Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
A House Divided: Cole (J. Eddie Peck, l.), Victoria (Amelia Heinle, l.), Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) deal with the aftermath of their lake house trauma.
After getting a clean bill of health from the doctors in Oregon, Nikki, Victor, Victoria, Nick, and Cole fly back to Genoa City. Once at the ranch, it’s clear they’re still shell-shocked from the events at the lake house. “They are really grappling with the aftermath,” says Executive Producer/Head Writer Josh Griffith. “It is devastating for them. At the same time, they will heal — but they have to put aside, Victor especially, their own reactions to what was done to them and focus on Nikki. What Jordan and Claire did to Nikki has unleashed her darkest demon.”
That would be Nikki’s alcohol addiction, and her fall from sobriety courtesy of Jordan and Claire forcibly injecting vodka into Mrs. Newman’s system. Nikki’s struggle to resist the urge to drink is apparent as she eyes the bar in the living room while flashing back to her insidious treatment at the hands of her vengeful captors. “It’s going to be quite the trauma for her to overcome and this story will take us well into the new year,” Griffith shares. “Nikki wants to feel like she has control, but just when she thinks she’s getting it together, just remember that last shot after [the Newmans] leave the lake house and we pan up to the heating grate and there’s Jordan’s eyes staring out. So, she’s still out there.”
In the meantime, Claire is in police custody. “Victoria and Cole have to put aside what was done to them so they can be strong and focus on this woman that very probably is their daughter,” Griffith points out. “It’s going to be very difficult for them to come to terms with it, so it’ll be quite an uphill challenge for Claire to disengage herself from 26 years of mind games and manipulation, and basically brainwashing. It’s going to be really hard for her to also get this family to accept her as anything other than a threat.”
Nikki is stunned when Victoria admits she almost feels sorry for the young lady. “Victoria’s got that maternal instinct kicking in,” notes Griffith. “[She’s wondering] ‘If this is my daughter and she was put through [Jordan’s mind control], how can I blame her, and not do everything I can to try to help rehabilitate her?’ This will also become Cole’s total focus: how to make up for 26 years of what Claire perceived as being abandoned.”
However, Victor, Nikki and Nick aren’t feeling any such sympathy for Claire. “They’re very concerned for Victoria taking this journey to try to connect with Claire, but that’s out of protectiveness of Victoria,” Griffith explains, adding, “Ultimately, Nick will understand why Victoria feels she needs to do this.”
In the meantime, Victor receives a report on what the investigation he ordered into Jordan yielded. “Jordan will be leading them into one direction so she can move into another direction,” hints Griffith. “However, Victor will be the one who goes, ‘This is too easy.’ There are more lives to Aunt Jordan.”
