Touched by an Angel

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Episode 412: “Venice”

Episode 412: “Venice”
Original Air Date: December 7, 1997
Written by: R.J. Colleary
Directed by: Gabrielle Beaumont
Produced by:

Martha Williamson
Jon Andersen
R.J. Visciglia, Jr.

Guest Cast:
Annie Piper Laurie
Emily Bonnie Bartlett
Russell Sterling Brimley
Markus Matt Clark
Tommy Michael Trucco
Young Annie Suzanne Ventulett

Tess and Monica arrive in Montana to help the elderly Annie Doyle reconcile her life before she loses her failing eyesight.  Offering to help Annie with her daily errands, Monica escorts her to the weekly bingo game at church where Annie admits that the only reason she plays bingo is to “tick off” her nosy neighbors, Emily, Russell and Markus.  After winning at bingo, Annie and Monica return to the house where Emily explains that she has always wanted to see Venice.  Monica thinks this is her mission and offers to take Annie to Venice but not before Annie realizes that her sight is finally gone.

Dr. Waldron arrives to say that Annie has been losing her sight for a long time but, like the other townspeople, he seems unsympathetic.  Crushed by the loss of her eyesight, Annie tells Monica to get out of her house.  Tess encourages Monica, explaining that God wants Annie to see the truth about her life.  Monica returns to Annie and asks to be her friend.  Annie then explains that her husband, Tommy, died the day after they were married thirty-five years earlier and the town has blamed her for his death ever since.  Annie met Tommy while the town was financing his medical schooling.  Tommy promised to return to the town and practice medicine, but he was bitter and did not want to live in such a backward area.

On the day of the wedding, Annie and Tommy wrecked the car into the local river and Tommy saw the chance to escape his duty by faking his death.  He vowed to keep contact with Annie, leaving her in town to verify the story.  After a few correspondences, Tommy stopped writing and Annie was left to deal with the town.  Annie knew how much the town had favored Tommy and did not want to reveal him for the scoundrel he was.  As a result, the town had blamed her for his death and even questioned whether or not she had orchestrated the accident.  The truth finally known, the angels then confront the townspeople, enlisting them to help ensure that Annie’s dream of seeing Venice would become a reality.  With the angels help, the townspeople recreate the sounds and smells of Venice in the local YMCA pool and Monica shows Annie to her gondola where she is transported, if only in her mind, to the Venice of her dreams.

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