| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL
OKAY, I have just about had it with watching Kevin show up everywhere drunk all the time. I know he is grieving and he is trying to escape from the fact that he has lost his son-that he chose to save Kelly first-that Duke will never have a chance to live his life - and that he will never have grandchildren to bounce on his knee. Admittedly, Kevin has a right to his mourning and grief-but the drinking is really getting on my nerves. I was hoping that after the stupor he drank himself into several years ago when Grace died, he’d possibly recognize what a waste it is to bury himself in the bottle but I guess he doesn’t want to try to feel better-he can’t deal with his guilt when he’s sober. It’s a terrible situation that he is in, but I’m tired of watching him deal with everyone while he’s under the influence, like Viki and Kelly.
And now Kelly is pregnant. Well, that’s a big surprise-NOT! I guess the biggest surprise is going to come when she finds out that Kevin is the baby’s father and not Duke-at least that’s what we’re being led to believe. How is Kevin going to react to that little bit of information? Will he put aside his hatred of the fact that Kelly slept with his son? He certainly didn’t make it easy for Kelly to talk to him at the cemetery, did he? I didn’t blame her for not being able to tell him that she’s pregnant. And I hope more than anything that if Kevin wants to make amends, Kelly doesn’t just take him back with open arms. I think Kevin has been very cruel to Kelly-even before she slept with Duke-and I think she deserves better than the abuse she’s had to take from him.
I’m sure Kelly could have lived without seeing that box of Ace’s clothing that Kevin brought over to her. She doesn’t need Kevin to keep pointing out to her that she can have children in her future and he can’t. I was glad that she made a point of telling him that those clothes were being saved for a baby she was going to have with him.
Hugh was very nice to Kelly when he found her crying in the park. He earned a few points back from me for that-.especially when he put his phone number into her cell phone and said she could call him any time if she needed a friend. I feel sorry for Kelly-maybe I shouldn’t-but with how bad she feels about Duke’s death-and how well I think Heather Tom conveys grief-I just can’t help myself. I feel Kelly’s pain a lot more than I feel Kevin’s.
Well, we knew that Lindsay was going to witness the kiss between RJ and Nora. And I had to laugh when Lindsay’s old insecurities came out in full force. But hey, what else was she supposed to think? Being Lindsay, there was nothing else she could do but be jealous and furious with Nora. I died laughing when she was talking to Hugh about her feelings and said, “How do I compete with a medical miracle? What, am I supposed to do, chop off a limb?†It was good to see a bit of the old Lindsay back. And good old Nora-she could see right through Lindsay when she came in to drag RJ out of the hospital and end his visit with her. I loved it when a very determined Nora said to herself, “I’ll show that bitch!â€
And there goes Hugh again-consoling two women in the same day-Kelly and Lindsay-boy, he’s scoring points left and right. Actually, I think Hugh and Kelly make a nice couple. I wouldn’t mind seeing them pursue a relationship.
I thought Paige and Nora had a good visit-better than the last one where Nora collapsed. It was a comfort to Nora that she could see how much Matthew meant to Paige and how much Paige helped him when Nora was in the coma. It’s nice to see Paige owning up to what she’s done and willing to take her punishment. I think it’s just too little, too late. I don’t think I want to see her have a future with Bo. I think he deserves better and I hate the fact that he takes any blame at all in the failure of his relationship with Paige. He begged her so many times to come clean with him and vowed to help her with whatever she was hiding. Bo is right-she didn’t trust him and I give him credit for even being willing to try starting over with her, but I want better for him. I wonder what kind of sentence, if any, she’s going to get from the Atlantic City police. And it was good that she mentioned that maybe when she comes back she can be with her son. So many people, including myself, are left hanging wondering if we’re ever going to get back to the story of Paige and Spencer’s son.
I thought it was great that Evangeline decided to be the lead counsel in Bo’s case. I like that Evangeline is learning to live with her blindness and remain independent and she’s smart not to rely on Cristian too much to be her eyes-.even though he would lovingly do anything for her.
Then we have David confessing to John, Michael and Natalie. I guess his confession to them doesn’t count because he formally pleaded not guilty in court. At least they got to hear it from him, for whatever it was worth. It was good that Michael had Marcie to go home to after that and John was with Natalie. I’m glad that John is able to let his guard down somewhat with Natalie, but I really hope that when they put this whole mess with his father’s death to rest, he will be able to give more of himself. I’m only going to let him mope around for so long before even I start to get tired of it. Maybe when he and Bo finally nail Spencer things will start to change for John. I’d love to see just one big smile plastered across his somber face for once. Not that I don’t like the face we see all the time, but come on-maybe Natalie can go after him with a feather or something.
And you just knew that David would wind up showing up in court after his good-bye with Dorian. That was really sad. Behind all the conniving and comedy, David and Dorian really love each other-but he realizes that the time has passed for her to forgive him and she still has way too much pride to think about taking him back. It’s just too bad all around. I felt sad for David when he told her that he just wasn’t man enough to own up to what he did and she told him that he’s much more of a man than he thinks he is. I think knowing what she really thinks of him made him decided not to run. But how ironic is this situation? The judge just got through telling Hugh that his case against David was so flimsy that David would probably walk-and the next minute David walks in and pleads guilty. Talk about timing! I wonder if David will ever find out what the judge said-he’ll probably want to throw himself off a bridge if he finds that out.
OKAY, you know I can’t let the week go by without talking about that big smooch between Clint and Viki. Well, it wasn’t really that big a smooch, but the aftermath was really fully. I loved watching Viki’s face when Clint said that there were fifty reasons why they shouldn’t be kissing. Her face says more than 1,000 spoken words, doesn’t it? And yes, it was kind of awkward-and I agree that they have both been under a lot of pressure and have been experiences a lot of pain in dealing with their children, but even I will admit that perhaps their old familiarity gave them a bit of momentary comfort. And it was pretty funny that Viki kept bringing Dorian into the conversation. I wonder if she’s actually jealous, or if she just thinks Dorian is so horrible that she doesn’t want to see Clint fall into her web. It’s probably a good dose of both.
And then good old Clint heads off to Dorian’s with a big bouquet of flowers. I think it would have been hysterical if after he kissed Dorian he said, “Gee, I just go through doing that with Viki but this was so much better. This must be my lucky day.†Call me crazy, but I would have died laughing if he had said something like that. Actually, my laughter would have probably come after Dorian smacked him in the face.
Finally, Adriana and Rex are together. I thought the love scenes were nice-we don’t get enough of that stuff any more. I like this couple, but I’m hoping to see a lot more depth from them in the coming weeks. The do have promise though. I wonder what Adriana will do if she finds out that Kevin found Kelly’s pregnancy test and Kelly told him it belonged to her. It won’t be the first time an unguarded pregnancy test was found hanging around and the last time it actually was Adriana’s-when she thought she was pregnant by River.
Could Todd be any more obvious? If he hated Blair so much, why would he spend a minute of time with her? It was a joke to hear him tell Blair that he didn’t love her any more. Blair said it all when she looked him in the face and said, “You’re a liar.†That’s surely true. But Todd is determined to stick to his guns and I believed him when he said he was going to find a way to hurt her as badly as she hurt him.
And three cheers for Starr. She has Spencer’s number and I think she was right when she told him that even though her parents fight and claim to hate each other, they always wind up back together as a family. I loved it when Starr told Spencer, “I think you should find some other kids to fake parent.†Too bad Spencer is too stupid to realize that antagonizing Starr is not the way to win points. Instead of trying to get closer to her (as if that were possible), he just sat there and told her not to keep her hopes up about her parents. Spencer has a lot to learn about the offspring of Todd and Blair.
It’s interesting to see Todd’s devotion to Evangeline. He sure jumped all over Blair when she made a snide comment about her and Todd told her that he wouldn’t tolerate her badmouthing Evangeline. And isn’t Todd just a bit out of line in telling Evangeline that he doesn’t think Cristian is the right man for her? It appears that Todd is ready to do what he does best-take over and bull-doze his way over people-and that’s exactly what he did with Evangeline when he told her he was going to keep his promise about getting her the best doctors to help her regain her eyesight. Evangeline is no fool-she knows that Todd has feelings for her and appreciates all she did for him, but she was smart to tell him that she won’t be used as his pawn to hurt Blair, especially when it comes to getting custody of his children from Blair-and she won’t be used to fill the void that Blair left. I think Todd is totally sincere about wanting to help Evangeline. He will never forget her devotion to him, but Todd does have tunnel vision when he gets an idea in his head. That tunnel vision was what gave him the nerve to call Cristian and tell him they needed to have a talk about Evangeline. Cristian was smart to hang up on him, but of course that won’t be the last he hears from Todd. Todd doesn’t like Cristian being in Evangeline’s life and it was more than obvious that he felt that way when Jessica was at his place when Evangeline came by and Jessica told Evangeline what a great guy Cristian is and that she’s glad they are together. Todd nearly choked having to listen to that comment.
And speaking of Jessica-now she’s having Nash come into her head when she’s intimate with Antonio. Hmmm-I can’t say that disturbs me at all. I wonder how well that would go over with Antonio if he got wind of it. I keep remembering Antonio telling Cristian, “We’re Vegas. We have to be protective and we like to take control and be the hero.†Oh yeah, you could say that again, Antonio. He is really determined to cut Nash out of his, Jessica’s and Brennan’s life. He’s being about as unrealistic as a person can get and I’ll say it again-he needs to remember how he felt when RJ wanted to cut him out of Jamie’s life.
It’s obvious that Jessica is becoming uncomfortable with Antonio constantly trying to cut Nash out of their lives. Her conversation with her father made it clear that she does care about Nash and knows that Clint likes him, too. It’s not in Jessica’s nature to be mean or cruel to anyone, so it stands to reason that she would be upset and tell Clint that Antonio wants to keep her and Brennan in a cocoon and that he hates Nash. She also admitted that Antonio’s protective streak has been an issue for them in the past. Jessica clearly feels like she’s in the middle in this mess and it was good that she called Dr. Jameson-smart girl. I was surprised that Tess came out after that hypnosis session, but I hear she’s going to go right back where she came from, so I can’t wait to see what happens. And although Jessica bring herself to call Nash on the phone, it was nice of her to e-mail him a picture of the baby. Obviously she has to now deal with the fact that she feels Tess’s feelings for Nash. It was adorable to watch Nash staring at the picture and ignoring Claudia. I was glad that Clint reminded Jessica that as much as she and Antonio might be going through, what Nash is going through is a lot worse. I totally agree with Clint, even though he’s not on my Lovable List lately.
I thought it was kind of nice when Jessica went to Todd when she needed someone to talk to about having Tess’s memories of Nash. Jessica and Todd have always had a special relationship. After all, Jessica and Viki were always more than special to Todd and aside from his kids (and most of the time, Blair), they are the two people he’d probably literally kill for. It’s good that Jessica was able to talk about her fear that she will become a part of Tess instead of Tess becoming a part of her. Somehow Todd was able to give her what she needed just by telling her that he loves her no matter who she is. Viki would be proud of her brother for that act of kindness.
So, Mr. Raving Reston was onto Nash. Oooh, there’s another big surprise! I’m sick enough of dealing with Claudia. I’m so thrilled that we no longer have to deal with her father-but what will be the aftermath of his death? And wow, that was not a pretty way to die, was it? And OKAY, so we got a glimpse of what makes Claudia tick when she admitted to Nash that her father only paid attention to her when she got into trouble with drugs. When she wasn’t in trouble, he didn’t have any time to notice she was around. OK-boo hoo-she’s still one of the few people on the show that makes me want to fast forward. The only reason I don’t is that I live in the hopes that if I don’t fast forward, maybe I’ll be rewarded with seeing a scene where someone I can’t stand finally gets booted out of Llanview for good-and see, my loyalty paid off-Old Man Reston is gone! Will Claudia make Nash stay with her by threatening to tell the police he killed her father? Just a thought!
I think Marcie is so cute with little Tommy. I had a good laugh when she couldn’t stop the baby from crying and Roxy came by with her words of wisdom. Leave it to Roxy to drag out the vacuum clean and know that the noise would quiet the baby down. How funny was it when Roxy explained how she used to use the noise from the vacuum cleaner to calm Natalie down and said, “Natalie was a screamer. Not a lot has changed.†She killed me when she said she tried everything with Natalie and that she had to use “the process of illumination†to figure out what would work. I just love the way Roxy butchers the English language, like when she and Marcie were talking about taking care of a baby and Roxy said, “Yeah, a baby can put a real ‘cramp’ in your life.â€
And in closing, who can make me laugh more than David? Maybe it’s Roxy. Maybe it’s a tie-but I think the best and funniest line from last week came from David, after he packed up his bags to leave town and Paige told him it was time to face up to what they had done and to take responsibility for their part in Thomas McBain’s death. I had a great laugh when Paige said, “If you run you’ll be leaving behind your life, Dorian, and all your friends†and David replied, “I have no friends. I’m David Vickers.†I hope TPTB do everything in their famous power to get Tuc Watkins to stay on the show. As it is, we only get to see Roxy once every now and then-how will we survive with no more David? And let’s be honest-Adriana and Rex had some nice kisses-Natalie and John’s was nice, too-Viki and Clint-their mouths couldn’t have been closed any tighter if they were sewn shut-RJ and Nora were cute-Bo and Paige had a nice farewell-but the greatest pucker of the week was Dorian and David’s. That was the most heartfelt and loving scene when they said good-bye and that kiss put the rest to shame. Tuc Watkins has made David a beloved con man, a caring almost-stepdad and above all else a loving partner the likes of which I don’t think Dorian will ever see again. I can’t see him leaving us!
See ya next week-.
Jill Berry
FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
Betty writes: “I'm not a long time OLTL watcher, but rather a DAYS fan. I only started watching OLTL when Matt Ashford came over. I got "hooked" and stayed for the John and Natalie pairing. I saw so much potential and chemistry (a word fans banter about, few have similar opinions on, and even fewer can define consistently, lol) in this couple. I write to comment on the recent statements some of your posted emails contain. Like you I am enjoying the Chris and Evangeline pairing--I didn't think I would--too different in my opinion. Without the benefit of having watched him with Natalie originally, I just saw Chris as an intrusion to my chosen couple. However, together Chris and Ms. Williamson seem to bring out such great qualities in each other. He softens her, calms her, and seems willing to offer everything she needs even if she doesn't realize what that is yet. What I find interesting is that some of your readers state you only like this couple because it keeps Evangeline away from John and Natalie, and that you have mistreated (in your commentaries) the character of Evangeline. I don't know if you keep track of such things, but I wonder how many times--if any--you have actually made a disparaging comment about Ms. Williamson. On the contrary, I've always thought you considered her classy, intelligent and competent (for a soap lawyer, lol). These are the same qualities I love about her character. So my question is: have you ever actually made the type of comments some of your viewers claim in regards to Evangeline? In reading your column I don't see that, but I wonder if that is a natural bias because we favor the same couples. Just curious. And in the long run, it doesn't really matter much. It's just a soap; I've watched them long enough to know nothing is permanent or sacrosanct to the writers.â€
Dear Betty: It’s nice to have a fresh perspective on the current battle that refuses to go away. The answer to your question is-.NO! I have not made the kind of comments about Evangeline that I am accused of. I have plainly said many times that I am a John/Natalie fan. That in itself makes me a prime target for the wrath of the John/Evangeline fans that obviously don’t share my opinion. I have said that Evangeline was smart to finally end her relationship with John because he refused to give her what she wanted and needed, which was a verbal declaration of his love and a future. Evangeline also hated the fact that John always ran to Natalie’s rescue, but what girlfriend would like that sort of behavior? The John/Evangeline fans felt that he ran to Natalie’s rescue because he felt responsible for her-I always felt that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck-it’s a duck-meaning that John could have sent someone else to help Natalie, but his feelings for her wouldn’t let him let her go. I also made mention of the fact many times that Evangeline was very much in love with John, didn’t get over it easily and held out hopes of getting him back for a long time. I also said that was a perfectly normal reaction for her since she loved him so much. After a while I did think she should get over it. I think she hung on too long. That’s my opinion. I have never said a disparaging word about the character of Evangeline. Actually, I am pretty well known for loving the “good guys†and being very impatient about waiting for the “bad guys†to get what is coming to them. Evangeline has always been a character that I like and admire, contrary to what a lot of her fans believe of me. I just simply did not see her with John. So shoot me! I enjoy all of Evangeline’s other relationships on the show. She was great when she was seeing RJ and gave him the boot-her friendship with Nora was lovely to watch and I hope we get to see it back on our screens soon-and I love her dedication to her clients and the people she cares about. You said it all when you said, “It’s just a soap.†I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve said that.
Elaine writes: “One question-when did John get this PDA rule going? I have been looking at old John and Evangeline scenes and he did not seem to have that PDA rule going with her. They kissed, hugged, caressed in just about every public venue in Llanview. By the way that hug he gave Natalie in the police station was kind of cute, something like a brother and sister hug.â€
Dear Elaine: I don’t remember John stating exactly that he did not favor public displays of affection, but I remember some kind of conversation where John mentioned the fact that they both worked in the police station and it was awkward to have everyone around them know their business. It certainly wasn’t said in those words, but it was understood. I don’t remember him hugging and kissing Evangeline in either his workplace or hers or out in the opening front of everyone they know, but I’m sure if that happened, someone, or tons of people, will remind me-LOL! And I’ll be happy to have my memory refreshed.
Debbie writes: “I have never written before but have been a huge fan of OLTL for years. I am appalled at the scenes with Nora trying to be convincing that she is a recovering stroke victim. First of all, she is alternating her speech between one side of her mouth, then the other. I thought she was paralyzed on her left side? Secondly, she is constantly wiping her mouth from drool, which is supposed to be there, but is obviously not (a clue is the clearly dry Kleenex). I am sorry but I think the acting is horrible which matches the storyline. No one can recover as quickly as she is.....Sorry to say but I think the actor has lost her ability to portray her character with believable integrity and dignity. I cringe every time she is on camera. Perhaps it's just as well her contract is up within the year. Whose idea was this? This is a sad and unbelievable portrayal of the Nora we loved.â€
Dear Debbie: Sorry, I can’t agree with your take on Hillary’s performance. Sure, she might have spoken out of the wrong side of her mouth once or twice but I certainly didn’t catch it. I believe you if you say she did-but overall, I think she’s doing an incredible job. It certainly can’t be easy to portray a stroke victim, even for a seasoned actress-and soaps are known for not doing a lot of takes for each scene. I didn’t agree with Nora being in a coma for all those months and I was sorry it worked out that way, but if I keep reminding myself that this is a soap opera-and that children can age 10 years in 6 months-then I can surely accept the fact that Nora is recovering faster than we would expect in real life. And please remember that Hillary is not responsible for deciding when Nora recovers-she follows a script and if it says that Nora is up and trying to walk and talk faster than we think she should, then that’s what she has to do. I don’t think it is a reflection on Hillary’s portrayal of Nora and it certainly doesn’t say to me that Hillary has lost her ability to portray her character with integrity and dignity. I think Hillary is doing a wonderful job of portraying the struggles of a woman like Nora who is so independent and self-sufficient and has trouble coping with the helplessness she feels.
Linola writes: I believe that it was Dorian who ran over Jessica and caused her to lose her baby. Then Jessica retaliated by trashing Dorian's home. It was not Lindsay.â€
Dear Linola: Sorry, but this is one of those times that my memory of history is very clear. If you recall, I said that Jessica’s memory of her accident came at Lindsay’s trial. Yes, Dorian was the one who hit Jessica with her car causing her to lose her baby (which I stated)-and yes, Jessica did retaliate by trashing Dorian’s home and planting those crying baby dolls there as well, but Lindsay was originally blamed for Jessica being hit and was arrested. It was LINDSAY who was on trial for the crime with Sam as her defense attorney and during court one day Jessica and Viki were in the ladies room when Jessica started having flashbacks and remembered that it was Dorian driving the car. There was a lot of evidence pointing to Lindsay as the perpetrator of the crime and Dorian let her take the fall for it. Dorian felt guilty for what she did, but not guilty enough to step up and take the blame-which was really bad because Lindsay was supposed to be her friend at the time. You see, Viki was in the early stages of her relationship with Ben at the time-the accident took place outside Ben’s bar, Crossroads, during a party for Jessica’s engagement to Cristian-and trust me-there is nothing about Viki’s time with Ben that I don’t have a clear memory of. I know, sick but very, very true!
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2006
