-1/3/49 thru 11/30/49. Chuckie is born and Mary arranges for him to be adopted by Ray and Charlotte. Ray and Charlotte take their baby home from the hospital, not knowing that the baby’s parents are Ted and Meta. Rev. Matthews knows everything and has a bad feeling about it but keeps it to himself. Meta comes home for Papa and Mama’s silver anniversary which angers Trudy but thrills Mama. Meta meets Ross. Ted comes back from Europe, goes to see Charlotte and meets Chuckie. He tells Charlotte he broke off his engagement to Iris and lets it be known that he’s still interested in Charlotte. He says Chuckie could have been his son, unaware that he is. Ted runs into Meta who is upset to learn that Ted is still single which adds fuel to the fire of regret that Meta was already starting to feel for giving away Chuckie. Meta visits Charlotte and holds Chuckie longingly missing her baby, not realizing she’s holding him. Meta goes to Mama to tell her to give her the news that she’s moving out and breaks down, telling her everything. Mama tells Papa. Charlotte takes Chuckie over to the Bauers looking for Meta and Mama starts to suspect that Chuckie is Meta’s child. Trudy threatens Meta to move back home and quit breaking Mama’s heart because she could be guilty of killing her. Their fight, which culminates with Meta slapping Trudy, is interrupted by Ted. Mama tells Rev. Matthews that she knows about Meta having a baby, that she’s figured out it’s Chuckie and that, before Mama dies, she wants to see the baby returned to Meta. Mama changes her mind when she sees Charlotte with Chuckie and sees how much he means to her. Ross figures out the truth about Chuckie. Reverend Matthews and Meta argue about her wanting to get Chuckie back. Charles tells Ray that Chuckie’s birth mother wants him back but refuses to tell him who she is. Mama tells Papa about Meta and Chuckie. Papa and Mama disagree on what Meta should do. Rev. Matthews and Dr. Leland both urge Meta to drop her plans to get her child back. Meta goes to Ray for legal advice and Ray figures out that Meta is Chuckie’s real mother. Ted proposes marriage to Meta. Meta accepts even though Ted was honest about not being in love with her. Meta figures out that Chuckie is her son. Bert gets engaged to someone else because she’s tired of waiting for Bill to make a commitment. Meta tells an unsympathetic Trudy her whole story after she eavesdropped on a conversation between Mama and Meta. Ray busts Meta on her lies. They draw a line in the sand. Meta and Charles get into an argument. Charlotte learns the truth from Ray about Meta being Chuckie’s mother and wanting him back and goes over to Meta’s to blast her for being a selfish opportunist. Meta then gets told off by Mama, who has had enough of her behavior. Charlotte and Meta fight over Chuckie and Meta threatens legal action if Charlotte doesn’t hand him over to her. Charlotte starts to have doubts and considers that Chuckie might be better off with Meta. Rev. Matthews gives a Mother’s Day sermon about King Solomon and the two women fighting over a baby. Meta tells Ted about Chuckie and they both seek legal counsel. Ted tracks down Sister Maria and, under false pretenses, tries to get information on Jan. He breaks down Sister Maria enough to learn that Jan is part of the Bauer family in Los Angeles. Ted breaks off his engagement with Meta. Meta tries to get the support of the Bauer family and see if she’s welcome back into the home with Chuckie should she win her court case. Everyone is supportive except, of course, Trudy. Meta files suit to regain custody of Chuckie and lies under a written oath that Mary pressured her into giving her child up. Charlotte gets disgusted with Meta’s behavior and stops being sympathetic and regains her will to fight. Ray and Charlotte give Mary the news that Meta is throwing her under the bus and the three of them form a united front in the fight against Meta. Ted decides to file his own claim for Chuckie. Mama begs Meta to drop the lawsuit before she dies so she can die in peace. The trial for custody of Chuckie Brandon begins. As the judge starts to rule in favor of the Brandons, Meta has an outburst and pleads with Charlotte to give her Chuckie. Charlotte breaks down and decides to give Chuckie to Meta. The adoption of Chuckie is set aside but now Meta is faced with Ted, the intervening petitioner, getting custody as the court continues. To the relief of everyone except Ted, Meta is awarded custody of Chuckie. Charlotte and Chuckie have a tearful parting as Charlotte gives him over to Meta. The Bauers try to calm a distraught Chuckie as they take him into their home. Ray and Charlotte grow apart without Chuckie and Ray, resentful of Charlotte giving Chuckie to Meta, turns to his ex-wife, Julie, for comfort. Ross overhears Trudy blast Meta for being selfish and then later he lets Trudy know he thinks she’s being bitter and judgmental. Trudy’s hate for Meta grows as she now thinks Meta has even ruined her chances with Ross. Ted’s father comes from England for a visit with news that Ted’s estranged mother has died. As Ray and Charlotte move farther apart, he tells her that he wants to sell their house. Bill and Bert get back together. Meta is hurt that Chuckie is closer to Trudy than to her. Reverend Matthews’ trip out east to visit his sister and niece, Winifred and Pam, becomes permanent and he decides not to return to Selby Flats. David, Ted’s father, gives Ted a letter from his deceased mother that explains that David made her give away her rights to Ted when he was a child because she had fallen in love with another man. David introduces himself to Meta. Roger resumes his campaign to get Ray and Julie back together. Out of his unrequited love for Charlotte, Sid offers to buy the Brandon house incognito so that Charlotte doesn’t have to completely lose it. Charlotte begins to have a meltdown as she and Ray move out of their house and into an apartment. Meta goes to work for Ross, which makes Trudy hate Meta even more. Ray is furious with Charlotte when she learns she saw Chuckie and he runs to Julie who tells him she’s changed and he belongs with Charlotte. Ross starts to have feelings for Meta and Trudy tries to keep them apart. Ted wants to get into Chuckie’s life even if it means marrying Meta and he goes over to meet the Bauers, including Chuckie. Papa and Ted have a man-to-man talk. Ted tries to convince Papa he has no bad intentions and Papa, though dubious, comes to think that Meta should marry Ted for Chuckie’s sake. Trudy convinces Ross that Meta should marry Ted. The new hospital, Cedars Hospital, is dedicated. Ted wins over Chuckie with material things and begins to worm himself into Meta and Chuckie’s lives which Meta tries to resist. Mama’s cancer gets worse and she begins to decline even more rapidly. Bill announces to the family that he and Bertha will be married in December. Meta panics as she feels even more pressure to accept Ted’s marriage proposal even though she’s in love with Ross. Trudy tries to get Bill to encourage Meta to marry Ted but Bill refuses to get involved and tells Trudy she needs to give up on Ross. There is bad blood between the new chief surgeon at Cedars, Dr. Reginald Parker, and Ross as they have worked previously with each other and it was antagonistic. Bill decides to have the wedding at the Bauer home. Meta is torn because she doesn’t know what to do. She believes marrying
Ted would be the best thing for Chuckie but she and Ross are in love with each other and yet Trudy is in love with Ross. Meta tries to curb her selfishness and decides to marry Ted but warns Trudy that Ross doesn’t love her. Meta tells Ross she’s considering marrying Ted in hopes that he’ll stop her but he doesn’t.
-12/1/49 thru 12/30/49. Bertha Miller Bauer’s first episode is at Bill and Bert’s wedding on December 9th. Mama Bauer dies right after the wedding. Bert is already being ambitious and controlling of Bill. Bill and Bert are called back from their honeymoon when Bill learns of Mama’s death. Meta uses Mama’s death as an excuse to postpone her marriage to Ted. Ray and Charlotte talk about divorce. Ted tells Chuckie he’s his father. Charlotte is depressed and spaced out on barbiturates. Dr. Mary Leland tries to intervene with Ray and Charlotte. Reverend Keeler takes over as the pastor of the Church of the Good Samaritan after Charles Matthews leaves. Sid tells Ray that Charlotte had a nervous breakdown when she was 18 and spent a year in an institution. He also tells him that he saw Charlotte recently with Larry Lawrence, the man who dumped her back then. Trying to keep Charlotte from heading for a breakdown, Mary tells Ray that Sid was the one who bought Ray and Charlotte’s house and gives the deed back to Ray for Charlotte. Ray presents the deed to Charlotte but she angrily tells him too much damage has been done and she doesn’t want to go back.
By
Reverend Ruthledge ·
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