Add funerals to the list of things that should never be held in Llanview! I loved everyone's facial expressions as they watched the casket slowly open. They didn't know what to think! Mitch made an entrance that only he could make as he popped up and was happy to see everyone. He certainly knows how to steall someone's thunder, even a dead person's! His obsession with moving dead bodies is just creepy, though. While Mitch's surprise appearance was entertaining, Jared didn't get the proper funeral that he deserved. Considering that he and Natalie had a rushed, secret wedding, Jared never got a fair shot in Llanview.
As I've said before, I've never been a big fan of Natalie, but I feel bad for her. It was heartbreaking to watch her cry over Jared's casket at the cemetery. She doesn't know what to do with herself and is filled with grief and anger. I like her discussion with Viki at Jared's grave. Viki knows how to grieve and let go of anger better than anyone, so it made sense for her to advise Natalie on how to go on with her life. I think Viki's advice fell on deaf ears, since the promos show Natalie going after Mitch with a letter opener, but Viki did her best to stop Natalie from letting her current feelings consume her life.
Viki also did her best to console Charlie, and he still felt that alcohol was more comforting. I guess I saw this coming but hoped that he wouldn't take a drink. Charlie has done such a great job of rebuilding his life, and Jared was proud of him before he died. Now, Charlie has fallen off the wagon, but I hope he hasn't fallen too far. I don't want to see Charlie succumb to drunken stupors and strain his relationship with Viki. Alcoholism is a terrible disease, and I would hate to see it ruin Viki and Charlie's marriage. Viki knew what she was getting into when she married Charlie, but I would love to see them not have to deal with this so soon after getting married.
I wish Charlie hadn't let Mitch taunt him as he did. Charlie had to know that nothing good would come from visiting Mitch in jail. While Charlie is incredibly vulnerable right now, Mitch simply can't (or won't) be rattled by anyone. He has listened to death threats and nasty comments and hasn't even flinched. Charlie didn't stand a chance against Mitch's perpetual calm state. In fact, Mitch acted as a psychologist and analyzed why Charlie was angry instead of taking Charlie's anger personally. Mitch is truly the master at mind games, and Charlie learned that the hard way. I am sure he wanted to take an even bigger drink from that bottle after leaving Mitch! Poor Charlie!
I really enjoyed Dorian and Mitch's scenes in their respective jail cells. Dorian felt very proud of herself for taking a stand on gay marriage, but didn't realize her subsequent arrest would bring her face-to-face with Mitch. It didn't take long for Mitch to goad Dorian into threatening to kill him again. I don't blame her. His interest in Langston was just creepy, and I can only imagine what was going through his mind. It's too bad that all Dorian could do was throw her chair at the bars of her cell. It made her look helpless instead of overcome with anger. I wonder if Dorian will kill Mitch again. It would be poetic justice, but probably not a good idea for a new mayor!
It looks like Bo and Nora's secret is about to come out, and I am sure it will happen in the worst way possible. It's a good thing there isn't a Woman of the Year ceremony scheduled this year. We all know secrets are always revealed there! However, now that Nevil and Kevin both know that Bo and Nora want to get back together, it's only a matter of time before Clint finds out. Nevil must take his job very seriously if he is willing to travel across the pond just to tell Clint what he knows. He and Nigel are more alike than I thought!
As for Kevin, I can see why he didn't tell Clint the truth before Jared's funeral. Clint has a lot to deal with right now, and hearing something like could be too much for him to handle. I will be happy once Clint learns the truth, though. I can't handle him saying his marriage is better than ever while Bo and Nora continue to grow closer behind his back. They aren't even trying to hide it anymore. At this rate, Clint will be the last one to know, and everyone else will simply feel sorry for him until he figures it out.
As for Todd and Téa's confrontation in Seattle, it was everything I thought it would be. I figured that Todd would be angry and tell Téa he hates her, and Téa would fight back with excuses and reasons why Todd is partially at fault. I don't think Téa was exonerating herself, but she certainly made a point of bringing up Todd's past and how he abandoned her on the island. I can understand why Téa moved on with Ross. She didn't have a reason to think Todd would be a part of her life again. She probably should have considered that Todd could be the father of her child, but I think she believed what she wanted to believe at the time.
However, she knew the truth when she returned to Llanview and had almost a year to tell Todd the truth. She had the same amount of time to tell Ross the truth instead of banning him from Dani's life and expecting him to accept it. Téa did everything wrong that she possible could, and now she has to face that. She certainly didn't deserve to be strangled by Ross, but he has a right to be angry with her, as does Todd. She can't be that surprised that Ross and Todd don't want anything to do with her.
Ross couldn't possibly look more desperate now that he has taken Dani and Destiny hostage. I am not sure how he thinks he will get away with it, but I suppose most people who take hostages aren't thinking clearly. I don't know who is going to rescue Destiny and Dani, but I have a feeling that Ross's days are numbered. He has painted himself into a corner, which will probably negate any chance he had at still being able to see Dani. I know that Ross is the big bad wolf these days, but it's still a sad situation. He thought Dani was his daughter and loved her for 15 years. Now, he knows that it was all a lie, and there's nothing he can do about it...except take hostages!
Dani is quite a handful with her huge attitude and a strong will to get what she wants. I wasn't surprised at all when she escaped and arrived at Matthew's hospital room. She probably has a lot of experience at escaping from things she doesn't like! Unfortunately for Dani, Destiny also has a strong will. She put Dani in her place when she forced Dani to come out of her hiding place for Greg and Rachel to see. I doubt that they will ever be friends, since they are so much alike, and since they both have a thing for Matthew. It could get ugly!
Speaking of ugly, Matthew's treatment of Destiny at the hospital was horrible. I don't think he intentionally meant to hurt Destiny's feelings, but he practically kicked her out of the room when he asked her to guard the door. Destiny has been a very loyal friend to Matthew since they met, and I wish his crush on Dani hadn't affected his treatment of Destiny! I hope this was a fleeting moment and that he'll be more considerate of her feelings in the future!
I am so disappointed in Schuyler. He was one of the few people in Llanview that understood Stacy for what she was, but he still fell for her manipulations and agreed to keep her secret. I have to admit that it was pretty smart of Kim to tell Schuyler that he was the father of Stacy's baby, but I still wish that Schuyler would have told Rex and Gigi the truth. It is frustrating when a character goes to tell someone something and backs out at the last minute. I really wanted the dream sequence where he told Gigi the truth to be real. I can't stand this story and need it to end. It's a train wreck in slow motion, and it's simply painful to watch.
It's interesting that Rex and Gigi are at their best when they are dealing with issues that aren't about Stacy. Gigi has been there for Rex in a big way since he found out that Mitch is his father. They told Shane as much as they felt was appropriate and helped him accept the truth about Mitch, and they worked well together. Why can't they deal with Stacy in the constructive way that they deal with so many other things? I hope that Stacy's secret is revealed in the very near future because she brings down Rex and Gigi every time her name comes up!
I really don't want to see Kim make a move on Clint. Kim is an unnecessary character, except for being Stacy's accomplice. I would prefer that she disappear altogether than see her try to seduce Clint. She must be really good at getting men to do what she wants, since Clint hired her without even checking a reference! This isn't a good sign of things to come. I will give Clint the benefit of the doubt, since he is distracted by Jared's death, but I hope he doesn't fall for the rest of her scheme. I wish Kim would leave Llanview and take Stacy with her instead of torturing me with ridiculous schemes!
I knew Nick was going to be attacked by those awful creeps at Rhodi's, but it was painful to watch. I can't watch people being beaten, even if I know it isn't real. It's terrible that Nick and Amelia were minding their own business and had to be harassed by thugs. I wonder what the purpose of this plot is, though. It seemed like Nick's story wrapped up when Kyle decided to leave him for Oliver. I hope that Nick wasn't brought back for the sole purpose of being beaten. There has to be more to the story, but I really don't know what it could be.
Finally, I wonder what is going on with Renee. Her absence at Jared's funeral was feasible, but we've hardly seen her since Natalie found her in Mitch's hospital bed. I also thought it was strange that she only appeared at the very end of the Thanksgiving episode during a montage! I hope we find out what is going on with her soon. It seems like the writers forget about her on a regular basis, but they need to explain what they DID write for her!
Until next time,
Dawn
