However, before we analyze the whyfores, let us start at the beginning. I think the idea of the 'deed' occured to Danny and Drew at different times. When Drew first went off to drink alone and Danny volunteered to join her, it seemed more of a falling back into a pattern, rather than a calculated (or even uncalculated) pick-up line. But, Drew read it as such as evidenced by the speculative gleam in her eye and the excited half-smile on her lips. At that point, she was already thinking about sex and almost all of her words and actions (including her taunts and bravado-laden and/or devil-may-care comments) were leading up to that act.

As for Danny, his point of no return came during the "to hell with everyone" conversation. You could see the wheels turning in his head, you could see it on his face, in his eyes and it was fairly obvious that his 'everyone' was Michelle -- mama's betrayal or not. Now, I don't think that he kissed Drew or did anything else that followed to deliberately hurt Michelle (although, I do believe it's a safe bet that she will be -- deeply), instead it seemed as if he was trying to prove to himself that he didn't need her ... that he could just flush her out of his system and return to the man he was before his every thought process seemed to boil down to this one girl.

The sex scene -- and make no mistake, it was a sex scene -- had to be shown. If we had been given the standard kiss, fade-to-black, post-coital bliss scenes, we wouldn't know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Danny has absolutely no feelings for Drew -- and vice versa. Their sex scene was as cold as it was hot. There was literally no emotional connection between the two. I don't think I would even categorize their encounter as passionate ... it was more like dispassionate lust. The deed came across as nothing more than a mindless, emotionless sexual exercise -- the camera blocking, the crudeness of their interactions, the lack of eye contact and the quite obvious foreground shot of the liquor all attested to that.

Compare Danny's intimate encounter with Michelle on the March 2nd episode to this. Both scenes seethed with lust, but what differentiated the two and made the March 2nd a love scene as opposed to a sex scene is that alongside the lust was passionate tenderness. There was also unwavering respect and a loving connection between them .. their whispered words, the many looks shared and the constant need to maintain a physical contact forged out of tender regard. None of that was on display in the scene with Drew. What she and Danny had was sexual. What Danny and Michelle have is romantic.

And yes, you read that earlier statement right, I do think that the Danny and Drew scene was hot. Paul Anthony Stewart is one of those rare actors who has chemistry with just about everyone he shares the screen with -- Laura Wright ('Cassie') on Loving, Sandra Santiago's 'Carmen,' Tammy Blanchard's 'Drew,' and of course, especially, Joie Lenz's 'Michelle.' So again, yes, the sex scene was hot and yes, they had chemistry and hell yeah, it was a hoot to watch, but it was all about Stewart's heat waves ... and it was all about sex and nothing more. The post-coital bliss scene revealed that even further.

For one thing, Danny didn't look all that blissful and Drew's lasted what, five seconds? For another thing, notice how Danny was specifically not holding her -- one arm was above his head locked around the bars of the bed frame and the other was stretched across the pillow barely touching Drew. And even when he did touch her, brushing her hair, he wasn't stroking it, he was brushing it away from his chest as if the strands were an irritant. Finally, there was no intimacy at all between them. Danny was distant and, as BettyM pointed out, nonchalant.

When he and Michelle make love (a key phrase -- for they will make love) does anyone doubt that he will be holding her close, kissing her sweetly, softly, tenderly, whispering words of love? Of course not. Danny loves Michelle. He is in love with her, he desires her, needs her. Drew was an available body. Period.

And as for his betrayal of their vows, yes, he did technically commit adultery, but theirs is not a true marriage and he did not feel that he'd betrayed her. After all, when Drew wailed, "I slept with Michelle's husband!," he replied with feigned indifference, "you don't have to worry about that. She's not my wife, not after what she did." Obviously, in his mind, his marriage is over.

I know, I know ... silly Danny.

In conclusion, I feel that TPTB included the sex scene for the purpose of showing how deeply Michelle has been imbedded into Danny's life. The comparison and contrast between Danny and Michelle's almost love scene and this sex scene is almost startling. This was the man that Danny was before Michelle and he is no longer that man. He knows now (as do we) that he can only find solace and comfort, satisfaction and love in the arms of Michelle ... with anyone else, it's just sex.

Jennifer