I forgot where I left off in my viewing so I picked up with 485. It was a good place to start as so many interesting things are going on.
The biggest shock for me is how deep the writers are exploring the issues in the Lori / Blue story. As I had hoped, they really seem to be leaning into the idea that Lori might have an abortion, or is at least not taking care of herself because she believes Blue is the father of the child. This is such a complicated angle to take in an abortion story on a Christian soap opera. Lori is presented as not completely mentally well, but she also isn't villainized. There is an undercurrent that society's view of the mentally unwell makes the situation worse for people than it has to be. McLeod's plays the subtext fine without leaning into it to heavily, which avoids the moralizing. While Lori isn't the villain, and we know Lori won't go through with it, it's interesting that they are going there with Lori's thoughts on abortion. She wasn't raped, but she believes she is. The child isn't Blue's, but Lori believes it is. Ben is clearly fraught about it, but he is still giving Lori her bodily autonomy. This conflict, Lori's decision, drives the tension in Ben and Lori's marriage and it feels very natural that we would be heading to a breaking point for the two characters. Terry's role as mediator also keeps Mary Jean Feton busy.
There was a nice scene between Dave and Ben where Dave starts sharing information with Ben that Dave had heard from Terry, assuming Terry had already spoken with Ben. When Dave's own history working in an abortion comes into play, Ben immediately rejects Terry and Dave's concern that Lori might be considering teriminating the pregnancy. Quickly, Ben starts to realize that Lori isn't the same woman he married after the attack. The characters' backstories are used to naturally drive the conflict in the story even if the over arching story may be a bit over the top.
The best moment though has been the reunion between Lori and Miriam Carpenter now that Miriam has been returned after months of being held hostage by Lance, Blue, and Ron. Also, like I had hoped, Miriam brings up Blue to Lori and it is a wildly satsifying scene. Miriam's newfound understanding of Blue, Lori's closemindedness regarding Blue's past actions as they relate to her, and Lori and Miriam's own complicated history mesh together to deliver a powerful conversation between two people. Lori remains strong in her stance that Blue is a monster, while Miriam tries to get Lori to see that Blue suffered terribly in life through his childhood in foster care. In a pivotal moment, Miriam struggles to understand how Lori can forgive her (Miriam) so easily after all the terrible things that Miriam did to her, but not Blue. This leads to Lori's confession that she is carrying Blue's baby. It's really intense and well done.
Miriam's return to continues to spider out in nice ways. Still believing the Redlons are responsible for her kidnapping, Charles insists his daughter stay away from them. Miriam makes it clear that the Redlons are her friends, and that she will not be kept from them. I appreciate this because those scenes of Mama Ione and her "daughters" Miriam and Babs were such warm scenes that may not have moved the plot, but enriched the storytelling by building such emotional ties between the characters. Another story is picking up the mantle in this direction, but in a slightly different way.
The Phillips story is more and more making sense to me. On a show like Another Life, there always needs to be a family that has such a disrupted moral core that redemption and the hopes of reconciliation will drive the story. We saw it very early on with the Cummings, semi-completed with the Slaymakers, in an unfinished way with the Carpenters and the Prescotts, and now more so with the Phillips brood. The interactions at the penthouse with Kate and her polar opposite daughters Stacey and Amber Phillips make compelling viewing. Flowers are delivered to the residence and there is a big to do about who they are from. Kate suspects they are from Gil for Amber, Amber thinking that they are from Lee for Kate, and Stacey hoping they are for Kate, but from Dave. This immediately plays into the Lee-Kate-Dave triangle, but also emphasizing the ongoing tension between Amber and Stacey. Amber makes a brutal cut when she says that the flowers could easily have been for anyone in the apartment, except Stacey. In the meantime, Kate seems very torn. She seems to still have deep feelings for Dave, but she seems to think that the past is the past. There is a nice bit of gossiping between Kate and Stacey earlier about how Gil seems very interested in a cool, calm Amber.
Of course, all of this coincides into the bigger moment, Dave's arrival at the penthouse to see Kate for the first time in years, unaware that Lee is there. Kate and Dave's reunion is tender and bittersweet with Kate later recalling the scene with her daughters saying that she felt more pity, than love, for Dave. Lee's presence also sets Dave off. They apparently were a part of the country club set together and have at least a passing knowledge of the other. Later, Dave recalls how in this moment he felt like he was in high school all over again. There's just such emotional richness in this story that it's hard not to stop what you are doing and watch.
The fallout of this incident sets out to be heartbreaking; Dave decides he's going to wallow in his misery at the Castaway Bar. In a case of strange bedfellows, it is Nancy who cozies up to Dave hoping that they can connect on another level. It is broke, desperate Nancy who ends up stealing Dave's drink, not out of kindness but out of her own selfish desire. It's a nice resolution complete with some fun sniping at Nancy from Ernie the bartender who won't serve Nancy because she has a tendency to not pay her tabs. I don't hate the characterization for Nancy, but she is such a bigger character to be just floating around the canvas. Though, I think they mentioned a stockbroker Ben/Dan Myers so maybe her story is about to change.
There is also some nice movement in the Monk story, finally. Carla and Gene have it out over Gene's desire to house Monk when Ione has offered to do the same. Gene makes it clear that he feels Monk needs a male role model, and that is something he wouldn't have on a daily basis at Ione's. It's an interesting point to make as Gene makes it clear he grew up without his father. The more surprising moment was the suggestion that Carla's concerns regarding taking in Monk aren't just about the fact that her new child will need stability that Monk is sure to disrupt, but that streetwise Monk doesn't fit into the surburban dream that Carla has been cultivating with her husband and children moving into Nora's old home. The hint of classism is a nice layer for Carla, who, under Kari Page, always seemed paper thin.
Monk meets with the judge and is freed. It is nice to see this resolved after what has to be nearly seven months. I am not sure if Joe James was unavailable or the writers felt the other stories needed more space, but it was a shame to just stall this story over and over.
There were some nice scenes and revelations in Russ' story. He is currently on the run because the police suspect he had a bigger role in the kidnapping than he did. Russ has hit up Peter for money and made a suggestion that Peter is going after Marianne. I was trying to figure out how this could play out with any real interest (Peter/Marianne) and I settled on Terry acting as the torn in their side knowing that Marianne hasn't given up on Russ. If Peter and Marianne were to be a couple, Terry would fear that Marianne would go back to Russ at some point and break Peter's heart. Also, Vicky's role in the Cantebury Complex report would certainly give Peter and Marianne different sides of the same issue to fight over as the outcome is sure to impact Prescott Development and their reputation. I also think the Peter / Gil friendship would be tested by Peter's interest in Marianne even if initially Gil might have been pleased to see Marianne move past Russ.
In episode 490, Russ has found himself back at the warehouse where he killed Blue having invited Marianne to join him. Lance has tracked him down and I think I see where this is all heading and I'm ready for it.
By
dc11786 ·
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.