No matter how you feel about the Reva cancer storyline, you have to admit that the performances this week were superb!
I've certainly been a vocal detractor from how this story has been told - and the gaping holes that could have been filled with helping viewers dealing with cancer. The show has taken this story and filled up countless hours of air-time by allowing Reva to hide her illness from nearly everyone in her life. But now that the truth is finally out, we can see how one person can affect all of those she has touched in her lifetime.
Robert Newman, Jordan Clarke, Nichole Forrester and Tom Pelphrey all gave great performances playing off of the drama that Reva's illness has created. One of the reasons I always plead with shows to keep veterans in their roles is the great chemistry that they share. It's obvious that the major players in this story have a strong connection and can play off of the real-life relationship they have built through the years. Zimmer, Newman and Clarke have all spoken about their two decades plus relationships in interviews and how it makes their scenes better - and I certainly concur.
This story has so many twists and turns - and I know from talking with fans that each step of the story brings a personal twist for so many of us. Not only the cancer itself, but Reva's decision to end her life, and the decision to sign a DNR (do not resuscitate). I know that the scenes this week were really hard for me to watch, bringing back memories of watching my Dad die in 2003. Just thinking back to how hard it was to be asked to make a life ending decision and honoring someone's wishes certainly affects the way I watch a story like this one. In the end, my Dad died without me making any choice (which was a blessing) but the emotions of such a decision certainly are a part of the way I view a story like this. In that respect, I think those aspects of the story were well done - both in writing and acting. I hope that before this story ends that we do see more of a push to remind women to get regular mammograms. As a woman who will turn 40 next March, and a family history of breast cancer, I know that this is something I will take care of with regularity.
But where have the other stories gone to? With the election less than 3 days away we see very little mention of this contest. Blake hasn't been on-screen in quite a while, although I know that she'll be on more in the next few weeks. The Springfield Blogger story has stalled some, but will also be wrapped up this week. While I like that the story has used more of the cast, I'm not sure the lack of balance these stories have received have done the show any good.
And then there was the "Inside the Light" episode that aired this week. Since I had only seen snippets of it before last week, I wanted to wait until I saw the entire episode before I talked about it at length. I know many fans were on record about their feelings, and I think many of you bring up some valid points.
While last week was Halloween and the initial show certainly could be tied into that celebration, if it continues to be a regular thing, it would take away time from stories that need to see the "Light" of day (pardon the pun). But I did enjoy the episode as a stand-alone story (much like the 15,000th anniversary episode - Reva's dream of Springfield without her). I do give the show a free pass to do things like this for holidays and special occasions, but am concerned that too much time is being spent on one or two stories - which leaves fans of other characters out in the cold. GL needs to find a better balance - allowing the entire cast to shine.
This week will bring to a close two stories that haven't seen much air time - the Springfield Blogger and the Mayoral election. And we'll learn the identity of Ava's father - even if she does not. I don't want to "spoil" those of you who don't want to know ahead of time, so I won't say anything further.
Hopefully the end of these stories (at least the big reveals of each) will bring some new, exciting stories for GL fans this holiday season. I know I can't wait to see how they all play out.
Kimberly
