The weddings of Santa Barbara Gina DeMott and Mason Capwell
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One day Mason Capwell. Another day Sonny Sprocket... One hour Sonny, in Gina's arms. Another one Mason, in Julia's arms...

Since his return in town after his supposed death in the explosion of Father Michael Donnelly's convent and his escape to Las Vegas, Mason is not really the same. At first, the changes are subtle : a strange reflection, a different look, a particular intonation. Then, slowly, as time goes on, changes are more and more frequent. For proof, Mason ends up dressing up in a cowboy fashion, in memory of a costume that he wore as a little boy and that his father had forbidden him to wear. Another one awakened in him. Another one who waited since his childhood (since the departure of his mother, Pamela, from the Capwell Villa) to take the reins of his life. Sonny Sprocket is born. Sonny is a country singer, who loves women, who loves to drink, who loves games... In short that is not so far from Mason's personality.

Back in Santa Barbara, the personalities of Mason and Sonny alternate. Gina DeMott is the first to realize this; but especially Gina is the first to imagine the new possibilities that this duplication can make possible. If Mason loves Julia, Gina does her best to make Sonny fall in love with her. Very quickly, Sonny lets himself be charmed by Gina and accepts Gina's crusade against C.C. Capwell and his enterprises. Sonny and Gina gets engaged in a fight against C.C. to steal millions of dollars from him, even forcing Julia (become district attorney) to hide evidence to protect Michael Donnelly and Mason.

Beyond her personal revenge against the Capwells, Gina wants to use Sonny to keep custody of Brandon, her adoptive son. As very often during their battles, C.C. threatens Gina to take away Brandon's custody. This time, only a stable home will allow her to keep custody of her son; a home that Sonny can offer her. The die is cast, they will get married. The date is set for February 17, 1989, in Father Michael Donnelly's church.

Many residents of the city would like this new wedding not to take place. First there is Brandon, Gina's own son, who does not want to see his mother marry Sonny. Brandon waits and hopes for the return of Keith Timmons. There is also Bunny Tagliatti, who is moping with love for Gina and who does not know how to make her, if only perceive, the passion he has for her. And, without actually having asked her, he put a contract on Mason / Sonny's head through his uncle. Of course, the members of the Capwell family do not want this wedding : C.C. does not want Gina to put a foot back in his family; Ted, more simply, opposes this wedding because he knows that Mason loves Julia; Julia, of course, does not want the man she loves to say I do to Gina. Julia wants to keep Sonny's shadow away from Mason's life. Definitely. Julia wants to find her life back... With Mason and Samantha, their daughter. Perhaps only Augusta Lockridge could be satisfied with this wedding.

On the morning of the ceremony, Mason, sleeping on the sofa of the Lockridge Villa, finishes to evacuate the vapors of alcohol from his bachelor party. Gina, for her part, sees her good and her bad conscience clash, in the form of an angel and a demon with her effigy, on the necessity of this marriage. Love does not matter for Gina... Her only and true interest remains Brandon's custody. She makes excuses to herself : although she does bad things, she always does them for a good reason !

After an attempt at the bachelor party, the Capwells try again to bring back Mason's personality. That is why they sent their wedding gifts to the Lockridge Villa. Sophia sent an old sculpture that Mason had made for her, years ago, on the occasion of a mother's day. C.C. sent a bottle of wine to awaken the memory of the day when father and son remained locked in the cellar of the Villa. But neither Gina nor Sonny are fooled. Sonny keeps the power and his personality repels that of Mason. Because it is a power game that allows Sonny to occupy the front of the stage, while it is love that allows each time the personality to resurface. Reassured because Sonny gave up the gifts and because she is sure that Sonny always occupies the first place, Gina goes to the church with her dress under her arm : in a few hours, she will become Mrs. Capwell again. This time, she will become Mrs. Mason Capwell, but first, she must talk with Father Michael.

After his interview with the bride and groom, Father Michael finally made his decision : he cannot celebrate a wedding that is not based on love. Gina joins him in the church, completely decorated. Everything is ready. In secret, a figure sneaks into the sacristy. The shadow reveals the silhouette of a man, an old man with a violin case. The man is named Lyle DeFranco, his nickname is «El Primo». After several failures, he is determined to eliminate Mason / Sonny from the life of Bunny Tagliatti. He slips into the wardrobe where the albs are stored, while Gina comes to put her dress. Then, she joins Michael to discuss with him the last preparations of the ceremony : she does not wish long sermons, just the essential... the «I do» of the two married ones and that's all. While she gets lost in her projects, Gina does not listen carefully to Michael's words. It takes a few seconds to understand that he cannot marry them. Gina is stunned : less than two hours before the ceremony, she can argue, nothing can be done, Michael tells her that after their discussion, he understood that there is no love between them. Of course, Gina argues and even mentions Julia's name to justify her refusal. But she holds on and swears that with or without him, the wedding will take place !

The time for the ceremony is approaching. The groom is the first to arrive, dressed in a black costume adorned with glitter and white flowers on the breast pocket. He is followed by the first guests, Brandon and his date Anisa. Before the ceremony, Anisa is ecstatic, happy to attend this first wedding. For his part, Brandon explains to her that he is a regular of this type of ceremony : after all, it is his mother's fourth wedding ! Brandon expresses a regret : he misses Keith, with him life was different and his mother too... Then it is Bunny who arrives. Bunny behaves in a strange way because, in view of the latest events, he knows that a drama can occur; ready to everything to prevent it, he behaves like a bodyguard for Sonny !

In the sacristy, Gina gets prepared, but also works to find a priest to ensure Michael's replacement. She ends up finding one. Contacted by phone, he asks for 10,000 dollars for his charities and she has to go and get him. Having no other choice, Gina leaves the church, under Bunny's gaze. He tries one last time to convince her not to marry Sonny. Gina's answer is unequivocal and fully corresponds to her personality : she often does bad things but always for good reasons !
Away from everyone, a shadow creeps into the church. Lyle DeFranco arrives and manages to hide in the church ceiling. A vent gives him a breathtaking view of the altar, and thus the bride and groom... Determined to fulfill his contract, he settled in and assembles his machine gun.

After Julia at Mason / Sonny's bachelor party, it is C.C. 's turn to take action and to try to bring back Mason's personality. During a very personal discussion, C.C. plays honesty and sincerity. He tells his son that, contrary to what he may believe, he loves him. C.C. even admits mistakes on his behalf : he was not patient enough with him and certainly treated him with injustice. Yet, as he says to him, he loves him. C.C. asks him for forgiveness, and it is with a father's love for his eldest son that he offers to stop fighting. C.C. is aware that the presence of Sonny is only a means of revenge, simply because for years, he believed that he was not loved. The words of C.C. seem to cross the barriers and Sonny's personality disappears in front of Mason's. Mason's attitude changes, moved by words that he expected almost a lifetime. Mason's child life is summed up in this : seeking and hoping for the attention and affection of a father... With a father who gave all this attention and affection to another one... Touched, moved, Mason takes his father in his arms.

Mason took over, Sonny is gone. The Capwells breathe, when suddenly Gina makes her arrival in the church accompanied by a man with the most extravagant look. He is a man dressed in a long green tunic surmounted by a shell necklace and an Ankh cross. Her blond, curly, untidy hair and red glasses give him a look that would not go wrong at a Woodstock reunion. But before presenting him, Gina has to face her worst fear : Sonny disappeared to make room for Mason... To Mason who does not seem to want to marry her. Gina screams. The Capwells scream. The cries, the agitation bring Sonny back under the spotlight. Immediately, he reassures Gina, he is back : he is a free man and he is going to marry her !

Gina can then introduce to all the man who arrived with her and, while she checks that he is able to marry them, she sends Sonny to the clinic to isolate him from the members of the Capwell clan. This is the priest who will celebrate the wedding. A very original priest, since he is able to quote Led Zeppelin. If he confirms to Gina that he is well able to celebrate weddings, his arguments are not very reassuring : he celebrated thousands of weddings for things, animals, men of all beliefs, of all genders. Moreover, he would like this wedding to go quickly, because after that another wedding awaits him : the bride and groom will be on a motorcycle, rushing down the highway.

A few minutes from the ceremony, Julia shoots her last card; Mason must regain the upper hand on Sonny. Julia arrives with their daughter Samantha in the arms. Playing on the sensitive chord, she gives Samantha to the man in front of her, certain that the father's love for his daughter will be the strongest. But Sonny is not fooled. He works to keep Mason away. Mason was about to come back, but the image of the affair between Julia and Father Michael allows Sonny to push back Mason's personality. Sonny confirms it : the wedding will take place.

In the church, everybody settles down. C.C. and Ted in the front row, behind Sophia and Wanda, Brandon and Anisa. In the background, Bunny. Sonny walks alone in the alley and the priest greets him with a “V" with his fingers. Sonny looks at his family members with an air of challenge... The die is cast, Sonny and Gina will get married and they will not be able to prevent it.

The music of the wedding march rings out in the church. Gina appears. Dressed in a dress with bare shoulders, tightened below the waist to open like a small train, Gina walks in the alley. As Gina joins Sonny at the altar, the priest begins the ceremony and welcomes the guests. Conscious of the fragility of Sonny's personality, Gina hurries the priest and asks him to go directly to the conclusion, fearing that the Capwells attempt another attack. Only the “I do" is important.

At the chapel entrance, Augusta Lockridge, if she looks towards the altar, waits especially for a last desperate attempt from her sister to prevent this marriage. As she felt it, Julia ends up arriving, holding in her arms the young Samantha. Augusta stops her : Samantha does not need to witness this. Despite the agitation, the priest continues. He suddenly remembers the important points in a wedding. He interrupts his blessing to ask if anyone in the assembly is opposed to this marriage. All the guests stand up. All the guests ask to speak. All the guests have a good reason to oppose this union. Not all guests want this wedding. The people who love Mason, the people who love Gina, have their opinion about this marriage and want to say it. Only Gina and Sonny want to get married... But does Sonny really want it ?

To cut short the agitation that makes the walls of the chapel shake, Gina concludes by demanding that the priest ask them the question. And to increase the pressure, she says a strong «yes, I do». Then she herself continues (accustomed to weddings) with the traditional promise to love each other for better or for worse, for richer and poorer... Sonny does not answer. He does not seem to want to say «I do» despite the calls of Gina and the priest. Then the priest, by himself, concludes the wedding by declaring them husband and wife. Gina smiles and enjoys her victory. With this marriage, she is part of the Capwell family again; she becomes a thorn again in C.C. and Sophia's life, but above all she knows that Brandon's custody will be left to her.

At the back of the church, Bunny looks away, disillusioned by this wedding he would have liked to prevent. He looked at the back of the church and immediately noticed the barrel of a rifle jutting out from the air vent. In a second, he understands. Immediately he gets up and rushes to Mason. There is no doubt for him that the person targeted is Mason. While he runs, a shot sounds. Bunny is a few steps away from Mason, when this latter collapses. Touched, Mason / Sonny falls at the foot of the altar.

Mason collapses and everyone rushes to his side. C.C. is there. Ted too. Especially Gina who tries to make a place for herself with her husband. Only Bunny is not with Mason; he went in search of the shooter. He ends up finding him in the sacristy, and it is hardly if he is surprised to find Lyle DeFranco. Bunny quickly tries to explain to him that it is a mistake, that his uncle misunderstood his desire : he does not want Sonny's death. Of course, he does not want Lyle to leave the sacristy, he does not care about the past between the DeFrancos and the Tagliattis. So, to hold him, Bunny shoots him with a revolver, but Lyle still manages to escape, the bullet only touched his hand.

In the church, the guests surround Mason. Gina and Julia argue, both hoping for the return of the personality of either Sonny or Mason. Alone, Sophia thinks of Brandon and distances him tenderly. Gina shouts that she is now Mason's wife and it is her who must be at his side. She demands that everyone leave. She kneels down beside Sonny, telling him that she will stay there with him, asking him to speak... anxious to know which personality will take over. We hear him murmuring Julia... Julia, pronounced in a breath, before diving into a coma. Julia is reassured, her prayers have been heard. Mason is then evacuated to the hospital. Next door, the priest runs away without being paid.

At the hospital, the confrontation between Gina and Julia will continue, while Mason, bedridden, will make a strange journey... A journey that will bring him closer to the women he loves and who love him in return.

Santa Barbara is used to weddings. There are several types of weddings, all rich in emotions : love weddings and humorous weddings. The wedding of Gina and Mason / Sonny is undoubtedly a humorous wedding. All the ingredients are in : a whimsical priest, a hysterical bride, a stone-age hit man, guests who all want the wedding not to take place... In short, an ideal wedding for characters like Gina and Mason. This scene fits perfectly in the story between these two characters : we find a little of the disrespect of the scenes of the first years, with Gina and Mason sleeping together in the ambulance that evacuates them from the Capwell Hotel in flames. The emotion will be there, a little later, with Mason's fantastic experience and his reunion with Mary.

Texte écrit pour ce site par Lilian