The explosion of the Capwell oil rig
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Located off the bay of Santa Barbara, oil rig 22 is one of the oil rigs owned by Capwell Enterprises. The operating site contains several oil rigs including oil rig 22, and also the oil rig offered to Pamela Pepperidge (this latter also experienced an explosion of criminal origin in 1988, orchestrated by Ed Thompson).

At the time, in 1982, the explosion of the oil rig 22 had made for several days the front page of the local newspapers, including The Santa Barbara Sentinel. Between the risk of an oil spill and human victims, a real media shake had agitated the city, one even thought that C.C. Capwell, through Capwell Enterprises, would not recover from this disaster. Yet at the time, even if the ecological cause was not as present as it is today, no lawsuit had been made to Capwell Enterprises. Through his company, C.C. Capwell had done his best to help the victims, to protect the population, and perhaps also to protect the local fauna and flora.

However, at the time, no one had dared to file a complaint against Capwell Enterprises, even if some dared to talk about a certain responsibility of the businessman's oil company. Although the explosion did not cause any deaths, many employees went through this tragedy, which was not without consequences on their lives. Among the victims, those who worked closest to the drilling equipment were the most affected. One of the most serious victims is undoubtedly Benjamin Gillis. His life almost stopped just as the oil rig exploded, destroying all the dreams of this man, recently married to policewoman Maggie. A talented sportsman, a good and generous man, Ben is today only a shadow of himself. His spine broke that day and today Ben is paralyzed, deaf, blind and dumb. Only the presence of his wife Maggie at his side embodies the memory of his past life, now over.

Fortunately, other victims were more fortunate than Benjamin Gillis. Morgan Malone was seriously burned at one hand. Although Morgan physically survived with few sequelae, his personal life ended shortly after the tragedy. Unable to deal with it psychologically, Morgan slowly let himself be eaten away by the memory of the tragedy. No longer aspiring to anything, angry at everyone and no one, his marriage did not resist. Today, a black glove protecting his wounded hand, Morgan lives alone, under another name, preferring to invent another life rather than face his real life.

Finally other people were miraculously physically and psychologically spared by this tragedy. Although present on the oil rig, luck or fate protected them; this is the case among others of Coltrane and Shefter. Because they were floors below on the oil rig relative to the place of the explosion, the rescuers found when they arrived Coltrane, Shefter and others safe and sound.

The city of Santa Barbara, employees, victims, families of victims, no one at the time had considered legal proceedings against Capwell Enterprises. In the eyes of all, at first, the explosion was due to an accident. In 1982, the newspapers were mainly concerned with the victims and the consequences of the explosion. Tacitly, no one dared to speak about the possible causes and the probable responsibility of Capwell Enterprises, and more particularly that of the captain of the ship, powerful C.C. Capwell. Although for some the man may seem detestable, the city of Santa Barbara seems still marked by the weight of the tragedy that struck the most famous family of the city : the murder of the prodigal son Channing Capwell Junior. Since this dramatic event, the Capwell family, and therefore C.C., seemed protected from attacks from the press. At the time, three years earlier, The Santa Barbara Chronicles, The Santa Barbara Bulletin or The Santa Barbara Sentinel had widely commented on the murder of the heir son by Joe Perkins, then engaged to the youngest of the Capwell daughters.

Busy running hospitals, consulting specialists on specialists, young Maggie Gillis focused on the state of health of her young husband. Seriously wounded in the blast, Benjamin, the man she loved, had become a shadow... After numerous examinations and operations, the verdict arrived : Benjamin Gillis would remain paralyzed, deaf, blind and dumb for life... Maggie then took care of everything so that Ben could come back to live as often as possible at home, in their home. In her eyes, it was not a sacrifice; she only saw her husband at her side. He was there. She could see him, talk to him, touch him... Even if he, in return, was incapable. Eventually, anger slowly crept into Maggie's mind. As a police officer, she believed in law. She knew that only justice could restore Ben's lost honor. A part of herself was also hoping that by getting reparations, and therefore dollars, she could provide better care for Ben, and then... And then in those moments, Maggie started hoping for a miracle !

Maggie began to investigate. She started collecting some information here and there from Ben's former colleagues, from former employees. At first, it was just a few unrelated data. Then, slowly, tongues began to untie and, several times, she was told about safety instructions, problems of overpressure. And in the evening when she came back home, she shared with Ben her discoveries, and then a new hope filled their apartment. Very quickly Maggie understood that to go forward and get answers from Capwell Enterprises, she would have to go to justice, bring to court her doubts, her questions. That was the price of getting answers.

But no one wanted to help her find her lost dignity. In fact, even if this was never clearly said, none of the law firms of the city wanted to sue C.C. Capwell ! Each time, it is with Ben that Maggie finds the strength to continue the fight and to push other law firms doors. Through an investigation, Maggie enlists the help of Howard Otis, Peter Flint's lawyer, but this latter refuses, claiming that her case is a losing battle. If Maggie is saddened, she does not give up, confident that one day she will find the lawyer who will be able to face Capwell Enterprises.

Maggie is confident by nature. And today that confidence is reinforced with Warren Lockridge at her side. Their relationship is complicated, because unspoken and false pretenses take over the reality of their feelings. In a concern of honesty towards Warren, but also towards herself (Maggie, if she does not dare to admit it, is afraid that Warren leaves his life by discovering the truth), Maggie presents Ben to Warren and Warren to Ben. After the surprise, Warren proposes to help them in their fight to reveal the truth. He even decides to use his newspaper, The Santa Barbara Sentinel, to investigate and to offer a forum to the Gillis.

Although very busy with the reopening of the investigation into the murder of Channing Junior and the identification of Lindsay Smith, Maggie does not lose heart and continues to support her file with all the information. Maggie remains hopeful that with a complete case, it will be easier for her to convince a lawyer to defend her. Yet the information collected is in her eyes unequivocal : following a routine inspection, four major safety defects were diagnosed. If Capwell Enterprises have expressed their desire to ensure the daily safety of oil rig employees, in the eyes of specialists the defect relating to pressure valves could not be repaired in 48 hours, which obviously was done. Indirectly, Capwell Enterprises could be responsible for the accident for not having adequately taken care of the overpressure problems related to drilling.

Convinced of the merits of Maggie's actions, Warren decides to go on the offensive too. These attacks are not justified for him by the war between Capwells and Lockridges - he sincerely wishes, because he is intimately convinced, that Maggie and Ben get reparation for the suffered trauma. Obeying only his will, with the help of his close collaborator Pop MacLaughlin, Warren writes an engaged editorial that describes the daily lives of the victims of the explosion, and more particularly the daily lives of the Gillis. If Maggie feels a little betrayed by this lighting, reading the article makes her change her mind. Of course, the editorial is rich in emotion, but it deals only with real and proven facts. After its publication, Capwell Enterprises will have to provide their answers. In parallel, having learned the presence in Santa Barbara of the famous lawyer Jack Stanfield Lee, Warren accompanies Maggie to present the file to him. They are quickly dismissed by Jack Lee's assistant, Joshua Friendly, who justifies the refusal by claiming that Mr. Stanfield Lee is simply not interested in this case. As Warren will understand it later, Jack Lee is a friend of the Capwells and he does not want to harm his friend in any way, even if the case has every chance of victory in court. Lee will even inform C.C. of the chances of victory, depending on the skills of the Gillis' lawyer.

With half words, this is what Maggie understands. Nobody wants to face C.C. Capwell for fear of reprisals. Because everyone in town knows what it can cost to oppose the powerful Capwell clan leader : Joe Perkins spent five years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Mason Capwell was fired from the district attorney's office and today no law firm wants to hire him, Ted Capwell was kicked out of the villa... Nobody wants to compete with C.C. Capwell... Unless you are already a Capwell. It is this idea that begins to make its way in Maggie's mind. And if only a Capwell could face another Capwell... Repudiated from the family, disinherited from the family fortune, banished from the villa, Mason could be that one. Despite Warren's doubts, Maggie asks for Mason's help. After reading the file - especially since Cruz Castillo confirms that the pressure system could not be repaired in 48 hours - Mason hastens to accept, delighted to be able to cross swords again against his father; especially since he keeps for his little personal revenge a major asset in his hand : Lindsay Smith.

Thus, very quickly, Mason organizes a meeting that will be anything but informal. Beforehand, Mason makes Maggie sign a document that will allow her to receive in case of victory only 40% of the winnings. C.C., alerted by his lawyer Earl Stiller that it is Mason who will represent the Gillis, works so that the meeting occurs at the villa. C.C. has only one goal : to destabilize and to ridicule his son as much as possible to prevent the Gillis' request from having a chance to succeed. But, in this game of cat and mouse, sometimes the hunter becomes the prey. Accompanied by Maggie Gillis, Lindsay Smith, Warren Lockridge (he will then leave the scene very quickly, by order of C.C. who does not want a Lockridge at home), and his personal stenographer Geri Stratton, Mason enters the villa and takes place at the negotiating table. Before starting, Mason demands to Maggie not to speak; he wants to grant himself the pleasure of surprise. He opens the beginning of hostilities with an introductory argument that takes from cold Earl and C.C.. Mason argues that he is not there to revenge his father who fired him, but to defend the rights of the complainants Benjamin and Maggie Gillis. All happens as in a courtroom. Mason coldly exposes the facts, the responsibilities of Capwell Enterprises, and Earl's meager objections and arguments fail to destabilize Mason. Mason quickly states his reasoning for the calculation of the amount that will be claimed : for this he takes into account the salary over thirty years that Ben should have received, the medical expenses, the subscribed credits and... the announced amount sounds like an explosion between the arches of the villa : 20 million dollars.

Maggie remains frozen. Lindsay does not believe his ears and stares carefully at Mason. Earl is stunned and remains speechless. C.C., meanwhile, calmly stares at his son, plunging his eyes into his own. Then anger takes over. However, both are aware that the arguments put forward have succeeded. Although C.C. never knowingly intended to undermine the safety of the employees, he knows that in court he will never be believed or heard. As Mason points it out, it is David's fight against Goliath and it is easier to be on the side of the weakest ones. C.C. takes a few seconds of reflection and then speaks, dismissing his lawyer who implied that they could go to trial. It is up to him to reverse the situation, to attack ! The businessman, cold, takes back control. His decision is made, he will offer 40,000 dollars to resolve this problem outside the court. That will be his last word. Take it or leave it. Noticing a certain hesitation in Maggie, C.C. decides to continue his attack : after the judicial part, he goes to the personal part and openly attacks Maggie whom he considers responsible for Joe's death, and therefore responsible for Kelly's sorrow and suffering. C.C.'s voice flies along the walls. Maggie turns pale, because C.C.'s words echo in her mind. As always when one attacks his family, C.C. shows no mercy, openly criticizes Maggie's attitude and reproaches Mason for helping a woman who brought so many misfortunes to their family. In the end, C.C. threatens Maggie with losing her job. It is the last straw. Maggie has heard enough, she gets up, ready to face C.C.. Yes, she is indirectly responsible for Joe Perkins' death for not being able to shoot Peter Flint. Yes, she knows that and she has to live with it every day. But this does not excuse in any way the bad decisions made by Capwell Enterprises, it does not justify in any way that Capwell Enterprises should not be found guilty for their mistakes. Maggie's last words snap like a boost : she will fight for Ben's honor, since he is not able to do it by himself; yes they will go to court !

To court ! There is still a long way to go before justice is done in Benjamin Gillis case against Capwell Enterprises. It will take time, because the world of the Capwells is most agitated at the moment : the reopening of the investigation into the murder of Channing Junior, the collapse of the tunnel linking the Capwell and Lockridge Villas, the interrupted wedding of Cruz Castillo and Eden Capwell, are all events that delay Maggie in her quest for justice. Besides, Maggie's soul is also agitated by inner conflicts : can she stay faithful to Ben while having deep feelings for Warren ? Can she love Warren while respecting her oath as a wife ?

For his part, Mason does not give up and does his best to obtain compensation. Having new arguments to present, he provokes a new meeting at the Capwell Villa to confront his father and his new lawyer. Because, dissatisfied with Earl Stiller's management, C.C. fired him and brought back another lawyer, Ross, in whom he has more confidence. He and Ross have known each other for many years, and he is almost a relative. It was Ross who managed a part of the post-explosion investigation of the oil rig. It is with Ross that C.C. manipulated the witnesses and the documents to demonstrate the absence of responsibility of Capwell Enterprises in this terrible tragedy. Ross appears almost satisfied to have to face on a professional field the eldest of the Capwell sons whom he knows personally. Ross respects his work and his sense of advocacy. In face of Mason's new argument about valves, he has a list of specialists who can testify that in 48 hours, it is not possible to install them properly. He is also suggests that he could find a list of experts who could attest to the contrary. This is word against word. Mason blocks him in his arguments, attesting to having sequestered a large part of the documents relating to the explosion specific to the Capwells. Then he attests that he will make testify almost all the employees of the oil rig, including a crucial witness. Mason does not pronounce his name yet, but the rest of the investigation will show that it is Morgan Malone. Finally, to move his small audience, he presents photos of Benjamin Gillis before and after the explosion. Even if Ross mocks these photos, everyone can understand their emotional impact on jurors during a trial. Thus, because of the new arguments and evidence, this time Mason claims 2 million dollars for the damage suffered by the Gillis.

Curiously, the sum advanced by Mason has been revised down considerably. As a good lawyer and because he knows Mason's tactics, Ross also presents his offer to Maggie and Warren, who have meanwhile joined Mason. It is again a take-it-or-leave-it offer, an offer based on the sympathy of the Capwell family towards the Gillis family. It is 1 million dollar, paid in one go. Of course there will be a counterpart : Capwell Enterprises deny any mistakes in the explosion and Maggie undertakes not to prosecute in the future. Ross gives Mason the document that Maggie will have to sign. If Warren seems delighted with their victory and the money offered, Maggie remains disappointed. The main reason for her disappointment is the lack of recognition of fault from Capwell Enterprises. In her eyes, it is as if Ben was not fully recognized as a victim, while he is. Mason then confirms to her what she already knows : only a judge in a court can give her satisfaction by recognizing in front of everyone the guilt and the responsibility of Capwell Enterprises in the explosion and therefore in Ben's accident. Maggie refuses to sign the document, certain that going to trial is the best option. Mason then takes a malignant pleasure in tearing the agreement in front of Ross and his father. C.C. and Mason stare at each other : one mad with anger and the other delighted to be able to trick the other. Upon leaving the scene, Ross entrusts his strategy to C.C. : to turn one of Mason' essential witnesses, to modify the testimony of other employees... And for that, Ross asks money to C.C., it is the price to pay not to lose the trial...

The trial... This long-awaited or feared moment seems to approach. Worried about Mason's behavior, Warren advises Maggie to change her lawyer and to hire her aunt, Julia Wainwright. Warren fears that Mason gets closer at the last moment to his father and makes their request fail. Maggie does not wish to dismiss Mason, she has full confidence in him. After all, in Santa Barbara, he is the only lawyer who has accepted her case. Approached by Jack Lee, Julia refuses to take care of this file, even reassuring Warren and Maggie about Mason's skills. It is only when Jack Lee is approached by C.C. to replace Ross that Julia's interest in this file is sharpened. She agrees to work alongside Mason Capwell, assuring that she can be very useful to them : she proposes to play Mata Hari and to spy on the opposing side. Even if Julia flirts with Jack Lee, her loyalty goes to Maggie and her team. It is Julia who, playing the spies, retrieves the list of the oil rig employees in Jack Lee's briefcase. The investigation knows a new move...

With the name of Shefter, Maggie and Warren hope to find the crucial witness, the one who will bring the irrefutable proof of the responsibility of Capwell Enterprises. Unfortunately for them, Mr. Shefter is not that witness, quite the contrary... Today, employed at the Capwell Hotel, he has few new elements to bring. In 1982, he worked in the oil rig offices and saw practically nothing of the explosion. Slightly injured by the blast of the explosion, he could only notice the involvement of Capwell Enterprises with employees : involvement at the end of the drama, involvement until today. Favorable to Capwell Enterprises, Mr. Shefter is not the expected witness. He is certainly part of this list of employees which Ross spoke a few days earlier with C.C. and which serve as a showcase to attest to the benevolence of Capwell Enterprises !

A new name is put forward, that of Coltrane. Mr. Coltrane is a man of the same generation as Ben Gillis, they were friends on the oil rig. Very touched by his friend's health condition, Mr. Coltrane regrets not being able to provide them with irrefutable evidence. However, he is intimately convinced of the responsibility of Capwell Enterprises in the explosion. At the end of their interview, he gives them hope by quoting the name of another employee : Morgan Malone. Also injured on the day of the explosion, Morgan has seen his life slowly crumble since the tragedy. Today, Mr. Coltrane knows that he has changed his name and is hiding his burnt hand behind a black glove.

The investigation knows a new move and makes progress : very quickly Maggie and Warren find the address of Morgan Malone's ex-wife. The meeting occurs as an aside at La Mesa. During a brief discussion, the ex-wife gave them a summary of her life. Divorced from Morgan today, she no longer has contact with him, her new husband not wanting to hear about him. She explains to them that after the explosion, Morgan's character changed : it was as if he had become angry with the whole Earth and especially with the Capwells. One day, she left him an ultimatum to try to find some semblance of life. When she returned home, Morgan had left. Since then, despite a few letters, she has not heard from him. She also told them a strange fact : Morgan had not received any financial compensation following the accident, but he often said that they did not need to work... It was as if Morgan could access an unlimited resource, at his discretion. These revelations show Maggie and Warren that they are on the right track, that they are approaching the truth. And Morgan Malone will be the man of that truth. Maggie is delighted, she will soon be able to announce to Ben that she has obtained justice...

Other investigations come to move Maggie away from the path of truth and from Warren. Then Ben suddenly has a heart attack. Maggie imagines that it could be related to her nascent relationship with Warren. She then makes the decision to leave Santa Barbara to offer new care to Ben and to offer to herself a new life at his side. Maggie makes the big jump and goes to New York towards another destiny. She asks Warren to watch over her investigation and to carry it to its end. What Warren promises. He quickly learns that Morgan Malone will soon be in town. He makes an ad in the name of Ben Gillis to meet him. The meeting takes place in the Gillis' apartment. In the solitude of the abandoned house, the two men face each other. Morgan Malone is a force of nature, he far exceeds Warren. Feeling trapped, Morgan tries to understand the reasons for this meeting. Very quickly, Warren then understands the reality of the situation, the reality of what happened on the oil rig three years ago...

On the day of the explosion, Morgan ran into Ben. He saw that he was seriously injured. They plunged into the ocean to try to save themselves. Rescued at sea, Ben was taken to the hospital where a terrible diagnosis fell : plunged into a coma, if he managed to survive, he would be only a shadow of himself. With a badly burned hand, Morgan accepted the money of the Capwells by ease, to protect and feed his family. Consumed by guilt and remorse, Morgan has become another man. And it is this other man who faces Warren. His other face who must assume his faults. The man Warren confronts is not Ben's friend, even if he is still sleeping in Morgan. Warren pushes him to his limits and asks him what Ben would have done in his place. His words sound like a verdict in the empty house. And Morgan confesses... He took the money. Then he ran away. He ran away from what he did. He ran away from the man he became. He ran away because he was ashamed of being a coward, a coward who took everything down to the last cent. Tired, he ends up answering Warren's questions and recognizes who is paying him... The same people who built the oil rig, the same people who did not respect the safety instructions... C.C. Capwell and his company ! Subsequently, in front of Mason and Julia, he delivers the truth in its purest hardness : the explosion, the fire, Ben who saves him... Then he admits that a week after the tragedy, people came to his home with a briefcase and rewritten the safety instructions. Morgan then surprises everyone, because he always has with him the briefcase with the thousands of dollars given for his silence. He never touched it.

The investigation is about to succeed and Mason's logic comes reshuffling the cards. He proposes to Julia, Warren and Morgan another way. In his eyes, justice will be long, very long, and the trial may not allow to rule on the responsibility of Capwell Enterprises. Mason's strategy is simple : to bring Morgan Malone to the Capwell Villa and to force C.C. to look at the truth, the one he helped to hide, in front of him. It is therefore between the walls of the Capwell Villa that the verdict will be dispensed, between the same walls where the decisions to hush up the fallout of the explosion were taken. Facing his father, Mason brings Morgan into the hall, his left hand is in a black glove and, in his right one, he holds a briefcase. When Morgan introduces himself, C.C. stays stone-faced, almost frozen by fear... C.C. understands then that he has in front of him the witness. With his left hand, Morgan Malone opens the briefcase and tells C.C. that he gives him back his property. Mason's new threats begin to make their effect : Morgan Malone is ready to speak to a judge, to the press. Finally, as a final proof, he removes his glove in front of C.C.. Morgan wants to free his conscience. Mason offers one hour to his father to make the decision to pay compensation to Ben, but also to all the other victims of the explosion. The deal proposed by Mason is very simple : a confession from C.C. Capwell with a public apology, not to mention a 10 million dollars check.

The investigation ends on a table at the Capwell Villa, when C.C. signs the check for Maggie Gillis in front of Mason and Warren. C.C. however takes a malignant pleasure in humiliating Mason, by refusing that he can touch the least dollar from his case. C.C. forces his son to choose between the victims and him... Wounded, but satisfied to have won against his father, Mason agrees not to be paid. He is wounded in his pride, but he still has a card to knock down his father : his trump king is Lindsay Smith !

Satisfied, Warren contacts Maggie and informs her of the very good news : 10 million dollars to offer care to Ben and to start with him a new life. Warren is delighted by their victory but his heart closes, full of a deaf suffering : by winning against Capwell Enterprises, he knows that he has just lost all chances of happiness with Maggie. Maggie will stay with Ben, the man she loves, even if he is only a shadow of the man he once was. She will remain with Ben even if fragments of her heart remained in Santa Barbara, with a young and charming lifeguard with an athletic body...

The curtain falls on this plot mixing past and present. Although the end is most happy, this plot retains a certain taste of unfinished business. First of all simply because Maggie Gillis is no longer in town to be delighted and to celebrate this victory with Mason, Julia and Warren, her first support. Then, because this plot showed a facet of C.C. Capwell that will be less present later : the image of the cold, calculating businessman, ready to bribe men to achieve his ends. The C.C. played by the actors before Jed Allan seemed much more manipulative (we can remember the orders given to trap Joe Perkins on his way back). It is also largely during this plot that the clashes between Mason and his father were the most violent and scathing. It is as if, until C.C.'s coma, the war between them knew no limit. Subsequently, Mason and C.C. will regain more compassion for each other.

Finally, this plot also sounds the end of Warren Lockridge's highlight. Warren, after Summer Blake, had just found there a real depth and a presence which will be offered to him only with his return under the features of Jack Wagner in 1991. Yet John Allen Nelson literally get transformed into a few episodes. From a dull lifeguard, unpretentious son of a rich family he was in his early days, he became a committed journalist, eager for the truth. Beyond his physical appearance, Warren Lockridge, a perfect mix between Augusta and Lionel, was able to become a fair, sensitive, cultured man, not deprived of a certain humor. It is a pity that Warren changed of path, because his potential as a journalist foreshadowed possibilities. Without Maggie, the plot of the oil rig explosion could not survive the closing of the investigation, especially since in parallel other equally thrilling storylines took place under the eyes of the young journalist : the revelations about the murder of Channing Junior, the search for Amy Perkins' baby, Christie DuVall's rape, and C.C.'s curious headaches. Besides this is not the only plot that will end too hastily, the storyline of the thefts atthe Capwell Hotel signed by Robin Hood will also end without real conclusion. In short, it then seemed too difficult for Warren to become the distant “storyteller” of life in Santa Barbara, as any journalist can do it...

Texte écrit pour ce site par Lilian