Llanview has never been known for its safety. The LPD rarely captures criminals, and no one is even running the department at the moment. Apparently fire safety isn't high on the list of priorities in Llanview either, as David decided it was a good idea to light a check on fire and walk away from it before the fire was out. I am not sure what David expected to happen, but I assume he wasn't thinking about fire safety. The next day, we found out that Carlotta's diner had been burned to the ground, and David realized he might be responsible. I don't believe for a minute that David started the fire. There seems to be a time lapse between when David burned the check and when the fire started. I think David will be a red herring as the investigation moves forward. Either way, it was sad to see Carlotta's diner destroyed. It has been a staple on the show for a long time. It seems like almost every character on the show has visited Carlotta's diner at one time or another. Knowing that Carlotta's diner was a common meeting place also gave me hope that we would see actually see Carlotta once in a while. Her role on the show has been diminished over the years, but there was always a chance she would be working behind the counter. I hope that Carlotta doesn't disappear completely now that her diner is gone. She is a good character, and I've always enjoyed her friendship with Viki and with other characters. Since her sons appear to be stuck in the never ending melodrama of Mendorra, it seems unlikely that we will see much of her in the near future. I hope I am wrong and that Carlotta gets an actual story as a result of the diner being destroyed, instead of disappearing as so many characters do!
Speaking of characters who I don't want to disappear, I was impressed with Addie last week! She stood up to Dorian when Dorian was trying to run her life, and she dumped David of her own volition. People in Llanview have been assuming Addie is incapable of making her own decisions, and she has proved everyone wrong. I think bringing Addie back and having her be "sane" was a stroke of genius. Over the past few months, she has been an independent, strong woman, and she has made Dorian look quite small! While Dorian was busy with seeking revenge on the Buchanans, Addie decided to live life to the fullest and started doing things that she wanted to do. She married David and then decided it was over because she wanted to get a divorce. She never thought that David married her for love, and she didn't love him. While Dorian and Blair both assumed that Addie was a victim in her marriage, she proved that she was the one in charge all along. David genuinely wanted to remarry her, but Addie wanted to do other things on her list. She didn't let Dorian or Blair try to influence her or control her life, and she certainly seems to be the happiest Cramer woman around! While it was obvious that Addie and David's marriage wasn't made to last forever, I was sad to see them split up. The brief montage of their marriage was great, and I hope that we get to see David and Addie together again in the future. Until then, I hope Addie remains on the show. She adds so much to any episode in which she appears, and Dorian and Blair need her. She has the sense that her family members lack, and the show wouldn't be the same without her!
Meanwhile, Bo and Rex are stuck in 1968. I have mixed feelings about this story, mostly because I wasn't watching in 1968. It is fun to watch Rex discover what life was like back then, since he wasn't alive, and seeing Moe in hippy attire and Nigel playing a cowboy was funny! My main reservation about this story is that it will last too long. I can't see Bo and Rex staying in 1968 for months; that will get old very fast. The good part of this story is that Bo is learning more about Asa, and since he had so much unfinished business with Asa when he passed away, this could help Bo and his perspective on life. However, the story seems to be more about Gigi and Rex than about Bo. It seems like "Bo" will be paired with "Emma" in 1968, which means Rex and Gigi will become a couple in 2008. It could be an interesting story if it will have an impact on the current characters, and it could end up being a great love story that transcends the decades. It seems like some people are having problems with this story because there are inaccuracies and inconsistencies with how 1968 is being portrayed. As I said, I wasn't watching back then, but I think it's a good idea to suspend reality when watching a story about time travel. Since Bo is Asa and Rex is Bo, the story is obviously not meant to be exact. It's not real; it is meant to affect Bo and Rex because they are both lost when it comes to their real lives. The purpose of this story is to affect Bo and Rex's present lives, so it doesn't bother me that things might have been changed to suit the story. Analyzing a story that is complete fantasy with a microscope might be a wild goose chase. It might be harder for me to let go of the discrepancies if I had been watching the show 40 years ago, but I think it's better to accept this story as dream sequence instead of a history lesson. Soap operas are hardly realistic, and sometimes, I don't mind escaping from reality!
The story I am still having trouble accepting, however, is the one involving Todd and Marty. They are forming a friendship, but is all based on lies. Todd seems to be using Marty as an escape from the rest of his life while atoning for what he did to her. She doesn't know that she has been sharing a home with her rapist, and that makes their scenes uncomfortable for me. I like how Todd and Marty are bonding, but I also don't. Marty is going to either remember or learn the truth about her real relationship with Todd, and since she is still unable to take care of herself, it's going to be very hard to watch! I don't like seeing Marty be the victim again, even though I know Todd won't physically harm her. He keeps telling her she doesn't owe him anything and that she should never apologize. However, Marty is going to feel trapped, and I don't know if I want to see that. This story has been confusing since it started, but it has held my attention. I honestly don't know where it is headed, and there are very few stories on soap operas that aren't predictable. I don't think Todd and Marty are headed for some type of twisted romance as some people suspect. Todd isn't comfortable being that close to her for that to happen. He was visibly uncomfortable when he was sleeping in the chair next to her and also when he had to pick her up, so the idea that Todd and Marty would become romantically involved doesn't feel plausible. I have a feeling that they will continue to discuss the past until Marty realizes the truth, and then everything will go haywire. Like the 1968 story, I hope this doesn't go on for too long. It seems like Todd and Marty have been having the same discussion for weeks, and I don't want this to be the entire story before Marty learns the truth!
While Todd and Marty were discussing the past, Blair and John decided they should be together. I am torn about this pairing. On the one hand, I don't like John or Blair, so their scenes don't interest me. On the other hand, I don't like John or Blair, so maybe they deserve each other. Blair has been playing a victim for a while now, and while Todd has done some horrible things to her, Blair isn't a saint either. John feels the need to save women in distress because he needs to boost his ego. He is self-absorbed and self-righteous, and I don't buy his "knight-in-shining-armor" act for a minute. Maybe these two characters really are a match made in heaven, but I don't think I can watch them! Blair and John both dislike Todd, and I can't help but think that their current feelings about Todd sparked their sudden proclivity for one another. I am not against Blair getting involved with other people. I don't want to see her go back to Todd. They have been over for a long time, in my opinion. I just think that Blair is with John because it drives Todd crazy and because John is "safe" in her mind. I don't see them becoming a long term couple, and even if they did, they would be incredibly boring!
Meanwhile, Starr and Cole ended their relationship in a very emotional way. People have asked me why I never write about Starr and Cole. The answer is simple. The story doesn't interest me. I think it hasn't held my interesting because it has been all over the place. One moment, the story is about a controlling father, the next minute, the story is supposed to be like that of Romeo and Juliet, and the next minute, it is a vehicle to give Marcie another baby that is connected to Todd. This story got off to a bad start, and it lost me early in the game. I like that the writers let us know how Cole felt about Starr's decision to give her baby up for adoption, especially since he had a differing opinion. I also like that Starr knows the consequences of her decisions. Cole decided to sign away his parental rights, but doesn't want to be with Starr anymore nor can he even look at her. Starr thought they could pretend like this chapter in their lives never existed, but now she knows that things aren't that simple. I am not saying that giving her child up for adoption is a bad idea. I just think it's good that the writers told both sides of the story and showed that giving a child up for adoption isn't the "easy way out." I honestly can't wait for this story to be over, but it seems like Starr is learning a lot through her pregnancy, and she might just end up being more mature.
Moving on to the Buchanans, I wish Clint hadn't tried to bribe David. I wish he and the rest of the family would tell David the truth about his true identity. David isn't the worst person in the world to be a Buchanan, and I wish they would all stop acting that way. David is a schemer, and he has tried some bad things in his time, but he is hardly the devil incarnate. The Buchanans looks bad as they are offended that Jared lied to them about his identity, but they are willing to lie to David about his. I don't understand why Clint would rather part with $10 million than say "David, you're a Buchanan." Even if David knew he was a Buchanan, it wouldn't necessarily mean that he would want to be close to the rest of the family and join them for Thanksgiving. I think the whole Buchanan clan is overreacting to the situation. It's true that Clint has more against David then the others, since Dorian cheated on him with David, but I still think Clint should tell him the truth instead trying to give him money to dupe Dorian!
The other thing that is bothering me regarding the Buchanans is Clint and Nora's relationship. They have been together for a long time, but their relationship hasn't gone anywhere. It seemed like something might happen when Nora and Dallas saw each other, but there wasn't any follow up to Nora's initial reaction. I can't figure out why the writers put these characters together and decided not to do anything with them. Bringing back an ex-girlfriend is a great way to create some excitement and tension in a relationship, but we don't know what happened between Nora and Dallas. I highly doubt that Clint wants to get back together with Dallas, but I am sure Nora would be curious about why Dallas decided to visit. Nora had the best facial expression ever when she realized the woman with Clint with Dallas. Hillary B. Smith played that scene perfectly, and she made me want to tune in the next day to see what would happen. However, it seems like the writers (or others at ABC) are not committed to this couple, and Nora and Clint are both suffering because of it. If they are supposed to be a couple, we need to see more of them instead of having random scene every two weeks. I have been undecided about this couple for a long time, and the main reason is I don't know much about their relationship!
It looks like Viki and Charlie's relationship will be on hold as Viki goes around the world to be an advocate for organ transplants. I know many people felt that Viki and Charlie's scenes were not enough, but I felt they were sufficient. Viki and Charlie aren't a couple at the moment, and while they both want to be together, they are still a little uncomfortable around each other. I wasn't expecting a tearful goodbye or a romantic scene. I will expect that when Viki returns from her trip, though! She will have had time to clear her mind and forgive Charlie, and then they can get back on track. It's actually kind of poetic, since Viki met Charlie at roughly the same time last year. Viki could potentially return from her trip with a "$10 million lease" on life as David put it, and she will be ready to accept Charlie back into her life has her partner. I can't wait for Viki to return because I am sure she and Charlie will have a good story. I always miss Viki when Erika Slezak goes on her annual vacation, but the actress deserves the time off. Summer is a difficult time for soaps since so many actors take summer vacations, but the actors work very hard, and they deserve them!
Finally, it has been reported that Catherine Hickland will be off of the show indefinitely, and as a fan, I find this to be quite distressing. I can't imagine One Life to Live without Lindsay, and since Catherine has been on the show for a decade, she deserves more than to have her character escorted off to prison with no sign of a story. Lindsay and Nora's rivalry was ended in a way that felt forced and far too abrupt. This feud has been building for 10 years and for it to end in the matter of two episodes isn't appropriate. There is more to Lindsay and Nora's story, and this simply can't be the end of the line. Lindsay and Nora have the potential to be the next Dorian and Viki, and It would be a huge mistake to let Lindsay disappear like she never existed. One Life to Live has been fortunate to have Catherine Hickland as a part of the cast for the past decade, and I hope that the powers that be will realize that and will start giving her the treatment she deserves. If you are a fan of Catherine, I urge you to write to the show, the network, and to Catherine herself to show your support. We can't let such a talented actress go without a fight!
Until next time,
Dawn
