Up to February 22th, 1993
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"Enter... Robin Strasser."
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@mar4331 - It's official! She has ARRIVED!
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Okay, I couldn't contain myself and JUST HAD to come and tell you what I think the moment I finished watching. I'm just 2 episodes further, so this is going to be shorter and mainly focused on the Viki Buchanina / Dorian Lord's return. Let's dive in!
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Just when Viki was ready to let her hair down and enjoy the fruits of the forbidden affair - smiling coquettishly at Sloan like a schoolgirl (the man did tell her she’s forever 19 in his eyes, OH MY!) - the fairytale turned straight into nightmare when a familiar face turned up at that same inn. Dorian Lord is here, baby… and she has never looked younger, fresher, or more ready to cause trouble. And let me be clear... this is not a dig at Elaine Princi. I just fundamentally disagree with people who insist the two Dorians are “so alike” or “hard to tell apart.” I see so much difference it’s almost crazy. Princi’s Dorian always carried a darker, more seasoned energy - mature, elegant, but at times visibly “emotionally worn out”. Strasser, on the other hand, walks in with that girlish, Machiavellian sparkle the character had been missing. Her face, her charisma, her whole vibe - playful, magnetic and dangerous. I love both versions, but for entirely different reasons. And since I’ve already watched glimpses of Strasser’s early 80s run (1980–1983 clips, thanks again to @DRW50 for linking me to some of them couple of weeks ago), the shock wasn’t about seeing a “new” Dorian. The real surprise was how instantly she clicked back into place for me. Two or three minutes in, I was already laughing like an idiot. Even my husband wandered over from the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about. He’d seen Princi’s Dorian with me before, and after watching for maybe 15–20 minutes he declared, “This one is muuuch better!” I responded - “You can’t judge Elaine until you’ve seen more. They are different.” But hey - everyone has their taste.
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Storyline‑wise… the NEW-old Dorian is coming in with a savage energy I wasn’t prepared for. It’s like she’s been awakened from a long, deep sleep and now is coming alive after taking her first drop of human blood. The tabloid vampire has risen, and she’s circling Viki and Sloan like a vulture. And suddenly, as I expected, Viki stops looking like such a wretched human being. That’s how much Dorian was missed. Her absence was felt very strongly, and the moment she walked back in, Viki snapped right back into her usual place... the heroine whose life is being attacked from all angles. Seeing Savage Dorian (that’s what I’m calling her for now, because that’s exactly the vibe she’s giving) slip into full Assassin Mode - calling Clint and lying that Viki has “broken her foot” and is tragically alone and in need of help - this is a neeeeeeeew level of circus we haven’t seen. 😁 Princi’s Dorian could be vile... but she was demure in comparison to this. Strasser's Dorian is like a character who escaped from Gone With the Wind/Hitchcock's Psycho. She's Cinderella’s bitchy stepsister who stole her shoe. Overall - yes, I’m missing Princi. But I’m also taking Strasser with open arms. Everything she’s bringing is exactly what the show needed. DESPERATELY.
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Another storyline that took a seriously dark turn is Marty’s downward spiral. The girl is clearly in a dangerous self-destructive place, and the show pushed that to the max - in her desperation she took some pills and ended up calling into Luna’s radio show in this raw, unraveling state. Bo and Nora managed to intervene just in time. And honestly… just thinking about the fact that two months ago it was Bo who was at rock bottom, and now he’s the one stepping in to save someone else - that parallel was very good. And here’s the crazy part - for the first time, I actually felt empathy for Marty. They got me. They manipulated me right into it. Because underneath all that venom and destruction, there’s this very sad, very lonely person who’s been broken since childhood. She clearly needs help - that much is obvious. But at the same time, we can’t pretend her dangerous, sociopathic streak isn’t still there. We literally just saw what she’s capable of, and now she’s lying about where she was on Thanksgiving. Between that and the way the show is framing things, I’m pretty convinced - at least for now - that Marty is responsible for Sarah’s death.
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Billy and his boyfriend finally got some much‑needed airtime. The one scene a month was starting to feel like a contractual obligation and not much else, so it was nice they had their moment. The setup was simple - Billy, his boyfriend, and his parents all sitting down for dinner. His father, of course, unaware that the young man next to Billy was not just a “friend.” Enter Sloan Carpenter... who managed to open that man’s closed and homophobic mind just enough to make him see the opportunity that lies ahead - something which Sloan didn't get to have with his son William. An opportunity to love and bond with his child! Sloan, like a male Viki... succeeded with his gentle manipulation. Billy’s father actually swallowed his bitterness and showed some level of acceptance and respect towards Billy and his boyfriend. The boyfriend’s name is escaping me right now, but they’re sweet together. My favorite moment was Billy quietly telling his mother, “Please don’t pause every time before you say "gay." Just say it normally.” That line hit me. It was real. It was familiar. It was one of those tiny truths soaps get right, and they nailed it.
P.S. I almost forgot - Cord is not handling the Tina/Cain situation well. The man was practically dragging her from room to room like a dog. And then we hear Tina telling Cain she’s in the process of breaking up with Cord. I did not see that coming.
Overall - 10/10 - No problems on the horizon - the show is running smoothly, like a well‑oiled machine. And I loved that Robin happened to return on my birthday, the 22nd of February. Makes it easy to remember now.
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Clip of the day
Dorian Lord is back, baby.
By
Maxim ·
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