One Life to Live surprised me 2 weeks ago by keeping my attention and interest for the entire week. Now, the show has surprised me in a different way. The week revolved around Todd and Blair's dangerous situations, and the conclusion of the custody trial for Ace. Those events did hold my interest, but the surrounding scenes that involved the Cramers and the Buchanans respectively were captivating in their own right
While Todd and Blair were busy fighting for their lives, their and loved ones were trying to cope with the ordeal back in Llanview. The explosion of Todd's cabin and the increase of danger of Blair's circumstances were the main events of the week, but I found everyone else's reactions events just as intriguing, if not more so. We saw people interact who haven't had many scenes together recently, and we saw the strength of the Cramer women. Kelly has been wrapped up in the baby switch storyline for a long time, and it was a nice change of pace to see her interact with Starr and Jack and try to help them and Dorian deal with Blair's disappearance. Kelly took charge of and tried to make the best out of a bad situation. It was a nice touch to reveal that Blair wants Kelly to be Starr and Jack's legal guardian in her will. Blair and Kelly have had their differences ove the years, but Blair's wishes prove that the Cramer women always stand by each other in the end. Kelly has changed a lot in the past year, and I am glad to see her be strong, independent, and helping other people in their time of need. Starr also tried to be take charge, as she tried to find her mother using the internet. She didn't want to give up hope that her parents were still alive, but she also expressed fear that they might be dead. Her scenes with Matthew where she let down her guard and admitted she was scared were well done and gave uss more insight into Starr's character. She puts up such a brave front most of the time, that it was surprising to see her show her vulnerable side. At the same time, she also made the adults around her think, as they tried to tell her that Blair and Todd might not come back. She asked Bo if he gave up hope when Matthew was kidnapped and asked Viki and Dorian about similar situations, which really caught them all off guard. Starr is making the transition from being a child to a teenager, and we can still see her struggling with it, as most children do. The situation with Todd and Blair showed us that she is the middle of the this transition, as she was scared but didn't want to give up hope at the same time. Finally, David did his best to help Dorian cope by using his knowledge of the Cramer women. He showed her pictures that exemplified their strength and the fact that they always survive. We haven't seen David and Dorian spend much time together, so it was great to watch these scenes. Some of their conversation insinuated that the length of their engagement will become an issue as time passes, which will hopefully give this couple an actual storyline. Their scenes were reacting to what was happening with Blair, but we saw the status of David and Dorian's relationship at the same time. Seeing how Kelly, Starr, Dorian, and David were reacting to the crisis at hand was entertaining and gave us more insight into each character. I wasn't shocked that Todd was rescued or that Kevin was the one to rescue him, but I was pleasantly surprised at the scenes surrounding Todd and Blair's situations.
The Buchanans also had a difficult week, as they were forced to say goodbye to Ace once and for all. They didn't all agree with Kevin's initial decision to pursue custody, but they were there in full force (those who were in Llanview) when Kevin had to give Ace to JR Chandler. Even Asa (in his own way, of course) seemed to accept the reality of having to give Ace up. Now that Ace is gone, what will happen to Kevin? Will he try to further repair his relationship with Duke and with Viki? Kevin has changed a lot since finding out about Ace's true identity. He has been angry for a long time. Can he go back to the "old" Kevin, or is he forever changed? I've always thought the most interesting aspect of the baby switch storyline would be how everyone reacts to it once it's over. I never thought Kevin would win custody of Ace over the Chandlers, and now that he indeed has lost Ace, it will be interesting to see what happens to him and the rest of the Buchanans now. The baby switch issues proves to be a divisive one, as Kevin had disagreements with almost everyone in his family about it. Kevin and Kelly have shown signs of reconciliation recently, but that could have been hampered by Kelly's court tactics. At first, he was eager to team up with Asa in order to keep Ace, but he eventually shunned Asa's ideas on the issue. Kevin and Viki haven't been that close since he found out what Kelly did to him. Duke has felt shunned by being forced to watch Kevin fight so hard for Ace. Can the Buchanan family reunite after all of the rifts that the baby switch caused? I think it can, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens
Speaking of the Buchanans, Phil Carey (Asa) has not renewed his contract with One Life to Live yet. There is discussion that he might not renew at all. According to a Soap Central poll, the vast majority of viewers would miss Phil Carey if he were to leave. Asa hasn't had a substantial storyline in a long time, and the last one put Asa in some humiliating situations. I remember shaking my head when I saw Asa being duped by Todd and Blair and having to be rescued from a hole in the ground. With storylines like this, I can't blame Phil Carey for wanting to leave. However, I am interested in your opinions on this issue. Do you want Phil Carey to stay? If he doesn't stay, would you accept a recast? Let me know what you think about this issue.
Have a pleasant week!
Until next time, Dawn
