This week it was some new faces in Oakdale that helped move the stories in new directions and these faces make Oakdale an interesting place right now.
Gwen
The character of Gwen is new; however, in her short time in Oakdale she has been attached to a number of major characters: Casey, Will, Craig, Rosanna and now Carly. Gwen is a great character because she is has all the makings of a future Carly. The actress, Jennifer Landon has made Gwen the character that most people are talking about these days - she is truly a wonderful addition to the cast.
Now she needs to find out that she is related to someone on the show like Carly. Her scenes with Carly as they went toe to toe about the baby were terrific. The thing I like about Jennifer Landon is that she can hold her own against the strongest actors on the show like Maura West (Carly), Hunt Block (Craig), Colleen Zenk Pinter (Barbara) and Jesse Soffer (Will). She never fades into the background. As I watched this week with the new information about Iris' baby - she said it was a boy but could there have been a mistake and it was a girl so Gwen would be Carly's long lost sister. I know that is reaching a bit but watching those two together I could see them being related in some way.
I do hope once Celia is gone and after her reaction to Will's gift this week, she isn't ready for anything this serious. Maybe she will decide it's best to go where things are simpler back in Montega. This would leave Will free to see that Gwen is the one for him because the look on her face when she saw the gift showed she has feelings for him. Diana agrees with me as she says, "Since Celia will be leaving Oakdale soon that leaves room for Will and Gwen to develop a relationship. It will fit well since Barbara is not in favor of their relationship. Jennifer Landon has done a great job as Gwen; I hope they keep her in Oakdale for a long time."
Maddie Coleman
Another young interesting character as she fits right in as Henry's younger sister. She wants her brother back with Katie and she wants Mike out of the way pronto. She is having these fantasies that are so enjoyable that reminds me of Guiding Light's Nola Reardon. She is a determined and feisty young lady who in many ways makes up for the loss of Alison Stewart. I look forward to seeing how she interacts with others when she meets some of the younger set in Oakdale like Luke or Will or Casey.
The End of Craig
This baby switch storyline has brought another side to Craig - it's true he wants his son to be with him but would he intentionally run Rosanna off the road? I hate to see Craig go and the way the writers are painting him into a corner - will he be welcomed back to Oakdale anytime soon. Here's a little history about the character of Craig when he originally came to Oakdale:
-when he was married to Betsy Stewart, he faked paralysis to keep her
-he placed a bomb in Steve Andropolous' truck to keep him away from Betsy
-he hit Dusty with a car and tried to cover it up
Craig does have a history of criminal behavior to get what he wants. A few readers have written to me to give their views on Craig:
Kara says, "Craig's motives weren't pure he did not deliberately switch babies to watch Jennifer grieve. He switched babies to have his own son. He had no way of knowing that Gwen's baby would die and Jennifer, believing it was her son, would be grieving the loss of her child. It's too bad that Hunt Block and Cady McClain are leaving the show as their characters are amazing and complex, as well as humorous."
Genna says, "I am counting the days until Craig leaves this show. He is without a doubt HORRIBLE!"
Finally, while the show is changing with Rosanna gone, Craig and Celia leaving soon - there are some interesting stories to keep things moving along like Lucinda's cancer, Luke's rebellious behavior and Paul and Emily's relationship. There are always flaws like where are Jessica and Ben and why hasn't Meg seen her mother since she moved into Lucinda's? No matter what, I'll keep watching and I imagine most of you will too.
That's all I have for now.
Reggie Jackson
