OLTL: Discussion for the Week of December 8th

[DeliaIrisFan]

I liked the Christina episode as well. And I guess I don't find it hard to believe that an entire town would have their own memories of a classic movie...since so many people are on this message board, posting about tv shows we have been watching for years that have affected us each in our own way. Soaps would be wise to remind the remaining viewers that it's nice to still have things on television that we've watched all of our lives that can still take us back to other times and places and the people we watched them with.

Monday-Thursday were all pretty good for me, but I have to say Friday was the first eye-rolling episode in at least a month. Viki and Sarah's scene was long overdue, but everything they said made so little sense. I can't believe Viki didn't know about the shooting at the airport - it involved her ex-husband and her archnemesis, and isn't she the editor of the town newspaper? - and why on earth was she encouraging her niece to just sit around hoping that Cristian will come to his senses and decide not to be joined at the hip with an attempted murderess? I guess after a month of one character after another telling off Todd, it would be too much to hope for for Viki to finally speak the truth about Cristian: "Honey, he means well, but I've known him since he was a boy and that was a long time ago compared to how little growing up he has done since then. He's been 'in love with' both of my daughters, but had no trouble at'all forgetting them when his next girlfriend came along, and I hate to see you make the same mistakes when you have so much to offer. And we came too close to losing you last summer - if this woman is as dangerous as you say and Cristian refuses to see that, then you have done all you can do for him and you have to look out for yourself by keeping away."

And I love Tea, and it's a treat to see her again but the thing I loved about her was that she was a mess but her pride - or at least the appearance of it - mattered to her. Todd was her downfall but he always had to make just enough of an effort to suck her back in. Bursting into the courtroom and stopping Todd's plea was just too over-the-top when he refused her offer to defend him and that was that. After everything he has done to her - and she actually has to get in line behind two other women (three, if you count his daughter) to whom he's actually done even worse, just in the time since she left - I can't believe they brought her back for one more humiliating go-round with Todd (a new Todd, who doesn't have any on-screen history with her and it doesn't seem like she'll be back long enough to create any). And I sure don't want to watch her prop up this awful Cristian/Vanessa story. Why would Tea say that Vanessa looks like every woman Christian has dated, when most of the women he's dated have been related to Sarah? I missed most of the JFP era (intentionally) but wasn't the deal with Tea's sister that Cristian was in love with Jessica but being duped by Rosanna? If they had to have Tea say something completely inappropriate to create drama for this sad trio, she should have said something like, "Well, well, well, Christian, some things never change. I see you're still trying to play white knight in shining armor to a fair maiden, but you've found yourself another sexy Latina woman you just can't seem to get out of your system."

I also have had enough of Mo and Noel. The original Bonjour Cafe story - what I saw of it anyway - was cute enough, and Charlie is certainly a keeper, but there are enough recurring characters who have been in Llanview for years and I'd rather see them than anyone else from Paris. Also, I didn't realize there was a real Paris, TX, when Viki first went there, but in light of the fact that a person was recently dragged to death in what was likely a racial hate crime in the real-life town, all of this nostalgia from Viki, Gigi, Marcie, et al suddenly doesn't seem so charming to me...

The show is still running on almost all cylinders - I just hope Friday was not an indicator that they're going to get derailed again like over the summer by focusing on over-the-top elements and speeding up/sensationalizing stories that already have enough intrinsic drama to play out for a long time to come. My hat is still off to this writing team for churning out more hits than misses given the people they have to answer to, I'm just hoping with every episode that they can keep up the balancing act.

PS: Can we bring back Andrew for good? He fits in so nicely, like he's never been gone.

[Eric200]

Does Viki even still work at the Banner? Maybe she just comes in one or two days a week to rubber stamp stuff. I wonder how the Sun is dealing with the Todd scandal.

[Antoyne]

Tea's short moment with Starr was nice, and loved bitchy Blair stepping in.