Jaw droppers. If you had to pick a theme for today's show, that's what you'd have to pick. Mateo urged Hayley to return to Pine Valley because things were getting a little too heated in Jamaica. Reluctantly, Hayley agreed but not after getting a few last minute kisses from her beau Matt. Taylor's whirlybird excursion should have had an overlay of the song "It's A Small World." Hey Disney does own AMC now! Anyway, Taylor somehow amazingly managed to zoom in on Noah and Julia's location, but told the chooper pilot to back off because she wanted to make a ground attack on the fugitives. Later Taylor stumbled through the brush spouting how Noah knows that she is the perfect woman for him and that no one will stand in her way. Liza admitted to her mother that she did sleep with Tad. But the discussion quickly turned in to how Tad had made Marian the laughing stock of Pine Valley back in the days of "Tad the Cad." Marian confessed that she still habors feelings of resentment for Tad because of how he slept with her and Liza at the same time. But when Marian asked her daughter about her feelings, a side of Liza not often seen emerged. Liza admitted that she came to Pine Valley as a means of getting revenge on her former lover. But that was then. Now Liza's plans have taken an unexpected route---she's fallen in love with Tad. Tad pressed the stagehand for information on who gave the orders to pick up Tad's tapes and erase them. When the assistant couldn't come up with an answer, Tad fired him on the spot. But a visit from Vending-Coat Charlie, completely equipped with peanuts and alcohol from his plane trip from California, may change Tad's grumpy outlook. Charlie asked Tad why he was so down. Tad filled Chuck in on how he has changed ever since Laurel's shooting and that he is battling Liza for the station manager's job. Charlie asked Tad if he remembers that no two objects can occupy the same space and that if he wants Liza's job that must mean that he wants Liza outta town. Tad said he is totally aware of the laws of physics and that he does want Liza to pull a disappearing act so that he can put his sleeping with her in a vault and lock it up. Erica was stunned to see Maria show up at the family counselling session. But when Maria started in on the therapy, in which she tells how she felt all during Erica's drug dependency, things got heated. Erica asked to leave the room so that she could use the restroom---an excuse so that she could "get out of the kitchen" so to speak. She ran into Myrtle, who told Erica that she needs to come to terms with everything so that she can get back to her normal life as the grand Erica Kane. Erica's heavy heart lifted and she returned to the counselling session where she made a stunning announcement. She finally revealed that Dr. Kinder was not responsible for the hit-and-run accident, she was.

The jury returned with a verdict in Michael's suit against the Pine Valley school board. I thought they'd break the mold of jury decisions, but they did the same "The jury has reached a verdict" to commercial break again! The decision was in favor of Michael and the verdit brought the immediate reinstatement of Michael as a teacher. The kids (Anita, Bobby, Kevin, Laura, and Scott) all wanted to be present at the issuing of the verdict but the substitute teacher said that he spoke to the principal and if anyone skipped class they would be immediately expelled. And Anita had an additional dose of bad medicine for Bobby. Hector has banned her from seeing Bobby and her free time has also been cut. No more after school studying, it's right home and top her bedroom. Michael, fresh off his court victory, returned to class where he told his students that he is back. Maria and Dimitri were stunned by Erica's revelation. Maria blasted Erica for deserting the scene after knowing that she had rammed into her own sister-in-law and a pregnant girl. But Erica wasn't done sending out shockwaves. She also apologized for Maria for the harm she caused Noah and Julia. Erica finally confessed that she tried to buy drugs from Louie Greco and would not file charges against Louie. This all, of course, led the Louie kidnapping Julia and Noah getting a bum rap for Louie's murder. There's no indication on how Maria and Dimitri will react after Erica gets out of Betty Ford, but it's a safe bet to say that there is definitely a permanent rift between them. Erica slipped out of the conference room again to talk to Myrtle about what happened in the session. But what Erica didn't know is that one of the other patients was eavesdropping on Erica's chat with Myrt. The woman quickly darted off to the phone where she called Dr. Kinder to give him a spy report. Charlie couldn't believe his ears. Especially since the last time he talked to Tad, Tad had just confessed that he kissed Liza. Now he was sleeping with her? Tad explained how it didn't mean anything to him (the same line Liza would tell he rmother later in the show) and it was jsut because they both needed someone to comfort them after Laurel's shooting. This, Tad explained, is the motivation for his seeking Liza's job. Marian tried to convince Liza that she really wasn't in love Tad, but that proved futile as Liza went on and on about how wonderful Tad was. So then Marian tried to get her daughter to launch an all-out assault against the man who is trying to ruin Liza. But again Liza refused to go after Tad. After Liza had left her mother alone, Marian vowed to seek revenge on Tad in her daughter's name.

Michael's students cheered as he announced his return to teaching. But lurking in the halls outside the classroom, Hector Santos was enraged that Mike could be back "corrupting" children so soon. He burst into Michael's class and yanked a hollering Anita out. Scott stood up and told Hector that he cannot treat Anita like a baby and said that Hector would pay for his ways. Marian called to Tad and asked if she could have a word with him. Tad agreed and Marian went immediate into her routine. She asked Tad why he is out to destory her daughter. Tad denied trying to bring Liza's walls crashing to the ground. All the time, though, Marian was eaving around her knowing that Tad and Liza slept together. Tad pretty much got tired of listening to Marian's squawking and left. But now Marian took up the crusade of bringing Tad down, the same thing he did to her years prior. Wanting to bring Dixie up to date, Marian headed over to Tad and Dixie's to have a few words with Dix, but Adam was there instead. Adam, not completely sure of what Marian had in mind, warned her to back off and leave at once---just as Dixie returned home. Adam had just ended a luncheon date with a back-in-town Hayley. Hayley told her father that she was in Jamaica with Mateo, but Adam was more concerned with his daughter's deserting of her company. Just as Adam was about to leave, Derek and Jack decided to start questioning Hayley about why she was in Jamaica. Privately and beforehand, Jack and Derek did a little mindstorming together to figure out why Matt and Hayley were in Jamaica. Jack came up with the idea that Matt might have went to Jamaica to talk Julia into coming home. That way Jack wouldn't have to file charges against Matt for aiding a fugitive. Hayley told the twosome that she and Matt went for relaxation, but that lie was very transparent. Hayley eventually tipped over the box and let spill the whole story on her Jamaican adventure. She also told the pair that she knew Taylor was there waving around a gun and impersonating an officer of the law. At first Jack didn't buy into Hayley's story, but he got a chance to see if it was right when Vivienne just happened to walk into the Valley Inn. Jack and Derek as Vquestions about her daughter, but Vplayed dumb (not that she actually knows anything), but Vivienne did deny that Taylor had a gun. When Derek recalled Taylor's meltdown when he told her she was off the force, the pieces started to fit together and the two said it was not that far a reach to see that Taylor may have perjured herself in court. Corinne told Lila that she could see a very dark force moving towards Julia and that she was in grave danger, but it is too late to keep her safe. Julia, alone in the makeshift shelter, received "Telepathic" images from Noah. But can Julia do anything to fend off the maniacle ways of Taylor---who is slinking around right outside?

Marian barely flinched when Adam ordered her to keep her mouth shut and not tell Dixie that Tad had an affair with Liza. When Dixie walked into the room and found the duo in an extremely tense standoff, they covered by saying Marian was trying to sell Adam some real estate. Dixie bought the excuse and left the two alone to talk shop. Marian insisted that she needs to seek out revenge on Tad for trying to ruin Liza. Adam didn't buy one word of Marian's story. Instead he tossed everything right back in Marian's face, saying that she is reliving history and just wants to get in Tad's pants! Well of course Marian denied all the allegations and professed her new found maternal instincts were making her a guardian of Liza's best interests. Adam warned Marian that if she says anything, she'll have his as an enemy (because Adam Jr would be involved). Seeing no other alternative, Marian did agree, but Adam isn't convinced that she is being totally truthful. Hayley took the initiative to sweep over to Vivienne's dinner table and strike up conversations. Well maybe not a conversation, per se, but a plea for Mummy to go to Jack and tell that she knows Taylor has a gun and could kill Julia. Viv, for the most part, refused to listen to Hayley arguing that she wants to look out for Taylor. Hayley went on to say how she knows Taylor is in Jamaica, that she drugged Matt, and that she has Louie Greco's gun. Vivienne couldn't quite figure out how Hayley was up to speed on everything that was going on. Then it hit her. Mateo was just using Taylor to get the inside scoop on Noah and Julia and was really Hayley's boyfriend. But what she couldn't figure out was if Taylor really was in Jamaica, how did she get the cash. After all she was cut off. Then Vdid a search of her wallet full of credit cards and found that one was missing. Hayley used this to urge Von and said that "the Noah phase," as Vivienne calls it, isn't a phase. Once again, however, Vivienne brused it off saying that Taylor would eventually come back down to earth. Hayley called up a favor from an old friend to get the address of the guy Tayloy paid off to back-up her "Noah killed Louie" theory. When Halo got there she found that this mysterious guy was nowhere to be found and the landlady hasn't seen him in weeks. She called up Jack to tell him the news, but got some news of her own. Jack thanked Hayley for the tip and told her that he is on his way to Jamaica. Pierce moved into his new apartment by the art gallery and had a host of visitors. Brooke told Pierce how a frenzied Janet had paid her a visit. With that Stuart found Janet lurking in the hall and invited her in to see Pierce. Once in there, Brooke and Stuart left the two alone. Janet used what she overheard Brooke and Pierce saying to give herself an upperhand in the conversation. She said that separating might be the best thing for them because it would allow them to grow. She convinced Pierce that she was content with everything, but Stuart wasn't so sure. He said that something is a little screwy in Janetville. Janet returned to the cabin and pulled a tape recorder out of her purse and played back Brooke's voice. Noah managed to find an old roadway, possibly a marker on Corinne's map. Taylor burst in on Julia, but found her sleeping. Taylor pulled the gun out on Jewels and ordered her to follow her because she was under arrest. Julia threw a handful of dirt at Taylor and then struggled for the gun. It fired, but no one was hurt. Julia then raced from the cave and away from Taylor. But Taylor caught up and the two again struggled for power--this time in the torrents of the river. Julia was overpowered and took a fall backwards into the river and towards a waterfall. Hmm... Corinne's advisory to Julia about staying away from the water is looking mighty good now, huh?

The show was actually topsy-turvy with the cliffhanger occuring at the top of the show rather than at the end so you can have some fun watching me tip-toe around it as I write today's recap!
As Janet sat down and listened to her tape recording of Brooke's voice, Laura knocked at the door. Janet scampered to hide the tape recorder and then let Laura in. In wasn't long before Laura noticed that some things were missing---like the cookie jar. She asked what was wrong and Janet had no choice but to fill Laura in on everything. Laura was furious that Pierce would dump Janet and said that this meant the end of her family. Janet told Laura that she still loved her, but that she and Pierce had grown apart. The young girl came right back at Janet telling Janet how she saw her fall in love with Pierce and that it wasn't possible that they grew apart. Brooke and Pierce were getting closer to admiting their feelings for each other when Adam barged in. He said that he had been looking all over town for her and was beginning to think that she stood him up for their dinner date. Brooke said she was just dropping by to tell Pierce about a visit she had with Janet. Adam seemed to by it, but ordered Brooke to leave immediately and accompany him to dinner. Brooke said she needed to go home and freshen up first, so the two returned to Brooke's house. Laura came by the gallery a short time later to confront Pierce about leaving Janet. Laura broke down in tears as she told Pierce how Janet had fallen in love with him over the course of the summer. And she reminded Pierce that he wouldn't be the famous "sensitive artist" if Janet hadb't come along. Pierce tried to explain himself to her, but Laura took off. At that same moment, Scott stopped by the gallery to visit Stuart so Pierce sent Scott after Laura because he thought she could use a friend. Scott did his best to try to console Laura, but he had no idea what would happen next. Laura returned to her old ways and shoplifted a CD, but she was immediately caught by a salesperson. David Canary and Julia Barr showed why they've been given Emmy nominations in the past. Their acting in their scenes together was superb. Brooke was very distant to Adam, causing him to speculate that she didn't want to be with him. He told her that he knew Janet and Pierce were not getting married and since Pierce left the cabin it meant he was on the market. Adam again stated his love for Brooke and she told him that she had deep feelings for him---and Pierce! The tone in Adam's voice became increasingly angry with a touch of jealousy. That's when Brooke reminded Adam of all the things he will not let her do because he feels the need to control her. This led her to saying that she wants to date Pierce as well as Adam. Adam now had only one question: Does Brooke want to sleep with Pierce at some point in the future or has she already done so. A tearful Brooke replied that she had already had sex with Pierce. Taylor and Julia's battle ended with only one of the two women standing. Julia took a tumble backwards and went careening over the waterfall to her apparent demise. Almost immediately Corinne began gasping for breath and fell to the ground of Lila's guesthouse She told her aunt that Julia was in serious trouble and was, in fact, drowning. Corinne managed to come out of the trance unscathed, but said that it was urgent that she find Julia. She didn't get a chance to get out the front door because Jack showed up looking to ask a few questions. Corinne, the free spirit that she is, failed to cooperate with the US district attorney. Lila even helped in by sabotaging Jack's car (she took out some in it's innerds to make sure it wouldn't start). When Jack re-entered the guesthouse to find Corinne, she had already vanished into the woods. Taylor stoof over the waterfall mocking Julia, saying that is she had been a good girl she wouldn't have ended up dead. But Taylor's plans hit a hitch when Noah returned earlier than she had expected. He couldn't find Julia anywhere so he set off to find her. But not before he came within inches of Taylor, who was hiding in the cave. Taylor mumbled to herself that Noah would never find Julia because she was "gone."