. And anyone that violates the suspension will be expelled. Billy calls Joanna and she assures that if the girls get suspended, they’ll get the suspension off their records. Joanna doesn’t think attending that attending the prom is the end of the world (she didn’t go to her own prom), but Diane calls it a rite of passage. Nonetheless, Joanna believes they need to take back the narrative and shift the focus back to the toxic poison due to the barrels dumped on the field.

Billy goes to see Pastor Parson. The parson tells Billy that he doesn’t believe the Devil is responsible for the sick girls’ illness. But believes that the guilt for their sins is catching up with them. Pastor Parson also believes that Billy’s guilt over everything that happened in his own family in the town is causing him guilt.

Diane talks with Jack Lewis, Georgia’s father. Jack explains how he and his wife had a deal that she’d raise the children while he worked to support the family. Jack says his wife always feared he’d get sick and she’d have to go to work. But now, Georgia is the one that is sick. Diane encourages Jack to talk to Georgia saying that his daughter needs him.

Joanna asks Owen (Meegwun Fairbrother) to run a DNA test.

Molly goes to Amanda’s house to get her and tells Amanda to put on her dress. Then, Luna, Molly and Amanda ignore the suspension threat and crash the Millwood High prom. When a girl named Riley (Jaydee-Lynn McDougall) accuses the girls of trying to get everyone sick and then pushes Molly to the floor, Luna punches Riley in the face! Soon, Luna is sitting in the back seat of Owen’s squad car. She sites all the famous people who sat in the back seat of a police car in defense of what they believed in. Owen sees Joanna approaching the car and tells Luna that her lawyer is here. Luna tells about how her mother is her hero and she wants Gerrilyn to be happy. Joanna comments that maybe it’s not a good thing to have heroes. Fortunately, Riley has decided not to press charges but the girls will still be expelled. Owen tells Joanna to see him later about “that other thing” (the DNA test).

Luna and Joanna walk to Crawford and Associates where an alternative prom is set up (Molly’s idea). Owen gives Joanna an envelope containing the DNA results.  He assures that it wasn’t his business so he didn’t open it.

Taylor tells Luna and Molly that she has an idea. She gives Billy and Joanna paper crowns and says they are prom king and queen. Taylor suggests the new king and queen share a dance. But the mood is ruined when Joanna receives a call on her cell phone. “Is this Joanna Hanley?  Leave Millwood or you’re dead,” says the voice on the other end of the line.

As they walk alongside the lake, Molly tells Luna because her illness has delayed her (Molly) plans to leave Millwood and go off to college, she’ll be staying in the town a little while longer…with Luna.

Shaken by the threatening phone call, Joanna goes outside and sits in her car. She starts to open the envelope containing the DNA results but changes her mind. Then, Joanna drives to Millwood High School and confronts the principal.  She warns the man “If you don’t reverse their expulsion, I’ll petition the School Board for professional misconduct. And I will sue you for slander and violating their civil rights. If you can’t perform your duties un-bias and from the pressures of this town then we will find somebody who can. Furthermore, I will have your teaching license revoked then I will go after your pension. Don’t mess with my girls! ” Wow…Joanna is not playing, her determination is fierce!  She returns to Crawford and Associates and tells Billy that they have to win the case and get the girls everything they deserve. “And we need to make the person who did this pay.” “We will,” Billy assures. “I could have used these girls when I was in high school,” Joanna says. “I’m sure they like you too…they did make you a crown.” “You’re a good lawyer Billy, you’re a better uncle,” Joanna tells Billy.  He says that underneath her tough lawyer essence she’s a good person and should remember that.  Joanna receives a text and tells Billy she has to go.

She’s meets with Alan (Benjamin Ayres) and tells him that she’s built a case against Matheson Steel.  But Alan tells her that he needs her to leave the case and come home.  “I’m not leaving this case.  These girls need me,” Joanna tells Alan. To her shock, Alan servers her with legal papers and tells her that Matheson Steel has hired Carver, Thatcher and Stokes to represent them. “This is our answer to your lawsuit. Nothing. We’re going to give you nothing.” He adds that they are going to sue her for bringing false charges. “Your father sent me Jo…and we’re not here to win, we’re here to destroy you,” Alan tells Joanna.