It was a week of contradictions on GL and a fan could get whip lash from all of the twists and turns.
First off was the wonderful episode from the Gulf Coast showing the cast as themselves interacting and helping others. For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to interact live with the GL cast, this was a chance to see them as they really are. Not a manipulative CEO (Alan) and a diner owner (Buzz) or a cop (Frank, Marina, Remy, Mallet) but real people who really care about each other and the world around them. Too bad Holly (Maureen Garrett) - who I really miss - was relegated to a vitamin commercial (Centrum silver) during the show.
I was glad to see the show do something that gets them out and interacting with the community to celebrate their big 70th anniversary. The GL fans that I've met over the years that have had the opportunity to meet the cast really feel connected with the cast. Although there are still some fans (and not just GL fans) who can't separate the show with reality, it's always nice to be able to get feedback from your fans face to face. And the families who benefited from their actions were grateful that they weren't forgotten - nearly 18 months after Katrina left them devastated. I won't get on a soapbox here, but I do hope that this show - and the events GL will do throughout the year - inspire others to lend a hand wherever possible. For my part, I just received my information on helping out in Baltimore when the GL'ers come in December. I just hope that the weather cooperates - we have terrible ice around here now.
But watching the shows on Thursday and Friday were an interesting contrast. You do tend to get caught up in the drama of the show. The loss of a daughter. A family struggling to get along. It all seems so dramatic on the screen until you compare it to having your home and all of your possessions taken in one day. Still, we have a mystery to solve in the context of the show, and we'd better get started...
Who shot Alan? (this time....)
Suspects: Wow - how much space do I have here, Dan (Soap Central's guru)? Nearly everyone in Springfield would like to see Alan pay for some crime against their family.
Cassie: Since she made the grand pronouncement at the wedding, she has to be tops on everyone's list. Grieving mother + prescription medication = murder suspect. Chances she really did it? Not likely - it's too obvious.
Lizzie: Grandpa Alan has taken a lot from Lizzie. From Phillip, to little innocent Sarah, Lizzie is all alone except her oddball billionaire family. Could she have finally snapped? She's killed before (Beth's abusive ex-boyfriend Carl) and shot Alan before as well. And now Alan's blushing bride Doris and her crazy kid Ashlee are pushing her out of the only home she's ever really known for long. Still, I don't think she's the one who did it.
Alan-Michael: Now here is where things get tricky. The forgotten son, running the show at Spaulding but not the head of the family. Is he angry enough to get rid of the father who all but forgot him growing up? Sure, he's got a pretty decent alibi, but we all know the Spauldings have helpful people on speed dial to do their dirty work. And is he as bad off as it appears in that bed at Cedar's? He's definitely on my suspect list.
Alex: Another family member with an axe to grind against her little brother. He's held the majority of the cards in the family for far too long. And his list of misdeeds just keeps growing. Can Alex sympathize with Cassie since Alan took her son from her (Nick) when he was born? And is the addition of the new Mrs. Alan Spaulding just too much for her to bear?
Beth: The jilted ex-wife and ex-daughter-in-law. Can she be bitter enough to want to kill the one person who might be able to bring Phillip home? Just don't let it be Lorilei who did it!
Lillian: Now here is a suspect I can see putting a bullet in Alan! With twenty plus years of misdeeds against Phillip, Beth and now Lizzie, Lillian could have snapped. And no one in Springfield would blame her for putting a slug in Mr. Spaulding.
Reva: Alan has hardly been her favorite ex-husband (yes, they were married briefly). Now in a week, Alan cost her Tammy, Jonathan and Sarah. Could this, and what he's put Cassie through, on top of decades of bitter rivalry, made Reva pull the trigger?
Remy: The normally mild-mannered former cop has gone off the deep end with guilt and regret. We saw him get into the wedding under false pretenses. Did he finally snap and shoot the person who killed his friend and the woman he loved? Definitely high on my list of suspects.
Josh: He's seen Cassie fall apart with the death of Tammy. Reva has lost Jonathan and Sarah. And Alan has been doing bad deeds against the Lewis family for years - is it his time to pay? Like everyone else, he has his motives, but I don't see him as a murderer.
Daisy: Interesting idea. She lost her boyfriend (no great loss) and her cousin because of Alan. She's not the most stable person - and since her actions caused Harley and Gus to lose baby Sydney, could she have snapped? Not likely.
Rick: Who has had a better front seat to most of Alan's machinations over the years? First with Phillip and all of their struggles and now Beth and Lizzie with baby Sarah. Rick's lost his family, does he have anything to lose by shooting Alan?
Speaking of, could it be Phillip? Oh, could it be that GL (and Grant Aleksander) could finally be listening to their fans? Don't count on it. But if you hear screams coming from southern Maryland, it means that he's re-appeared in Springfield.
And the person who could have the most to gain now is Doris herself. Could she have slipped away to shoot him now that they were legally wed to claim her share of his billions? Doubtful - she enjoyed being the preening bride too much to step away from the spotlight for half a second. The same goes for Ashlee.
Only time will tell who really did the deed. My short list of possible suspects are: Remy, A-M, and Rick. Subject to change, of course....
So have fun trying to figure out who shot Alan. It looks like the whole week's show will be devoted to the story. At least Olivia and Jeffrey have an alibi - other than being shown with Ava they are hardly seen these days. And Blake is still in her coma (although she looked pretty handy in the Gulf Coast).
Kimberly
