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 When she arrives at Santa Barbara and finds her old
friend Amy Perkins there, Jackie Parks seems as her alter-ego : kind, human, but also dynamic and voluntary. Married to
a Navy officer unceaselessly on the front, Jackie settles down at the
Perkins house, and spends many of her time with her great friend Amy to remember old
souvenirs and to have fun. Jackie suffers from the absence of her husband, and participates by proxy in the coming of
Amy's child.
English
teacher at Lyman high school, Jackie shows herself very opened towards
her pupils, in particular towards Ted Capwell, of whom she becomes the confidante and the support which he needs
in these times of crisis with his girlfriend Laken Lockridge. Their
teacher-pupil relation thus evolves very quickly into a real friendship, where
some others see there more, as at the morning when Ted is surprised at
his awakening on Jackie's sofa by Laken and Jade Perkins. Jackie finds often
herself involved in the adventures concerning Ted and his family, in particular when she supports Ted for the choice of
his university, which is not the taste of C.C.. So, when some policemen find prostitutes in the apartment
that Ted shares with his half brother Mason, Jackie gets thrown in prison in spite of her. Because of the pressures of the
Lyman direction, Jackie is forced to go away from Ted.
Jackie's natural cheerfulness often leaves
her however when it comes to talk about her marriage with Larry. This
latter, too often absent from the house, gives news to her only by phone or
telegram, generally to announce her that his permission (further to a disease) was
postponed or simply cancelled. Their reunion at this beginning of the year 1985
occurs furthermore in dramatic surroundings, because Larry returns to Santa Barbara when Jackie and Amy
get taken as hostage at the Perkins home by Peter Flint. Larry tries a bravery
action by throwing himself on Peter and allows Jackie to go out safe of the
scene of the crime which is going to follow. But Jackie's happiness is short-term, because a few days later, Larry
tells her that he already has to return to the base. However, just before
his departure, she manages to make him promise that he will leave the Navy soon.
After several false alarms, the terrible
news that every wife of serviceman dreads finally happens : Jackie learns some weeks later that her husband disappeared in the
fightings. This time, it is Ted who plays the comforters in front of a destroyed Jackie. After a last tribute to Larry, Jackie disappears from the
show without a word, as if the death of her husband could only lead to
her own disappearance...
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