| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….Well, well…it’s great to have Looney Margaret back…or as my friends call her, “Mad Mags.” I know, I know, some of you were sick of her terrible antics the last time around and were hoping she’d be gone for good. Sorry, not me. I figure that as long as I have to deal with watching Asa, it might as well be with someone who gives him a run for his money. And Margaret certainly does that. I love the fact that she’s not at all afraid of his power and his willingness to break the law. When she says, “No one owns me, not even the great and powerful Asa Buchanan”, I do believe she means it. And when she walked outside the mansion after letting Asa think he’d won a battle, I died laughing when she said, “You’re out of your league cowboy…there’s a new sheriff in town.” Of course it would have to be someone at least half out of her mind to go up against Asa…so Margaret is a perfect match for him.
Asa did give me a good laugh later on when Kevin was over and Asa was complaining that all Bo wants to do is lock up his old man when he should have found Natalie by now and Kevin said, “Well, Grandpa, maybe if you stopped committing felonies Bo would back off.” Well said, Kevin.
Anyone out there think that maybe Margaret has got a big old beach ball under her blouse? Or maybe if she really is pregnant the baby came from an establishment called, “Sperm Banks ‘R Us?” Just a thought. This week Todd is going to see her and find out she’s pregnant…that’s one thing that should leave him speechless for a change.
How bad did we feel for poor Viki last week? You know she’s got to be beside herself with fear if she believed she could make a deal with Hayes. Wow, that guy is the creepiest villain we’ve had on the show in a long time, isn’t he? That was some crazy scene in Bo’s office when they tried to make a deal with him to send him to a “country club” mental institution and they actually believed he might go for it.
I have to say that it was obvious that Hayes wasn’t frightened or moved by Viki’s visit to his jail cell, but I, for one, thought she was terrifying. I think she let out a little bit of Jean down there when she told him in no uncertain terms that she had power and influence and could make his life a living hell. She scared the heck out of me…lol…and up in Bo’s office when she told him about the institution for the criminally insane where the most popular choice for dealing with life was suicide, a chill went right through me.
And what about John? Boy, if there was an end to his rope, I think he finally found it last week. Can’t say I didn’t enjoy watching him try to choke the life out of Hayes. For a minute there I really thought he had done it. I don’t know where he found the strength to let go. I guess only the thought of never finding Natalie if Hayes were dead was what stopped him.
And anyone who thinks John is an unfeeling guy has to be changing their minds after last week. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t sleep for a month straight after they find Natalie after all the emotion he’s gone through. Those were very powerful scenes he had with Evangeline. I was so glad she didn’t let him take the easy way out and just take him back to her bed. I’m amazed that after all that went on between them in her apartment that night he still couldn’t say the words she wanted to hear. They sure seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, didn’t they? I think he said it all when he said, “I’m sorry I can’t be the man you deserve.” Even if she thinks he’s more than enough of a man for her, the most important thing is that he doesn’t believe it…bottom line.
I’m getting lots of mail from people who think I’m blind to the fact that John is in love with Evangeline, but honestly, after last week, I don’t know what he is. I thought it was great that he could reveal as much as he did, even though it was frustrating that he didn’t reveal more. He knows that he thinks too much with his head and not enough with his heart and he at least admits that he doesn’t think he’s worthy of Evangeline. I found it very revealing when he talked about Natalie needing and wanting to be taken care of and agreeing with Evangeline when she pointed out that he was comfortable with that because it was something he was good at doing. What do I really think? I think John is in love with both of them if that’s possible. For someone who needs to be needed as much as John does, the pull of someone like Natalie is something he will probably never be able to turn his back on. I can’t wait to see what happened next month when Cristian comes back. I don’t know anything about the storyline behind his return, but it’s going to be crazy, that’s for sure.
How cute are Viki and Rex together? I love Rex and Viki’s scenes almost as much as I love Rex and Bo’s scenes. I loved that Viki came to visit him and tried to make him feel better about not finding Natalie and all he was concerned about was that she was endangering her health by being there. Maybe Viki should adopt Rex…after all, she doesn’t have enough kids with problems, does she?
Hey, since when is Antonio a bartender? Did he take a crash course when he bought Capricorn? He sure seems comfortable behind the bar mixing any drink people ask for. That’s realistic…not! And don’t get me started on Layla. She’s more than obnoxious and I don’t see how we can like a character when we don’t know from one minute to the next if she’s sincere or practicing her acting skills. Like many fans that I’ve heard from, I don’t know what she adds to the canvas so far and I really don’t see what she can contribute to Evangeline’s life. I guess when we learn more about her it will be spelled out…but do we care?
I’m glad that Duke is finally getting a bit annoyed with Adriana for her attention to Rex. It is a bit obnoxious, even though there is something endearing about Rex and Adriana together. I’m curious to see what happens here and whom Adriana winds up with.
And on to Tess and Nash, or what I now lovingly call the Jess/Tess Mess. Boy, I sure do feel sorry for Nash. Could it be that he’s just a really nice guy falling in love with a girl who is nothing but trouble? Obviously, Tess is falling for him, too and is fighting it with all she’s got, but with a guy like Nash, how long can she fight it? Obviously, sleeping with him is going to complicate things even more, but it was inevitable, wasn’t it? Hey, he’s a sweet guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and he’s totally easy on the eyes to boot. What’s not to like? Todd is going to bring Jessica back home soon and then we’ll see what happens.
I have to say that I was very disappointed when Blair and Todd went to church to talk to the minister that it wasn’t Reverend Andrew. That was some dumb story about this guy replacing Andrew. I wonder if Robert Krimmer was available to reprise his role or if they just didn’t ask him to. It’s just not the same having anything go on in St. James and not having Andrew be there. Hint to TPTB…where’s the loyalty to the old characters we love?
And finally we got to see Natalie again. I hate when a storyline has to revolve around a contract dispute. Obviously, Natalie has been off our screen for so long because the kidnapping storyline happened at the same time that Melissa Archer was deciding whether or not she would stay with the show. I guess whether or not she signed a new contract determined whether we’d see her as Natalie from now on…or a replacement. I hope she’s as happy she’s staying as a lot of her fans are.
And for my favorite line of the week…of course it had to be Viki’s when she was down in the jail with Hayes and he was gloating over breaking her already weak heart by taking her precious daughter away from her. Viki said it all when she looked at him with fire in her eyes and said, “My heart is made of something stronger than God will ever allow you to know.” You’ve just gotta love and admire that woman, don’t you?
See ya next week...
Jill Berry
FAN
FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
Lisa writes: “Am I the only one annoyed by the minor characters being brought in just to undoubtedly stir up trouble down the road? I am specifically talking about Layla Williamson because Jessica and Antonio don't have enough of a troubled storyline right now! Her scenes are mundane and phony. Put her back on a plane to LA Evangeline! On the bright side, I can't get enough of David and Rex lately....of course David was always a riot, but between the two of them, I practically have tears running! Also - although Hayes is obviously a despicable character, I did enjoy his sarcasm and devil-may-care comments with John in the warehouse. Looking forward to the Tess storyline coming to an end soon...we get it!”
Dear Lisa: No, you’re not the only one who gets annoyed with the temporary trouble making characters….and I’ll bet you get even madder when they catch on with the audience and hang around. Sometimes I do, too. I agree about Layla and frankly, I haven’t gotten any mail yet from fans who like her or think she has a good reason for being in Llanview. I agree about David and Rex…especially Rex these days, although I still don’t believe those words come out of my mouth…lol…and regarding Hayes…although I want to strangle the guy myself, I have to agree that he is despicably, horribly, fun to watch.
Susan writes: “I, too, am annoyed with the Jess/Tess storyline. Tess is irritating and I find myself leaving the room or switching channels when she comes on. Is this going to drag on as long as the baby-swapping storyline, or will they get to the end?”
Dear Susan: I have no idea how long this Tess/Jess thing is going to go on. I know that in the early fall when Erika Slezak comes back from her long vacation, Viki will probably start to deal with the whole thing. That should be wild, don’t you think? I will say this…the Jess/Tess storyline is 100 times better than the baby-swapping storyline in my opinion. The only good thing about that storyline was getting to see some great acting from Heather Tom…that’s it!
Julie writes: “I really like the newcomer, Nash- he really has charisma! The camera seems to really like him.”
Dear Julie: Yep, the camera sure does like him and I agree with you, I really like him, too. He’s a total cutie and I’d love to see him stick around. Hey, if he thinks New York is a wild and crazy town, wait until he gets a load of Llanview, PA!
Sheree writes: “ How fast did you head to the shower after those scenes between Blair & Spencer? I wanted to wash all that sweet, sticky ooze off! Then I wanted to slap Blair. To compare her to a painting in the Louvre? Is she dusty and old? That must be why Blair looked confused, she didn't know if he complimented or insulted her! LOL!”
Dear Sheree: How fast did I hit the shower? FAST! Yuck…that Spencer is by far the most obnoxious character to hit Llanview in a very long time. He’s more slick and slimy than one of Asa’s oil fields. And as far as Blair goes…things will never change there…she is a sucker for any man who will give her attention, even though she loves Todd endlessly.
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2005
