And there it is. The one thing Henry never has had in a romance: a woman who loves him, despite all of his flaws. Vienna dumped him when she realized his transgressions and when he didn't live up to her expectations, and Katie never seemed to love Henry because he wasn't Mike or Simon or Jack or whichever other man she was obsessing about at the time. But Barbara seems to care about Henry, (dare I say "love" him?) despite his issues. That appeals to Hank, and I can see why.
On paper, Vienna seems the perfect choice for Henry. But one thing is clear to me. If you have to talk a man into marrying you, especially when you look like Vienna Hyatt, something is very, very wrong. And let's not forget that Henry stood her up at the altar at their first attempt at matrimony. So, my little voice is telling me that Henry knows Vienna isn't the one. And that's probably the reason for his waffling. The first time around, I thought he bailed on their wedding because he was still in love with Katie. But watching his indecisiveness this week, as he flipped between Barbara and Vienna and back again, I don't think Katie played into his decision. He seems to be falling in love with Barbara, despite his engagement to Vienna.
The final piece to this puzzler is Katie. It was a mere few weeks ago when Henry admitted that he loved Katie, after Reid called him on it, and Henry talked to Maddie. So, I thought the show was finally going to pair these best friends up romantically, again. But then Barbara moved in on Henry, and I assumed that Katie would quietly disappear again. Not so. She was the opposite of quiet this week, as she railed against Barbara to leave Henry alone. Is Katie jealous, or does she simply think Henry belongs with Vienna because he wants children? I'm telling you, Scoopers, this tale is as messy and layered as one of Reid's sandwiches.
I think Henry's one true love will always be Katie. But Katie never loved him the way a partner should, and if she can't bring herself to do that, then I say, move on, Henry. If he's found that connection with Barbara, then he should go for it. But when they tell Paul, I hope they're wearing body armor.
Meanwhile:
• It's been a busy news week for fans of As the World Turns. By now, you've probably heard that Colleen Zenk Pinter, who plays Barbara Ryan, was arrested for DUI on April 1. I've received several e-mails asking me what this could mean for the character of Barbara. I assume it will depend on how swiftly the justice system moves. The show is finished in September, so I'm not sure if she'll get her day in court before the show exits the airwaves or not. I do know that a slew of celebrities have been arrested for DUI and gotten off with a mere slap on the wrist by pleading no contest. (Heather Locklear and Lindsay Lohan come to mind.) If Zenk Pinter goes the no-contest route, I doubt it would affect her work schedule, unless for some reason she goes into a treatment facility. I know many of you, like me, are die-hard Barbara fans, so let's just be grateful that no one was killed or injured from this incident. Things could have ended much worse.
• In other news, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that As the World Turns will probably be replaced by a game show. (Sigh.) Send your rants to CBS. I could say that I'm shocked, but honestly, I'm not. I'm sure it's much cheaper to produce a game show then a daytime drama, and it's clear to me that TV production is all about business lately, not sentiment, history, or storytelling.
• Wow, it didn't take Noah long to land a date, after his breakup with Luke. I used to love Noah, but I have to say that his coldness toward Luke is off-putting. He pushed Luke away for some silly reason that I still don't understand and is already moving on to a date. Talk about being blind. Noah should have been able to see how hurt Luke would be.
• Reid and Luke seem to be sharing a lot of scenes together and are garnering quite a few fans. I do like seeing the softer side of Reid sometimes, but I'm sorry Reid/Luke shippers, I still am not going to buy them as a couple. Luke has barely left his teenage years and is a college dropout. Reid is a world-renowned surgeon, who apparently is as old as Chris Hughes. (And no, I don't buy that Chris Hughes is still in his early twenties. That ship has sailed!)
• Last week, my fellow Two Scoops writer, Reggie, wrote that he found the invalid marriage of Bob and Kim and the subsequent storyline "a bit corny," but I have to take an opposite position. Sorry, Reggie! I loved every minute of it. The two shows devoted to Bob and Kim were topnotch. I thought it was an ingenious idea to have the town's most beloved couple questioning their commitment on their 25th anniversary. The storyline gave us humor (thank you Lisa, Susan, and Casey!), heartbreak, and plenty of nostalgic clips. Usually couples' anniversaries in daytime are the definition of boring, right down to the roses, wine, and romantic music playing against a montage of old scenes. Who would have ever thought that Bob would end up drinking away his troubles at the bar, while Kim broke down in tears, on such a milestone anniversary? Not me, and therein lies the brilliance. The added bonus was seeing multiple generations involved, as Bob, Tom, Casey, and Chris tried to sort out Bob's marriage problems. Brilliant! And Casey asking his grandpa when was the last time he told Kim that she was hot had me rolling. In the end, Bob and Kim reconciled, remarried, and vowed to not take one another for granted anymore. It was a perfect ending to a perfect bump in the road.
• Lily and Holden get a pat on the back from me this week for finally realizing that Faith is falling apart. Kudos to them for giving her some family time. Faith hates her life and told Lily it was all Lily's fault, as Faith chastised her parents for not giving her one month of stability in her life. I agree with Faith. She's had a tough childhood. I don't know how the Snyders are going to begin to get Faith back on track. I do know that the bullying part of this storyline should continue to be emphasized. Bullying is happening everywhere, as we saw in the tragic case of Phoebe Prince in Massachusetts recently.
• Note to writers: Please stop this Gabriel mess. I really don't want to waste what time we have left on a character we know nothing about. I'm guessing Gabriel will turn out to be someone's illegitimate son, probably Craig's. But that doesn't make it better for me. Call me cold, but I'd rather see more of the folks in Oakdale I already love.
• Dr. Oliver, I know you have a bitter tongue, but insulting Bob's wife was cold. When Bob threatened to knock Reid on his ass, I was cheering. Go Bob!
• Ladies fighting is a daytime staple, like an evil twin plot or switching DNA. It's usually a plot device that I detest, especially when the women get physical or wet. (Think All My Children's Greenlee and Kendall in the fountain or Bold and the Beautiful's Brooke and Taylor in the koi pond.) But my hat is off to Katie and Barbara this week for keeping things civilized. That was one of the best fights I've seen on daytime. Both ladies were passionate about their beliefs, and the insults weren't so harsh that they came across as cartoony. Bravo, ladies!
• I loved, loved, loved Emma and Molly bonding in the kitchen over cookies. Lily, you really should have spent some time learning to bake. Maybe it would get you back on Emma's good side.
Best Lines of the Week:
(Jack tries to seduce Carly in the car and begins kissing her passionately.)
Carly: "I have to go to work. It's not happening, Jack."
Jack: "It's kind of happening for me. "
(Katie shows up at Barbara's door and tells her that Henry won't be coming back to be Barbara's lover.)
Katie: "I convinced him that he's acting like a fool, thinking that there is anything to this (pausing, searching for the correct term)"
Barbara: "Love affair?"
Katie: "Descent into madness."
Reader Spotlight:
That's all for now, Scoopers! See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller
