Episode Report Card Heathen: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Abby Normal
By Heathen | Season 10 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.28.2004
Kem skips down the stairs in the Carter manse, because she's an actress wearing an empathy belly or a basketball or something, and not actually a pregnant woman, who wouldn't be so giddy and jaunty about skipping down the stairs even if an epidural were waiting for her there. She bumps into Carter and Stephen, who is frosty to her when they are introduced. Kem's more than a little startled, but Carter isn't, because he knows he was spawned from socially inept morons; indeed, he thinks it's funny, and there's nothing so charming as watching your boyfriend laugh at you because of a family joke you have no hope of getting. He's such a dear.
Carter brings Kem into the meeting and introduces her as an observer of the proceedings; all the old white dudes at the table try their best to look like crotchety and rich old codgers. Carter immediately breezes past introductions, claiming they'd take all day and delay them getting to the point, which is that he wants to let Northwestern take over the house for use as an institute for advanced health studies. Stephen looks pissed. The starched collars at the table think this idea sucks, because the foundation was created as a patron of the arts, and they think Carter's shitting all over his family's legacy by trying to save lives with the money rather than using it to sponsor some asshole's revolutionary Finger-Painting with Foodstuffs exhibit. People with patrician cheekbones and Bentleys don't hob-nob with the contagious or otherwise potentially germy. "What gives you the right?" gasps a particularly horrified old crone. "My grandmother's will gives me the right," Carter says pleasantly. He then Alexis Colbys that they can all step aside if they don't agree, and he'll replace them with a board that will. Kem touches him proudly, because she knows the power of Dynasty.
Outside the manse, Stephen spits angrily to Carter that he's irritated that Carter disappeared after Gamma's death, only to come back "like an avenging angel." He refers to Kem rather arsily as a "pregnant African girl." He's technically right, but he's also technically a jackhole. Kem appears, semi-oblivious, and smiles that she fixed some lunch. Stephen is more interested in making a pouty exit. Carter insists that Gamma trusted him, but Stephen curtly more or less tells Carter that Gamma would hate what he's doing -- and that comes with a very pointed look at Kem. He then lies that it was a pleasure to meet Kem. "I look forward to getting the wedding announcement," Stephen hisses as a parting shot. Kem snorts with mirth. "Glad I came?" she asks lightly.