In what is the best news to emerge last week, Viki has a storyline! She is finally getting a story that is focused completely on her and that doesn't involve solving her daughters' problems. I wasn't watching One Life to Live when Viki was mayor the first time, so I can't comment on that, but I am thrilled that she is running for mayor again. I like how this coincided with the news that Erika Slezak would be staying with One Life to Live. I don't know if it was planned that way, but it worked out perfectly! Viki has been the heart of Llanview for many years, so it is fitting for her to be its leader. I also like how Dorian became a part of this story. Instead of being a critical bystander of Viki, she is throwing her hat into the ring too, as the corrupt mayor's campaign manager. Dorian hasn't had a good story focused on her in a long time either, so this is a step in the right direction. One could argue that her relationship with Ray Montez was leading to a good story, but that was sadly dropped, leaving Dorian to do things like save Langston's relationship with Markko and to tell Blair to get over Todd. I am happy that Dorian is doing something that is separate from her family, and I am even happier that her story includes Viki! We haven't seen Viki and Dorian engage in a true battle of wills in a while, so I think this story will be great for both characters. Charlie called Viki the queen of Llanview, and while I tend to agree, I think Dorian might have something to say about that. It will be so much fun to watch Viki and Dorian face off! I like seeing Viki's competitive side emerge as a result of finding out that Dorian was Mayor Lowell's campaign manager. She knows she can win the election, but the victory will be even sweeter if it means defeating Dorian in the process. This is one of the more promising stories for the fall. It's been set up well, and Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser will finally be front and center, as they so richly deserve. This is a terrific way to celebrate the fact that both actresses are staying with the show!
The ordeal with Gigi, Stacy, and Rex is quite a different story. It has been a disaster from the start. Gigi lied to Rex, Rex fell for Stacy's manipulations, and now we are being forced to watch Stacy continue telling yet another lie as she searches for a baby daddy. I think it was lazy storytelling to give Stacy a pregnancy in the first place, but to have her try and replace her miscarried baby is ludicrous. We've already seen Stacy drive a wedge between Gigi and Rex, so it is hardly compelling to watch her do it again! Since I don't read spoilers, I was desperately hoping that Stacy would tell Gigi and Rex the truth when she went their house. The jaded soap opera viewer in me knew it wouldn't happen, but I still hoped However, Stacy's loyal friend Kim stopped her just in time. Now that Stacy has a chance of being pregnant after her night with Fish, it could be months before this story is resolved. It's hard to watch, it's ridiculous, and I don't know why good characters are being wasted in such a disastrous story! The worst part of it is that a good story has been dropped. The question of who Rex's father is has been lingering for a long time, and it would have been a great idea to reveal who it was right after Gigi and Rex reunited. They knew Roxy was hiding something, and Rex is allegedly a private investigator. He should have done some investigating to find out what Roxy won't tell him. It doesn't make sense for so many characters to forget about it all at the same time, especially when Rex's father is alive and skulking around Llanview! I would much rather watch a story that involved Rex searching for his father and tested his relationship with Roxy yet again than to watch Stacy search for one night stands to replace the baby she lost. I don't know if Stacy gets pregnant from her night with Fish, but I hope this plot point ends soon. I can't watch much more of Gigi and Rex take thinly veiled jabs at each other about what they have done and then make up 5 minutes later. They need to move forward with their lives because I can't take much more of this nonsense!
Moving along to the moment of truth that wasn't thwarted, I feel bad for Layla. She had high hopes for her future with Fish, and he ended up having a big secret that meant that future would never happen. Even worse, she was the last one to know. It can't be easy to find out the truth from a complete stranger! At the same time, I also feel bad for Fish. He tried to convince himself that he was something he really wasn't, and it blew up in his face. Fish has been desperately trying to escape his past with Kyle, but it kept haunting him in many ways. He didn't want to be labeled, and he wanted to fit in at the police department, so he did what he thought was expected of him. It was good that Layla was painfully aware of all of this as she confronted Fish. She didn't attack him; she calmly asked for the truth, and as he continued to deny it, she became more frustrated. She was hurt and angry, but she had an acute perception that Fish was feeling the same things. Both actors did a great job with the confrontation, and I also think it was well written. I was surprised when he came home and announced that he was gay to Layla and Cristian. He couldn't even hear the word "gay" without flinching before, but he finally seems ready to accept it. It will be interesting to see what Fish does next. I am glad that the truth has been revealed. It's been hard to watch Fish and Layla's scenes because I knew what the outcome would eventually be. Now that that the anticipation is over, Fish's can move on with his life with the realization of who he really is.
As for Cristian, I wish he would have told Layla what he knew. Chances are she wouldn't have believed him, but at least she wouldn't have been completely blindsided. Of course, she made it clear that didn't want to discuss Fish with Cristian because he was naysayer, and she shut down his attempts several times. I can't really blame him for not telling her. Being the messenger is never easy in situations like this, especially since the messenger is often erroneously blamed for and accused of things! I am glad he was there for her after she found out, though. Surprisingly, I am beginning to like them more as friends. At the beginning, when they were having generic arguments and were conveniently trapped in random locations, I couldn't muster any interest in them because everything felt so forced. However, I like how their friendship has developed since Talia died. Since Layla doesn't seem to have any other friends in Llanview, it's a good thing that she and Cristian can finally have real conversations in situations that aren't contrived!
Then there is Blair. She needs a new hobby other than obsessing over Todd and Téa. One day, she will realize how desperate she looked by packing her bags and flying to Tahiti on a whim. At the very least, Blair needs to be honest about her motivations behind all of this. She knows Téa isn't a danger to her children, and nobody else believes it either. She is simply jealous of Todd and Téa's relationship. This is the one thing about Blair's relationship with John that I miss. She was honest about herself most of the time. She told John she was a very jealous person, and that was a big step for her to admit that. Apparently, she has forgotten that revelation because all she can say about her investigation is that she is doing it for her children. Dorian doesn't believe, Rex doesn't believe it, and I really don't believe it! I guess that is who Blair is, but she is frustrating to watch sometimes!
The good thing about her investigation is that we have finally gotten to see Ross again. We've been hearing his name repeatedly for a few weeks, and now he has reappeared in the form of Michael Lowry. I liked Michael Lowry when he was on All My Children, so I think he will make a good addition to the cast. Ross didn't seem terribly alarmed by Blair's breaking and entering into his home, and they've already started quite a conversation, including the bombshell that he and Téa are married. Blair's facial expression after hearing that was priceless and made for a perfect Friday cliffhanger. It will be interesting to see what else Ross has to say about Téa, especially since many viewers speculate that Téa has a secret child. Personally, I hope her secret is something else, but I have a feeling that it will be Todd's child. Téa's discomfort throughout Matthew's trial, and her reaction to certain comments about having kids have made her having a child a pretty safe bet. It's such an overused plot device, and Téa is such a dynamic, interesting character, that I hope her secret is more creative, but I will continue to hope that Téa is given a good story from all of this!
Marty and Todd didn't have a good story last week. In what has to be the most contrived scene of the week, Marty helped Todd see what he needs to do to foster his relationship with Téa. I realize conflict of interest and professional ethics are rarely taken seriously on soap operas, but it was absurd to watch Marty counsel Todd after all they have been through. She also made it obvious that she is doing it for her personal benefit, which is also absurd. She just got her license back and has started working again. She wouldn't risk losing all of that so she could talk to Todd. Marty and Todd have been intertwined in each other's lives for years, and their relationship has always been complex. The writers don't need to create forced ways of throwing them into a scene together. Their encounter last week was almost as strange as when Marty went to Todd's house to confront him. Todd and Marty share a grandchild, their kids are romantically involved, and they have a complicated history. They don't need to be thrown into a scene together just for the sake of having a scene together. May last week's fiasco be the last of these inexplicable encounters!
Even though his conversation with Marty was from the Twilight Zone, Todd apparently got a lot out of it and felt ready propose to Téa. I didn't see that coming! I liked how the proposal was juxtaposed with Blair finding out that Téa is married to Ross. Téa is in a no-win situation no matter what she does. If she says yes, she has to resolve whatever the issue is with Ross so she can marry Todd. She also has to deal with Blair, who will be eager to tell Todd what she found out about Téa and Ross. If she says no, Todd is sure to pursue the issue and find out why Téa has been acting so jumpy and why she turned him down. She will still have to deal with Blair and what Blair knows. I have to admit that I do like Todd and Téa, but Téa has to tell Todd what her secret is. She has already waited too long to tell Todd the truth, but if she does it herself instead of letting Blair be the messenger, then she might be able to come out on top. This story could be very interesting, and that says a lot coming from me. I never thought I'd be interested in a story involving Todd, Téa, and Blair, but Téa's secret has brought new life (possible pun intended!) into a recycled love triangle, and it could end up being a good storyline!
Random Thoughts: I am not sure how I feel about David's reality show. Parts of it have been entertaining, but I hope it doesn't go on for too long, as "fun" stories sometimes do. I am reminded of 1968. I hope it doesn't become like that! However, I like the growing bond between David and Matthew. It's sweet that David wants to be a real brother to Matthew! I also like Rachel and Greg more than I thought I ever would. Greg is finally being written as a real person instead of a generic surgeon, so I can see a connection between them. I hope we get to see them play "Z-Box" more often! Finally, I actually kind of like John McBain these days. He is looking out for Cole and not being self-absorbed. I guess I like him when he isn't saving damsels in distress to boost his ego. I hope he keeps doing what he is doing!
Until next time,
Dawn
