Sometimes, on soaps, a character goes through a trauma, and then resumes his/her "normal" life the next day. Characters are on the verge of having nervous breakdowns and get miraculously better 10 minutes later, or they have major surgery and are out of the hospital an hour later and look as though nothing happened. This isn't the case with Blair or Todd. They are both feeling the effects of what they have been through because of Margaret, although in different ways Watching Blair last week made me realize just how bad their ordeal really was. Of course, I already knew that being held captive and being locked in a car trunk were terrible things, but watching the repercussions of it have driven the point home. Blair thinks that every time the phone rings or there is a knock at the door that Margaret is back and ready to hurt her and her family again. Blair's fear is justified, and there is no end in sight. In Blair's mind, there won't be any peace or comfort until Margaret returns and is captured or otherwise stopped. She hasn't been able to hide her fear from Starr and Jack, and all Blair, and Todd hasn't been able to alleviate her fears. Todd wants to get revenge on Margaret for what she did to his family, and he is also trying to cope with being raped by Margaret. I wish he would tell Blair what happened. We all know that keeping the truth from Blair will create problems, especially when Margaret returns to Llanview. He is having trouble coping with it himself and doesn't want to cause any more grief for Blair. Instead, he is avoiding what happened to him and is trying to avenge what happened to Blair and his family. In the midst of Todd and Blair's anguish, they have decided to plan yet another "dream" wedding. They have done this several times before, and usually their attempts are foiled. Will this wedding be the one that actually takes place and leads to a lasting marriage? After all Todd and Blair have been through, especially this year, I hope so. With Margaret still on the loose, having a problem-free wedding seems almost impossible, yet I think it should happen. I doubt many viewers want to see Todd and Blair endure even more hardships after what has happened to them in 2005. The thing that has amazed me most about this storyline is that it has gotten me interested in Todd and Blair again. Before, I felt like their story had become too repetitive and predictable. While Todd was in that cabin for way too long, and Blair's ordeal dragged out for too long, it has led to a reinvention of Todd and Blair, or at least a new chapter of their story. They have a long way to go before they can recover and move on from Margaret's acts, but I think it will be interesting to see where they go from here and how they will move on with their lives.
Finally, I must comment on what has happened to Dorian as a character. She has been known to go over the top, especially when it comes to protecting her family. However, she has gone so far over the top and has become so one dimensional that it's hard to watch her scenes now. All she wants to do is blame Viki, Todd, and the Buchanans for her problems and doesn't see that she is creating problems for herself. Her lines are almost the same in every scene. She starts talking about how bad Viki is and how awful it his that her "girls" are all involved with Buchanan men. She then says mean spirited things about Todd, and blames Viki again. I don't blame David for leaving her. She even tried to blame Viki for David's leaving. It's hard to watch a character that I like be taken down such a dark road. Dorian has always had her vengeful side, but forging a check to get Viki fired and constantly insulting Viki and her family has taken it too far. In the past, when Dorian was out for revenge, her motivation was apparent, even if it was out of line. When she meddled in the lives of Blair, Kelly, and the others, her intentions appeared to be good. She thought she was helping them, even if they didn't agree. This time, it was harder to see her motivation or her good intentions. Yes, she lost her job at the hospital, but it was hardly Viki's fault. Maybe her vote was the tiebreaker, but Dorian's actions led to the vote. With Kelly, Blair, and Adriana, she is determined to keep them away from the Buchanan men because of things that happened in the past, that might not be their fault. I thought she would listen to Kelly about David, but she was stubborn and blew it off. Although, I like how David came down the stairs and said "Kelly and I spent the night together." We know nothing really happened, but it certainly got Dorian's attention! I hope she sees how unreasonable she has been and does her best to make amends with people in her life...including Viki. If Dorian continues being so one dimensional, I am afraid people will stop liking her character, and that shouldn't happen with an important character like Dorian, who has so much history on the show. There isn't a good reason to ruin Dorian's character, and I hope that doesn't happen.
Have a pleasant week!
Dawn
