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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….
Well, emotions were surely running high in Llanview this past week…and still, Mitch Laurence remains the invisible man. I guess he drinks some potion when he wants to slip by every cop in town and terrorize anyone he chooses. And how many times is he going to fall into the Llantano River and survive? Does this guy have gills?
Can I just say that last week was a banner week for Erika Slezak (no “Banner” pun intended)? As usual, I continue to be amazed by her. Viki was sure put through the ringer emotionally and physically and her portrayer did not disappoint. Need I say that a major chill went up my spine when I saw that wreath with the note that said “Sorry for your loss?” There are so many innuendoes about Ben lately and I feel like we’re being jerked around…not knowing from one minute to the next if he’s going to wake up or be killed, or just sleep for another year. It was a heart-wrenching ordeal to watch Viki break down after thinking that Mitch had killed Ben and finding out that he was okay. When she was ripping that wreath apart, I was thinking how nice it would have been if she were able to have Mitch’s neck in her hands instead of a bunch of flowers. That scene just proves how much Viki misses and desperately needs Ben back in her life. I would love to see him by her side going through all of this with her. Her worrying about Jessica being lost in the river was hard to watch. Erika’s portrayal of Viki is a finely honed work of art…matched by none.
Keri was sure surprised to see Natalie…I’ll bet she never expected anyone to find her, especially not alive. Natalie sure has become the “do the right thing” girl, hasn’t she? I guess Viki’s genes are finally shining through that tough exterior that Natalie has always worn. It’s a shame that Keri’s last words with her mom were fighting words. I didn’t know that they didn’t fly together. I thought maybe this was one of the things I missed when I was away from my VCR. At any rate, having her last words with her mom be harsh ones…that’s a hard thing to live with.
Wasn’t it over a year ago that we all agreed we’d had enough of Jen? I know she became somewhat bearable for a short while, but she’s not…AGAIN!!! I can only imagine what she’s got in store for Flash, although I’m not sure how I feel about Flash being Sara Roberts. If she really is Sara…and even though she’s grown up and hasn’t seen her family in a while…how is it that no one recognizes her…even a little bit? I couldn’t believe that Viki wouldn’t at least have a hint of recognition. Maybe Flash is just posing as Sara…who knows? And if she knows she’s Joey’s cousin, what’s with the smooching? All I can say is….EWWWW! My hope is that we get rid of Jen and that she takes Rex with her. I’m thinking we’ll have no such luck…we’ll just have to watch as Rex works his way through every penny Jen has.
OK…how unbelievable was it that a huge, winning scratch-off lottery ticket fell at Max’s feet? How fitting that the supreme scam artist wins that kind of money. I guess Luna really was looking out for him. I just wonder why something like that never happens to me.
Now…for the laugh of the week…I nearly died laughing when Nigel and Renee were at Foxy Roxy’s Hair Haven, talking about Roxy…and Nigel commented on kissing Roxy…
“She once put a lip lock on me that left scar tissue.” Whoever is writing Nigel’s lines these days deserves an award…totally hysterical.
And now…for the best dramatic scenes of the week…my breath was taken away by the scenes at St. Jude’s Church where Mitch had lured Dorian and Viki. Mitch made my skin crawl as he whispered in Dorian’s ear all the reasons she has for wanting to kill Viki and tried to force her to take the opportunity to off her. The maniacal way that he spoke to Viki was bone chilling and of course, Erika’s portrayal of Viki’s terror was palpable. These three actors were phenomenal in their scenes together, all deserving of major awards…yes, Roscoe, even you.
So, what is Evangeline going to do about RJ’s plans to leave town? Has he forgotten that she’s his partner? Something tells me that a woman tough and heartless enough to represent Mitch Laurence will not let RJ get away with anything…not that he’ll wind up going anywhere.
Just a little aside for the Ben and Viki fans…did any of you get that déjà vu feeling when Blair brought a gunshot-wounded Walker home and planted him on her couch to take care of him? It sure did give me a flash of memory of the night Viki brought Ben home with the bullet in his shoulder. Of course, there were two big differences….first, Ben was shot in the other shoulder…lol…and second….let’s hear it ladies……WALKER IS NO BEN!!!
Well, that about wraps it up for this week…here’s to no more people winding up in the river…it’s getting old.
See ya
next week...
Jill Berry
FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
HippieChild writes: “I read that Flash is going to be exposed as Tina's daughter, which means she and Joey are going to wind up cousins. Talk about an ICK factor!!! Is there any truth to that rumor, and if so, doesn't that give Jen leeway to move in on Joey? I hate the idea of Jen and Joey together; he's too good for her. Also, I'm mad that the part of Kevin was recast yet AGAIN!! Kevin Stapleton, in my opinion, was the best Kevin of all and when he was let go I was so livid I stopped watching the show for a while. All this recasting is giving me a headache. Why is it that when it's not broken, TPTB seem to think it needs fixing anyway? The new Joey is good, as is the new Jessica but enough is enough!! Bring back Kevin Stapleton! He had a certain humor and sensuality that was very attractive and letting him go was a BIG mistake. Your opinion?”
Dear HippieChild: I totally agree about the ICK factor where Flash and Joey are concerned. As I stated in the above article, maybe there’s a chance she’s not really Sara Roberts but is using her identity. Just my crazy imagination but it would explain why she is not recognized by anyone and has been kissing on Joey. As far as Kevin goes, I did like Kevin Stapleton and many, many people want him back as Kevin. My choice would still be Tim Gibbs…I’m crazy about him…but since neither of us will be getting our first choice, I’m willing to give yet another Kevin a chance. The casting directors did do a good job of finding a new Joey and Jessica. If they don’t change the character too much, I think I’ll be able to live with him.
Toria writes: “I have a question for you. What is the deal with the OLTL opening credits? No Cristian and Natalie, why? I adore the couple, and I am a huge fan of the actors that portray them. I've heard rumors that David Fumero might be leaving in the fall, are they both going or (perish the thought) have they been released? There is so much of that going around and I'm starting to get worried. Please, any info you can give me would be of great help.”
Dear Toria: I honestly haven’t noticed that Chris and Natalie have been missing from the opening credits. I am going to watch carefully this week and if they are missing, I’ll see what I can find out. As far as David Fumero goes, I don’t know if he’s leaving. Of course, it was Gary Tomlin who got him to stay for his last contract and rumors have been flying ever since Erin Torpey headed for California that he would eventually follow her out there. I guess anything is possible but I don’t think there’s anything definite yet.
Britton08 writes: “You were talking about Keri finding out how fast R.J. went back to his old life style. What about Keri? It is unforgivable what Keri has done to Antonio. If I were him, when he finds out she is alive, I would file for full custody of the baby. She is guilty of deceiving him into thinking she and the baby had been killed in the plane crash. How can she expect him to be all goo-goo eyed for her. I'd tell her to take a one-way hike and I'd keep the baby. She is no better than R.J.”
Dear Britton08: I can totally understand how you feel about Keri and I am sure that when Antonio finds out what’s going on…and we know he will…his temper will probably blow the roof off of every home in Llanview. I agree that what she did was terrible. I also feel that she should have been told from the beginning that Antonio was that baby’s father and feeling as deceived and betrayed as she felt, somehow I think they all share the blame…especially her poor deceased mom, Liz.
AnnMarie writes: “OLTL is the only soap I watch (well, tape since I work during the day), and I have watched it since it premiered in 1968. I hate Mitch, too, but I like the actor who portrays him, Roscoe Born. Any chance they could somehow redeem him? Or make him a new character? It's been done before (remember Marco Dane?). I agree with you on everything else, however. Killing off Ben would be a very bad idea. They should work hard to recast. Mark Derwin leaves big shoes to fill, but the character is too good to lose. I loved David Selby in Dark Shadows, and I hope the rumor is true that he is coming on the show, although I can't imagine Viki would turn against Kevin just for a roll in the hay.”
Dear AnnMarie: Do I think there is a chance of redeeming the character of Mitch? NOOOOOOOOO! NEVER!!!! Yes, Roscoe Born is a great actor, but even when he is asked the question, he is surprised that Mitch has lasted this long in Llanview. I agree that killing off Ben would be tragic and although he does have tremendous shoes to fill, I think it can be done. No, Viki would never go against Kevin for a roll in the hay and if the writers decided to play it that way and mess with Viki’s true self, you will hear me yelling all the way from New York.
R. Elliott writes: “I can't find much info about the new Jessica on OLTL---the ABC website is useless. Can you help me?”
Dear
R. Elliott: I got a good tip from a good friend who could probably
find 1,000,000 websites on how to clip your fingernails…lol. She uses the
search on Google and if you put the name in parentheses (such as “Bree
Williamson”) you will get a list of sites. Here are the ones she came up with
for me about Bree Williamson. I hope it helps you.
www.geocities.com/breewilliamson_net
www.geocities.com/breefanlisting/
http://destined.to/BreeWilliamson
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2003
