| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL…. Before I get into my commentary about last week’s antics on One Life To Live, I would like to take a moment to address the numerous fans that are upset with me for discussing, in a previous article, the rumor that Nathaniel Marston would be leaving the show in February, possibly ending the Al/Marcie storyline. Although I always preface anything that I don’t know to be etched in stone by saying, “I heard that…”, “They say that….”, or “Rumor has it that…”, people are writing to me telling me that I don’t know what I’m talking about…that I may not like the storyline but that it is wildly popular in the polls and among the Al/Marcie fans…and that people such as myself do not have the open heart or the imagination to appreciate the depth of the romantic nature of this storyline. Geez folks, you’d think I just started a campaign to release Saddam Hussein.
Just for the record, when I did mention the rumor that Marston would be leaving in February, that rumor was all over the Net and to this day, to my knowledge, there has been no reliable, published word that the storyline will go on for any extended period of time…and whether Al and Marcie’s fans believe it or not, I get more mail from fans who dislike the current storyline than from those that do. It’s not even relevant whether someone likes it or doesn’t like it…what is relevant is that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and no one knows for a fact if any actor will be on the show beyond the next 13 weeks…even the actors don’t know. Just look around the networks to see how many beloved actors we thought would be around forever have been given their walking papers. In any case, the fact remains that the whole Internet world of soaps thrives on rumors and spoilers. They are sometimes true, sometimes untrue, but always a huge source of our interest and a basis for communication which has created the tremendous amount of friendships between us as fans, which never could have existed before. In addition, if we’re being realistic, let’s be realistic enough to admit that polls can be skewed in any direction the fans want them to be skewed. I remember tons of polls back in the Ben and Viki days where the Ben/Viki fans would vote in favor of the couple and within half an hour twice as many votes would come in for the demise of the couple…prompting the Ben/Viki fans to go back and vote another zillion times to try make it go their way again…and so on…and so on. It’s all a game and the people who have the most time to sit and cast numerous votes usually win out. Need I say what I think about the validity of polls?
In any case, if you are a consistent reader of this column, they you surely know that I love the pairing of Marcie and Al. I was as angry as anyone about the sudden dismissal of Marston and I admire all the hard work it took to get him back. Believe me, it’s possible to love a couple and hate a storyline…I adore Ben and Viki but when Niki Smith was brought back into the storyline I was spitting nails and could hardly watch the demise taking place…and don’t even get me started on how painful it was to watch Gina Russo.
This column is not meant to be a source of facts, nor is it a place that has ever made a habit of bashing others’ likes or dislikes about the show. It is just what it is…a commentary…my opinion about what I watch every day. It’s my right to voice my opinion about a storyline and it’s your right to disagree. Like most people, I am intrigued by the rumors but I never start them and I never spread them around as gospel. I also try to do everything with a sense of humor. I can’t tell you how many emails I have gotten teasing me about my obsession with Ben and Viki…telling me I should just give it up. I just laugh because in a way, they’re right. I make fun of my own obsession with this couple all the time in my articles. I think it’s time for everyone to chill out a bit and remember that this is fiction we’re talking about…and yes, the involvement and the obsessions are fun, but definitely not worth killing each other over. Enough said!
Since you know that I will eventually get around to discussing my personal obsession in this article, I’ll save that for later and get into my thoughts about last weeks episodes.
We’ve got a really dangerous set of events brewing in the Todd/Blair/Kevin storyline. From one day to the next I don’t know who to get angrier at in this triangle. Todd, of course, is the main source of the trouble since he’s been lying to everyone for a long time. Blair’s actions, now that she’s found out the truth about his identity, are frightening and so many people are going to get hurt. I can’t believe how she keeps pushing Todd to the edge when she knows how dangerous this game is. The other day when it looked like he was going to come clean and she pretended to be sleeping and dreaming of Kevin I was shocked. Then I was shocked that it shocked me…lol. I didn’t really think she’d go that far. And how stupid was it of her to think she could sneak those custody papers by Todd by slipping them into Starr’s school permission slips? I’m not looking forward to what the spoilers are indicating…which is that this story is going to get even dirtier…and with all the progress Todd seemed to be making, I hate seeing him letting his anger take over again. Shouldn’t one of these people be the grown up so that Starr doesn’t have to be the voice of reason? Starr is definitely her own parent. How about when she told Blair she was going upstairs to watch that show where they dig up dead bodies…and Blair said, “Okay.” Starr could have told her she was going to dig up dead bodies herself and Blair wouldn’t have noticed.
Speaking of Todd, I love the job that Trevor is doing with this character. Even though Roger Howarth showed a touch of vulnerability in his scenes as Todd with Viki and I thought that was nice to watch, Trevor takes Todd’s vulnerability to a completely new level. His scenes with Erika last week when he told her that Blair knew the truth were amazing. I love the relationship between these two and the fact that he can be someone with Viki that he is with no one else…even though she never lies to him and tells him what he wants to hear if she doesn’t believe it. It was very heart wrenching when he asked Viki if she would forgive him if she were in Blair’s shoes. He desperately wanted her to say she would, but Viki couldn’t lie to him and told him she wasn’t in Blair’s shoes. And it was pure Todd when he said to Viki, “I hate it when you’re right.”
I had a slight glimmer of respect for Kevin when he refused to go along with Blair’s game to make Todd mad with jealousy…but it was only a slight glimmer and then it faded quickly when in front of his family Kevin walked into Asa’s house with lipstick on his collar declaring to his family, when he was cornered by Kelly, that he would never do anything to hurt his wife. Yes, Kevin, and there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you! He’d never hurt his wife…and I guess that’s why he asked Blair if she would come to him after she divorced Todd and he dumped Kelly. I had to laugh at Asa threatening to disinherit Kevin if he didn’t straighten himself out…as if Asa’s money would win out over Kevin’s libido…hah!
I have to say, this Music Box Killer storyline is not bad. I say that, of course, until they start killing off people that I want to keep around. The whole list of clues connecting all the murders to Nora is pretty clever…and of course it would take a sick mind like Troy’s to think up such an obscure trail of clues…but since it’s so obvious, what do you think is his involvement? And how creepy is his behavior? I got goose bumps the other day when he was staring so intently at Nora. I can’t wait to find out whom he paid off to let him out of that place to go for cocktails…lol! And what’s with Gabby? Why didn’t she tell someone she saw him out of prison the first time? Bo already knows she’s going out at night alone so it’s not like she’s hiding her behavior from him. It was really weird when Troy told Gabby, “Nora broke my heart.”
One of my favorite things to watch these days is Roxy trying to get Natalie and John together. I do see a connection between these two…and of course things will start to heat up for them just in time for the new female cop, Cameron, to come on the scene and become a factor. I’m impressed with the job Michael Easton is doing and I love John’s acceptance of Roxy and all her wackiness. You have to love Roxy’s Christmas tree with the bright pink boa serving as garland. Didn’t I see that same thing on the White House Christmas tree when I was watching the news the other night?
Kudos to Dorian and David…they are totally hysterical to watch. Tuc Watkins is a master at being the endearing, ever-charming con man. Who wouldn’t fall in love with this guy? His antics with the lie detector were so funny…and Robin Strasser is perfect as his partner in crime, Dorian.
Okey dokey…here we go. To all of you who wrote me about the news of Mark Derwin’s return knowing how happy it would make me…I thank you. I heard the news exactly when you did. I was surprised…no, make that shocked…and when I read the article announcing it in the New York Daily News I have to say that I was reminded of that old cliché, “Be careful what you wish for….” My goodness, I have such mixed emotions about this development. My first reaction to reading about his return was complete excitement and joy. When I read ALL THE WORDS in the article, a feeling of sadness washed over me because it truly does seem like Mark returning for a few days “to wrap up the storyline” can only mean that it is finally the end of Ben and Viki, which couldn’t make me sadder. Although neither I, nor any of the rest of us “uninformed people” has a clue as to what they intend to do with Ben’s return, there are a few possibilities. Of course, Mark could be returning to tape Ben’s death (Oh, perish the thought!). It could also be taped as a dream sequence for Viki…and as a good friend of mine mentioned, it could be part of the February Fantasy. None of these options makes me happy. The last thing I want to see is Ben killed off….and I feel that bringing Mark back to play a dream sequence or fantasy will be more of a painful tease than it’s worth. Although I want Mark to come back for an extended period of time, I know that’s not in the cards…but I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong…lol! I sincerely hope that this is not a way for TPTB to end the Ben/Viki storyline for good, thereby not deeming it worthwhile to recast Ben and give Erika a real storyline again. In any case, I will adore seeing Mark again, even if I do have to go broke buying Kleenex.
I wish all of you, your family and friends a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Joyful Kwanzaa. Be healthy, happy and safe!
See ya next week...
Jill Berry
FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
Carrie writes: “I also want to see Mark come back to OLTL. I have not seen his face since he left One Life To Live. The few times I've seen The Bonnie show, he wasn't on. He's never in the commercials. So it seems to me he is just a bit player on the show, where as on One Life..........he mattered! I say bring him back! Also I like Jessica Morris as Jen. I hope they don't write her off. And where does that leave Lindsay? Jenn is her only family on the show. I think Jenn is perfect as Lindsay's misunderstood offspring.”
Dear Carrie: It’s funny you mention the episodes of Life With Bonnie that you watched and didn’t see Mark. LOL…those were the two episodes this season that did not include him. But you are very right…he is underused on the show and although I love seeing him every Friday night, I would love to see him have a bigger role on the show. As far as Jen goes…I have no idea what’s going to happen to her. Obviously, Joey will not be around and at the moment they are not recasting, although in the coming year that could certainly change. I don’t see Jen having a lasting relationship with Rex and although rumors are circulating that Jessica Morris will be leaving the show, I know nothing about the certainty of that. Lindsay definitely needs a storyline. Can she get involved with and make a decent human being out of the district attorney? Does she even know how to attempt to do that? Do we care to see him on a regular basis? I love it when Lindsay gets the best of David…but he seems glued to Dorian so we’ll just have to wait and see what Lindsay’s future brings.
Dawn writes: “Hey, Jill. I have a couple of crazy thoughts to share. Wouldn't it be interesting if Gabrielle was the music box killer instead of his or her victim? She sure has not been herself lately. Also I would love another chance for Viki and Dorian to unwillingly work together. A possible storyline would be if each separately found out the Governor was really a bad guy and represented some sort of threat to each others' loved ones.”
Dear Dawn: I love your ideas. I would love to see Gabby as the killer. After all, if she’s going to go out with a bang, it might as well be a BIG BANG! A few other people have mentioned that they think the killer is Gabby. I think Fiona deserves a good send off, although I am sorry to see her go. Good thought about the Governor. I would love to see Viki and Dorian in any storyline together and since there doesn’t seem to be a need to worry about a romance between Viki and Harrison, I say bring it on!
Margaret writes: “Did anyone notice the heart teardrop tattoo on Troy's neck when he was talking to Gabrielle in the bar?”
Dear Margaret: Yes, I sure did notice the heart tattoo on Troy’s neck…both times when he was with Gabby at the bar and then I made sure to look for it when Nora visited him in prison. I am crazy enough to wonder if he actually got out of that place to terrorize Llanview again, or if maybe it was Colin running around pretending to be Troy. I know, I’m crazy…but hey, stranger things have happened. How many times did Victor Lord die?
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2003
