Movie
Knots Landing, Season One
Plot
A drama that ran in hour segments from 1979 to 1993. Five families, living in a Southern California cul-de-sac, in a fictitious community
named Knots Landing become friends, confidantes, and business partners. The show centers around the personal lives of these families, but as the years
progress, the storyline becomes more complicated and complex: couples get divorced, residents move in and out of the cul-de-sac, people
die or move away, businesses grow, betrayals exist around every corner, and major plot twists develop.
Starring
Ted Shackelford, Michelle Lee, Joan Van Ark, Kim Lankford, Constance McCashin, Pat Peterson, Donna Mills, William Devane, Doug Sheehan,
Lisa Hartman, Nicolette Sheridan, and many others.
Defining Moment
As a youngster, I loved watching episodes of Knots Landing. The cast had a way of making normal, everyday life look exciting. And through
various character flaws and storylines, the world learned how to deal with different aspects of life—sometimes through positive examples
and sometimes through negative examples.
Knots Landing showed the world that families aren’t perfect, but just because we experience trials and tribulations doesn’t mean we
should give up without a fight, walk out on each other, or stop caring for each other. And it showed the world that despite our many
character flaws, family and friendships are worth fighting for.
In Season 1, episode 11, Diana Fairgate dates a very nice young man, who bursts her bubble by stealing $100 from her father’s wallet to
get his car fixed up, while he’s visiting in her home. She later discovers his betrayal of trust and discusses her findings with her
father, Sid.
During their conversation, she says, “He took advantage of our going together and robbed us.”
Sid asks if she feels betrayed and if that’s why she’s never going to talk to him again. She replies with a resounding yes.
Sid then looks over at her and says, “Betrayal’s a terrible thing, and I hate to say this, but it’s not all that rare. It happens to
everybody, even with people you love very much. Husbands and wives are unfaithful to each other, businessmen cheat from their partners,
friends betray secrets, and when you find out it always hurts, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the end of a marriage, the end of a
partnership, or the end of a friendship. Sometimes, people forgive.”
Diana replies, “I don’t feel like forgiving!”
“Okay then, don’t. But I’m going to tell you something. If you’re going to be that rigid, you better be sure that you are absolutely
above reproach…all the time,” replies her dad.
He concludes his fatherly speech with, “Let him know that though you’re deeply hurt, you’re not going to turn your back on him. And if
he’s as bright and as sensitive as he seems to be, he’ll realize stealing hurts the thief as well as the victim, and he’ll clean his
slate someway. And you’ll be giving him the chance to try.”
Taking her father’s advice was humbling and hard, but when she did, her boyfriend did the right thing by telling his father what he did,
then borrowing $100 from his dad to pay back Diana’s dad.
While the lesson in this episode was very obvious, many of the lessons are ones that underline the major plot.
Your Task
This week, instead of watching your favorite nighttime drama, pick up a copy of Knots Landing and use the episodes as learning
tools to help reinforce right from wrong. Allow your teenagers to voice their opinions, and then guide them towards making the right choices.
You can even take the discussions a step further by preparing a home Bible study to accompany the video.
In the episode mentioned above, for instance, forgiveness could be the topic of conversation. Several Biblical verses to consider, on
the art of forgiveness, are: Hebrews 4:16, Matthew 11:28, Psalm 55:22, 1John 2:1, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 43:25-16,
Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Ephesians 1:17.
Just remember, teenagers don’t like to be talked down to, what they want is for you, the parent, to respect their maturity while
steering them in the right direction. Keep the conversations light hearted, allow for a little humor, and above all, just have a good
time getting to know one another’s views.
Order Knots Landing today!
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich has been working from home, in one capacity or another, since 1991. She is the author of several
work-from-home e-books and
a freelance writer for hire.
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