Even though we are entering February sweeps, it didn't feel like it as I watched the show last week. Maybe it's the current storylines or perhaps the show has been in a holding pattern, but I found most of last week to be pretty boring. There were a couple of bright spots, but I hope the show is better this week!
I enjoyed the scenes with Bo and Nora immensely. They finally decided to give in to their passion and decided to move on with their relationship. As they were eating takeout food, it felt like vintage Bo and Nora from 10 years ago. These two are so much fun to watch! It's been a very long time since either character has looked as happy as they do now. It's a great thing to see! It would have been better if their scenes hadn't been sandwiched in between the cheesy montages of Kim and Schuyler getting ready for their evenings, but seeing Bo and Nora together is way better than seeing them apart!
As for Kim and Clint, I think it would have been a better story if it were Lindsay Rappaport going after Clint instead of Kim. Lindsay and Clint have a history, and it could have reignited Nora and Lindsay's feud. Kim is a random person with connections to only Schuyler and Stacy. She could disappear tomorrow, and it wouldn't be a huge loss. It doesn't make sense for Kim to go after Clint, while Lindsay is stuck in jail!
It looks Rex might fall for Stacy's trick of pretending to be in labor, but I wish he wouldn't. Pouring water on the floor isn't enough to make it look like she's in labor. Will he question why the floor is wet, but Stacy's pants are not? I doubt it. He is so excited about the baby that he isn't even thinking clearly. Actually, he hasn't had a clear thought since Stacy arrived in Llanview, but we'll save that discussion for another time.
It was awful to watch Stacy put the moves on Rex, as he admitted that he liked the idea of having another child. She was laying it on thick, and Rex didn't protest enough. If I didn't know that Stacy was leaving Llanview, I wouldn't be able to watch all of this transpire. However, I know Stacy will be gone, so I can hold on for a while longer!
Natalie is another character who isn't thinking clearly. She is still grieving for Jared and doesn't know what to do with her anger. Going to a therapist to work through it made sense, but she should have gone to anyone but Marty. While John has been a good friend to Natalie, he didn't have to be discussed at all, but of course, his name was mentioned quickly.
At the time, I didn't think Marty had the ulterior motives for counseling Natalie. It wasn't an appropriate choice, but conflict of interest is hardly ever considered in Llanview. However, Marty's conversation with Dr. Levin changed my mind. She obviously has issues with Natalie's friendship with John and might have offered to counsel her to find out how Natalie really felt about John.
Even though I think Marty wasn't as objective as she claimed, it still seemed like Natalie wanted to pick a fight with Marty. She was obviously baiting Marty about John. Fortunately, Marty didn't take the bait, but I have to wonder why Natalie felt the need to attack Marty as she did. I guess the answer is that this is all leading to yet another love triangle involving John McBain.
As I've said before, I didn't like Natalie and John as a couple the first time, so I don't want to see a reunion. Meanwhile, John and Marty don't interest me as a couple, but they are well-suited for one another. However, if John were to pick Natalie, it would be bad news for Marty in more ways than one. We hardly ever see her now, and if she didn't have her relationship with John, she could disappear completely. I don't know why the writers don't know what to do with Marty these days, but she deserves a lot better than to be Natalie's latest nemesis in an ill-conceived triangle!
As for the drama in the courtroom, I am guessing that Brody busting in with the gun was part of John and Brody's plan to find Jessica. However, I don't think they considered that either one of them would get hurt, as it looked like John did. That was a good cliffhanger for the end of the week!
I am torn about Dorian and Charlie's alliance. I think Brian Kerwin and Robin Strasser work quite well together, but I don't like their current story. It doesn't make sense for Dorian to expect Charlie to kill Mitch. Charlie isn't a stable person these days, and he isn't a trained shooter. As we saw from his target practice, he is hardly a deadly shot. He is an odd choice to kill Mitch. Dorian has hired assassins before, so approaching an amateur this time doesn't make sense. Where is Jackie McNaughton or any other mobster when Dorian needs him?
Charlie also doesn't seem like a man who could kidnap Stacy and her baby, as Dorian suggested last week. It's clear that she is getting desperate, and Charlie is determined to avenge Jared's death. It's been interesting to see them bond over their woes. However, simply commiserating won't help them succeed with their plans, and I don't see anything good coming out of all of this. I really hope this doesn't end up being an exit story for Charlie.
I also don't like that Viki and Charlie's relationship is strained because of all of this. Charlie has made some bad decisions recently, and it breaks my heart to see Viki feel rebuffed by him. Charlie and Viki were so happy before Jared's death, and it's hard to watch them struggle to communicate or even be in the same room at the same time. They are newlyweds, and they are already facing big problems. I hope their marriage survives this ordeal. Viki waited a long time for happiness, and I'd hate to see it end so soon!
I hope Mitch doesn't succeed with his awful plan to shock Jessica into going along with his plan for her to raise Stacy's baby. First of all, enough awful things have happened to Jessica in just a few years that this development is overkill. I think it would be much more interesting to see Jessica outsmart Mitch and overcome the situation rather than watch her be a victim yet again.
Also, it doesn't make sense that Mitch doesn't know that Rex isn't the father of Stacy's baby. He knows absolutely everything about everyone else in Llanview, yet he doesn't know the truth about his "chosen one." It seems like a glaring oversight. How can Mitch know a lot of minutiae about people but not something major that affects him? I hope there is a better explanation for this than just sloppy writing, but so far, it's hard to believe this part of the story.
This might be a surprise coming from me, but I was very impressed with Starr last week. She was shocked to learn that she had a sister but dealt with the situation amazingly well. While Dani called Todd a rapist several times in the span of a few minutes, Starr patiently listened and was understanding instead of taking any of Dani's comments personally. While Starr has mixed feelings about Todd herself, she was able to see how Dani couldn't get past the things that Todd has done.
I know people have criticized Téa for letting Dani stay with Starr, and while it's absurd to have yet another person living in that apartment, Starr is the one person who can understand how Dani feels, and she isn't putting any pressure on Dani. Todd is anxious to get to know Dani, and Téa wants her to accept Todd right away, so I can see why Dani feels pressure and needs space.
I also liked that Starr seemed happy to have a sister after the initial shock passed. Starr has turned into a true ally for Dani, and right now, that's what Dani needs. It will be interesting to see how Starr and Dani's relationship will grow as they get to know each other. I never thought I'd like Starr in a particular story, but so far, I like her new role in Dani's life. There's a first time for everything!
Until next time,
Dawn
