Hello! After years of reading the Two Scoops columns for all of my favorite soaps, I am delighted to say that I am this week's guest Two Scoops columnist for OLTL. Without (hopefully) divulging my age, I will admit that I first watched OLTL in 1976, when I was in the hospital, after I had just given birth to my oldest son, Austin. Viki was in the hospital at the same time, and she had just given birth to Kevin. I could always relate to Viki because of that, even though Kevin is now older than Austin, thanks to SORAS. I can also recall, in the late 70's, when Judith Light joined the soap as Karen Wolek, and I still reflect back to some of the shenanigans that Karen and Marco Dane got themselves into, most notably when they switched Jenny's deceased baby with the live baby of prostitute Katrina Karr. I was also right there in Llanview (well, all right, maybe not physically) with the arrival of the Buchanans: First Clint and then Bo in 1979, and finally their pa, Asa, in 1980.
In 1993, I watched in horror as Marty Saybrooke was gang-raped by Todd Manning, Zach Rosen, and Lord Powell III at the college Spring Fling. And I cried along with Jessica Brennan, as her husband, Nash, lay dying in a hospital from injuries that he had suffered from his fall through a hotel skylight. Back in 2001, I taped the episodes that were performed live for the week, and I am still able to watch and cherish this tape. I will always be impressed by the tear-jerking, emotional acting done by Kassie DePaiva, when Blair learned that Todd had lied to her about her son's so-called death, and that she had actually adopted her own biological son, Jack. Her performance was truly spell-binding, and I still feel that Kassie was robbed of the Daytime Emmy Supporting Actress award that year.
The characters of OLTL feel like members of my own family, and I was devastated when I learned of its cancellation. I even went through a mourning period -- my husband will vouch for that! It has been heart-warming to read the many fans' reactions in trying to save their favorite soap, although I fear that the die has already been cast. After hoping in vain that ATWT would be saved almost a year ago, I am trying to be more realistic this time around. (And speaking of ATWT, I want to give a special shout-out to Anthony Herrera, who just died this week at the age of 67. James Stenbeck was the villain that we all loved to hate, and he will be missed!)
If I must lose my OLTL family, I can only hope that they can bring back some of our favorite characters, before the soap is gone for good. (Just let me say that when Leo returns to Pine Valley in August on AMC, I am so there!) My first choice for a fan fave's return would be Nash Brennan, since he was the love of Jessica's life, however, I am not sure how the writers could bring him back from the dead. But who's kidding who -- this is a soap after all. It can be done! Anyway, let's review this week on OLTL
To get to the heart of the matter (so to speak), after Rex had declared the prior week that Clint would never get Gigi's heart, Rex had a change of heart (so to speak) and made a deal with the devil (so to speak). However, in exchange for Gigi's heart, Rex demanded that Clint turn over his entire fortune -- lock, stock, and barrel, all of the millions, the controlling interest in B.E., the entire investment portfolio, Clint's real estate holdings, the Buchanan mansion, the knickknacks, and even the dust under the rugs -- to Rex and his "grubby, gold digging, con artist's hands." Rex is definitely becoming more and more his father's son, and no one should question that he is the grandson of Asa Buchanan now. Clint should be proud of Rex, because Clint has always thought of Rex as the wimpy, nice guy. Clint wanted Rex to toughen up, and he has.
In order to give Rex the mansion, Clint had to kick Cutter out of it. Clint asked Nigel to bring him a box loaded with documents and, as it turns out, a wedding ring that had belonged to his mother. Luckily, Clint thought ahead -- what a surprise -- and created a contract with Cutter that contained some small print stating that Clint could take back the house anytime at his discretion. Cutter was not very bright not to read the small print. Really, if he had watched People's Court, or Judge Judy, he would have known better. Anyway, Nigel told Cutter to get out and to make it snappy. Go, Nigel! And Rex got the keys to the mansion and the ring.
Of course, Rex needed the fortune to get revenge on Todd Manning and Todd's "sick little son," Jack. John and Rex both knew that Todd had paid off Brad's father, but there was nothing that the Llanview Police Department could do about it. So, Rex decided to take the law into his own hands to make Jack pay. I don't see where this is going to go well for Rex, and it is setting a very bad example for Shane. If Rex really loved Gigi, he would raise Shane with proper morals, values, and standards, and lead by example. That would be what Gigi would want, not to retaliate and get revenge. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the months ahead.
And speaking of Shane, Austin Williams' acting was again dead-on when Shane had to say goodbye to his mother. When Shane was in tears, I was crying right along with him. Maybe he can be considered for a Daytime Emmy next year in the Younger Actor category? Shane, at least, told Gigi what she would have wanted to hear -- that he would continue to draw and try to have a career as an artist. He said that Gigi had been the best mom, and he told her that he would be okay, so that she would not have to worry about him. Sad stuff!
Rex's tearful goodbye was also well done. As he placed the heirloom ring on Gigi's finger, Rex declared his wedding vows to Gigi. Rex imagined Gigi saying her vows back to him as they exchanged rings in his mind. Rex insisted that Gigi was "my first love, my last love, my only true love." It's a shame that Rex won't be able to have his happily-ever-after with Gigi, but at least, the fans were able to see an imaginary wedding for this popular couple.
A rather frightening sight is Jack Manning's demeanor about what he and his cohorts did to Gigi Morasco. As Téa noted, Jack seemed to have absolutely no remorse for his actions that led to Gigi being discovered in the warehouse, braindead. That Todd paid Brad's father to entice Brad to confess indicated to Jack that he never has to be accountable for his actions. The truly scary part is that Jack, at first, seemed not to care that he caused a death. He only cared that he might have to pay for it. Yet, later, he confided to Starr at the pool that he had not known about the carbon monoxide, and that he had never meant for anyone to get hurt. Jack pointed out that he had heard all of his life that he was just like his dad, but he cannot use that as his excuse for violence all of his life. Jack needs to be accountable for his actions, and this is just what Starr told him.
The truth about Rama's non-pregnancy finally came out! After the big reveal with Vimal, Rama flew to Cristian and admitted that she had lied to him as well. Rama referred to herself as a selfish, horrible, greedy person, and Cristian agreed. Rama apologized to Cristian and hoped that one day, he would be able to accept her apology. And let us hope that the chapter of this story is over.
It has been reported that a fan favorite is scheduled to return: the previous Jessica Buchanan, Erin Torpey. Erin grew up on the show, and after 13 years as Jessica, she chose to move on to something new. Erin will portray a new character -- one that is not Jessica -- in September, and the fans are already speculating which Llanview character she will share scenes with. Could it be Cristian Vega, since Erin and David Fumero had remarkable chemistry when they were originally paired together? I would think that would be a good possibility, since the coupling of Cristian and Rama is not working at all. That would also be a fun way for Cristian to exit with a happy ending. Who knows -- maybe Cristian and nonJessica will walk into the sunset, hand in hand...or not.
Poor Vimal, the guy has just been through the mill. Once, Vimal knew the truth, he ran to the nearest bar, where he had numerous drinks with Todd. Vimal told Todd that Rama had sold him down the river by letting him take the rap for Clint Buchanan. And Todd revealed to Vimal that John was unaware that he had a son. Todd declared that he would never tell John that Liam is his son, and he threatened Vimal not to tell also. However, once Vimal saw Aubrey and Rama, he was reminded of all of the lies that they had told, and he swore that he would tell the truth. Will Vimal speak up and tell John that Liam is his son? Stay tuned next time....
In the meantime, the man with the scar, who strangely enough looks just like the original Todd Manning, slipped into Todd's mansion to try to learn more about Todd. Once a disgusted Téa left Todd, the man followed her but was prevented from talking to her, thanks to Shaun. I laughed when she told Shaun that she didn't care if a man approached her, as long as it wasn't Todd Manning. Téa also claimed that Todd had not changed at all, and that he was still the man that she had married the first two times.
That is what we are still waiting to find out, Téa. Will the real Todd Manning please stand up? Sometime soon, please! The man with the scar also overheard Jack and Starr talking at the pool and remembered that Todd had a son, Jack. After Starr and Jack left, the man spotted Blair, who wanted time alone with her thoughts. Let's hope the man with the scar has some interactions with some of the other cast members soon, although I admit that I do love the acting chemistry with the man and Sam.
Jessica made it clear that she was still not thrilled with the growing bond between Brody and Natalie, who decided to build a new life with their son. Unfortunately, this has created a huge crack in the sisters' relationship. Viki attempted to heal the break by reminding Natalie that Jessica had no control over her disease, and that Jess had no idea of what her DID did to the people that she loved. Natalie also claimed that she did not want to hurt John any more than she already had. Well, everything will come crashing down, as Brody just discovered Marty's tape in the evidence room and learned that John is actually Liam's son.
Brody had already told Natalie that he and Jessica had changed too much, and that they would not be able to get back what they had. And Brody overheard Natalie announce to John that Brody, Natalie, and Liam would be a family. So far, Brody has been unable to tell John and Natalie that Liam is John's son. But what will he continue to keep silent? That will be interesting to see.
During all of this, Robert Ford admitted his love for Tess, and James declared that Ford should pursue her, no matter the consequences. So, Ford kidnapped Jessica to try to reclaim Tess. It didn't take him long to realize that what he was doing was wrong, and he apologized to her. But then Jessica apologized to him! I only hope that the writers are not trying to create another Jessica/Nash love story, because their story could never be repeated.
Nash met and fell in love with Tess first, and during that time, he had no idea that Jessica had DID. He eventually found out, after he followed her to Llanview, but he came to understand that DID was a disease, and that Tess was just one of Jessica's alters. The love story was when Nash and Jessica later fell in love, after Jessica had discovered that Bree was the child of Nash and Tess. Nash took the time to get to know Jessica, and then he fell in love with her.
Ford knows very well that Tess is one of Jessica's alters, but he still only wants Tess back. He even told Jessica that she did not think of Tess as a person. Up until now, he has had no regards for Jessica's well-being and has indicated that he only cares about himself. That is no love story! Ford's selfishness prevents any sympathy developing due to the fact that he is Ryder's biological father. Ford took advantage of a mentally unstable lady, and Ryder was the result. It seems that Robert Ford has not matured at all, as he had once claimed to Langston.
Kelly and Joey had a heart-to-heart talk at the hospital during Clint's surgery. I liked that Joey admitted to his share of mistakes in the past and the nicknames that he had given himself: Joey the Flake, Joey the Dreamer, Joey the Guy That Never Knows What He Wants. At least he's honest. Once Kelly and Joey decided to remain friends, Joey squirted them with soda, and then they kissed. That's some friendship! I know that Joey and Kelly will be exiting soon, so I am not horribly surprised with this reunion.
The best news for me is that a couple after my own heart is back in town: David and Dorian Vickers-Buchanan. Although I realize that their stay will only be short-term, for at least Dorian, I am thrilled that they are back. David brings so much humor to every storyline that he is in. I am David's number one fan. Well, all right, maybe not officially. But seriously, I started watching Desperate Housewives again, just to see Tuc Watkins as Bob. David and Bob -- talk about total opposites!
Dorian and David's return is not destined to be a happy one, if Echo has her way. And you know she will. To get revenge on Dorian for ruining Echo's relationship with Charlie, Echo bribed the lead actress of David's movie, Ionia, to seduce David, and to present to Dorian that they were in love. When Ionia announced that she and David have chemistry, David denied it and claimed that even the director stated that David had no chemistry with anyone. Funny! David suspected that the whole thing was a setup, and he incorrectly believed that it was Clint. However, David pointed out to Dorian that without trust, their marriage was dead. This could pave the way for Robin Strasser's early exit. Hopefully, when Dorian leaves, David will remain in Llanview.
One OLTL fan favorite that has already been announced (on the Soap Central website, of course!) to be returning is Amanda Sutton's Kim Andrews, who was briefly married to Clint Buchanan in 2010. I had speculated that maybe the writers were leaning towards a Clint/Viki reunion, until I heard of Kim's return. Kim was a gold digger, who married Clint for his money, but Clint was aware of that. Clint and Kim were happily married to each other in their own scheming ways, but in an effort to protect the Buchanan fortune, David Vickers changed that when he blackmailed Kim to leave town. The news of Kim's return has given me hope that David will stick around, after Dorian is no longer on the show. When David forced her to leave Llanview, Kim vowed to return and destroy David. That would make for some good storytelling.
In other developments, Destiny revealed to a sleeping Matthew that she might be pregnant. Blair knew Tomas had secrets, but she told John that she would tread lightly. Yeah, right. Nate feared that he would be sent to prison, even if he and Deanna don't do the porn movie, because Destiny informed them that Matthew was recovering and would probably regain his memory.
Also, Téa discovered that she had a nephew, Sebastian, and Baz met his Aunt Téa. When Tomas announced to Téa that he had a son, and that his wife had kept Tomas from knowing about his own child, Téa asked, "Who would do that?" She was kidding, right? Isn't that the exact same thing that she did to Todd with Dani? Oh well...anyway, Baz showed an interest in Starr. I am not sure that we need any more new characters at this point, and I doubt if Baz can do anything to liven up the James/Starr storyline. It would seem that there are enough current cast members to focus on through January. Hopefully, none of the focus will be taken away from them.
The huge casting news for the week is the imminent departure of Trevor St. John, whose final taping date will be in mid July. Trevor's Todd Manning has many, many fans, and I know that he will be missed. I will admit to being surprised by this, as I had thought that both Todds would be on until the end. I suspect that Roger Howarth's fans are guessing that his Todd is the "real" Todd. (I almost hate to use that term, after the "real" Greenlee fiasco.) However, time will tell, and it will be interesting to see how this storyline develops, as the summer progresses. As Dan reported here on the Soap Central website, the two Todds will not come face-to-face until the week of July 18th. That is just so far away! I bid a fond farewell to Trevor St. John, though, as well as to his outstanding work on OLTL.
Well, that's it from me, and let me tell you, I have enjoyed every minute of writing this. I love OLTL and the beloved cast of characters that have all turned Llanview from being a fictional town into my home away from home each week. I will be there until the end, and I won't miss a minute of any new developments for Viki, Clint, Bo, Nora, and the rest of the gang. In the meantime, I will look forward to current and upcoming storylines, and I will be sitting on pins and needles, waiting for each and every next episode. Well, all right, maybe not literally. But keep the faith, dear fans, and continue to hope that One Life to Live will be given one more life to live.
Teddi
