Last week, the focus of the show was placed on the core characters of the show, and it was great surprise. I must say, I was more then pleased to see the return of Viki and of Nora last week. Viki, of course, was in London with Clint and Joey, and Nora was apparently in Harrisburg giving a deposition about Daniel. There absence has definitely been noticed, and just seeing them again made the show better. I also enjoyed how much we saw R.J. and Lindsay, as opposed to the long list of newer characters we usually have to watch. For the most part, I didn't feel like new, trivial characters were being forced on me (with the exception of Paige), and there were some great moments on the show because of it.
Nora returned to Llanview after an extended absence to find Paige moving in with Bo with Matthew's help. The combination of Matthew's praises of Paige and her constant smiling and perkiness upset Nora greatly, and she let Paige know about it. Of course, she really wanted to have it out with Bo, since he is the one who neglected to tell her about this new development. Once Bo and Nora were in the same room, they started having one of their infamous arguments about trying to move on with their lives. Nora started showing signs of discomfort, but Bo was oblivious to all of them. She said she felt like she was being replaced in Matthew's life and demanded to know what Bo saw in Paige. It was shocking to hear him say "Paige is everything you're not. " That honestly made me cringe. I think Bo mainly said that to push Nora's buttons, which Bo regretted doing after she collapsed. The good thing was that Bo started acting like himself again. He started thinking about Nora's recent behavior and realized that she really wasn't herself during their argument. They both said a lot of hurtful things, and Bo started to regret his share of them because he realized Nora hadn't been thinking clearly. He should have figured this out earlier, but since Nora had been blocking him out of her life for so long, it is understandable that he didn't. When he discovered Nora needed an operation, he refused to leave the hospital until he knew the surgery went. He said it was for Matthew's sake, but I think Bo stayed for his own sake too. He immediately called Viki to the hospital, and he also called Rachel. How great was it to hear him talk to Rachel and call her "honey" like she was part of his family? It was a small part of the scene, but it meant a lot, considering Bo and Nora's history. I was happy to see Bo have so much concern for Nora. These characters have been through a lot both together and apart. Ever since their initial pairing, Bo and Nora's lives have been inextricably linked. Bo has been there for Nora many times over the years, even when they were estranged. This is no different, and I think it happened right before Bo and Nora said things that took their argument too far. The only thing I didn't like about Bo and Nora's scenes last week was Paige's involvement. She didn't need to be at the hospital smothering Bo with attention. It was clear he was upset with her for not telling him the truth about Nora, and Paige insisted on staying around anyway. She is an unnecessary character, and she is around too much. I hope as this storyline with Nora progresses, we will see less of Paige. I am already a little dismayed that Paige will be there when Bo tells Matthew about Nora. He can handle that on his own. Bo did a wonderful job of explaining to Matthew about what happened with Daniel, and he can certainly tell Matthew about Nora's condition now. Paige is not needed. On the other hand, I was thrilled that Viki was at the hospital. Nora and Viki have been friends for a long time, and that often gets forgotten by the writers.Viki also has the talent of saying the right thing at the right time. When Bo told her it was his fault that Nora collapsed, Viki immediately told him that it doesn't matter what he did or didn't do because she would have collapsed eventually. She then added that it could have happened when Nora would have been in even more danger. That's Viki. She's there with comforting words in the most difficult of situations, and she really came through for Bo (and the viewers) this time. I am not happy that Nora is in a coma, but I am thrilled that Rachel has returned to Llanview and that Bo is becoming himself again. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
In addition to helping Bo, Viki also found time to talk to Todd about his situation with Margaret. Viki knew that Todd was hiding something and did her best to find out what it was. While he didn't tell her about taking Margaret out on the boat, Todd did admit that he had been raped by Margaret and that Margaret was pregnant. It's been hard to watch lie and cover his tracks when dealing with Blair, and Viki has the ability to get Todd to let down his guard to some extent. He tends to be a little more honest with Viki, and he trusts her judgment. While I have doubts about Todd and Blair's future, I know he needs to keep Viki in his life. That was apparent when she came to talk to him last week. He should have told Viki about the rape a long time ago, but I thought the scenes where he did tell her well acted by both Erika Slezak and Trevor St. John. Viki is one of the few people that can get through to Todd and his wall of stubbornness. I am not fond of this storyline with Margaret's disappearance, and the constant shots of the pond where Margaret is floating, but making Viki part of the story makes the story better. She adds so much to any scene, and that is especially true when she is helping her family. Viki made it clear that she was on Todd's side no matter what he had done, but it will be interesting to see how she reacts when Margaret's body is found. Will she defend Todd? Will she demand he tell her the truth? Will she assume that he murdered her? I think she will fiercely defend Todd's innocence, as she has stepped for him so many times in the past. I also think (and hope) she will help Starr through this ordeal. If Todd is arrested for Margaret's murder, Starr will not deal with it well. Blair will probably shut Todd out completely, so Viki's assistance will be needed. Having Viki around will make life a little easier for Starr, and their scenes together are always enjoyable.Viki and Todd's relationship has gone through a lot over the years, and one of the most intriguing parts of this storyline will be how Viki deals with what happens. As I've said, Blair and Todd's story has become predictable, but Viki and Todd have always had a complex, interesting bond.
Finally, it was great to see R.J. and Lindsay get so many scenes. It was terribly disappointing when Catherine Hickland was placed on recurring status, so it has been a pleasant surprise to see her so often recently. I like how the writers haven't had Lindsay "forget" that Jen died. It's obvious she is still grieving, even when we only see her for a few minutes. Sometimes after characters die, they are practically forgotten after a couple of weeks by every character on the show. This hasn't happened with Lindsay, and her grieving has set up a new storyline for her at the same time. She has grown very attached to Jamie since she got involved with R.J. I don't know if this will be dealt with more than it already has. Lindsay has called Jamie her child, and she didn't deal with it well when Antonio took Jamie away. I would like to see her deal with losing Jen and now losing Jamie so soon after Jen's death. I don't want to see her end up in St. Ann's again, but I think watching her try to heal after her losses would be a good path for Lindsay. Catherine Hickland is a phenomenal actress, and her talent needs to be utilized as much as possible. R.J. was also great last week. As a side note, I wonder about the judge who immediately changed her ruling when R.J. was arrested. She didn't have all of the facts, and R.J. is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. However, there were some great moments a result of that ruling. R.J. handled losing Jamie very well. He didn't fight Antonio when he came to take Jamie away, and he wasn't even rude to Antonio. That's a big deal for R.J., especially since he thinks Antonio could be behind his arrest. He said goodbye to Jamie and told her not to believe anything she might hear about him and to remember that he is just a silly old man that loves her. That was sweet, and it was a good change of pace to see the softer side of R.J. We know he won't quietly accept the charges against him, and he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. I like that side of R.J., but I also liked seeing him be a loving grandfather too. He is a complex character, and the writers really tapped into that last week. Now that Jamie's custody trial is over, I hope we still see R.J. and Lindsay deal with their loss and with R.J.'s newest legal troubles. I don't want to see these great characters fade into the background as has happened to them in the past.
In conclusion, I enjoy the show a lot more when I see well-known characters like Nora, Bo, Viki, Lindsay, and R.J. than when I am forced to watch hour after hour of Paige, Spencer, Layla, or any of the other minor characters on the show. One Life to Live has a rich and complex history, and the characters I mentioned are a result of that. These characters should be utilized more often and on a more consistent basis. We don't need a flood of new characters who don't have connections to Llanview when there are so many terrific characters already on the show. They need to be valued and appreciated.
Have a pleasant week!
Until next time,
Dawn
