The Story So Far...

Sunset Grill is in no sense a linear story -- most of what happens is essentially me taking some interestingly-shaped characters and banging them together until I see sparks. There is a great deal of backtracking, crossbreeding, and overlap, not to mention one-off jokes, that aren't getting covered in this synopsis, and I expect a certain amount of rearranging as storylines morph and merge. Nevertheless, I hope it will give old readers a handy memory aid and new readers some idea what they're getting into.

Oh, and there's spoilers here. If you hate that kind of thing the synopsis page is probably a bad place to be. (If you were looking for a more general summary, try the about page.)

A Night At the Grill

Our story begins as Anastasia discovers that Sal and Lena have hired Elroy as the new busboy. We meet a few of the Grill's regulars, including Fausto and Riley. Travis attempts to bring a date only to have her tangle briefly and spectacularly with Murdoch.

The Asbury Park Gang

The Sunset Grill meets its new street boss, an ambitious young gangster named Rafe, who has a brief run in with Murdoch. The two têtes eventually reach a mutually beneficial settlement, and will later be seen working together.

Girl Trouble

Not having learned from his first date (or her response), Travis brings another girl to the Grill. This not only ends badly, it gets him in trouble with his CO.

The Help Doesn't

In an attempt to cut down Lena's workload, Sal hires Corinne as a waitress. Unfortunately, Corinne has more attitude than work ethic. When the Grill is visited by a health inspector, she sees the chance to settle a few scores.

Trial of a Housebreaker

Baron Rosen, having attempted a very ambitious theft, then must go to trial for it. Unfortunately for Baron -- and Riley, his lawyer -- they land the talented and determined Quinn as the prosecutor... and the wealthy Franz Castlen as an enemy.

Guard Duty

Travis, having been reassigned to Local Conflict Management, gets his first real assignment. With typical Travis luck, it goes from simple to sour quickly.

Boys Will Be Boys

Elroy's simple trip to the market is complicated by an encounter with the youthful gang member Denny. The two become friends of sorts. Later, Elroy accompanies Denny on a collection trip which turns sour when Denny runs afoul of a rival gang and must be rescued by Murdoch.

Masquerade

In an exchange over lunch, Krystal "invites" Lena to her Masquerade party... an already worrying situation that's further complicated when Gabrielle involves herself. Viv and Riley also plan to attend a Masquerade party with about as much joy. In the meantime, Sal and Ana prepare for the Masquerade race, and Travis lets himself get talked into attending -- a decision that will come back to haunt him when the race is compromised by the cyborg driver Ian Sanderson. Lena also finds herself regretting the party as Krystal's plan turns into something more troublesome than expected.

Lost in the Flood

Bitter over the death of his sister, Darwin Adele is looking for a way to get back at Murdoch -- and sees an opportunity when Rafe's women troubles turn ugly. Darwin recruits Faden, a recently-released jailbird with a grudge.

Crash Burn

While fetching Yves for work, Lena runs into Ian Sanderson, now fallen on hard times. Sal fails to talk Ana into hiring him.

Short Tales and Sidetracks

Murdoch extorts a toy shop.
The hearing and defense of the ill-fated Ms. Fane.
Lena at school.
Annoying Patron #1.