I am back for a temporary engagement, as I fill in for Ryan and Denise. While I have not written in a long time, but I have been watching the show and occasionally posting on the message boards. It has been a difficult year for fans, and sometimes, my finger cannot find the fast forward button fast enough. The storylines are either repeating themselves, or they simply drag on for too long. There have been some good scenes, but the show as a whole needs to be fix. I have faith that the show will get better with a new head writer. I am optimistic that instead of big events, there will be good stories that will keep me watching. It has to get better, and I think that it will!
At least that is what I had to tell myself as I watched Miles drag Todd around in a body bag with seemingly little physical effort or difficulty. Are we supposed to believe that Todd would really still be alive after all of that and without food, water, or other basic necessities? I could not believe my eyes as I watched this all transpire last week. After all of that, Todd was able to get up and walk away. He is truly resilient if he can withstand all of that, I know all of this is being done as a sneaky way of reuniting Todd and Blair, but there has to be a better and different way of accomplishing that. How many times have we watched the "Todd is missing, and Blair is determined to find him" plot? I do not want Todd and Blair to get back together, but I know it is inevitable. That is who they are; that is what they do. They break up, go through some type of ordeal and then get back together. What happens after they reunite this time? Will they get back together just to break up again after a lie or some other type of betrayal? I firmly believe this is the last time that Todd should ever be missing, kidnapped, or injured again. There has to be something different that can be done with the character. I also believe the end of this story should end the feud between Marty and Blair once and for all. This feud has never made sense to me. I realize that Marty is a painful reminder of who Todd used to be, but for Blair to be spewing venom at Marty on a daily basis is ridiculous. Blair's constant ranting and raving at Marty makes me want to hit the fast forward button; they are not Viki and Dorian, and their feud is far from legendary. They never have to be best friends, but it would be nice if they did not argue every time they are in the same room. I think this story has worn out its welcome, and it just needs to end soon. I wish I did not feel this way. I think the character of Miles has a lot of potential, and David Chisum is doing a terrific job. I think he can do more than drag Todd's body around town and "blackmail" Marty.
Speaking of needing a new story, Jessica definitely falls into that category. I am glad she is finally with Nash, since she's been pining for him for the past year. However, her health crisis are becoming too much. In the past 2 years, the writers have given her DID, Hepatitis C, and 2 liver transplants. Can't they think of anything for Jessica besides health issues? I realize most soap characters have a myriad of illnesses, but it seems Jessica has had more issues in 2 years than some characters have in a decade! I must say, I like the idea of David being her second donor because it links him to the Buchanans. It might not ever be revealed if he is Asa's son, since Asa is no longer around, but now, David will always be the person who saved Jessica. I do not like the fact that David demanded money to do go through with the surgery; David is a con artist at heart, but even he does have some humanity! I think he would have gone through with the surgery even if Clint had said no. David obviously cares about Viki, and he would not have let Jessica's life hang in the balance. Regardless, David went through with the donation, and I hope this will wrap up Jessica's health crisis for a while. I realize she is still battling a disease, but maybe that can be placed on the side for the time being. Since she is newly married, we should see her enjoying her new life with Nash and Bree instead of seeing her in a hospital bed every week. It took a long time for Jessica and Nash to get to this point, and now that they are together, it is time for their new life to begin. They got married under sad circumstances, but the dark cloud can be lifted, and we can see Jessica taken in a new direction. The only good thing to come out of her latest health crisis is that we've seen some nice family moments between Jessica, Viki, Clint, and Natalie. Jessica's family rallied around her did not give up hope. I love when the Buchanans band together, and they certainly came through this time!
Even with the absurdity of Miles dragging Todd around, and the sadness surrounding Jessica's health crisis, there were some great scenes last week! I loved the scenes at Foxy Roxy's with Viki, Roxy, and Natalie. It was wonderful to see Natalie's 2 mothers dote on their daughter and "compete" for who was her real mother. Natalie ends does not get much attention from her family too often because of Jessica's issues, so this scene was a nice change of pace. During these scenes, I realized that I like Natalie more now that she is not with John and is living her own life. She's never been one of my favorite characters, but for a long time, I could barely watch any of her scenes because of how she acted with John. Now, however, she seems to be building her own life and is reconnecting with her family. I hope the writers do not throw her into another relationship too soon. She is really growing as a person by herself, and it is wonderful to see her bond with her mothers. Natalie needs to figure out who she is before getting involved again. When she was with John, it seemed like he was her identity and her purpose. Now, she has the chance to be her own person, and so far, I like it a lot!
I also loved John and David's scenes last week. David had some great lines as usual, and he brought out the funny side of John! While John still dresses in black from head to toe in July, he seems to be less burdened with his demons, and he actually makes jokes these days! These 2 men will probably never be best friends, but they certainly have chemistry! I was shocked by this development, since John is usually so depressing and dark. David summed it up when he asked John if he knew he was a killjoy! I hope David and John share more scenes before David leaves Llanview again. In fact, I almost wish the mystery of who killed Spencer wouldn't be solved, so tat David would have to stay longer! I honestly don't care who killed Spencer anymore, but watching John and David work as a team would be a lot of fun, and we definitely need some lighter, comedic moments on this show!
Another pair that I enjoyed last week was Lindsay and Marcie. They share a special friendship, and Lindsay had great advice for Marcie: Tell Michael the truth! A few years ago, Lindsay was all about keeping secrets to serve her purpose, and now she is helping her friend understand that she needs to be completely honest. I love it! A few years ago, I bet Lindsay would have advised Marcie to keep the truth about her inability to bear children a secret so she wouldn't lose Michael. After all, Lindsay has certainly kept her share of secrets over the years, However, we can see that Lindsay has come a long way over the years, and while she will never be a saint, she certainly has changed her life for the better. While I would have never expected these 2 to become such close friends initially, it makes complete sense for the 2 women to be friends. They've both felt like outcasts at points in their lives, and they both love and miss Jen. I also like that Lindsay and Marcie talk about Jen and keep her memory alive. On a show that seems to conveniently forget various pieces of history, it is refreshing to see a character remembered years after she died! I am glad we are seeing more of Lindsay these days. I hope we continue to see her with Marcie. We don't get to see too many friendships on this show anymore, so Lindsay and Marcie's bond is a definitely a highlight!
On the subject of highlights, while I am thrilled that the story of the arsonist is finally ending, I thought Matthew and Nora's conversation about it was poignant. Matthew lost everything he owned because of the arsonist, yet he showed concern for how Tate was coping with the knowing that his father was the arsonist. Matthew had incorrect information, but he showed maturity where not all other kids his age could have. Nora looked proud and surprised by her son's perspective on the issue. It would have been understandable for Matthew to express nothing but anger about what happened to him, but instead, he felt compassion for others. Matthew and Nora's relationship isn't shown enough on this show. I realize that maybe more can be done with the "teen scene" than with a child Matthew's age, it would be nice if he were focused on more often. He might not have the drama surrounding going to high school, but there is nothing like his bond with Bo and with Nora. He is also the next generation of the Buchanan family. Matthew needs Starr deserves to have a story as she does, but Matthew deserves one too!
Finally, the friendship forming between Viki and David is ingenious! How much fun was it to watch the 2 of them do Tai Chi together? They are such opposites in many ways, yet they found a way to bond. Viki actually seems to have fun with David, and she hasn't had anything to do for herself in years. I wish David would stick around so we could see how their relationship would develop. I don't mean that they would necessarily become a couple, but they seem to enjoy each other's company, and Viki can benefit from laughing more. I remember wen Viki and David spent a little time together after he Dorian broke up, and they even had an interesting dynamic then. Viki might even be a good influence for David, and Viki needs the chance to something besides watch Clint and Dorian and worry about her children. As I've said, David really needs to stay in Llanview on a regular basis. The powers that be at ABC Daytime should give Tuc Warkins whatever he wants if it would keep him on the show. He adds so much to the show and even brings out good things in other characters! Viki needs friends these days, and I think David is a good match for the job!
My greatest hope for this show is that there will be entire stories that interest me from start to finish. As I said, there were some great scenes, but the majority of the storylines on this show are recycled or drag on for too long. We need a good balance, and One Life to Live has lacked that for a long time. May the new head writer be the catalyst of a bright future for our show!
Until next time,
Dawn
