Happy Halloween, everyone! It's always nice to see the show acknowledge a holiday, even if it's only in a subtle way. Last week, most of Llanview was preparing for Halloween in various ways, including a costume party, which always leads to surprises on a soap opera! Hope was adorable dressed as a peanut, and Roxy's Britney Spears costume was hilarious! The wardrobe department did a great job with the costume party!
The one thing we can count on with costume parties is that there is always an uninvited or unexpected guest wearing a disguise, and no one knows that he/she is there. This time, Gigi/Stacy showed up wearing a mask and came face-to-face with Rex on Friday. She still looked like Gigi to me, despite the mask, but then again, I know that it's her (or Stacy). I guess it would be a leap for someone at the party to say, "Oh wow, Gigi is alive and is at this party!" while she is wearing the mask. Still, Cutter should have given her a better disguise!
I still think this story with Gigi/Stacy is preposterous. I liked Gigi/Stacy's reaction to Cutter's explanation of how she is Stacy but looks like Gigi. She couldn't imagine someone going to such great lengths to steal her sister's life. I feel the same way! I hope this story doesn't drag on for too long before we find out if we are watching Gigi or Stacy. I maintain that she is probably Gigi, since that makes the most sense. I also don't want to see Stacy go after Rex again. It was awful the first time, and it would be even worse if she did it with Gigi's face!
I am glad Jack ran into Gigi/Stacy at the cemetery. He might not have been held legally responsible for what he did to Gigi, but seeing someone that looks just like her shook him up, as it should have. Maybe he will finally confess his role in locking Gigi in the basement if he sees her a few more times.
Cutter is determined to get the Buchanan money back, even if it means misleading a woman who has just woken up from a coma. He is a true con man! I am glad Gigi/Stacy used his credit card to book travel arrangements. He deserves that and so much more for what he is putting her through. She must have booked the best flights she could find, since she got to Llanview in just a few minutes and without identification. Good for her!
Meanwhile, Aubrey and Rex are growing closer as Rex tries to move on with his life. I think they make good friends, and they certainly have things in common, but I don't want to see them become a couple. With Gigi/Stacy lurking, it seems pointless for Rex to get involved in a new relationship. I also don't think he's ready, considering he's been seeing Gigi everywhere and that his son really needs him. I am glad he has a friend, though. He was so alone after Gigi died, and that didn't take him to a good place. Aubrey still doesn't interest me that much, but I can accept her being Rex's friend.
Brody and Natalie's engagement continues, despite Natalie's indifference to Brody. Natalie doesn't even seem to care much about her wedding arrangements, but thankfully, she has Tina to take care of everything as only Tina can! Then, there is the issue of Liam's paternity. Many people in Llanview know the truth, yet they have all decided it is best to keep the truth a secret.
With Natalie and Brody's wedding quickly approaching, I suspect the truth will be revealed before Natalie and Brody say their vows. It would be a repeat of what happened in February with a different combination of bride and groom, but I can live with that, as long as the truth is actually revealed! I am so tired of listening to everyone justify reasons for keeping Liam's paternity a secret. At this point, I couldn't care less how the truth is revealed or by whom. I just want it to come out once and for all!
As for John, I don't feel sorry for him at all regarding his melancholy over Natalie's upcoming wedding. He is a grown man who has chosen to keep his feelings to himself. He's had ample opportunity to tell Natalie he wants her back, and he has shied away from each and every one. It's not a secret that I can't stand the way John treats the women in his life, so I am not rooting for him to get back together with Natalie, but I am tired of his resigned attitude about the whole thing. He needs to speak up if he wants Natalie, not sit back and watch her move on with her life. I am glad Michael tried to address the subject with John while they were playing their game. John needs someone to talk sense into him!
I am happy to see that Michael and Marcie are back in Llanview and that they are expecting their second child! It was definitely an awkward moment when John realized that Marcy was most of the way through her pregnancy and that he wasn't told about it earlier. I can see why it would have been uncomfortable for them to brag about their newest addition, while John was coping with the loss of Liam as his son. They tried to be sensitive towards his situation, which is rare on soap operas! I've always liked Michael and Marcie because they are real people with real jobs, and they aren't wealthy just because of their last name. I also like John and Michael's relationship as brothers. I don't know how long Michael and Marcie are staying, but I hope it's for longer than a just a few episodes.
The saga of who killed Victor Lord continues. I am 99.99% sure that Todd didn't kill Victor, regardless of how many times the "flashback" of him shooting Victor is shown. I think the killer will end up being someone we don't know or a minor character at the most. It was interesting to see Todd express remorse at Victor's grave though. He was so angry at Victor before he was killed and wanted revenge, and now he feels that Victor didn't deserve to die. I guess Irene leading Todd to believe he murdered Victor isn't all bad; Todd exhibited some humanity toward his brother because of it!
The courtroom scenes were hard to watch last week. Tomas was ready to go to prison for 20 years to atone for what he did to Todd and because Blair asked him to save Todd. What?! That doesn't make any sense. I am glad that Todd confessed to killing Irene at the last minute, but Tomas shouldn't have put himself in that position. His attempt to make himself a martyr didn't go over well with Blair either, as she tried to turn him away when he came to make amends. I am glad she did; she wanted him to help Todd, not take the fall for him!
As an aside, I don't understand the sudden development of Tomas' undying love for Blair. There has been an attraction between them for months, but they still don't know each other that well. I don't know how Tomas can wonder why Blair can't say she loves him. Every single time she was ready to move on with him, she would learn something new about his past that made him look bad. That's not exactly a solid relationship! I don't think he'll ever get past her connection to Todd anyway. He brings Todd up every time he talks to Blair, and that doesn't make a solid relationship either! This is a weak love triangle if that is where the writers are going with this.
Getting back to the courtroom scenes, I hate the way Nora is being written as district attorney. She was vengeful and ready to throw Todd in jail for any reason she could find. I completely understand why she hates Todd. The way that Todd attacked and terrorized Nora at the beach house many years ago is something that can't be forgotten. However, Nora ended up looking like a fool by the end of the court proceedings, and I hate seeing her written that way. I think it's time for Nora to go back to being a defense attorney. Being the district attorney is a losing proposition for anyone in a soap opera town, but Nora has especially suffered because of it!
It looks like Viki/Clint and Tina/Cord are slowly working their way towards reunions of their own. Viki is convinced that Clint is hung up on Kim, but I don't think he is, regardless of what the letter Kim sent to Clint says. Meanwhile, Cord is hesitant about Tina, but it's obvious he wants her back. It is great to see them bond after so many years, and it makes me think of the good old days when they were all the main focus of the show!
I also consider the good old days to be when useless characters didn't take precious airtime away from characters I actually care about and like. I don't know why Rick is still in Llanview or why he has to be connected to Starr's new singing career. Those scenes were pointless. This whole story seems like a "summer fluff" story that we simply don't need as the show gets ready to leave network television. I hope we don't have to see much more of this. I don't know if I can I handle it!
Finally, One Life to Live's last few months on ABC are looking good as announcements of characters returning are made. We recently found out that Catherine Hickland will be reprising the role of Lindsay Rappaport and Fiona Hutchison will be coming back as (ghost?) Gabrielle Medina. Neither character got a good exit, as Lindsay was thrown in prison, and Gabrielle died on the bathroom floor. I hope both characters get better treatment this time around. I am looking forward to seeing both of them again soon!
Until next time,
Dawn
