Starr's teacher must not have taken the class about ethics and avoiding lawsuits that some teachers take. He feels too comfortable pouring his heart out to Starr, his student, and considering that his mother is being investigated because of what happened to Starr's baby, I don't know why he is doing this. I understand that he feels guilty about what happened and is dealing with his mother's suicide, but he is crossing a big line with Starr. I don't have a problem with Starr confiding in him; sometimes the only person a student can talk to is a teacher. However, I don't think "Mr. J." should be turning to Starr for counseling. Their scenes last week make me wonder how far their new connection will go. I can't explain what it is, but something about this new teach bothers me, and I wonder if he intentionally chose to teach at Llanview High School to get closer to Starr. He made a big deal out of learning who Starr was and of saying he wouldn't have chose to teach the class if he had known she was in it, but he didn't end the conversation. Instead, he decided to talk to her about everything that allegedly made him want to avoid her I might be way off base, but he seemed too eager to tell Starr everything he knew about his mother and about the debacle surrounding Starr's baby. He could be completely on the level, but so far, I feel like something is off about him.
Meanwhile, Nora and Bo had to deal with the fact that Matthew is growing up and encountering things that they don't want him to be near. I've always felt that we don't get to see enough of Bo and Nora in co-parenting mode, so I loved these scenes. Both Bo and Nora were put in the hot seat, as Matthew demanded to know if they had ever done drugs. Nora's facial expressions as she tried to answer were priceless, and Bo was caught off guard when Matthew pointed out that Bo has a problem with alcohol. It seems that Matthew has caught on to the "Do as I say, not as I do" principle. Matthew has always been the perfect son with his good behavior and an old soul to go with it. Now, however, high school is making Matthew rethink his ways, and I like that Bo and Nora are working together to try to stop him from getting into big trouble. It seems like they never considered that being the son of the police commissioner and the district attorney can be difficult for a high school freshman. It's plausible that the other students look at Matthew differently and that he would do whatever he could to be part of the "cool crowd." Bo and Nora now realize the pressures that Matthew is dealing with, and I am sure this will present more challenges for them while Matthew is in high school. I don't expect Bo and Nora to ever get back together, but I do think they work well as a team when they are put in the position. I hope that there is more to this story and that we will see Bo and Nora work together to help Matthew cope with the pressures of high school more often.
While Bo and Nora were talking to Matthew about drugs, Rex had to talk to Shane about the birds and the bees (Does anyone say that anymore?). Gigi and Rex basically asked for Shane to walk on in on them, since they chose the living room and knew they had a 10 year old son that could walk through the door at any minute. Gigi was eager to assign Rex to the task of talking to Shane about what he saw. Rex got through his explanation the best he could even with Shane asking Rex about his past with women. I especially liked how Rex squirmed when Shane asked Rex if he ever got any diseases! So far, I really like seeing Rex be a father to Shane, and now that Shane is growing up, I am sure there will be more awkward moments for Rex to deal with as a father. I also like how he talked to Bo about it after the fact. Rex has always been known for being a little too self-confident about things, so it was nice to see him admit to Bo that he is still learning how to be a father. Since Bo became a father to Matthew later in life (although in a different situation), Bo can help Rex adjust to being a father. I liked that the writers had Bo meet Rex after his discussion with Matthew and after Rex's discussion with Rex. It made the episode feel more cohesive and involved more characters into what could have been two isolated stories.
I have to wonder when Cristian became so gullible and borderline stupid. He is letting Vanessa walk all over him, and now he thinks he loves her. I remember the days when I used to like Cristian, but now, he acts like a fool. Vanessa is a waste of space, as I've said before, and I think we all knew that Vanessa would manipulate him to the extreme. Now that Sarah has been gone for a total of 5 minutes, Cristian has chosen to make his marriage to Vanessa real. What?! As Talia said, he went over a waterfall for Sarah, but he already seems to have forgotten about her because Vanessa is so irresistible to him. I hope that Vanessa leaves Llanview SOON, and at this point, she can take Cristian with her. I can't handle having her or Lola on my television screen on a regular basis, and I dislike what they have done to Cristian and that they've been added to the opening credits. People on the message boards have referred to the Montez family as the next Santi debacle, and while I don't want to think about Tico Santi ever again, they might be right. It seems like the writers have been struggling with what to do with Cristian for years, and they really gave him a dud this time.
I wish the entire Buchanan family would stop acting like David Vickers is the worst person ever. They are all determined to keep the truth about David's paternity a secret from him so that they can protect their family name and money. On the other hand, they have now decided that Jared is awesome, and that he is a much better choice as the lost Buchanan son. This doesn't make any sense at all. Jared duped everyone into thinking he was Asa's son. When it was revealed that he had been conning the Buchanans, they all took offense, and Renee's heart was broken. Now, however, they seem to have forgotten what he did because they are letting Jared help them keep David away. What would be so terrible about telling David the truth? Asa wanted David to have the money and now the company, so why are Clint and everyone else acting like David is undeserving? They might not like him, but it shouldn't matter. I realize that the Buchanans live in their own fantasy world, and they don't accept anyone or anything from the outside world trying to interfere, but their reaction to finding out about David is out of line. David might not be the most upstanding citizen, but neither is Jared, and they have accepted Jared back into the Buchanan fold. Why can't they accept that David is a Buchanan, give him what he is entitled, and go from there? The family Buchanan has been known to be self-righteous, but they are taking it too far as they scramble to keep David, the real Buchanan son, out of the picture. I think Dorian might dupe them again, as she is trying to do the same thing with David that Alex did, now that she knows that David is the Buchanan son. At this point, I hope she does get David to marry her to take back B.E. The Buchanans need to have their egos dented a little!
At first, I was undecided about Jessica and Brody's friendship, but so far, I like it. They are both trying to work through some difficult issues, and they are helping each other do it. I didn't want Jessica thrown into another relationship right away, so I wasn't fond of the idea of Jessica and Brody meeting in St. Anne's. However, I think they are good for each other, and since they are not rushing into anything, I like it even more. Few people really understand the emotional distress that they are both experiencing, so it makes sense they would form a bond. Brody has already experienced one of Jessica's alters, and he still talks to Jessica, so he might be just the right person for her. Jessica is also helping Brody cope with his visions of the young boy in Iraq. I really like their scenes and like they are comfortable enough with each other to joke about which one is the craziest. Both Jessica and Brody have A LOT of work to do before they can be released, so I hope we continue to see them interact at St. Anne's. I am sure they will continue to help each other cope with their problems, and their relationship can build from there.
I think Marty might benefit from a stay at St. Anne's. She is obviously having difficulty dealing with everything and everyone in her life. I don't blame her; she is under a lot of pressure. I am sure she feels like she is in a fish tank being watched by everyone in Llanview. They all know who she is, and they all have their own ideas about what she should be doing. She can't relate to any of that. She is just trying to get through the day. That is why I understood why she chose to stay with Wes. He doesn't have any expectations of her. He isn't saying "Remember when?" and looking at her with an intense stare. While Marty has reverted to some of her old ways, and that is self destructive, I understand her need for reaching out to a stranger. It was painful to watch her rebuff Cole, but she is obviously struggling with being a mother to him. She doesn't know him, and she doesn't know how to relate to him. She can also tell that Cole is expecting her to remember him and to be there for him. She is cracking under the pressure, and she needs to work through everything with in non-threatening environment. Nora suggested that Marty get psychotherapy, and while Marty rejected the idea completely, I hope she reconsiders. I like how Nora confronted Marty about what she has been doing and urged her to get the help she needs. Nora has been handling Marty's situation with kid gloves, but she got tough with Marty last week, since Marty won't help herself in a constructive way. I love how Nora has been played an integral role in Marty's return to Llanview and that she is now reaching out to Cole more. It seems like it will be a long time before Marty is even remotely read to be a mother to Cole, so I am glad that Nora is there to take over temporarily so that Marty can and hopefully will get the help she needs.
Finally, I've decided that If I ever get into legal trouble (God forbid and knock on wood), I want Téa Delgado to defend me. She not only zealously defends her clients in court, but she also defends her clients to other people in Llanview. I have mixed feelings about Téa being so certain that Todd can't do anything wrong, ever. However, she definitely does her job! She got Viki to come over and see Todd eve after Viki had written him off, and she won't anyone say anything bad about Todd. It's quite interesting that while Blair is ready to judge and badmouth Todd at every turn, Téa is there to say "It's okay! You are awesome, Todd!" It's no wonder that Téa and Blair never got along. I might not agree with Téa's opinion with Todd most of the time, but I am actually enjoying her return to Llanview! Now, we just need to learn why she is on the phone with Ray Montez all the time!
Dawn
