A lot happened in Llanview last week as Brody and Natalie prepared for their ill-conceived wedding. John decided to leave Llanview, Jack decided to commit another crime, Blair made one of her infamous choices, Neela was determined to star in her very own fairytale, and Rick taunted viewers with his presence. Oh, and we got the first dose of commercials for the newest show-that-shall-not-be-named. What a week!
The preparations for Brody and Natalie's upcoming wedding were difficult to watch because this is a wedding that shouldn't happen. Natalie is resigned to marrying Brody and has to convince herself she's doing it for the right reasons, while Brody continues to keep a very big secret for selfish reasons. We just went through this in February, although with a different combination of bride and groom and different lies, but it still feels like it's too soon! I hope the truth of Liam's paternity is revealed before anyone says "I do." So many people know the truth now that it has to be revealed sooner rather than later! It's pretty sad that David Vickers the dog is trying harder than anyone to tell Natalie the truth!
I suppose Jessica deserves credit for finally deciding that she should tell Natalie about Liam's paternity test. Then again, she kept her discovery to herself for weeks, so she doesn't get that much credit. I understand why Natalie didn't believe it. Jessica's timing was awful, and she didn't have any proof. After the tumultuous year that Jessica and Natalie have had as sisters, I can see why Natalie would be skeptical and assume that Jessica was trying to sabotage her wedding.
On the other hand, Natalie could have had a paternity test done on Liam to make sure there was nothing to Jessica's claims. Perhaps she is just relieved to have a new life waiting for her, and she doesn't want to mess that up. I wish Jessica had told John or her parents about the paternity test she found. That would have been a better approach, give the circumstance, but then again, it wouldn't have been as dramatic!
Brody should be ashamed of himself for how he treated Jessica when he confronted her about the paternity test. He didn't have the right to throw her mental illness in her face, especially when he knows she is telling the truth. He was insensitive and rude. I hate what has happened to Brody as a result of this story. His character is being ruined for the sake of the story, and it's sad to watch. When Jessica and Natalie find out he's been lying for months, I am sure they'll wonder why they fought over of him. He's not worth it!
I still don't feel sorry for John. He has had multiple chances to tell Natalie he wants her back, and he hasn't taken advantage of any of them. Instead, he decided to quit his job and move to Seattle on a whim. He can't complain about being unhappy if he does everything in his power to avoid getting what he wants. Roxy oversteps her bounds all the time, but I am glad she has been on John's case about telling Natalie how he feels. Someone needs to be tough with him. I was kind of sad she gave up on him and let him go to the airport. I don't want John and Natalie to get back together, but I'd love to see John finally be emotionally honest with the women in his life instead of waiting for them to leave him or marry other people.
Seeing Bo and Nora interact in the church was one of the few bright spots leading up to Brody and Natalie's wedding. Bo and Nora have had little reason to smile lately, and it seems like we've hardly seen them together since Matthew went to Philadelphia for treatment. It was good to see them reminisce about the happier times in their life, including their own weddings. It was also nice to see them dance, despite all of their current worries. I hope we get to see them more often, leading up to the last episode in January.
Viki and Clint continue to grow closer, and so far, I like it, even if they are in denial about what is happening. It seems like everyone in their family and even David has noticed their connection, but they won't admit it themselves. It was sweet of Viki to try to get permission for Clint to attend Natalie's wedding. It didn't work, but I am glad Dorian saved the day, even if it was from afar. I think having Clint and Viki reunite will be a great way to set up the online version of the show.
Téa's pregnancy is also a good way to set up the new version of the show, especially since many people believe that Victor isn't actually dead. Even if Victor doesn't come back, his character will live on through the child Téa will have. I hope that's where this is heading. I don't want to see Téa miscarry or lose the baby another way. She's suffered enough!
Blair continued her old pattern last week, as she "chose" Tomas over Todd. I can't believe Tomas fell for her act. We've seen Blair run to the nearest anti-Todd every time Todd makes her mad, and that is exactly what she did this time. Blair might credit Dorian for her revelation, but it was really Todd's reaction to seeing Blair and Tomas in his office. I hope Tomas hasn't been completely fooled into thinking Todd won't be an issue between him and Blair. He might get to be with Blair for a short while, but she will go back to Todd before it's over. That's what she does!
I am glad that Todd finally got ghost Irene to disappear. I don't know how he plans to deal with Tomas, but at least he isn't going to commit another murder to do it! I hope we don't have to see ghost Irene mess with Todd's mind anymore. It has gotten old, so I hope his breakthrough sticks. Maybe his discussion with Louie about forgiving himself sunk in, and he can move on with his life. Todd is terribly predictable most of the time, and it isn't likely he will change his ways, but one can hope!
I hope Jack leaves Llanview in the near future. I am tired his rash behavior. Just when it seemed like he was forming a conscience, he decided it would be a good idea to set the Sun on fire to avenge Victor's death. I hope he actually faces consequences for committing arson, since he hasn't had to pay for anything else he's done! Maybe this will get Blair and Todd's attention; they talk about his issues, but they haven't taken serious action to address them. I'd rather see Jack leave Llanview than watch him commit more crimes while his parents are too busy to notice.
It will be interesting to see how Neela reacts when she learns about the things Jack has done. She's already decided that he is her knight in shining armor, and she barely knows him! Ah, to be so naïve and young! I actually liked their interaction last week, but there is too much going on with Jack for him to be anyone's prince. I don't know why Rama didn't tell Neela the truth about Jack when she realized he was Neela's new friend, but someone needs to tell her soon!
A couple of weeks ago, I wondered why Rick was still in Llanview, and I found myself wondering the same thing last week. This story with Starr's music video is a waste of precious airtime. To make matters worse, the dialogue in these scenes was horrible, as Rick made several jokes about One Life to Live being cancelled. I don't know why anyone who likes this show would write lines like this, especially in the show's last two months on ABC. The comments were unfunny and in poor taste. While the show is coming back, it is still ending as we know it, and it isn't a joking matter.
Last week also brought commercials for the new show that will soon occupy One Life to Live's timeslot. I knew they were coming, but it was still hard to accept that the trumpeting of yet another talk show had begun. I am sure we will be bombarded with commercials about this show, along with commercials for the other show-that-shall-not-be-named in the next two months. It's quite sad to see what is happening to ABC. Enough said.
Finally, soap fans got sad news last week, as it was reported that Prospect Park has decided not to bring back All My Children at this time. For whatever reason, All My Children hasn't been coming together as easily as One Life to Live. I hope All My Children does return at some point; I would hate to see another soap opera end forever. The fans deserve to have the show come back, and a loss of one soap opera is a loss for all soap operas.
As for One Life to Live's future, we still don't have many details of what will happen, although cast members are starting to make their future plans known. David Gregory has decided not to go on to Prospect Park, and Eddie and Kristen Alderson are moving to Los Angeles instead of staying in Llanview, and I am sure we will learn more news in the coming weeks. I am going to remain positive about One Life to Live's future; all indications say it is moving forward, so let's keep the faith!
Until next time,
Dawn
