New directions in Llanview

by Dawn
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New directions in Llanview
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The week of April 18, 2005
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On soaps, a character goes through a trauma, and then resumes their normal life the next day. They're on the verge of having nervous breakdowns and get miraculously better ten minutes later.

Sometimes, on soaps, a character goes through a trauma, and then resumes his/her "normal" life the next day. Characters are on the verge of having nervous breakdowns and get miraculously better 10 minutes later, or they have major surgery and are out of the hospital an hour later and look as though nothing happened. This isn't the case with Blair or Todd. They are both feeling the effects of what they have been through because of Margaret, although in different ways Watching Blair last week made me realize just how bad their ordeal really was. Of course, I already knew that being held captive and being locked in a car trunk were terrible things, but watching the repercussions of it have driven the point home. Blair thinks that every time the phone rings or there is a knock at the door that Margaret is back and ready to hurt her and her family again. Blair's fear is justified, and there is no end in sight. In Blair's mind, there won't be any peace or comfort until Margaret returns and is captured or otherwise stopped. She hasn't been able to hide her fear from Starr and Jack, and all Blair, and Todd hasn't been able to alleviate her fears. Todd wants to get revenge on Margaret for what she did to his family, and he is also trying to cope with being raped by Margaret. I wish he would tell Blair what happened. We all know that keeping the truth from Blair will create problems, especially when Margaret returns to Llanview. He is having trouble coping with it himself and doesn't want to cause any more grief for Blair. Instead, he is avoiding what happened to him and is trying to avenge what happened to Blair and his family. In the midst of Todd and Blair's anguish, they have decided to plan yet another "dream" wedding. They have done this several times before, and usually their attempts are foiled. Will this wedding be the one that actually takes place and leads to a lasting marriage? After all Todd and Blair have been through, especially this year, I hope so. With Margaret still on the loose, having a problem-free wedding seems almost impossible, yet I think it should happen. I doubt many viewers want to see Todd and Blair endure even more hardships after what has happened to them in 2005. The thing that has amazed me most about this storyline is that it has gotten me interested in Todd and Blair again. Before, I felt like their story had become too repetitive and predictable. While Todd was in that cabin for way too long, and Blair's ordeal dragged out for too long, it has led to a reinvention of Todd and Blair, or at least a new chapter of their story. They have a long way to go before they can recover and move on from Margaret's acts, but I think it will be interesting to see where they go from here and how they will move on with their lives. Meanwhile, Jessica is entering a new chapter of her life, as she tries to figure out why she can't remember periods of time and things she did. We all know Jessica has DID. Her alter "Tess" has made many appearances already. Jessica has finally realized that something is wrong with her, and she has shared what she knows with Antonio. However, I want to know when Viki will figure it out. While I see that this storyline is meant to affect Jessica's relationship with Antonio, it will be even more interesting to see Viki try to help Jessica. I don't like the fact that Jessica has DID. It seems like an unnecessary plot twist and a way to perpetuate Viki's storyline to the next generation. We have seen Viki's DID in action many times, and I am not sure why it needs to be repeated with a different character. However, it has been written, so I will deal with it. If Jessica has to have DID, I want to see Viki's reaction to seeing her daughter struggle with the same illness that she has struggled with for so many years.Viki can help Jessica by referring to her own experiences, bringing history into a current storyline. I don't want Viki to be the last person to find out about Jessica's illness and for Jessica to miraculously recover in one day. That already happened when Jessica was terrorizing Dorian a few years ago, after Dorian hit Jessica with her car. Once it was revealed that she was terrorizing Dorian, we never really heard about it again. It would be interesting if what Jessica did a few years ago ended up being related to her DID now. Has she had it for years. and we are just now seeing it? I don't know if that's possible, but linking what happened in the past to the present would certainly strengthen this questionable storyline. Now that we seem to be committed to this storyline, I want the writers to commit to it for the long haul. Even though I still have reservations about this, there could be some significant outcomes, such as rebuilding her relationship with Antonio (for fans of that couple) and a new chapter for Viki and Jessica, who have always been so close. My message to the writers is now that we are stuck with this storyline, they need to see it through to the end.

Finally, I must comment on what has happened to Dorian as a character. She has been known to go over the top, especially when it comes to protecting her family. However, she has gone so far over the top and has become so one dimensional that it's hard to watch her scenes now. All she wants to do is blame Viki, Todd, and the Buchanans for her problems and doesn't see that she is creating problems for herself. Her lines are almost the same in every scene. She starts talking about how bad Viki is and how awful it his that her "girls" are all involved with Buchanan men. She then says mean spirited things about Todd, and blames Viki again. I don't blame David for leaving her. She even tried to blame Viki for David's leaving. It's hard to watch a character that I like be taken down such a dark road. Dorian has always had her vengeful side, but forging a check to get Viki fired and constantly insulting Viki and her family has taken it too far. In the past, when Dorian was out for revenge, her motivation was apparent, even if it was out of line. When she meddled in the lives of Blair, Kelly, and the others, her intentions appeared to be good. She thought she was helping them, even if they didn't agree. This time, it was harder to see her motivation or her good intentions. Yes, she lost her job at the hospital, but it was hardly Viki's fault. Maybe her vote was the tiebreaker, but Dorian's actions led to the vote. With Kelly, Blair, and Adriana, she is determined to keep them away from the Buchanan men because of things that happened in the past, that might not be their fault. I thought she would listen to Kelly about David, but she was stubborn and blew it off. Although, I like how David came down the stairs and said "Kelly and I spent the night together." We know nothing really happened, but it certainly got Dorian's attention! I hope she sees how unreasonable she has been and does her best to make amends with people in her life...including Viki. If Dorian continues being so one dimensional, I am afraid people will stop liking her character, and that shouldn't happen with an important character like Dorian, who has so much history on the show. There isn't a good reason to ruin Dorian's character, and I hope that doesn't happen.

Have a pleasant week!

Dawn

Dawn
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Two Scoops is an opinion column. The views expressed are not designed to be indicative of the opinions of Soap Central or its advertisers. The Two Scoops section allows our Scoop staff to discuss what might happen and what has happened, and to share their opinions on all of it. They stand by their opinions and do not expect others to share the same point of view.

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