March has always felt like an extremely long month to me, for many reasons, but One Life to Live wants to break that trend. Several stories began or hit new points last week, which promise to make this month anything but dull! Cole, Matthew, Gigi, and Shane were in a bad accident, Marty's maternal instincts returned in the form of amazing physical strength, Rex and Gigi learned sad news about Shane, Blair was stabbed and everyone assumed that Todd did it, Starr was rejected by her teacher, and Natalie figured out the truth about Chloe/Hope. That is a lot to happen in a week!
I knew that Matthew, Cole, Gigi, and Shane would get into a car accident. After all, it was One Life to Live's turn to have one. However, I didn't know that Cole would be high or that Matthew would be paralyzed. I've made a point of avoiding spoilers because reading them didn't make me want to watch. Therefore, I was surprised by how the whole thing turned out, and I am glad I didn't know what would happen.
Marty finally "saw" Cole as her son in her memory. She realized that she had to save her son, and she used all of her adrenaline-spiked strength to lift a car off of the ground to do it. I've heard of things like that happening in real life, but it was pretty cool to see on a soap opera! After that, she wouldn't leave Cole's said as she professed her motherly love and promised him that he would be okay. Those were very emotional scenes, especially coming from Marty, who hasn't been able to express an emotion other than sheer annoyance at anyone who reminded her that she had a life and a son before Todd. Cole has been ignored by most of the adults in his life, so it was great to see Marty reassume her responsibility as a parent. She might not remember every single detail of Cole's life, but she knows that she really is his mother and is ready to help her son. She has quite a mess on her hands, though as Nora wants Cole to be prosecuted for driving while under the influence, and she also has to help Cole deal with what happened to Matthew. I hope her maternal instincts have returned for good because Cole needs her now more than ever.
Meanwhile, Bo and Nora were beside themselves when they learned that he could be paralyzed, and their reactions were heartbreaking. They both worried silently in front of Matthew while acting like nothing was wrong and tried to make him feel better. Robert S. Woods and Hillary B. Smith both have an amazing talent of conveying several thoughts and feelings with little more than facial expressions, and they were both at the top of their game last week (as they always are!). When Nora confronted Cole for driving under the influence with Matthew in the car, it was hard not to tear up right with Nora. Her pain and anger were evident in every single word, as she shook, cried, and called Cole a "stupid boy," who took in while Marty was gone. When Marty tried to stop Nora's tirade, Nora told her to stay out of just like she always does. Ouch! Nora was inconsolable at the mere thought of Matthew never being able to walk again, and due to Hillary B. Smith's brilliant performance, those scenes were absolutely captivating. Brandon Buddy did a great job too, as Cole listened to Nora's harsh words and tried to handle the guilt of possibly injuring Matthew for life. He has grown a lot as an actor since joining this show, and the fact that he held his own in a powerful scene with Hillary B. Smith proves it. Now that Bo and Nora know that Matthew is paralyzed and could be that way for life (but probably not because it's a soap), I am sure we will see even more emotional scenes next week. I know that watching them tell Matthew will be hard to watch. Since the writers appear to be reuniting Bo and Nora, this story could have long lasting effects on not only Matthew, but on Bo and Nora too.
In another part of the hospital, Michael McBain showed Rex some test results, and Rex got the surprise of his life. While he was expecting to find out if he had been drugged, he found out that Shane has Leukemia. Michael really should have warned him before he let Rex grab the chart! It's amazing how Rex managed to put up a strong front after finding out, especially after Gigi arrived to the hospital and learned the news. Gigi already had a medical scare with Shane the night before, and then she learned that he had a serious illness. I actually wish that this didn't happen. I am sure having a sick child on a show will make for intense drama, but it's also very sad. Shane and Gigi have such a special bond, and you can tell that Shane is her life. Now, we have to watch Shane go for treatment and watch Gigi and Rex try to be brave for Shane. That is going to be difficult to watch for sure, and I really don't like that Stacy is involved.
I really hope that the writers didn't give Shane cancer as a way to let Stacy steal Rex from Gigi. The previews hint that Stacy is conveniently the only match for Shane, and that she will only donate if she can have Rex. I hope this isn't true, especially since Rex isn't even remotely interested. Since Stacy's sole purpose on the show is to annoy me (and probably other viewers too), I don't like this development at all. So far, nobody believes that Stacy is an innocent, misunderstood person that needs compassion. Everyone knows that she is willing to go to great lengths to get what she wants, without considering other people. I think we already see Stacy way too much, so I certainly don't want to see her skulking around with the satisfaction of knowing she got her way because she decided to help Shane. Gigi was right to kick her out for trying to seduce a drugged Rex, while Gigi and Shane were in the ER. I don't want Gigi to take Stacy back and pretend like nothing all happened because Stacy is the ONLY one that can save Shane. There has to be a better reason for giving Shane a serious illness. Stacy isn't worth it! My only hope is that Roxy will finally tell Rex the truth about his father to stop Stacy. She knows what Stacy is all about, so it's time for Roxy to take action!
Todd is the Llanview Police Department's favorite suspect for everything that happens, especially now that Blair has been stabbed. It's true that he had an odd reaction when he saw Blair in a pool of blood on the ground, but he's Todd, and he reacts strangely to all kinds of things. I don't think he did it. It's obvious that he is being set up to look like the stabber, since he is usually nearby after an attack occurs, but that makes him too obvious as a suspect. Actually, I think it would be interesting if the writers decided to make the most obvious choice the real stabber. Soap viewers have to come to assume that the person holding the murder weapon over the body is never the murderer, so the writers could trick us if they did make Todd the guilty one. However, I don't think he stabbed Blair, Wes, or Lee. I am glad and surprised that Dorian took back her accusations against Todd. She likes to blame Todd for everything, just like the LPD, but even she understands that he wouldn't lie to Starr about it. Of course, it took her all of 30 seconds to accuse Ray Montez of the crime, even after Moe and Noelle gave Ray an alibi. I think Ray is also too obvious, considering that we saw him wielding a knife at Vanessa a couple of weeks ago. I am not sure who the stabber is, but the LPD had better start investigating other people that aren't Todd. The officers at the LPD have never been the sharpest group, but they could be letting a true murderer get away with more crimes by constantly obsessing over Todd!
I was happy that Schuyler told Starr not to call him ever again. Their relationship has been icky since they met. First Schuyler used Starr as his therapist, then he recruited her to work with him on a "special project" after school, and then they continued to get to know each other to the point of Starr calling him by his first name. He seemed to forget that he was her teacher and that are definite boundaries in a student/teacher relationship. I am glad that Schuyler's past was revealed to the administration at Llanview High School. I don't think he is a bad person, but he seems to have trouble of not crossing the line when it comes to students. I am sure he won't be fired, but maybe having his past revealed will force him to be more professional. When he finally told Starr that he didn't want to talk to her anymore, it seemed like he finally understood how inappropriate his relationship with her really was. I hope that this story doesn't go any further, but I am sure it will. I don't want to see he and Starr involved in a story of forbidden love. Yuck!
Finally, someone in Llanview figured out the baby switch. Thank goodness! I guess the incompetence and the inability of hospital staff to abide by HIPAA paid off this time. Marcy managed to learn Cole's blood type, simply by glancing at his chart, which just happened to be in plain sight. After she revealed Cole's blood type to Natalie and Jared, Natalie finally realized what happened on that ill-fated night. Honestly, I am amazed that Natalie figured out the truth so quickly, but I am relieved that she did. I hope that Natalie tells people about it instead of hiding the truth. I can see why she wouldn't want to upset Jessica, but the truth will come out at some point. The baby switch story has gone on for long enough, and since there was never any hope of there being any suspense to this lazily written story, it would be wonderful if could in the next week or two. I am sure we won't be that lucky, but I can dream!
Until next time,
Dawn
