| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL…. Lots of action on One Life To Live last week. Although much of it was sad and disturbing for me, it was good drama. Before I go on, I want to thank all of the fans that wrote to me to let me know about Mark Derwin’s return to OLTL as Ben Davidson. I was surprised that anyone thought I might not have heard the news….lol! Some people wrote wondering why I didn’t write about his return yet in my column and some even wondered why I didn’t devote an entire column to him…LOL! Please rest assured…I am TOTALLY aware that Mark will be back on our screens in February and I guess some people missed my article a couple of weeks ago where I surely did write about the news of his return. I didn’t devote an entire column to it…but watch out everyone…as news starts to come out this month about what is in store for Ben and Viki…and when his scenes do finally air in February, I just might have to annoy the heck out of some people by devoting an entire column to just that. I am not happy about the possibility that this could mark THE END for Ben, so I am holding on with fingers crossed that I am not going to be disappointed. So, to those of you who continue to write me about Mark’s return, I love receiving all the mail…keep it coming and believe me, when the time comes, I probably won’t be able to shut up about Ben…lol…just a warning!
Now…where to begin! OK, I’ll start with the most infuriating…Todd/Blair/Kevin. We should rename this fiasco of a storyline and refer to it as the The Disaster of Todd/Blair/Kevin/Kelly/Starr/Viki…etc., etc. I was horrified by Blair and Kevin’s behavior last week and I continue to want to shake Blair and wake her up for what she’s doing to her children…especially Starr…not to mention how she’s hurting her own cousin, Kelly. My heart went out to Starr last week, being pulled yet again in two directions and having her heart broken for the umpteenth time over her desperation to have her family together and her sadness at not getting her little heart’s wish. Congrats to Kristin Alderson who never fails to amaze me with her talent as a young actress. This girl has such a talent…I love watching her grow up. Obviously, I feel that Blair went a zillion miles overboard by sleeping with Kevin and I couldn’t find a good word to say about Kevin if you paid me. He’s a disgrace…and I’m tired of his mother going easy on him, too. I laughed the other day when he said to Blair, “I have loved you for a very long time.” SINCE WHEN???…oh right, since 10 minutes after you got bored with your wife. You know, I was watching an old tape the other day of when Tim Gibbs played Kevin and was involved with Grace. Although Kevin has always had a roving eye when it came to women, it was very that obvious that he had grown up and become a real man after the influence of his relationship with Grace. To recast the role of Kevin and have him be the same old “dog” is an insult to all the fans, like myself, who really wanted Kevin back on the canvas. I wince when I have to watch what Kevin has become. I have nothing against Dan Gauthier…but the writers have destroyed Kevin and I find it painful to watch him these days. Shame on Kelly for allowing Kevin to reduce her to the point where she had to stoop to that stupid trick she pulled by writing that fake threat from the Music Box Killer. I’m hoping that from what we saw the other day, Kelly is finally going to get her spine back and really make Kevin pay. He deserves it and so does her dear cousin, Blair.
How terrible for Gabrielle to have to die the way she did…after going through all the grief she suffered over Al’s death and almost losing herself in the process. I hated that she and Bo were allowed to feel such joy together again, only for it to be ripped from their hands after they both had suffered enough in their lives. And the turning of the knife for me was that Bo had to be the one to find her body. That was completely awful. I love Bo and it was so nice to see a smile on his face after all relationship failures he’s had and I can’t imagine what he’s going to go through now.
I absolutely loved the scenes between Todd and Viki when she visited him in jail. Too bad she didn’t stick to her guns and leave him there for a while. She was way too soft on him…just like she’s been with Kevin. These two boys are not responding well to the kid glove method Viki is using on them and for once, I’d love to see her implement some tough love. It was a riot watching Todd trying to get her to bail him out and when he stuck his tongue out at her I did have to laugh. It seems too funny to me that Todd, who I’ve always looked at as the creep of the century, is getting my sympathy over Blair. What is this world coming to?
Lots of people are writing to me saying they think Rae is the Music Box Killer. I still don’t have a clue but I did think it was a woman at first. I’d hate for it to be Rae. Although many people seem happy to see Linda Dano leave the show, I am certainly not one of them. After her fiasco where she unleashed Niki Smith and couldn’t get her “back in the cage” it was all downhill for Rae. Another great character destroyed…in my opinion.
Sometimes I wonder if Troy really could be the killer…or maybe Colin? Maybe the writers are completely throwing us off the trail…giving us so much evidence against Troy that we don’t believe the killer could be the obvious choice…only to turn around and make him the killer in some sick twist. Who knows?
I’m getting about a 50-50 reaction from people on their feelings about Natalie and John. I personally like these two together more every week. I wasn’t one of those who was thrilled to have Michael Easton on the show, especially in the wake of so many actors gone or on their way out…but he has changed my mind. I find a lot of heart in John behind the gruff exterior and the grainy voice and I think there is more chemistry between he and Natalie without them even touching than there was between Natalie and Cristian in their most intimate scenes. I am definitely routing for this couple. The one thing I would like to see is Natalie spending more time with Viki…and Viki getting to know John better. Now that would be some interesting conversation…don’t you think?
Dorian and David continue to amuse me to no end. Now that the role of Adriana has been recast, I wonder how silly this storyline is going to get. It better be worth it because I saw no reason to recast Adriana…but now it seems David and Dorian will plot to make it seem like she is Dorian’s daughter. I also read that Adriana could be the illegitimate daughter of Carlotta and Dorian’s brother…from the time when Carlotta worked for Dorian. Oh boy, do we need more Cramers? It does make sense for Adriana to somehow be a Cramer since she would fit Aunt Betsy’s requirement for her heir…not being married and thus far we know she hasn’t been with a man. In any case, the writers are going to have to work hard to make me care about Adriana and River. I think it’s going to come out somehow that they are brother and sister, making that the reason Dorian and Carlotta have been keeping them apart. Who knows? Maybe River and Adriana have the same father. Hey, stranger things have happened.
Although I do love watching Dorian and David, every time I see them I am forced to wonder why Robin Strasser has been continually operating “under the radar” of those who believe “older storylines” are undesirable…while at the same time TPTB find it so difficult to give a good, meaty storyline to Erika Slezak. Surely Viki with her younger man was at least as interesting as Dorian with hers…and the added element of romance couldn’t be beaten. If Ben is killed off (perish the thought) I can’t see it as a good sign for Erika. She has at least as much talent to draw the viewers attention as Robin does (much more in my opinion), yet she continues to be the soft place for all of Llanview to fall, while she has the potential for a great life as Viki that no one seems to want to give her. I would welcome a Viki/Ben relationship (even with a recast of Ben) as much as I love the comedy of Dorian and David. Well, that’s a lie…lol…we all know I’d like to see Viki with Ben more than Dorian and David…but you get my point.
In closing, I would like to discuss Flash. I am sorry to see her leave the show since I have enjoyed having her around lately and watching her interact with big old Asa. I do, however, have one axe to grind with her. I think she’s crazy to give Bo such a hard time about having Officer Parrish as her shadow. Girl, that cop is a cutie and if I were you, I sure wouldn’t mind him following me around. They should give that guy a real role to play…a nice-guy young cop with a nice romantic storyline…now that I could live with!
See ya next week...
Jill Berry
FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
Gail writes: “I fail to see why people want Natalie with John. The man lied to her, used her, threatened her and put her and Cristian in a dangerous situation without their knowledge or consent. He had the opportunity to get her (and Jess) out when Flynn told him to take them out and kill them and he stood looking like a dummy. If he was concerned for her, why did he take her to Flynn in the first place? He is responsible for her husband's death. Because he turned out to be a FBI agent, all is ok? Because he is sorry, it's ok? Is he really sorry or does he just want Natalie and his competition is gone? Is he trying to help her get over her sorrow by blessing her with his presence every time she tries to breathe? Maybe he should put all that energy into finding that killer. Sorry I don't like this couple. Forgive him, yes, fall for him, no way. Oh, and Michael/Al/Marcie. What a train wreck. Luna gets more airtime than Viki. Sick of the body-snatching duo.”
Dear Gail: I can certainly understand why you feel the way you do about John. I kind of felt that way about him in the beginning of this storyline, too. However, as time went on, Michael Easton’s John won me over and in spite of the fact that he did all the things you stated above, he was doing his job (for whatever that’s worth) and I think he has more than shown his remorse for how things turned out. He can’t bring Cristian back and I think he sincerely cares for Natalie and hates that part of himself that is responsible for her terrible pain. In the wake of all the junk that goes on between some couples on this show, I find Natalie and John very real and refreshing.
Durius3D writes: “Well, I could be in the minority here, but I'm not unhappy with Blair, even though her behavior isn't going to solve anything. She's wound up being the victim of Todd's schemes for so long, that I hope she gives Todd what's coming to him. Todd has manipulated and lied to her so many times, and she's often just taken it. I'm glad that she's grown a spine again, even if her behavior is a tad destructive.”
Dear Durius3D: Yes, Blair has been the recipient of Todd’s lunacy for a long time and yes, he has done horrible things to her. It’s my opinion that it’s her own fault for taking him back so many times for the simple reason that despite all his horrible faults, she loves him…as sick a love as it is. I think Todd deserves to be punished for his latest series of lies, but Blair’s behavior is horrifying for a grown woman whose children are the ones who will suffer. These kids have suffered enough…it’s time for their mom to grow up, even if their father won’t.
Joshua writes: “I just have a quick question. Is Al somehow able to have the knowledge of being a doctor from taking over Michael's body? He runs around the hospital as a doctor and performing doctor duties but Al never went to school for this. I'm assuming, like the memories he shared with Marcy regarding Michael's past that he is able to tap into the memory of the body he took. Does this sound feasible?”
Dear Joshua: I am sitting here laughing because I haven’t got a clue how to answer your question. When you ask if this storyline sounds feasible…I have to throw up my hands and say I wish I had a clue! Nothing about it sounds feasible to me, not even as good fiction. From one day to the next this storyline gets more and more confusing and convoluted. I don’t know what TPTB want us to think about what Al knows or doesn’t know…what he feels or what Michael feels. For me, it’s not even worth as much time as I spend trying to figure out who the Music Box Killer is…and believe me, I don’t spend much time worrying about that either. I love a great mystery as much as the next person, but figuring out what is making Al/Michael tick these days….for me it’s not worth the work.
Wally writes: “I am a former Paralegal major and very interested in crime. I have a hunch on who the MBK could be. Most people think of the obvious with the return of Troy, however I tend to disagree. I think it is someone who has been off the canvas for a while who we have not seen the last of. My guess is that it is Dawes, the political figure that tried to prevent Kevin from winning the Lieutenant Governor position. The evidence seems to be stacked against him because his political career was tarnished over his obsession with exotic dancers. Also, although not officially proven, he was behind the chandelier falling with Kelly underneath it.”
Dear Wally: Brilliant deduction Counselor…I think Dawes is a great candidate for the Music Box Killer. I’ve never even though of him as a possibility. It could very well be that Asa has done a lot more behind Kevin’s back to destroy Dawes than we are even aware of. Hey Wally, is “Criminology of Soaps 101” a required course for obtaining a law degree? If so, I’d give you at least a B+. Thanks for the insight.
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2004
