REFLECTIONS BY JILL for October 9, 2006

I guess we’re working toward getting Kelly and Kevin back together in time for them to leave Llanview later this year. I heard that Heather Tom will be on screen until December and I suppose if nothing changes with her status or that of Dan Gauthier, Kelly and Kevin will depart together. We’re already heading in the direction of the baby being Kevin’s since the doctor told Kelly she needed more medical history on the father. It’s probably just a matter of time before the truth comes out. It will be nice to see Kevin as Kelly’s birthing coach, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing Kelly and Hugh going through this together with a totally different outcome.

Okay, on to the new Jessica. She’s so much like Tess in so many ways now; especially since she popped Claudia in the jaw and explained it away by saying she was provoked. Yep, that’s all it would take for Tess to clock someone and not give it a second thought. I guess Antonio didn’t think it was too cool that Jessica hit Claudia and he sure couldn’t have appreciated Nash going to the police station to tell him. Of course he won’t believe that Jess could be jealous of Claudia. And where does he get off telling Kevin that he’s even considering adopting Bree. As if Nash would ever allow that. And hey, isn’t little baby Bree just a tad too big for a baby who is only supposed to be a couple of months old. Gee, they’re aging her already. Next year she’ll be shopping for a training bra.

Tell me something. Why was Spencer allowed out of jail to go to Atlantic City to visit Hugh? Who approved that? And what a productive visit it was. NOT! We all know that it’s John lying in that bed and the sound of Spencer’s voice made him want to jump out of that bed and beat the living daylights out of Spencer. I was hoping for some kind of confession from Spencer when he told “his son” that he had to live so he could get to know the man his father really is and why he did all the things he’s done. Oh, make me laugh some more Spencer! We know what kind of man you really are. What an egomaniac!

I’m almost done drying my eyes. John’s funeral was one of the saddest I can remember on television. I can’t imagine what they’d come up with if John were really dead. I knew it was going to be a dozen-hanky day when Friday’s episode started out with us watching the digging of John’s grave. Wasn’t that a bit much? I’m not sure that was necessary. But other than that, the funeral was beautifully done, from the honor guard, to the bagpipes, to that beautiful eulogy delivered by Bo. No one could have done it better.

I thought Melissa Archer was wonderful. The way she portrayed Natalie on the day of the funeral was so realistic to me, starting out with her not wanting to attend the service. She’s in that first stage of grief where she just can’t let herself believe that John is gone; even if she acknowledges that he will be dead whether or not she attends the funeral. It was so poignant the way Natalie refused to watch the casket coming down the aisle of the church, keeping her body and eyes glued to the front of the church while everyone else turned to the aisle and then not even looking the casket when it was laid down. And why did they have to place the casket halfway in the aisle where she could have reached out and touched it? That was a bit over the top and not necessary.

It was hard to watch Viki trying to comfort Natalie and just standing there, being there for her even when Natalie seemed to be somewhere else. I just sat there and cried when each person tossed a rose into the grave and said a few words to John. I thought the scene where everyone left the cemetery and Natalie just sat there, day turning into evening, incredibly emotional and it could only be topped by Natalie walking up to the grave, standing there for a moment and dropping the medal into the casket, as if it were one final attempt to keep John safe. Very sad; wonderful acted.

I just have to say how nice it was to see David’s reaction when he found out that John had died. His talk with John’s mother was amazing and it’s so nice to see how David has grown up and become a real human being. John really did give him a second chance at a life and the things he said to John’s mom were beautiful. Now, if Dorian could take a lesson from David and not use a funeral to further her cause I’d be very happy; I’d be shocked, but happy.