The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire
Week 18 (April 28-May 2, 1986) -- Part I
Bryan: "I've never seen one hospital so concerned over one patient."
Lorena: "Well, Buzz is hardly your ordinary patient. In many ways, he is General Hospital."
Buzz Gets Brained: This storyline runs a close race against Laurelton for dominance of the week. While attempting to break up a fight on the waterfront, Buzz gets his skull fractured by a tire iron. As the week goes on, it's revealed that Buzz was apparently tortured while serving in Vietnam and has a steel plate in his head. He also has to deal with seizures (as a complication from the attack, not as something they're retconning into Buzz's everyday life). A specialist is called in to operate on Buzz's subdural hematoma, and of course, there's no guarantee that he'll be able to survive such a dangerous procedure, let alone fully recover. On the other hand, doctors can beat the odds: Jimmy Lee reveals that back in his youth, Buzz was able to prevent his needing an amputation.
There's a lot to, well, respect here. I appreciated how just about everyone gets to react to Buzz's plight. We're also reminded of just how intertwined Buzz is in so many lives and environments. Alas, I'm watching while knowing Buzz isn't going to be a long-term player, so all the attention just seems funny in hindsight.
I'm giving this week's acting crown to Finola Hughes. Anna has a nice heart to heart with Frisco on Monday. She feels guilty about not being in love with Buzz, even if she cares about him and loves him as a friend. As Anna talks out her confusion over not being able to love Buzz romantically, Frisco has the answer. Buzz is not Robert.
Anna: "I don't know why I can't get on with my own personal life. I mean, it seems such a ridiculous, stupid torch to carry. He's thousands of miles away, he's married to a wonderful woman. I'll never be anything more than a friend to him. But can I accept it? No! Why can't I just fall in love with another man?"
The rest of the week is spent anticipating the big surgery. Friday includes an especially sweet Anna and Robin scene. Robin's been thinking about how people don't stay around very long: Robert, The Ancient One, and Filomena. Anna reminds Robin about how all of those people can be visited or contacted, that Buzz is fighting for his life and has people fighting for him, and how much she (Robin) has been praying for Buzz.
Anna: "And you know something else? I'm going to be around for a very long time."
Robin: "Oh, Mommy!" hugs her
Laurelton, the Lucy stuff: I love that we start the week with Lucy in lingerie. Seriously, it's part of Monday's first scene, when Lucy's bidding farewell to her unseen beau. It's like, okay, we get it, she's not actually frumpy. Speaking of that, there's a clever bit on Wednesday. Robin tells Felicia that Lucy's beautiful and recognizes that Lucy's intentionally trying to look plain. You gotta love how kids can cut through any bull.
GH hasn't tried to make much of a mystery out of "Who's Lucy's guy?" There's no attempt at red herrings, which prompted me to try making my own. Monday's teaser takes place at night, and act one begins the following morning. Near the end of the episode, Lucy tells her lover to have a good day at the hospital. We know that she couldn't have said goodbye at the start to Buzz, Tony, or Yank. We also know that she and Patrick have no previously established intimacy, and their interactions over the rest of the week further that idea. This leaves a motley crew of remaining guys: Kevin, Bill, Steve (as if!), Alan (wait a few years), and ... Rick. Apparently Lucy is going to flirt with Rick later in the year.
Barring any flashbacks (I don't think there were any), Lynn Herring and Kevin Bernhardt share their only scenes together on Thursday. That's another indication that her survival on the show did not depend on him. While Jake's found the key to Lucy's apartment in Kevin and Terry's toilet tank, Kevin's giving Lucy lackluster kisses (See?! I told you he's a dud, not a stud!) and reminding her that they can't be seen together. Kevin and Lucy's last scene, happening after he's found out Jake has the key, has her assuring Kevin that she'll maintain their lie if it's to her advantage. If Lucy's sentenced to jail, she'll turn on Kevin. Luckily for Lucy and Kevin, she gets a suspended sentence including 100 hours of community service.
Lucy's scenes in her librarian persona include some interesting maybe-a-lie, maybe-the-truth stuff. In retrospect, she's lying when she tells Frisco she doesn't have family. It's not certain that Lucy's lying when she tells Jake that she's not used to getting compliments from a man, and later that she was a disappointment to her late parents.
On deck: Laurelton, what's left of the mystery, plus Sean Swindles the Quartermaines and the Domestic-Relationship Roundup.
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Franko ·
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